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newx-menfan · 2 years

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It’s funny to me that Marvel completely misses that the whole reason that Julian *IS* a widely popular pairing with Laura, is because fans enjoy how much Julian secretly loves how strong Laura is 😂😂🤣 (I included the Shark Girl moment because it kind of supports this…)

Seriously…it’s funny looking back at their relationship and seeing how many scans there are of Julian laying in Laura’s arms injured, complimenting Laura or giving her positive affirmations, taking orders FROM Laura, OR viewing her as physically more powerful.

While most of the “Babysitters Arc” undoes a lot of that with adding scenes of Julian either being hurt by Laura’s lack of response to his feelings or acting aggressive/being angry or stalking her…their interactions always stick out because so much of it is gender flipped, and Julian seems completely unbothered by it.

“You’re my BEST Friend”.

“She’s the Bravest Person I know.”

Much of their relationship after the Nimrod battle is Hellion expressing genuine care, concern, and respect for Laura.

Compared to the scenes with Warren, where even after they first sleep together-Warren KIND of subtly puts Laura down when she expresses doubt about their relationship, in the form of a joke….

Throughout their relationship, is the theme that Warren feels “threatened” by Laura’s strength; it’s not something he is in awe of or even respects, but something that makes him feel insecure.

He justifies it by accusing Laura of being “reckless”, but the clear issue seems to regularly be that Laura threatens Warren’s sense of masculinity.

Even when written by Bendis and Taylor; there is still the theme of Warren needing Laura to be “in need of him”/essentially the damsel, to appease his ego. Whenever Laura refuses to do this -> Warren gets upset. Laura’s choice is to either ignore it, or to constantly walk on eggshells around it.

Even actions that are meant by Warren to be “comforting”; just seem frankly belittling and tie back to Warren’s backhanded joke-

“Why do I like you”.

The panel that always disturbs me the MOST is Warren essentially shaming Laura for having trouble sleeping because of her PTSD-> arguing that it’s proof that Laura has a “weakness”; it strangely contrasts with Hellion defending Laura when Surge and Rockslide make fun of Laura for sleeping outside, telling them to “stop” when they argue that it proves that Laura is crazy. Where Warren sees Laura’s trauma as “proof” that she’s not really stronger than him and is just putting on a front, Julian never views it as proving Laura is “broken”, “weak”, or “crazy”; Julian never uses it as emotional ammo.

(There’s a great post done by @bluhtzal-jail dealing with the mirroring of Laura/Warren’s battle with Blob, vs. Laura being injured by Nimrod, by the way!)

I actually think Laura COULD have worked with Synch in a different story with a different writer; Everett *IS* a decent guy in Generation X….

The problem, is the relationship develops off panel in essentially an amnesia storyline.

Laura is given little autonomy in the relationship. We only see the relationship FROM Synch’s side. Laura feels essentially like a “shell” in Hickman and Duggan’s writing.

Almost every panel Synch is shown to essentially be forcing this relationship ONTO Laura. Laura doesn’t, for all intents and purposes, seem to care one iota about what happened in the Vault.

There’s just not enough of shared time to ever care about this relationship. Synch focuses more on the meaning Laura GIVES him, than Laura herself. There’s no reason given as to WHY Synch likes her; where you can give definitive reasons as to WHY Julian loves and respects Laura-> there’s not really any concrete reasoning FOR Everett’s love other than convenience and a feeling of loneliness while in the vault.

Most of the panels with Synch is of him “holding Laura back”…which is kind of a perfect description for this relationship, honestly. Much like Warren, Laura isn’t really allowed to be herself, but pushed to be the version Everett remembers of her. It is a relationship solely on his terms….

——————————————————————- I often hear a major reason people push for Laura to be in a relationship with a woman, is mainly because they feel that Laura can’t ever be written well with a man; honestly I think that is kind of sad. We can’t show a “healthy relationship” for characters like Laura, with a man…because we feel there isn’t one. Julian WAS the closest we got. The answer is basically that sexism and mental health stigma make that an impossible story to tell effectively.

As flawed (or abusive, as some people argue Julian WAS in Babysitter’s Arc); Julian is the only male relationship shown with someone who genuinely SEEMS to appreciate and respect Laura for who she is; not who she could BE.

Writer’s COULD ask themselves-> “why is Hellion and Laura a pretty popular relationship?” and essentially mimic it in whatever relationship they’re trying to write WITH Laura…but they don’t; because they don’t WANT to mimic a relationship that essentially showcases the male character as, at times-> weaker and seemingly liking that dynamic. The thing I miss most about Laura and Julian, was how unique it was in pop culture; it’s sad it’s gone because I can’t really think of a dynamic quite like it.

As much as people write off that it was a gender flipped “Logan/Jean”; with Julian now essentially in the “Jean role”- strangely attracted to Laura’s “raw violence” despite fearing it, their personalities often squaring off, and being a civilizing force (all of which is definitely TRUE)…it was also about characters mutually growing from one another and respecting each other.

While this isn’t meant as a dig at Jubilee or other f/f Laura ships or saying that I am even against Laura being IN a relationship with a woman…. I do think it’s interesting to talk about why we feel writers can’t make a workable relationship with Laura with a male character; I wrote this in part, because I feel there is a HIGH possibility X-Men #17 might return back to the Synch/Laura relationship, and I think it’s important to talk about exactly WHY it doesn’t seem to be a very popular relationship with readers 😐.

#Hellion #Julian Keller #Laura Kinney #Wolverine #x23 #x 23 #laura x23 #new xmen #new x men #x men #academy x #new x men academy x #all new x men #all new wolverine #Marvel #Synch #Thomas Everett #Angel #Warren Worthington iii

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packook · 2 years

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BATDR Thoughts

Spoilers below

Just wanted to rant and get some thoughts out there. Overall I enjoyed BATDR. The graphics were great and the gameplay and new sneaking ability was great. I loved the random personalities of different lost ones like the one who wanted us to find their art or the whole Lord Amok part. Having a 4th Butcher gang member was pretty cool too and she was honestly the scariest part of the game to me.

I just wish they worked on the characters and story more. Like while playing I was thinking if we were only getting the game a chapter at a time we’d barely be getting any lore or info and then it felt they just starting throwing the plot out finally during chapter 4. I wish they spaced it out a little more so you could think about it as you snuck around instead of just pushing forward just because where else would we go?

I wish we got to interact with characters more too. Like when we met Porter I was like wow this character seems fun so far. Can’t wait to run into him again. But we didn’t besides a cameo in the end. I liked what I got with a lot of characters I just wished we had more of it. I loved hanging out with tiny Bendy but I wish we could have done more than walk around the city together. Like hide somewhere or basically be like Boris in BATIM where he’s around and hiding and on our side and we can visit him whenever. Or maybe we could have defended Bendy from enemies while he has to work on a task to get us through an area. I know he can’t be around forever because he has to be the ink demon but I felt like the game relied on the fact we were all excited to hang out with Bendy so we didn’t get a reason for Audrey to be with him. Though I guess seeing a character you draw walking around could be enough for Audrey.

Speaking of Bendy what was the point from his perspective to merge with Audrey? Maybe I just need to play it again but I was like good thing you merged together now Audrey can force you to do what she wants. That being said I LOVED being able to play as Beast Bendy but I just didn’t get it form Bendy’s point of view.

I think it’s really interesting that Bendy was in the real world at the end because basically that’s been the fandom’s whole idea since the original chapter one. An actual toon coming to life. That’s what most AUs and stories people make are about. That was what I felt like the fandom thought was happening before we learned there is a real world outside of the studio. But now what’s going to happen? Like does Bendy just act as his toon self in the real world? As the ink demon? Something completely different? And based off so many different fan stories I know there are so many different options with that. That’s what gets me excited if there is a third game but who knows what direction that’ll go.

I also like and don’t like how the whole loop is different. Like we still don’t know who was writing the invisible ink in BATIM. Who boarded up the ink machine in chapter 1? How do the cut outs move? Who cleared the path for us after running into Bendy in chapter 2? Like I guess none of those theories matter now because new loop new story so it doesn’t matter now we’re moving on. Which kinda makes me sad because I looked at so many theories, made some of my own, and tried to put the puzzle pieces together.

That being said. I’m still excited to see what holes the fandom will fill. I feel like BATIM was so fun because of the what the fandom created with it. I think a good chunk of us are still around and plenty of new people are here too. So I’m still going to focus on collecting, finding, and sharing everyone’s ideas, art, and other things and I already got an amv in mind that works pretty well with the story. So even though I wish there were a few differences in BATDR I’m excited to see what we can all make together and what the future will bring!

#batim #bendy #batdr #bendy spoilers #batdr spoilers #rant #sorry there are probably a bunch of typos or sentences that don't make sense #just wanted to spit my ideas out there somewhere

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thevindicativevordan · 3 years

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What are your full opinions on Jon Kent (Superboy) from his first appearance to now?

Was going to wait a bit to see how things shake out with Taylor, but screw it I can always make a follow up post. Short version is I like him in both of his incarnations. But both incarnations have major problems too.

Superboy

As a kid Jon quickly acquired fans. Jurgens may have been his father in terms of creating him, but Tomasi was his daddy in terms of fleshing him out. While I really enjoyed Jurgens Lois and Clark run (it's still his best work since the highs of the Triangle Era), Rebirth is where Jon really started to explode in popularity. Meeting and becoming friends with Damian, going on adventures with his dad, Superman Rebirth is the era of Jon more than anything. Tomasi's best work was when he was focusing on the father-son relationship between Clark and Jon in much the same way as he focused on Bruce and Damian in Batman & Robin. Whenever he tried to do solo Superman stories he fared very poorly.

Jon was a likable character, sunny and cocky, eager to test the limits of his powers. Very much in line with your typical shounen protagonist in personality, which Jimenez's manga influenced art only highlighted further. In many ways he was a chip off the old block, he was born on one world that was now dead but raised on another. He came of age in a small rural town, Clark was his "Pa" who worked on the farm, and had to train Jon since he couldn't pawn him off to an orphanage like Kara or ignore him like Kon. Like Clark, Jon was earnest, upbeat, optimistic, and had a temper when pushed (especially if it was by Damian). His best friend was the son of his dad's (second) best friend. His first crush was Kathy, the girl next door who was very much an expy of Lana. Clark's background and adult status quo was more or less recreated for his son beat for beat in a very familiar manner to Pre-Crisis Superboy. In a way Jon was basically a return of the Pre-Crisis Superboy, one being trained by the Post-Crisis Superman.

You may have noticed that I didn't mention Lois at all in this which leads into the big problem: Jon didn't feel like Lois' kid at all. There was nothing of her in his character, personality, or appearance (why not give him purple eyes at least?). She never had any real input on Jon's heroics, never offered an alternate opinion about how his upbringing or proposed a different outlook on being a hero than Clark did. Does Lois have the same opinion about killing that Clark does for example? No clue she never got to really interact with Jon on her own without Clark. How come that was never explored? Feel like that would be a very interesting conversation given it's her son who now has to risk his life throwing down with supervillains. Not a fan of Jon being Clark Jr. which is why I was not as up in arms as others were when Bendis arrived to shake things up.

Superman Secundus

His debut as Superman has been much more controversial. People were pissed Bendis aged him up, about how he was aged up, pissed he didn't just pal around with Damian anymore as the "light" to Damian's "darkness". So DC tapped the new golden boy, who had already written a successful take on Jon in DCeased, Tom Taylor. Taylor is someone who has had success at connecting fans with characters before, so he was the one tasked with making Jon palatable to the new audience DC wanted. Despite not enjoying Taylor generally, I've been enjoying Superman: Son of Kal-El enough to keep reading.

Now there was more of an effort to make him a character who could stand on his own while still continuing the trend of incorporating concepts made for Clark originally. So Jon got the Legion of Superheroes connection continuing the Pre-Crisis Superboy parallels. Now under Taylor he's billed as the Superman who will deal with "real issues" like Golden Age and the New 52 Superman did, one issue has him linking arms with protestors in a manner that's straight out of that cover of Pak's Action Comics run. For better or worst he's clearly being built to incorporate ideas that were meant to make Clark more relevant but were tossed aside when Rebirth reset Superman to a mix of the Post-Crisis and Pre-Flashpoint takes. Personally I'm ok with that much as I wish things had gone differently for New 52 Superman.

Know what you're thinking: "Didn't you say you hated Jon being Clark Jr.? Why are you talking about him taking all of Clark's stuff like it's a good thing?" I still feel the same way but I do have a reason why I think giving Jon some of his dad's things yet differentiating him from Clark can still work. The reason why is a mix of realism and hypocrisy when it comes to these kinds of legacy heroes.

Realistically there have been such a wide range of takes on Clark that all of the Superfamily members are overlapping with different takes, so none of them are wholly their own. Kara is the one who remembers Krypton, considers herself Kryptonian, and has a temper? Silver Age Superman considered himself Kryptonian and remembered Krypton, Golden Age Superman had a huge temper. Kon is the brooder? Bronze Age and Post Crisis Superman did that as often as they smiled. Steel is the genius? Superman has been shown to be no slouch in the brains department himself across his various incarnations. Kenan is the one who breaks the furthest away from the mold Clark has established in terms of character, but his development is all about how he becomes more like Clark over time. There's really no escaping the basic template Clark established (which makes me want to do a whole post on the limitations of legacy heroes).

Yet they all have attributes that make them distinct since Clark never shared them. Kara is a woman, who was supposed to raise her cousin but instead ended up in his shadow, and has to adapt to a new life as a teenager instead of a baby. Steel is human, a weapons builder before his change of heart, a native of Metropolis, and black. Kenan is human, Asian, not an American, his powers come from a mystical/magical source, and he starts out as an asshole with a good heart buried deep underneath. Kon is a hybrid clone, half Luthor, and loves the spotlight. There's storytelling potential with each of them that's different from what can be done with Clark.

So Jon having similarities to Clark isn't a deal breaker anymore than it is for the other members of the Superfamily. Deal breaker is when Jon has the same backstory/upbringing as Clark, all his friends are the kids of Clark's friends, his personality is the same, his methods as a hero are the same, and his personality is the same. One of my greatest fears for Jon is that they'll have him want to be a journalist, really hope that's not where Taylor or DC choose to go with him in terms of a career. Jon needs ideas that aren't just "junior version of his dad's career, friends, enemies, and LIs".

But the hypocrisy side of things is that I like a lot of ideas tried with Clark that have been retconned out. If Clark can't have that connection to the Legion, if he can't express a stance on social issues, if he can't go wild and crazy with the storytelling occasionally, then there should be a Superman who does offer all that. Why shouldn't it be Jon? Born in a parallel dimension and then raised on an Earth with two versions of his dad, Hamilton being a haven for alien refugees that were watching him at the behest of Manchester Black, travelling the Multiverse with Kathy as a kid, his grandpa coming back from the dead to take him on a trip through the cosmos, Jon has craziness baked into who he is as a character. Jon offers a new storytelling opportunity in that he's someone coming of age at the tail end of the "Greatest Age of Superheroes" and he can clearly see where they've fallen short. Who better to critique his father's style of superheroics, to not just blindly follow in Clark's footsteps but try to forge his own path? To attempt to do things differently?

Bringing in Wildstorm concepts like the Weatherman, Gamoora, and the 5G plan to pair him and Jenny Quantum together (something I still hope happens regardless of whether they're a couple or not, Jenny is awesome) is a great start to building Jon up as his own Superman. Taylor is uniquely suited to mine the Wildstorm Universe given he was the last one to write the Authority book before the New 52. Know some Wildstorm fans are unhappy about that universe being mined for the DCU, wishing they could get standalone books again, but just look at the Milestone books! Personally I think all three are great, but they're selling like crap apparently. Just don't think Milestone and WS can survive on their own outside of the DCU, so if you like those characters you should root for them to succeed in being integrated. Taylor has also said that he plans to showcase the Jon/Lois connection more, so far he hasn't, but I've seen art teases that suggest more content between the two is coming. Hopefully the two can finally have a big conversation with each other without Clark's involvement. Would love to see more Lois in his personality (I'm of the opinion Jon should shittalk his opponents the way Lois rips people like Lex verbally and in her writing),

Hard to say what the future holds for Jon. He's made his liveaction debut on Superman & Lois (with both of the sons containing some of his comic incarnation's traits). Young Justice is where he debuted in animation, so I think he'll be a player in future YJ seasons (assuming there are any beyond S4). Yet the film side seems to have cut off any possibility of his showing up there and both Conner and Val will be competing with him as the heir to the Superman mantle on HBO Max. Jim Lee has said that a lot of their recent moves have been made with an eye towards adaptation, and I 100% believe what's been done with Jon has been part of that. My guess? After Sasha is done as Supergirl, the next main universe DCEU Super will be Jon taking over as Superman. Everything done so far has done with the aim of making sure there's material to use for when that happens. Time will tell if I'm wrong but that's my guess for why things have happened as they have.

#superman #jon kent #dc comics #wildstorm #superboy #lois lane

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fandomscombine · 4 years

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TUA Series Part 3: Luther

The Hargreeves Kerfuffle Part 3: Luther

The Hargreeves siblings x Hargreeves!Reader (Familial Relationship)

BG: The Reader is Number Eight. It follows how you fit into the structure of Season 1 and the family dynamic of the siblings.

This part follows and plays around with the scene when Five had just reappeared and all the sibling are in the kitchen in S1.

I have mashed up the information and some events from both the comics and the tv series.

The series will consist of 10 parts. Where the reader would have a focused interaction with each sibling. (Eg. After this part, it would be Luther x Reader, then Diego x Reader and so on! –Yes Ben is included)

WC: 1028

Contains: The Hargreeves being a mess. Luther being a piece of shit.

DISCLAIMER: I DON’T OWN THE TUA SERIES. THIS IS JUST BY A FAN WOULD REALLY ENJOYED THE SERIES AND WAS INSPIRED TO WRITE.

*ALSO NOT PROOFREAD

>>GENERAL MASTERLIST<<

>>THE HARGREEVES KERFUFFLE SERIES MASTERLIST<<

READ: [PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 4]

>>JOIN MY WRITING CHALLENGE!<<

Five isn’t willing to answer any of your and siblings’ questions until he had something to eat. Which lead to the 7 of you following him into the kitchen. You were all huddled around the end of the table watching silently as Five gathers for food, blipping in and out of the room.

No one dared to break the moment, still shocked and processing that Five, looking a tad older than you last saw him at 10 years old, but a young looking Five nonetheless, is here right now. Still not exactly believing.

‘What’s the date? The exact date.’ Five asks.

‘The 24th’ says Allison behind you.

‘Of what?’

Allison’s brows scrunches together but replies regardless. ‘March.’

‘Good.’ Five nods and continues adding marshmallow to his peanut butter sandwich, as if his question was totally normal.

‘So…’ Luther clears his throat, voicing out the question brewing in everyone’s mind. ‘Are we gonna talk about what just happened? It’s been 17 years.’

Five huffs, ‘It’s been a lot longer than that.’ Bliping out again, this time in the pantry, no doubt looking for coffee.

Causing Luther to almost jump out of his chair ‘I haven’t missed that.’

‘Where’d you go?’ Diego asks, moving the conversation back on track.

‘The future.’ Five mentions matter of factly. ‘It’s shit, by the way.’

‘Called it!’ Klaus whispered. You pushed Klaus’ head away, eager to not miss out on anything.

‘I should’ve listened to the old man. You know, jumping through space is one thing, jumping through time is a toss of the dice.’ Five mutters, though more to himself. The tension in the room is so tense, that even if a needle were to drop, you would still hear it.

Unfortunately for you, you did.

‘get out of the way y/n! i don’t want to see your face anymore.’

Five’s final words came rushing back and so did the pain. It’s been years since the incident, and you’ve convinced yourself that you had made peace with it. But seeing Five back here, in the present, stuck in his teenage self.

Shaking your head, you tried to clear your mind. NO Y/N NO! He hurt you when he left. You shouldn’t fell guilty for him disappearing, it was his choice, his action to do what he did. Taking a couple of deep breaths, you attempted to discreetly brush away the water from your eyes. Which of course, the ever protective, Mr. Hero Complex noticed.

‘heyyy it’s okay.’ Diego whispers, wrapping you into a warm side hug.

‘Thank you Diegs.’ Leaning your head into his shoulder.

‘Wait, how did you get back?’ utters Vanya.

‘In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time.’

‘That makes no sense’ said Diego.

Five couldn’t help but roll his eyes. ‘Well, it would if you were smarter.’

Diego abruptly stands, ready to fight Five- Luther holds him back. ‘How long were you there?’

’45 years.’ That finally made Diego to stop resisting Luther’s grip. Five smiles into his coffee, noticing everyone’s startled face, he shrugs ‘ Give or take.’

Luther tilts his head, perplexed ‘So what are you saying? You’re 58?’

‘No, my consciousness is 58.’ Five points to his brain, then stands. ‘Apparently, my body is now 13 again.’ To drive the pint home, he flings his arms. The oversized suit jacket falling to his elbows.

Vanya looks to the rest of you, hoping to see to anyone else understands. ‘Wait, how does that even work?’

‘Delores kept saying the equations were off. Eh. Bet shes laughing now’ Five murmurs, for a second lost in thought. ‘So, heart failure huh.’

‘Yeah. That’s what the doctor-’ Responded Diego.

‘No.’ said Luther firmly.

‘Yes, Luther. Dad died of heart failure whether you believe it or not.’ You interjected. ‘How many times do I have to tell you this, there is no foul play.’

‘Oh yea? Then why is dad’s monocle missing? When we all know that he keeps it with him at all times?? Huh?’ By Luther is rising off his seat.

‘Luther calm down.’ Warned Allison but he brushes her off.

‘Humor me this y/n. Why were you here the day dad died?’ He was now jabbing a finger at you ‘More specifically, HOURS BEFORE HE DIED. CONVENIENTLY PRESENT IN THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.’

Before you could reply, Vanya beat you to it. ‘Are you daft Luther? Did you forget that y/n can SEE INTO THE FUTURE?’

‘I didn’t. But as I recall, you vowed t never step foot into this house ever again and cut all ties! YOU ALL LEFT! YOU LEFT ME BEHIND!’

At this statement, Diego let out laugh. ‘Left you behind? LEFT YOU BEHIND? We were all gonna leave this depressing piece of crap for a healthier life, you were part of it, Luther.’ Staring straight into his eyes. ‘BUT YOU ARE THE ONE THAT RATTED US OUT AND CHOSE TO STAY! SO, DON’T YOU DARE TURN THIS ON US.’

‘Heck yes you all vowed to not come back, but you did- because Dad had died. But don’t you think it’s suspicious that she would come here on her own accord early? Who knows what they could have talked about in his final hours?? She was even the one to inform us! Not mom, not pogo. Her.’ Not daring to break the stare down, Luther called out ‘There is only one way to know the truth…. Allision.’

‘NO, Luther! I am not doing that to my own sister, not after Claire.’

‘FINE, GUESS I HAD TO FIND PROOF THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY.’ With that, Luther turns his back on his siblings.

He pauses next to you and threatens. ‘I swear y/n, I will find out what you did and I would get Allision to Rumour the truth out of you, soon or later.’ On his way out, he had ripped the door out of its hinges.

‘Hmm” Five clicks tongue ‘Nice to see nothing’s changed.’

‘Uh that’s it?’ Allision crosses her arms. ‘That’s all you have to say?’

‘What else is there to say? The circle of Life.’

END OF PART 3

READ: [PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 4]

Taglist [All]: @gruffle1

Taglist [TUA]:@herecomesthesun1969 @alabaster1223 @ultraviolet-m @winterierwriter @lordofthunderthr @grapesauze @xbarrjallenx @white-wolf-buckaroo @yoheyyosup @infinitystones2018 @94seun @buckynatlarry @thegirlwholikestomanythings @just-some-stars @97yrm @2cuteforyourlies @e-bendy @criminallyhamilton @aqarath @change-the-world-someday @sambucky8 @spankin-soda @big-galaxy-chaos @neenieweenie

@okimreadynow @weird-pale-blonde-person @thebloodrobin @vicassa

Feel free to tell me to you want to be tagged for the series or for all/any other of my fics.

Would love to hear your opinion on the series so far too!

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daresplaining · 4 years

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A Few Thoughts About the Current Run

I feel like I ought to say a few things about my feelings on Zdarsky’s run, as of right now (August 2020, pre-Annual-- that may be important). I haven’t said much about this run, and I should admit that I actually stopped reading it for a while. At a certain point, I realized I was dreading the release of each preview, and took that as a sign that maybe I should take a break and just re-read some back issues instead. This is, above all, supposed to be fun; I never, ever want reading DD to feel like a chore.

That said, I am now caught up and feel ready to begin untangling exactly why this run is so distasteful to me. I’ve been fortunate to have other DD fans to chat with about this, which has helped me to pinpoint what my problems are... because on paper, this run seems like something I’d enjoy. Matt accidentally kills a guy; that’s always fun. Marco Checchetto is great. The story explores Daredevil’s relationship with the citizens of Hell’s Kitchen, which I love. Foggy helps Matt with an action-y Daredevil thing; that’s awesome. There are some very cool fights. Elektra is in it. Stilt-Man is (briefly) in it. It has all the trappings of an interesting narrative. But there is a giant hole in the middle of this run, and that hole is Matt Murdock-shaped and impossible to ignore.

I read Daredevil comics for a lot of things (anyone who’s been following me for the past few years might think I read Daredevil comics for Mike Murdock, and you may have a point there) but first and foremost, I read them for Matt. There is a lot that makes a good DD story great-- historically, the comic has featured great supporting casts, and that’s another problem with this run that I’ll get back to in a minute-- but Matt is always the anchor. One of the greatest strengths in Daredevil comes from the fact that the protagonist is such a compelling character. You are interested in what he’s doing. You want to follow his story. You enjoy being inside his head. I’m not saying that you can’t write a good Matt-free Daredevil story-- you definitely can. But if Matt is present and written poorly, the whole story will collapse around him, and that’s been my experience with Zdarsky’s run. Part of the reason I’ve taken so long to write this post is because I’ve been trying to figure out if my complaint comes from my own personal taste-- which is not a basis on which I can critique this comic-- or whether the problem is inherent in the work itself. Having discussed it with other people, I feel comfortable saying that I think the problem is in the writing.

Zdarsky’s Matt feels profoundly unfamiliar to me, and that in itself isn’t necessarily a problem, but I don’t find this new version of my favorite superhero interesting. I actually find him a little repellant. If this run had been my introduction to Daredevil, I would’ve said “Nope” and read something else. Matt is a character with depth. He is intensely multifaceted. His relationship to superheroing is complicated, his views on justice and morality are rich and often contradictory. Zdarsky somehow missed all of that and has crafted a one-dimensional character with a blatantly black-and-white sense of morality. Matt’s reaction to accidentally killing someone seems to be to decide that all superheroes are bad-- something I complained about at the beginning of the run and which, unfortunately, only grew more annoying as the story progressed. Zdarsky’s Matt is painfully self-righteous, to a degree that makes him extremely unlikeable (at least to me). And yes, Matt has been written as unlikeable before. I actually love when Matt behaves badly; I find that fascinating from a narrative perspective. But I’ve realized that the key reason that has been effective in the past is because the story has never condoned that behavior. When Matt was emotionally abusive toward Heather Glenn, Frank Miller went out of his way to show us-- via the side characters, via blatant expressions of Heather’s pain-- that Matt was in the wrong. When Matt was a jerk in Bendis’ and Brubaker’s runs, when he drove his friends away, when he acted irrationally and harmfully, the narrative commented on that jerkiness and irrationality.

But Zdarsky does not do that in his run. He presents Matt’s irrational and jerkish behavior without comment or nuance, as if it’s a perfectly normal, reasonable way for Matt to act under the circumstances, and I have been surprised to realize how distasteful I find that, and how bad it makes Matt look. There’s a difference between having a character who is comfortably flawed-- whose behavior you’re supposed to occasionally question-- and a character who is just unpleasant and unlikeable, seemingly by accident. In the most recent issue (#21), Matt has an extremely upsetting interaction with Spider-Man, one of his oldest friends, and Matt is positioned as heroic for behaving this way, and it made me feel a little ill, because there’s no textual examination or questioning of this behavior. It’s just Matt, pushing people away, being Angsty(TM) and Gritty(TM) and lone wolf-y just because, in a way that is grating and unpleasant and completely lacks nuance.

The other major element of Zdarsky’s characterization of Matt is religion. I’ve mentioned before (as have other DD fans before me) that Matt is not generally written as religious, and it’s a strange phenomenon that this characterization has appeared in multiple adaptations (the movie and the Netflix show) while having very little actual presence in the source material. But it was a key theme in the Netflix show, and while hopefully that influence will disappear from the comics as more time passes, we are still in a honeymoon phase wherein MCU elements are still popping up in the 616 universe. It’s clear that Zdarsky really liked the show, and Soule as well; I’m certainly not letting Soule off the hook here, because the idea of Matt being devoutly Christian showed up his run first. But there, you could get away from it if it wasn’t your thing (which, for me, it’s not). Soule had whole story arcs that didn’t mention it. But Zdarsky has made it 75% of Matt’s personality. When he isn’t fighting or sleeping with someone in this run, Matt is angsting about God.

I hesitate to complain about this because it’s Zdarsky’s right as a DD writer to change the protagonist however he likes. It’s frustrating, yes, but not actually a sign of bad writing per se. Plus, not everyone is me. Many people-- probably including many people who were fans of the Netflix show and are entering the comics via that connection (which seems to be the target audience for this run)-- may be religious and may connect to MCU/Zdarsky Matt in that way. And that’s wonderful. I want to be very clear: it’s not the religiousness itself that I’m complaining about. My complaint is this: if you’re going to drastically alter a character, you need to back it up. You need to dig into it, make that new personality element feel powerful and real, and integrate it into the character’s pre-existing personality. And if you’re going to base the entirety of that character’s emotional journey on that new trait, you need to work to make sure it’s accessible to your readership. I, as a non-religious person, have no sense of why Matt is so upset about God. I have no frame of reference for his pain, either from my own experiences or from previous Daredevil continuity, and Zdarsky does nothing to develop or explore the basis of Matt’s faith, and so it all just falls flat. I feel alienated by this run. I see an angsty, self-righteous, prickly jerk ranting about needing to do God’s will, and then I put the issue down and read some She-Hulk instead. If Zdarsky (or Soule-- again, he could have done this too) had made an effort to actually explore and explain Matt’s feelings about his religion, rather than lazily shoving that characterization in there and assuming readers will just accept it, it wouldn’t bother me nearly as much as it has.

Also, I feel I have to mention; this is a fantasy universe. Matt went to Hell and yelled at Mephisto in Nocenti’s run, and it was awesome. Maybe this is just me, but if you’re going to bring in religion, at least have some fun with it! Bookend Nocenti’s run: Matt goes to Heaven, runs into God, and she gives him some free therapy and a souvenir t-shirt (or, I don’t know, something). To give Zdarsky credit, he did at least hint at that sort of thing in Matt’s conversation with Reed Richards in #9.

I'm going to cut this post short, because I really don’t enjoy writing negative reviews. I’d much rather post about things I love, and over the next few weeks I do plan to highlight aspects of this run that I’ve enjoyed. But I’ll end by saying that the weaknesses in Matt’s characterization could have been mitigated by a great supporting cast. Having prominent secondary protagonists would have provided outside perspectives on Matt’s behavior and given the reader other characters to root for when he got too out-of-hand. They would have drawn out the human elements in Matt’s character and helped give him that nuance he so desperately needs. But this run, just like Soule’s before it, is woefully underpopulated. Foggy’s presence is extremely weak and his appearances far too infrequent. Apart from brief cameos in MacKay’s Man Without Fear mini, Kirsten McDuffie and Sam Chung have both vanished, and I’m worried that Kirsten might have joined Milla Donovan in the limbo of still-living-but-permanently-benched ex-love interests. The women in this run are all either villains or people for Matt to sleep with (I was pumped about Elektra’s return and the idea of her training Matt, but her characterization was disappointing (I may write a separate post about this), and Mindy Libris could have been really compelling as a moral person trying to survive life in a crime family, but instead she was just a one-note, underdeveloped victim for Matt to lust after). To Zdarsky’s credit, he has clearly been trying to give the Kingpin a humanizing story arc, but even that I haven’t found compelling enough to want to keep reading (though that could just be me). Cole North was intriguing at first, but he ended up feeling more like a concept than an actual person. And none of these characters engage with Matt on a human, emotional level, which is what a good supporting cast needs to do. I commented early-on that this run felt like all flash and no bang (Is that a term? It is now.) and I think I still stand by that-- it’s all bombastic plot concepts and big ideas without any of the actual development or nuance necessary to make them work. There is nothing in this run that has pulled me in and held my interest; in the absence of a Matt I can connect to, I need something, and so far I haven’t found it.

I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point. This run was nominated for an Eisner for best ongoing series, so apparently someone likes it, but it has become clear that-- so far, anyway-- it’s just not right for me.

#Daredevil vol. 6 #Daredevil #Commentary #This is very negative. I'm sorry. Feel free to ignore it.

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lesbianlovelanguage · 4 years

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YOUTUBER AU I’m such a fucking sucker for those. It can be anything you want really. Maybe they are friends doing a challenge or something and they end up kissing (or more ;)) or they could meet each other at like a creator even and take a pic together and everyone starts to ship them... :)

HI! Anon I am so sorry, life has been *general handwaving* a MESS. But, I’ve finally gotten most of my shit together and look! A fic! Finally!!! I hope you enjoy two ridiculous boys being ridiculous.

---

“You guys asked for it, and here it is. The explanation to Bendy and the Ink Machine! Now, I’ve watched a ton of playthroughs of this, especially The RatKing’s, as well as played through it myself, and I think I’ve got it.”

Such a simple statement, it made it through both of the editors as well as Steve and Dustin themselves without raising any red flags. But as with everything, once it had been released on the internet it became fuel for fans to break apart and over analyze.

The comments started pouring in, the standard mix of support and people trying to break apart his theory. But one comment in particular would stand out and begin something so much bigger than itself.

Twenty minutes after Steve had pressed upload, someone with the username Random Hoe posted a comment saying Awe! A collab between you and Billy would be totes amazing!! While an innocent comment in itself, it began to pick up steam as people ranted and demanded for the two popular youtubers to interact more. It turned from video ideas to outright shipping within two hours, and only five hours after the video had been up, people began tagging Steve on Twitter with everything from edited screen grabs to fanart and video edits, all about Steve and Billy’s secret yet undying love for each other.

Steve had almost quit Youtube as the fanbase for what had been dubbed “Stilly” steadily grew and became all the more ravenous. There were less and less comments and reactions to his theories, whether movie, video game, or even book related, and more and more comments about how he needed to do a collab with Billy ASAP, and how he’s queerbaiting, and how it’s okay to come out, it was 20Gayteen after all. He had tried to do damage control, but it only made things worse.

And then someone showed Billy, and Steve not only wanted to quit Youtube, but also crawl under a rock.

Billy’s only reaction to someone sending him a picture of Steve and Billy during a live stream was “Nice art, like the hair,” but Steve could have sworn his mouth twitched down in a grimace before Billy recovered his composure.

But Dustin had convinced Steve to keep going, and with two months of no recognition or new content, the frenzy of Stilly shipping died down. It never disappeared, but no one sent anymore art to Billy and stopped tagging Steve in all of their posts. That had been in February.

Vidcon was in June, and Stilly was the least of Steve’s worries. He’d been asked to host a panel on the new game show he and Dustin had begun hosting on Youtube TV about pop culture trivia, and then host a live episode with various Youtube guests as competitors. It promised to be relatively simple, a simple explanation of the origin and behind-the-scenes and a simple Q&A session followed by what he spent every Thursday doing for the past two months. And it was, him and Dustin breezing through the panel bouncing off of each other and the first round of Did You Know? You Don’t Say? flying by as the famed beauty guru aced almost every question. But once the second guest stepped on stage, Steve knew it was all going to go to shit.

Because Billy Hargrove, The Rat King himself, swaggered out on the stage in flip flops and an Everlast crop top and flopped into the contestant’s chair with a smirk. Steve froze, mouth suddenly drier than a desert.

Luckily, Dustin didn’t even stutter. “Ah! The next victim. Should we go easy on him?” He waggled his eyebrows as he asked the audience. The audience shouting brought Steve out of his daze, and with a shake of his head, he turned and spread his arms out wide.

“Well then, let’s begin. So, Billy, Do you know what the rarest MnM color is?”

The cocky smirk melted off of Billy’s face, replaced by one of thoughtful determination. He’s silent for only a moment before he looks up and says, “Brown, like your eyes, Pretty Boy.” Steve feels his pale skin flush with heat, but he coughs and tries to play it off.

“Quite the charmer there, Rat King. Luckily, your lines are actually true. One point! Let’s see it!” He calls out and then looks behind him to the television screen currently displaying the scoreboard. A large blocky 1 appears and the audience cheers.

“Alrighty then,” Dustin says after the crowd dies down. “Next question. Billy, Do you know the original name of Istanbul?” Billy chuckles, and shakes his head.

“Easy. Constantinople.”

Dustin fake pouts and looks over to Billy. “None of that Rat King charm for me?” The audience laughs, and Billy chuckles before throwing a wink at Dustin.

“Not quite old enough to ride this ride, bud.”

Dustin scoffs and shakes his head, making the curls bounce around wildly. “Whatever you say, old man. You did get it right by the way. Let me see another point!” Dustin mimics Steve and gestures towards the scoreboard which now shows a big, white 2.

“Your turn, Pretty Boy. Give me something hard.”

“Alright. Let’s see.” Steve pretends to look over his notes before seeing the perfect question. “So, Billy, Do you know which two American states don’t observe daylight savings time?” Billy stares blankly at Steve. This was the final question in their lineup, but he had asked for a hard question.

Luckily, Billy recovers quickly and clears his throat before giving another chuckle. “Damn, I know I said give me a hard one, but I wasn’t expecting that. I’m gonna go with Hawaii and Alaska?” Steve shakes his head and gives a small sigh.

Dustin gives a little cheer, and then runs over to a table off to the side of the stage where they have a cue card that the contestant has to read off of if they lose. It was Dustin’s idea, the You don’t say? part of the title. It’s his favorite part of the show, because they get to see their contestants say some ridiculous things.

“Well, unfortunately, that was incorrect,” Steve announces over the booing audience. “And, following the rules, you now have to read whatever is on this card.” Dustin hands Billy the cue card with a wicked grin.

Billy sighs and flips over the card. There’s a moment of silence as he reads over what the card says, and then he looks up at Steve and clears his throat.

“Would a Pretty Boy want to go out with me?” He says in a clear voice, gaze never leaving Steve’s.

Suddenly too many things for Steve to process happen at once. He feels the heat return to his cheeks and his mouth dry out again, the audience goes wild, and a buzzer sounds, signaling that they were out of time for Did You Know? You Don’t Say? Dustin comes through and pushes a frozen Steve off-stage, where Billy is waiting in the wings. With the audience’s weighty gaze gone, the feeling returns to Steve all at once.

“What the hell man? What was that out there?” He hissed at Billy. The man simply shrugs and gives another one of his trademark smirks.

“Just giving the people what they want, Princess. Try to keep up.” And then he turns around, and walks away. Simple as that. Nothing to it.

Steve wants to scream. Fortunately, he and Dustin have been friends for years, and he knows all of Steve’s tics by now. The stagehands shoo them from the wings, and he pulls Steve through one of the backdoors to outside the convention center. Somehow, he also procures a water bottle in the hustle, and hands it to Steve once they’re both sitting on the steps outside. Steve takes the water bottle gratefully and chugs half of it in one long gulp. He pulls it away and wipes at his face before sighing. He seems to deflate, like a balloon losing all of its helium at once, and Dustin puts an arm around him. It’s awkward because he’s shorter than Steve, but it’s still comforting nonetheless.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Dustin asks quietly.

“I- I’m so stupid. For just a second I thought it was real, but why would it be? What would someone like him see in someone like me?” Dustin lets out a huff before pulling away and turning towards Steve.

“Steve, buddy, pal o’ mine. You’re an idiot. If anything, he doesn’t deserve you. He’s a pompous ass for pulling a stunt like that. It’s bullshit.”

“He could have anyone. Between his paycheck and his pecs, he’s one of Youtube’s hottest content creators.”

“Yeah, sure. But for the sake of alliteration, he also lacks personality. The guy’s a huge dick! And he proved it today. He knew that you wouldn’t shut him down and bitch him out on stage, so he thought it would be funny to pull that shit.”

“Yeah, he is kind of just a publicity-seeking asshole, you’re right,” Steve admits, feeling a little better, and a lot angrier. “You know what, Dusty-Poo? I’m gonna find him, and give him a piece of my mind.” He stands up, itching for a fight and knowing who to go find for one.

“Tha-that’s not exactly what I meant but sure! Go knock him down a peg.” Dustin stands up as well and follows Steve back onto the main showfloor.

It takes about twenty minutes to find Billy amongst the crowd but Steve sees him, and locks in like a tiger stalking his prey. Or something cool like that. Thankfully, Steve doesn’t have to make a huge scene as he walks up to Billy and gets in his face.

“You. Me. Conference Room 3. Now,” Steve says, poking a finger in the middle of Billy’s chest to emphasize his point. Billy chuckles, but still follows along as they walk into the empty conference room. Once they clear the doors and Steve hears them swing shut behind them, he turns to Billy.

“Explain. What the fuck was the point of that little,” he wavs his hand around, “stunt you pulled during the game show?”

Billy raises an eyebrow. “Told you Pretty Boy. I gave the people what they wanted.

“So that’s it? It was a publicity stunt?”

“You tell me. You’re the one who started the whole thing,” Billy shoots back, still holding on to an air of nonchalance, but Steve can his patience waning.

“You- you mean the stuff from February? When I happened to mention you in one video? You think I meant for that shitstorm to start, for fun and publicity?”

Billy only shrugs again.

“Okay. Nope. Again, I mentioned your channel one time, as a source. Gave credit where credit was due. I do it for all the channels I watch! I’ve mentioned Nancy’s channel like 8 times, and Jonathan’s too. Never had this shit started with them.”

“They’re married, Steve. Like super married. Of course it wouldn’t. We’re both single, queer youtubers. Of course shit’s gonna stop. Didn’t your agent or whoever look over your video?”

Steve huffs. “Oh yeah, let me just go hire an agent, cause I have such a need for someone to monitor my every move,” Steve snarked. Billy just looked at him like he had failed to add 2 and 3.

“You’re telling me you, part of one of the biggest channels on Youtube, don’t have an agent?”

“We’re not one of the biggest channels, and we’ve never needed one! We’ve got our team of editors and assistants, no need for some agent.”

“Steve,” Billy says patiently, like he was explaining something to a child, “You have over 4 million subscribers. That’s a big channel.”

“We’re still not one of the biggest channels, dipshit.”

“Oh, I'm the dipshit? I didn’t start a fucking fandom frenzy apparently by accident. Because I was smart and got a fucking agent.”

“You’re such an asshole.”

“Whatever you say Princess.”

“Stop fucking calling me a princess!” Steve screams, voice booming in the silent conference room. “Why do you do that? Pretty Boy, Princess, Stevie? Just- just stop with the fucking nicknames. It’s not fair.” The second part of his outburst comes out as a whisper, sounding almost desperate.

Billy was at a loss for words, but then again, he had always been more of a man of action.

So he says nothing, only gives a seconds’ thought of what he was going to do, before lunging forward and doing it.

Steve’s next words are muffled as Billy crashes their lips together with absolutely no finesse, teeth clacking. It probably constituted as the worst kiss Billy has ever had, but as he moves back, Steve grabs a fist full of blond locks and pulls him forward. Their

second kiss is far better. By no means is it soft, but that was just par for the course with them wasn’t it?

The kiss comes to a natural ending as they both pull back to breath, before Steve starts to giggle.

“You really need to work on your pick-up lines, Rat King.”

A soft gasp from the doorway cuts off Billy’s retort, and they both turn to see a girl decked out in Youtube merch, including a jacket with the Upside Down Theories logo on it. She had dropped her backpack, and was open-mouthed gaping at the two. Her eyes are as wide as dinner plates as she frantically gathers up her backpack and shoots out of the conference room.

“Chances that this blows up online by tomorrow?” Steve asks, turning to the blond next to him.

“I’m betting in the next two hours, Pretty Boy,” Billy replies.

A wicked smirk creeps onto Steve’s lips as he shrugs and says, “Oops. What was that about getting an agent to help with this stuff?”

---

Aside from this taking FOREVER, I hope you guys enjoy this! It was tons of fun to write.

tag team: @lostnoise @gideongrace @stevefuckingharrington @a-magey @catharrington @trashycatarcade @myboyfriendsteve @thesummerof84 @lightsupinthenorth @smashmouth-hargrove (lmk if you would like to be added/removed from the list!)

#tay writes #AGAIN FINALLY #harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #stranger things #youtuber au #anon asks #tons of fun to write!!!

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inkdemonapologist · 4 years

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Okay but I do actually want to know both the things you love and the things you could rant about from DCTL?

OH BOY UHHHHHH okay lets see, I'm gonna see if I can do the "add a readmore after you post it" thing and see if that'll keep it stable.......

But also, much like Sammy, I am incapable of shutting up unless you strike me in the head with a blunt object, so uh, forgive my wordiness:

THINGS I ENJOY:

- DCTL gave us Sammy's ink addiction and like, if you had asked me before all this "what would you most like to see in a franchise?" I would not have answered "one of the characters drinks ink accidentally and then discovers that he can't stop" but boy that sure is my favourite concept that I LOVE to see handled literally any other way than how the book handled it!!!

- I like what it added to Tom and Allison and Norman!! Like, it's not big twists on their characters or anything -- we already knew Tom felt he was doing the wrong thing, so getting to see his CRUSHING GUILT over creating the machine isn't New Information, but it's nice to see and understand more of him; for all of them I feel a lot more attached to them after getting to see more of them as people.

- Like 90% of the "I LOVE IT" category for me is how the book handled Joey, and Buddy's relationship with Joey. The way Joey isn't a Sinister Mastermind Who’s Just Screwing With Everyone but just manipulative in a more mundane way -- someone who thinks of himself as just the guy with the vision to call the shots; he wants what he wants and this is how he's learned to get it; he exploits people not through devious schemes, but just by offering them something that they want or need and asking too much in return, expecting their loyalty for his favours. And the way he interacts with Buddy, making Buddy complicit with him and keeping Buddy off-balance and insecure while making him a favourite and treating him as Special is just PERFECT -- gives a lot of content to kind of extrapolate off of when pondering what must've drawn the others in and convinced them to ignore the red flags. I was initially frustrated with the idea of Buddy not being an artist and jUST DECIDING TO LEARN TO ANIMATE ON THE SPOT ("I've never done this before but I'm sure I can just do an artist's job" is a weirdly common throwaway thing in media and as an artist iTS A PET PEEVE) but actually the way they use his plagiarism to make him trapped in a lie in ways Joey doesn't even realise ends up being a neat echo of other employees (coughTOMcough), who were involved in much graver sins but suddenly felt they couldn't object or they'd lose their one chance, just like Buddy. There's a lot here that I think is really great.

OKAY THATS THE GOOD STUFF, LET'S COMPLAIN ABOUT SAMMY:

- Uncomfortable Bigotry Vagueness that we all knew was gonna be in this list -- I dunno man, a guy committing a microaggression and getting startled and defensive when he's called out for it doesn't necessarily completely ruin his character I GUESS, but the way this was handled is just SO WEIRD AND VAGUE that it's uncomfortable and it doesn't seem to serve any real purpose. "Is Tom black?" is a question I actually have to ask because the text sort of implies he is while also dancing around it and apparently Word of God said he's not??? which makes Buddy's comment nonsensical???? And I mean, you could go that route, since Buddy wonders to himself if Sammy talks to everyone like this -- HE ACTUALLY DOES!! Even within the text of the novel, he uses "Joey" instead of Mr. Drew, which is consistent with his audiologs in the game -- but that makes the writing suggest "this character THINKS this guy might be racist but actually they're reading too much into it and it wasn't racially motivated at all, he's just a jerk!!" wHICH IS SOMEHOW EVEN MORE ICKY??? Anyway like yeah I guess it's not inconsistent with his character that while Sammy Lawrence may not have any specific grudge against minorities he has probably not checked his privilege or done the work to challenge his own internal biases, but “Your Fav Probably Contributes To Systemic Racism In Ways He Hasn’t Considered, As Do We All When Our Assumptions Go Unchecked” is still a wild thing to wade through in a fun story about demonic cartoons

- but yknow so is T H E H O L O C A U S T

- Sammy's voice is wrong. I'm actually okay with him being a weird awkward asshole, I already kind of assumed he was and that's part of why I like him!! but there's so many places he doesn't quite... talk like himself? And not just in terms of word choice, like -- so in his monologue at the end, he's described as talking so quickly that his words are "tumbling out faster than he can speak them," which initially seems fine; like yeah, that's a Standard Scene we're familiar with, the person who's been Driven Mad With Insight becoming more and more manic as they try to convey it -- until I tried to imagine it and realised that Sammy doesn't talk like this. That's a really consistent quality I always notice about his voice; whether he's almost giddily excited in prophet mode, or he’s his irritated and overworked human self, or he's violently angry and his voice has that echo effect -- he always speaks very deliberately. He enunciates carefully. There's some circumstances where I'd buy this as showing that he's Not Himself, but I feel like those would kind of need to be in the middle of his transformation, not at the end of it.

- In fact a lot of the scenes with Sammy kind of have this feeling -- that it's not necessarily an exploration of Sammy as a character, but that he is filling a trope or archetype role here. Once he's fully transformed he excitedly describes the process as more of a mental compulsion, which is in contrast to his weird yeerk-infected behaviour when trying to get ink from Miss Lambert. Both of those scenes don't seem wrong on their own because they fit tropes we know -- but they feel weird when you try to fit them together.

- I also just in general am not a fan of the ink acting like a weird yeerk. It can be a parasite I guess but when it starts overwriting and puppeting people and crawling around to enter their body that's just a completely DIFFERENT kind of supernatural story and it’s not what im here for!!!

- THE FREAKIN!!! HE WILL SET US FREE!!!! WHY????????? SAMUEL LAWRENCE WHAT IS HE SETTING YOU FREE FROM??????? Sammy has No Motive for any of what he's doing, other than just Ink Made Me Do It. The whole thing that was INTERESTING about Sammy as a character is the contrast between this frustrated, ornery musician with no specific love for the cartoons he works on, and the manically devoted cultist he becomes. What happened in the middle there? What made him desperate enough to shift his mindset so much? "Something supernatural made him do things that don't benefit him in any way" is a very boring answer to this question!!! Susie was a victim who implies that her transformation has forced her to do things she didn't want to do, but we can still see her motive -- she wanted to be Alice, so she took a sketchy offer to try to get what she wanted. Even now, her violence echoes that goal -- to be a more perfect Alice. What did Sammy want? WHO KNOWS. Even in his ink-addled state at the end, we don't understand what he hopes the Ink Demon will even do for him, and in fact he seems to be responsible for creating the very scenario he's begging Bendy to reverse in the game.

- [sighs loudly into my hands]

- Overall I'm left wondering if the author just..... didn't like Sammy Lawrence? And I don't mean that in the sense of him being a rude jerk -- like, Joey is not a good person, but the author seems to be interested in him and in what makes him tick. There doesn't seem to be that same interest in Sammy. Sammy's role in the story is that of a monster, transformed into something murderous, unable to prevent or choose it. He's not a victim of anyone but the ink, no one had to manipulate him or figure out how his brain worked or what he wanted or what he feared or give him any reason to do the things he does -- ink got in his mouth and overwrote his personality. And we don't even get to see that change, not really. He starts out angry and defensive and continues being angry and defensive up until his very last scene, denying his ink-stealing but not really much else. We see all his prophetic sketches but we never see hints of this in him, we never see him start to act more excited and hopeful, we never see him seek out the demon he desires to please. Why do we never see Sammy struggling between his dismissive angry front and a building religious fervour he can't quite suppress? We don't get to see any of the in-between. There's no interest at all in why or even what it looked like as Sammy became what he became, when, to be honest, I suspect interest in precisely that is one reason he's such a big fav.

- It's funny, in a "cries into my hands" kind of way, when Sammy is just knocked in the head while monologuing and immediately removed from the story without further mention, like...... that sure is the pattern with him, isn't it, he just tries very very hard and never actually gets to matter, but it also fits right in here, too, in this book that doesn't want to think about his motives -- he rambles nonsensically, explaining nothing, gets one trademark phrase, and then is hastily removed so the story doesn't have to think about him anymore.

...................I think that's most of it.

...

Y'all............ I'm not ready for Sent From Above.......... I'm just not.... I'm not emotionally ready...... like..... Sammy has to be in that right..... he’s Susie’s boss and she has that big crush on him..................................... I’m not ready

#i know you have questions you always do #we all write on the walls #hopefully I have not gotten completely confused on any of these points but LMAO ITS POSSIBLE

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deery-fiction · 4 years

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Hi! Saw your post about wanting some company and ego talk, so here’s a question for you!! Which three egos do you think are underrated, and why should they get more attention? I’m curious :D (hope this isn’t weird, I’ve never done this before lmao)

Aw!!! Thank you!! And that's a very interesting question, let me think about it 🤔 (also this isn’t weird at all and I really appreciate you stepping out of your comfort zone to send this because I’ve been checking tumblr frequently like a goon X,D)

I’m putting my thoughts under a read more because this answer got longer then I was anticipating and also I technically did more then three? I wasn’t sure if you wanted just Mark Egos or Jack Egos or what and so I just did my best to think about all of them and then ended doing bonus parts because I’m excited and it got hard to pick after the first two I did sdgjfg I hope I answered your question in a satisfactory way and that I didn’t go overboard!!! I’m just long winded and excited about my first ask,,, Here’s to hoping it’s not too much!

Overall across all the different batches/groups of egos (Yes, I call them Batches sometimes dhdhe) I think:

1. Silver Surfer - I'm a sucker for Superheros in general, I'm a Marvel and DC fan so seeing Superhero Egos makes me happy. I also read the Silver Surfer centric stories from the Ego Manor series and I loved them... I went looking for more stories about Silver, couldn't find much and was sad :( I also think there's a lot of potential with Silver Shepard and Jackieboy man interactions! Either as crime fighting partners, rivals, or their civilian identities are buddies but they're unaware of the other's hero identity! I don't know, it might just be my hero bias showing but I'd genuinely love to see more stuff with both of the hero egos 💜 They both just offer opportunities for both goofy silliness and serious, somber moments. You can make them witty and goofy but also explore the genuine, sincere desire to help people. You can talk about guilt complexes about how close they were to saving someone but just missing the mark, while still making them powerful and strong. I like seeing powerful characters who aren't infallible, because under those masks and powers, they're still human above everything else. That and they're just badass fhsjs

2. Bim Trimmer - He just seems really fun! I'm imagining Wilford taking him under his wing and I think people could have fun with their dynamic! Or you could spin it and have them as rivals! There's also a lot of potential for horror story telling with Bim, in my opinion. Seriously, a GameShow host that kills the losers to feed them to the other contestants? A possibly cannibalistic gameshow host with a show broadcast on the dark web? I wanna see people play with this character! Though I can understand why people may not be comfortable with those and if I do write stuff exploring that, I'll be sure to tag it appropriately so I don't make people uncomfortable.

3. Shawn Flynn - Look, I know Shawn Flynn is less ego and more voice over cameo/Bendy Character, but I think he and Jameson Jackson could be good ol timey friends together and I think it would be really cute!!! Shawn making little toys for his friends/people he cares about because he's a toy maker and enjoys making toys and wants the people he cares about to know that he's thinking about them! Shawn would also be able to get any era specific/dated references that JJ might make because they're from the same/similar era! He'd probably be a hit with Chase's kids too! I can totally imagine him sitting with Chase's kids and or Schneep's child and telling them about toy making processes and demonstrating! I love Shawn Flynn if you couldn't tell lmao

Bonus stuff:

I think most of the Markiplier Egos aside from Dark and Wilford are probably comparatively underrated. I love Dark and Wilford, don't get me wrong! But they do get the most attention and I just want to say that I would love to see Dr. Iplier, The Googles, Bing, The Jim, The Host, ect. get more love but I also understand that the sheer number of egos, both official and unofficial, can be very overwhelming and I don't want to push people to write for a larger number of characters then the feel comfortable and capable of writing.

Also! I know Ethan said he wasn't going to be doing ego stuff seriously and I totally respect that but we do have characters like Blank and Mad Mike and I just think they're neat and would like more work including them! Especially Blank interacting with Dark and Anti. I think Blank especially has potential for both funny and serious stuff depending on how he's written. He could either be cute and funny, pouting that he's just an April goof to Ethan, or he be written more seriously as an actual antagonist like Dark and Anti, desiring to step forward and be acknowledged like them. There's also the sad boi Blank take which I think is also valid!

Also Also! I've seen stuff for Unus and Annus, but I think I would love to see stuff about characters from the channel like The Gongoozler, Melon Man, MerMer, SCP Amy, Norbert Moses, and other UA Cryptids! I know they were just bits for a now dead channel, but I just love the idea of them meeting the other, non UA Egos and the chaos that could ensue from there!! There's also sad stuff that could be written about them because like, I don't know, maybe when the channel was deleted, Unus and Annus vanished because even with the fan support, they were destined to die with the channel, the others like Norbert, Gongoozler, Melon man, ect, all persisted due to fan support and not being tied to the channel the same way Unus and Annus were. Unus and Annus were the channel, the figure heads and mascots, the others were just spawned off the videos and live on through saved clips. The thing is, maybe they still consider Unus and Annus their "creators"/dads and now have to grieve the two because they out lived them?

#Markiplier egos #Jackspeticeye Egos #JSE egos #Silver Shepard #Bim Trimmer #Shawn Flynn #Unus Annus #Blankgameplays #The Gongoozler #Melon Man #Ask #7spaceace7 #Jackieboy man

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hellyeahheroes · 5 years

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Miles Morales continues to be the one of the few saving graces of Absolute Carnage

Miles Morales: Absolute Carnage benefits from not allowing the series to be derailed completely by an event as Miles Morales: Spider-Man is still continuing its story independent of this event. So if readers don’t want to read a huge event crossover which in the past has been an issue for Miles, they really don’t have to. On the same side of the coin, Miles Morales: Absolute Carnage is unlike most of the other books written in this event as it has more coherence and is character driven. It focuses on Miles’ interaction with an entity that is forcing him to do things he is ardently against like killing. In the first issue, Miles characteristically scolds Mac Gargan for using lethal force on Carnage only to be forced to kill J. Jonah Jameson.

Carnage or Knull or whoever orders the new Symbiote controlled Miles to kill and has him partner up with symbiote whose host was a serial killer. As expected, this event puts Miles and somewhat uncharted territory for the character as while his stories were dark since he is from the Ultimate Universe, there weren’t grim. In spite of the that, Miles struggles to grasp control of himself and maintaining his identity.

This story also allows some clarity for Venom fans who are thoroughly confused as to what is going on with Knull/Carnage as to why the Symbiote of the past aren’t acting like themselves or don’t have their own personalities. Scream and Miles provide perspectives of the Symbiote and the host and clarifies what is going on. The Symbiotes are being controlled by Knull and with the Hive, they push the Host’s subconscious out and away or they drown the subconscious out to maintain control. Miles is actively resisting control of the Symbiote that is stripping his identity.

Even in the battle to regain control of his mind, Miles still chooses to see the humanity of a serial killer who is also being controlled. Saladin Almed doesn’t allow the plot of the event to prevent him from tackling the themes both he and Bendis espoused with Miles Morales. Miles is timid and afraid to be angry because he fears that his Uncle’s and Father’s criminal legacy define him as person. He is terrified of being pushed into rage where he loses control and becomes like his Uncle was or like he Dad used to be. He doesn’t want to lose control of himself and the Symbiote is forcing him to do just that.

All in all, this event will have huge character driven ramifications on Miles Morales. I like that his relationship with Symbiotes are completely different than with Eddie, Peter, and Andi as it isn’t symbiotic at all. Miles is being forced to do things that he is adamantly against versus the others’ inner darknesses being brought forward. And I honestly don’t count this Symbiote to be a true Symbiote as it really doesn’t have any intention of knowing Miles unlike the Venom symbiote which may not be worth anything to Venom fans who enjoy relationships between the host and Symbiote being mutual and consentual. But at least it provides some clarity in Cates scrambled writing in an important but lacking detail.

@ubernegro

#miles morales #spider-man #marvel comics #marvel #ultimate spider-man #saladin ahmed #miles morales: spider man #miles morales: absolute carnage #absolute carnage #donny cates #silver sable

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thattimdrakeguy · 5 years

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I know I just literally posted a picture that Bendis posted on Instagram about Young Justice.

But it just bums me out how in general it seems like Young Justice is already the series Bendis cares the least about that he’s currently wrting. It’s now just that other thing he does, and all the hype has vanished from it already even just from the general fanbase.

No one even really cares that Tim’s getting a new name, if anything people are either heavily upset about the dumb decision, or simply “oh that’s neat, maybe, I suppose, I trust Bendis so I’ll see how it is” or at least from the general standpoints I’ve being seeing online, perhaps a pure “meh” in there, but I am sure there is at least one guy other than Bendis that is excited about it somewhere, because there’s always at least a few guys that’s excited about something no matter how the quality is for better or worse. However regardless, there was no build up towards the incredibly out of no where name change that has people scared, it’s a super sudden decision. The brand new costume for the apparent name change doesn’t fit his personalty because it’s gut wrenching-ly generic and absent of the personality the Gleason costume gave Tim again after years of costumes that never quite suited him. The hype is just missing, I mean I hate the decision to change Tim’s name in general, but even just for other peeps, in general a name change has typically implied importance, but no one seems to really give a crap about this besides the odd few I’ve seen. It’s mostly just pure disdain from those who’ve been paying attention and are aware of it.

People already probably forgot about Cassie’s interactions with Zeus in issue 2, I mean heck, I have a feeling Bendis already forgot about it. Is that ever even gonna come back after being the biggest story in issue TWO of Young Justice? Or that just there because Bendis wanted to make Cassie important by putting her in issue 2, even if it goes no where and doesn’t do much of importance after the first arc (potentially anyways. I sure hope she’s important, she deserves it, and the second issue. Do not get me wrong). I’m so scared that it was only there for build up for a story that may never come into fruition.

Even though people were mad about it, I bet lots of people forgot Conner had a wife and a kid on Gemworld, because besides the first issue they appeared in they haven’t been important since and are already gone, probably to barely be brought up ever again, except maybe some possible flashbacks. Honestly I’d like flashbacks, I enjoyed them, but I have a feeling most people wouldn’t be excited about it because either they hated the random inclusion or they just forgot already and are instantaneously meh about it from lack of excitement.

When DC announced Young Justice was coming back the return was so hyped up by fans of the characters, the energy around the first revealed pieces of art for the series was insane, it was so exciting. It felt like it was going to entirely make up for the New 52 Teen Titans. All the character’s where back as they were, with modernized costumes that actually SUITED the characters instead of just bland “cool” costumes that I kept seeing and saw before.

Now it didn’t even take a full arc and people already don’t care anymore.

Gleason left, leaving an artist that doesn’t have an art style that feels like Young Justice to draw every new issue.

Story-lines are already being forgotten only a mighty 7 issues in.

No one’s excited for the new ones, people barely even react to hearing the new ones.

They’re already taking away the stuff that made people so hyped up to begin with.

and Bendis himself barely brings it up as much anymore. He’s already onto the next thing just to leave Young Justice behind besides for the fact he continues to write it for his job.

Those first few issues were amazing besides (mostly) insignificant problems to a large number of fans. Now even the fans are barely even talking about it anymore besides some casual “Oh I like Young Justice” and occasional fan art.

I’m not saying it can’t be better, and perhaps the stupid name change may still be a red herring. For all I know John Timms will get better at making the series feel like itself again and so forth, but it’s a heart crushing feeling about how it descended to such mediocre feelings this fast.

It’s not even really bad, just meh, and in the latest issue they were already struggling to give all the members something to say. We still don’t have a status quo. It just feels like something Bendis accepted to do because he liked the source and he knew that the fans would be excited, and he had a couple ideas for it, so he decided to do it and write his idea. Then stuff kept happening, and he didn’t put the most thought into his ideas and stuff just feels like it already dropped the ball.

Bendis is a writer I’m still a fan of, I still like the older stuff he’s written, and despite me hating his story choice for Tim, he’s still the guy who’s written Tim the best in the past decade. None of the other writers even come close. So I can’t complain there. I’m only complaining about the stuff I genuinely have a problem with. He isn’t Lobdell/Tynion levels of crappy Tim writing, but when it seemed like such a perfect match of writer and character to me after reading Ultimate Spider-Man, it feels having such a major decision that sucks so harshly, come so fast, is something that sucked a part of my soul out a bit.

It’s like there’s enough small problems that add up more than anything else for the majority of it.

There isn’t tons of giant problems all the time like there was in Super Sons (another series I was looking forward too, although not nearly as much) where things were going wrong from the beginning with logic issues, tone issues, out of character moments, and a contrived/forced nature. Like Super Sons let me down way harsher than Young Justice, and Young Justice had way more hype for me because of the characters involved with it. So it’s not exactly the same situation that way, even though they’re both series I’ve talked about how they’ve let me down before. It’s just different.

Young Justice besides a lot of plot convenience meet ups and Gleason struggling to draw Tim initially (which in issue 4, he drew Tim the best he’s looked in literal years), it was a pretty solid series straight from the beginning. The character’s felt in-character, the banter felt very Young Justice, the art-style was really well-fitted to the energy Young Justice has, it was pretty great besides the small things that were easily excusable given everything else involved with making it work.

It was one ball being dropped after another. Cassie’s currently irrelevant plot build up with Zeus, Conner’s already forgotten family (that people didn’t even want and hated), Bart has no plot going on at all, Tim’s getting a name change with no build up or logic behind it yet as of now with a single issue in no way gonna give a satisfying reason that doesn’t feel completely contrived, and I’m pretty sure they just plain forgot to tell us Keli Quintela’s name originally. I wouldn’t be shocked if people reading this didn’t even know who I was talking about by saying Keli Quintela because it wasn’t brought up and then suddenly it was. Not that I’m complaining about it being revealed, the name is absolutely lovely.

Personally, I’m honestly super hoping that there’s a big boom moment for the Young Justice creative team where they’re like “oh we really have to try harder, this is bombing more and more” and they work towards fixing up all the problems, but with Young Justice missing a month, I’m pretty sure the series has already been dumped into obscurity, and it’s breaking my heart.

But at least it’s selling moderately okay, maybe that’ll keep up. Maybe that’ll motivate more effort in the creative team’s side.

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dexi-green · 5 years

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Avengers:Endgame Thoughts !!SPOILERS!!

Just some random thoughts and questions and such about the movie. There are spoilers so…don’t read if you haven’t seen it and care about spoilers. I tried to organize it a bit but we all know that’s impossible.

Okay so..I’m not the biggest fan of the Russo Brothers and what they have done with their Marvel films. There have been some improvements, and some things that just can’t be helped and I just want to make that known first. I don’t really hate any of the films they made, they are definitely enjoyable, and fun, have great moments.

I’ve been a bit critical about how they used some of the big storylines from the comics in the films, because they never felt the same (they never can honestly, comic books and films are different formats, different ways of storytelling) but this honestly is the closest to the annuals. This is the closest to waiting an entire year after reading comics each month, to the big huge event. It feels as big as those. Civil War didn’t to me, Age of Ultron didn’t, Infinity War kinda, but this. This felt huge. Especially when actually watching it.

This is a huge fanservice film. You could probably enjoy it without any prior knowledge, or without seeing all the other films, but god, it’s better if you do. Soooo many little throwbacks and easter eggs and payoffs from the earliest films and the comics. So I highly suggest the other films, I think every single one film has some sort of tribute in this one. (I’m making a list of references and such so I’ll see)

So one of my biggest gripes out of the way…the Joe Russo cameo. It completely pulled me out of the film. The scene itself could’ve been a nice little thing to see what Steve has been up to during those five years but…just watching and listening to what was mostly Joe Russo talking and inserting himself into the universe…eh :/ It’s not like a Stan Lee cameo, he didn’t have a hand in creating these characters and we don’t owe the Russo Brothers as much as we owe Lee and Kirby and Simon and Ditko and Bendis, etc. I think his cameo in Civil War and Winter Soldier was better, he barely talked in WS and not at all in CW, was barely on screen, it was fine. I just felt it was a little too much… His cameo was longer than Stan’s.

Also that was their way of making the “first openly gay character in a Marvel movie.” they even said that, “We felt it was important that one of us play him, to ensure the integrity and show it is so important to the filmmakers that one of us is representing that.” which...is really a cop out I feel. That LGBTQ representation, the smallest line of being on a date, could’ve easily gone to Valkyrie/Brunnhilde’s character, seeing as Tessa Thompson says her character is queer and played her that way (take one look at Tessa’s or Brie Larson’s twitter or some interviews, it isn’t hard to see they support it), and Tessa is actually Bisexual in real life. But whatever I guess...

Though it was definitely funnier than the other movies the Russo’s have done, and DEFINITELY prettier. I’ve had a big issue with the color grading and scene composition in the Russo’s movies. Say what you will, Joss Whedon knew how to make a comic splash page translate to screen, but the Russo’s did...the airport fight scene. The scene’s in their films that did have great composition were pulled straight from the comics (like Steve Vs. Tony, Shield vs. Repulsors) Okay. But, in Endgame it definitely looks better. There are memorable scenes. There are shots that I thought...okay thats art. The end battle had some shots, like Thanos in the foreground pointing his sword, and his army behind him. When Tony was looking out of the Benatar and saw the glowing light that is Captain Marvel. When Okoye, T’Challa, and Shuri walk out of the portal to the final battle, it’s a bit hazy, almost dream like, gives the feeling of Steve seeing them and not knowing whether this was real or not. The colors still look a bit dull in some scenes, but at this point it seems like the Russo’s are resigned to gray and mud and mess to get that gritty “realistic” vibe that for some reason is what people want and not the escapism, fantasy, cosmic stories that comics can be.

I did really like the small nods towards how relationships formed or degraded throughout time, or how people changed, especially during the five years we didn’t see. We got a little nod towards Carol and Rhodey’s relationship from the comics with…a nod and a good luck and a lingering look. Natasha calls Rocket fluffball, I think it was, and says she gets e-mails from him. Bruce and Natasha are on some sort of not dating but close friends terms after hardly interacting in Infinity War. Definitely acknowledging Age of Ultron and not just making it a joke and trying to push it aside. Nebula and Rocket seem to have gotten closer, probably due to all of their friends dusting. Rocket and Bruce seem to be on some level of friendship, or at least acknowledge each others connection to Thor. Okoye calling Natasha, Nat. Carol has been coming to earth somewhat regularly. Tony and Nebula playing the paper football game, her giving him the food even when he offered it to her, (It reminded me of the blueberry bit in the first Avengers) working together to try and get somewhere. TONY AND MORGAN!! He raised a whole five year old kid. He definitely seems like a stay at home dad, especially since Pep is the CEO of Stark Industries.

It’s really nice (and sad) to see how some people’s lives moved forward. How people tried to move on, how all these different personalities coped with the loss. Seeing Cassie has aged was definitely a favorite. Cassie has thought her dad was dead for five years, and for Scott he was only gone for five hours, but he comes back to his little girl as a teenager. At the end, when we see them together with Hope, we know that Scott now has to go forward knowing he missed five years of his daughter’s life, and is probably going to try and make the most of it. Maybe that means giving up Ant-Man, or having her join in (we need Stature, I mean come on, we need another young avenger). But it was nice to see that time didn’t just stand still until the Avengers found a fix. It kept moving forward.

I wish we would’ve gotten a bit more of Wakanda/Wakandans. Okoye was still alive, and I think M’Baku survived the Snap as well, but I don’t think we saw him until the final battle. We only got a couple glimpses of Wakanda. Which I guess makes sense because with both T’Challa and Shuri gone, Wakanda needed leadership (though I’m unsure as to whether Ramonda dusted as well), but it would’ve been nice for Okoye to maybe be a little involved in the efforts to get the stone, especially considering Wakanda is so advanced. Even without Shuri there could’ve been something they could contribute. T’Challa really had like one or two lines basically but okay.

I sorta didn’t like Thanos dusting away. I was a bit off put at the beginning when Thor cut of his head because to me, that was Nebula or Gamora’s kill (though seeing as both Gamora and Nebula seemed somewhat sad after seeing him die (Gamora after she seemed to kill him in IW and Nebula after Thor went for the head) MCU Gamora and Nebula might not want to do that). I understand it though, Thor was angry. At the end I was hoping that Thanos wouldn’t dust so we could get that kill, and sort of mirror Tony’s fear of being the only survivor, but… I guess it’s the writer’s poetic justice. It’s not bad, but I just kinda hoped they would go a different way with it.

I love when the music cuts out and Quill is just dancing and singing to himself. “So he’s an idiot”.

“I bet the raccoon didn’t have to climb a mountain.” “Technically he’s not a raccoon you know?” “oh whatever he eats garbage.” Are they talking about Rocket...or...Thor?

That girl power scene? We love it. “Don’t worry” “She’s got help.”

I love how they pass around Tony’s Gauntlet like a football, trying to get it to the van. But when Peter had it and was thrown to the ground and was curled up clutching it, I was so prepared to cry.

Same with Rocket trying to protect Groot.

No vision. I didn’t really find myself even thinking of him all that much during the film. We got a line or two but that’s about it. It makes me wonder about the ‘WandaVision’ show and whether that title was just to throw people off, or if he is going to be in it.

I’d be really interested in seeing more of what happened during those 5 years. Maybe I just want to see more of Tony as a dad? Maybe… But to see how everyone tries to move forward. Like what does Cassie do? Did her mom and step-dad dust to? Was she alone? Did the Avengers check on her? I think Bruce mentions he spent 18 months in a Gamma Lab. I would love to see how he came to terms with Hulk. I would love to see how the Asgardian’s settled. Etc. I think there are some interesting stories there, maybe for future shows or comics or stories.

CAROL DANVERS / CAPTAIN MARVEL

I love that Carol Danvers had a small moment/lingering shot when they were looking at everyone who dusted and she saw Nick Fury. Another little nod towards a relationship without being overt and having her mention to characters how Nick Fury was a close friend. I mean that was the reason why they came out with the Captain Marvel movie before this. So the audience members who saw both would understand Carol’s role, powers, motives, and relationships before so they wouldn’t have to squeeze it all into this movie.

I also forgot that Captain Marvel was even in this movie after the last time they showed her in the beginning because I was so wrapped up in everything else, so when she showed up at the end I was genuinely surprised and excited! They really hyped her up to be the most powerful hero, but didn’t overuse her or make her OP at all. They gave everyone else their time knowing that she has the future MCU ahead of her. I think they spent a good amount of time on the original avengers as this really was their send off, knowing the rest of the characters have future films/shows to shine in. (Which kind of makes me forgive the lack of Wakanda..but still…)

The look on Thanos’ face when Carol showed up, amazing. Her exchange with Peter? Pure and beautiful. And that little *dink* when he tries to headbutt her? Pure comedy.

Thanos pulling the power stone out of the gauntlet to use against Carol was...forgive me...a power move.

THOR ODINSON & LOKI LAUFEYSON

I know a lot of people think Thor’s mental health/PTSD was just played as a joke, but I don’t think it was. I mean there have been times they tried to sweep Tony’s mental health under the rug and times where (maybe just the fandom) treated Tony as a villain for how it showed itself.

Thor didn’t want to think about it. Thor was done. He wanted to drink and forget. He didn’t want people to talk about Thanos, or Loki, or anything that happened. He made a new home for all the Asgardians and then retreated into himself. When we first see him, Bruce stops and asks Thor if he’s okay and tells him that he was in a similar dark spot as well and that Thor was the one who helped him out. It’s a sweet moment, yeah it’s sandwiched by some jokes, but it's there. As is the moment when Thor talks to his mother for the last time. Frigga gives him piece of mind. Let’s him know that she knows what her fate is, that it isn’t his fault, which is one weight off his shoulder. She lets him know that he doesn’t need to be whatever he thinks he needs to be, just to be who he is. He doesn’t need to be an Asgardian King, or whatever else his father wanted, if that's not what Thor wants. Being himself is enough to be worthy. So he fights that final fight (completely okay in the fact that Steve is worthy as well, even saying he knew it! So he must’ve knew Steve was pretending not to be able to pick it up all the way in AOU), he makes Valkyrie/Brunnhilde King/Queen of Asgard, and he goes with the Guardians, because that's where he wants to be. He’s not being who he is supposed to be, but who he is. Which seems to be someone who wants to have fun and save people who need saving. Which I think is a nice mirror to Chris Hemsworth’s relationship to playing the character. He said that he prefers the fun, comedic Thor that Taika made with Ragnarok, and doesn’t as much like playing the uber serious Thor from previous films. He even said he’d be open to more Thor movies if Taika Waititi was directing.

While I hope we see Thor in Guardians Vol.3, and his story didn’t feel as final as Steve and Tony’s did, he did come full circle. From fighting tooth and nail to be a worthy king, to finally accepting who he truly is and being comfortable with accepting that. Sort of mirroring Loki.

Speaking of Loki...His scenes in this movie were definitely more humorous than anything. I know people wanted a better end for him. I’ll be honest, I liked his end in Infinity War (though I did believe he might still be alive because he didn’t revert back to his Jotun form when he died in IW). But for all the same reasons as Thor. He started feeling tremendous envy and hate for his brother and father, felt the need to prove himself, though he took a very different route than Thor, he got to a point where he accepted who he truly was. A Jotun, and an Odinson, Thor’s brother, Prince of Asgard. So to me, yeah it would be nice to see a different ending for Loki, (if they do bring him back I feel they either can’t kill him or have to kill him for real), I’m content with his entire arc.

BRUCE BANNER / HULK

Bruce has finally come full circle as well. He started off wanting to actually kill himself because of the Hulk, but now he has found the ‘Professor Hulk’ middle ground. He even says he sees it as an ‘evolution’ (X-Men reference/hint maybe??). After Ragnarok and Infinity War, something during those five years lead both Hulk and Bruce to accept each other. Just imagine how happy Hulk was when those kids came up asking for a photo. It’s no longer “Earth hates Hulk”. Hulk is a hero, he has fans! Young kids who aren’t scared. Bruce doesn’t have to be scared of running rampant and out of control and hurting innocent people. He doesn’t need to be locked in a cage. He can be completely who he is without holding back.

Bruce admitting that he tried to bring back Natasha with his Snap…oof.

NATASHA ROMANOFF / NATALIE RUSHMAN/ BLACK WIDOW & CLINT BARTON / HAWKEYE / RONIN

I actually really liked the beginning and how they handled Hawkeye’s story. Him helping Lila with her Archery and her walking out of frame, then when it cuts back to where she should’ve been only some dust particles in the air? Amazing, show not tell. We didn’t need to actively see Clint’s family dust away (honestly it makes it sadder that he didn’t see it either, didn’t know what happened, they were just gone). And we didn’t need a scene of him talking about it. We just got into it. The Ronin story isn’t my favorite but I’m glad too much time wasn’t spent on it and only the parts that mattered were addressed. That his family is gone and he’s angry. Natasha still cares about him deeply and has been looking for him.

Also..who puts mayo on a hot dog?

Natasha and Clint’s relationship is one that I really like. It’s this pure friendship and salvation from the beginning. Clint was the one who made the call to not kill her, but rather show her a different path. In Endgame, Natasha does the exact same for Clint. She takes him from being a ruthless assassin, angry at the world, to fighting for the good guys again. They are family. She is Aunt Nat to his kids, friends with his wife. She knows about his family and ‘secret’ life when no other Avengers did. It’s because of him (and Nick Fury) that she has a family not only in them, but the rest of the Avengers. But it just makes stories like Infinity War/Endgame and Civil War sadder for her because, almost all the other Avengers have a life outside of the team, and have families to go to, but not her. So when they break up, and aren’t talking, she is left alone. No wonder she stays at the compound. When Rhodey is telling her about Clint and she starts crying, it’s so sad, because he was her family and he just left.

Natasha and Clint literally fighting over who gets to sacrifice themself? Big oof. Natasha really makes me like Clint’s character in the films. And as much as I love the “refund theory” of Steve returning the soul stone to Vormir and getting Natasha back, and I would love a better send off (like with Thor) I think her story has really come full circle.

One of the biggest themes I noticed in her arc throughout the films is choice. When she was in the Red Room, she had no choice but to do what she was told, because of what happened there she doesn’t get the choice of having children or not. In Winter Soldier she felt like she felt like the choice of fighting for the ‘good’ guys was an illusion. Etc. But here is the biggest choice she can make, and she decided that she’d rather die so everyone else, everyone she cares about, can have a chance. She wasn’t going to let someone else make that choice for her. She did it despite Clint’s protest. She finally found something, someone she chose to die for. And the imagery of her on the ground not only mirrors her position in Tony’s vision from AOU, but the pool of blood draining from her is almost literally her getting the red out of her ledger like she mentions she wants to do in Avengers. “I’ve got red on my ledger. Now I need to wipe it out.” She has finally atoned for all the bad she has done.

I know she didn’t get a funeral scene or a big send off, but I think that was as to not overshadow or take away from Tony’s. Which is sad. Maybe we will get a better send off in a different film or show. We did get those lines from Clint and Wanda about hoping she knew that they did it, that her sacrifice wasn’t for nothing. Which is small, but it is the person who cared about her the most.

Also...did no one tell Clint and Natasha that they would need to sacrifice someone to get the stone? Surely Nebula knew...

STEVEN ROGERS / CAPTAIN AMERICA

“I can do this all day.” “Yeah, I know.” Even Steve is tired of himself.

Scott: “That’s America’s Ass.”

Steve, later, looking at his own ass on a past version of himself: “That is America’s Ass.”

My mind immediately when we heard Sam’s voice over Steve’s comm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w

Also on that note... I absolutely love that Sam was the one that Steve choose to carry on Captain America’s legacy. In the comics both Sam and Bucky take up the mantle and I was sincerely hoping Bucky wouldn’t in the films. At least not at first. Bucky has so much interesting story to explore from when he was the Winter Soldier and still has so much healing to do from not only that time, but everything he was thrust back into when he was still settling in Wakanda..and being dusted. In the films, Sam is perfect to be the Captain America of modern times. He knows how the modern world works, he’s been in the military, dealt with war (both earthly threats and extra terrestrial), and I feel he’s emotionally/mentally stable enough for it. Hell he ran a veteran support group which inspired Steve to run a support group for survivors during the five years after the snap. Also, I don’t think I need to get into why having a Black/African-American Captain America in these times is amazing. I would love to see him in a movie, but if we get a live action show on the Disney+ streaming service, I think that would be great.

When they showed someone sitting on the bench, I was like okay that’s Steve. But how skinny and small he looked I thought it was going to be Pre-Serum Steve...but no, we got old man Steve. Which surprised me, it shouldn’t have but it did, because when he left and they couldn’t bring him back I leaned over to my sister and said “he stayed in the ‘40s”. But I had like 1000 thoughts running through my head every second of this movie. (except when the theater fell silent when Tony...ya know) It sorta reminded me of Logan for a hot second...

I’ve seen some people say, "It's not in character for Steve to live a life and not fight".

Every single movie has been building to Steve getting more and more tired of fighting. First he sacrifices himself for everyone else. Then he is woken up to fight in a war, and a world, he barely knows anything about, and starts seeing that privacy and freedom might not mean the same things they use to. That the governments meant to protect the people have even more secrets and lies, and are becoming more violent and ruthless. His whole vision sequence (and basically entire arc) in AOU was about how he needs war and to fight but how he doesn’t want that to be the case. He wants to go home. He wants the 40s. He wants Peggy. He wanted Bucky. He wants a family and a life. It hints that sometimes he may feel he doesn’t deserve it, or that the time for that has passed.

He didn't leave Bucky behind, Bucky knew full well what was happening and didn't seem too bothered. He knew and was happy that Steve had this chance. He loves him and wouldn't keep him from that. More than likely Bucky sees a future for himself as well, just not in the 40s. Bucky could have went back with him if he wanted to. But he didn't. Sam even offers to go back with Steve, Bucky standing right there and Steve says it's okay. Bucky doesn't protest. Bucky is smiling. Plus we don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Steve would have still fought here and there, maybe he did help that timeline/universe Bucky. He did still have the shield with him. Or maybe he was a house husband/dad while Peggy worked. Whatever he did he was clearly happy and content with all his choices and no one protested.

I actually really love this ending for Steve. He finally gets to rest. He finally gets the woman he loves. He can be content knowing the world is safe and that there are others willing to protect it. From the skinny, sick, kid who was always searching for a fight and felt he was (or had to be) alone in the world. He found a family, his love, a life.

TONY STARK / IRON MAN

I really love that for the scene in the 70s they used James D’Arcy to play Edwin Jarvis. He played Jarvis in the Agent Carter show, and I think most people who watch any of the shows know that the shows are payed dirt in the MCU movies. So as someone who loved that show, loved the characters and actors, seeing that was great! It intertwines the show more closely to the films, and it was nice for Tony to see the other man who raised him even for a second. Yeah it would’ve been nice to see Paul Bettany, but I feel he is more connected to J.A.R.V.I.S Tony’s A.I rather than the actual person of Jarvis.

I love that Tony gets a reunion/closure with his father (similar to Thor’s with his mother). Before his own untimely death, he gets to talk with his father and really see things through his eyes and learn what his mind set truly was. Now that he’s a father himself he understands a bit more the struggles Howard had, he knows Howards own self doubts. That despite everything Howard cared, and that Howard’s own father was cruel to him. And they get to share that last hug and is able to thank him! Just like he wanted to in Civil War. He gets to say I love you, and thank you for everything.

Peter says he “got all dusty. Then [he] must’ve passed out”. So like...no time passed for those who got dusted in the snap...

I was sorta hoping Tony would wield Mjolnir as well, but he didn’t :/ but it’s fine. He doesn’t need it. He wields the Gauntlet/Infinity Stones.

Something Kevin Smith brought up that I hadn’t really thought of was that Tony was completely set. While he definitely had regrets and felt guilty, he had a good life in front of him. He 100% could have just lived the rest of his natural born days out with his family and been as happy as he could have been. But seeing that picture of Peter, and knowing all that was lost, feeling guilty, and just being the self-sacrificial man he is, risked it all for everyone else. Knowing it could go wrong, he still did it.

Tony’s scene towards the beginning was the first time I almost cried. After he gets rescued, and they are talking in the compound. He is so skinny and in a wheelchair and hooked up to the IV. Cap starts talking, like he always does, and Tony just is not here for it. This is exactly what he said was going to happen, this was the culmination of all the PTSD and anxiety he has had for 8 years. It happened, he was right. No one wanted to listen to him. People gave him so much shit for Ultron and the Accords and literally everything that he has ever done, and this happens and he (pardon my language) snapped on Steve. It was heartbreaking. Because he tried so hard to prevent it. Steve told him they would lose together but he was alone. He watched the kid he cared about disappear in his arms, had no idea who else he cared about who could’ve done the same, and he was alone in space (well Nebula was there, but..he didn’t know her really, they were forced to get to know each other. Remember she showed up when they were already battling Thanos). He was suffering, believing he was going to die. No oxygen, no food, no water…and when he gets back Steve just wants to jump back in, and get information out of him? No. He has had enough. Steve lied. Sure maybe he didn’t mean to, but he said they would work together and then Civil War happened. He made a decision in that movie to be on the opposite side of Tony. I’m not saying that Steve wasn’t justified in his actions in Age of Ultron, or Civil War or anything after, but just that from Tony’s perspective, Steve was continuously putting other people and things in front of him. He probably thought that Steve would make an effort if they were truly friends, and if he truly cared Steve would’ve done more to salvage their friendship but didn’t. I have a whole thing with Steve and how he acted but I just know Tony was hurt, and one person he thought he could turn to, wasn’t there. And the line he closes out his rant with? “No trust, liar.” That hit like a ton of bricks.

When Tony asks Dr.Strange if this was the one they won, Strange says he can’t tell him or it won’t happen. But later Tony looks at him and holds up one finger, telling him this is the one. He told him because he knows that Tony already knows and has come to terms with what has to happen. Tony knows he has to get the stones and Snap Thanos away, knowing that it could kill him. So Dr.Strange just affirmed it for him. If he would’ve told him earlier, than Tony might’ve thought of a different plan, or thought he could make it out, maybe he would’ve gotten excited and cocky. That also means that from the moment Strange looked into the future in IW he knew Tony was going to die. Yeah he knew Thanos needed the time stone because the Snap needed to happen in the first place for them to reverse it, but he also knew Tony was going to make this sacrifice, and couldn’t die just yet. I always thought that Tony was the key after Infinity War, but now it explains why Dr. Strange’s demeanor changes after that.

I almost cried a lot during this film but I actually cried during Tony’s death and funeral scene. Bookending the entire saga with “I am Iron Man”. How Rhodey goes up to him, then Peter (Tom Holland never fails to make me cry when he’s playing Peter), mirroring the last moments in Infinity War, “We won. We did it Mr.Stark”. Then Pepper goes up to him, and has to look at him and he seems almost...catatonic. He isn’t responding, just staring at each of them. Pepper has to watch her love, her husband, the father of her child, die. But she still reassures and comforts him, telling him he can rest now… and i’m about to cry just writing this omg… Then the light of the arc reactor blinks out and you know for real that he’s gone. Tony leaves a message for them knowing his fate, book ending the film from the message he was leaving at the beginning of the movie, to the message he’s leaving for them now. He loves Morgan 3000. Just knowing over the years, Morgan and Pepper will go back and watch this message. Morgan will grow up knowing her father saved the universe with his own hands. They will probably have suits and old tech around that she will be able to look at and play with and tinker with (because you cannot convince me Tony Stark’s daughter won’t be as much of a tinkerer as him). The “Proof Tony Stark Has A Heart” display is sent adrift in the lake outside their home, Little Morgan sitting with her mom. And every person who Tony has come to know and love is watching. Millions more probably mourning all over the world (and in our universe as well). Tony started as an arrogant, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, rich kid with more brains then he could handle, and become the self sacrificial saviour of the universe. He’s been through the worst things, kidnapped, tortured, betrayed, watched people die in front of his eyes, get hurt because of him, etc. But always was looking for a way to make things better for everyone else. He is 100% the heart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr. is the heart of the MCU. Him and Jon Favreau and Kevin Feige took a chance on a movie that was guaranteed to do the best in 2008, improvised through a film with little to no script and built an empire. Robert is Tony Stark in sooo many ways other than both having rich and famous dads. Tortured, and regretful pasts that they rose above. I cannot sing the praises of this character or this man more. So I will end it here. It will sad to go forward without the character, but we really won’t be. Tony and Robert are cemented in every Marvel film and every film to come.

Thank you to all the creators, crew, directors, writers and actors. Robert Downey Jr., Kevin Feige, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, etc. <3 Thank you!

#avengers #avengers endgame #spoilers #endgame spoilers #marvel #tony stark #iron man #captain america #steve rogers #natasha romanoff #thoughts #personal #opinion #avengers spoilers

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bigskydreaming · 5 years

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Okay, last random post for the day, then I gotta work. But something else I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, is that kinda weird feeling when you don’t like a writer or how they handled stuff and would have preferred someone else write it, BUT at the same time, you also really like something that came out of their writing and probably wouldn’t have happened if not for that writer making it happen.

And I think this also traces back to that post the other day about not settling for substandard representation and holding creators accountable for not doing more, and when its not the creators’ fault but the higher-ups, holding them accountable, etc.

Like, Scott McCall and Jeff Davis is a great example of this, I think. Obviously, he’s one of my favorite characters of all time. And as much as I hate how Davis and co. wrote him a lot of the time, obviously they also wrote him in ways that established all the core reasons I love that character so much, and there’s no guarantee that if another writer had launched a TW reboot, their version of Scott would be remotely like the one that I latched onto.

And obviously we’ve all talked a lot about how Davis could have done more with Scott’s Mexican heritage and identity as biracial and latino, even though there’s a large chance he would have just been white if another creator had been in charge. I raise that just as another example of what I’m talking about, not one that I myself am looking to weigh in on, I leave that to latine fans. For myself, I’ve obviously talked a lot about how I project onto Scott and identify with him so much as a survivor and see a lot of parallels between his story and my own experiences and the identity they’ve shaped for me. And on that front at least, I’ve ranted just as much about how I personally don’t give Davis any credit for this stuff, because I think it happened in spite of him not because of him, that he was oblivious to the undertones of his own material, or at least the ones that could easily be read into it.

And then there’s Devin Grayson, the Nightwing writer I rant about a lot. The one who wrote him being raped, which obviously is also a large part of why I identify with Dick, and just like Jeff Davis, something I think is in spite of her writing, not because of it, as she too was irresponsible and oblivious in a lot of her handling of her own material. And at the same time, she’s also the one who introduced Dick’s Romani heritage and made that canon, while being very heavy-handed and stereotypical with the way she wrote things herself, and a lot of Rom readers being very critical of her choices there, while at the same time celebrating Dick’s Rom heritage and happy to have him as representation now. And given how few writers have even referenced Dick’s rape since it happened or how few actually acknowledge that he’s Rom, an argument can bemade that neither of these things would have happened if not for her.

And then we’ve got Bobby Drake, who I identified with long before he came out in the comics, and even moreso now that he’s actual gay rep I can point to. But obviously I rant a tooooon about Bendis and his handling of all this, probably even more than I ever have about Davis or Grayson specifically, and I think the difference here is that making Bobby gay WASN’T something that only he would’ve written. Given that multiple writers going back over twenty years have wanted to and even tried to write Bobby as gay or bi, but Marvel told them no, this is a definite area where the higher-ups are as much to blame for my issues with the comics as Bendis himself. Because Bendis is responsible for the writing choices I dislike so intensely in this matter, but Marvel’s higher ups are responsible for Bendis being the one who got to make the writing choices in this matter, even though other writers were willing and able.

I’m honestly not sure where I’m going with this, lmao, and don’t really have a point, sorry if you thought I did. I’m more kinda just thinking out loud. Except...in text. Whatever.

Anyway. All of this I think goes to show one of the best things about storytelling IMO....which is that stories grow with the telling. Always. Storytelling is like one giant, never-ending game of telephone. Where every time a story is retold, or adapted, or even just passed along from one person to another via a summary of the events - something gets added to it. The last person to pass it on in some fashion added a little bit of themselves to it, their own personal experiences and perspectives and priorities helping to further shape or flesh out the story even further.

Sometimes by adding little details or context that maybe weren’t even in the original source material, but that we unthinkingly add in, maybe because those details are things that came to mind when reading or watching the story since they go hand in hand with why the story appealed to us in the first place. Like we add them in without realizing it because it seems so obvious that there are little holes and gaps in the story and these are the things that SHOULD go there, should’ve been there from the start.

And other times, we add to and grow stories in the telling, somewhat counter-intuitively, but by ERASING little details about the stories or elements that feel like they don’t belong. Like filing away the rough edges to leave a more finished, polished piece before we hand it off to the next person, our audience for our retelling or recounting of it. Again, often not something we’re even consciously thinking about, our minds automatically leaving out the parts that we take for granted don’t fit or shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

So any time we interact with a story, have some kind of personal relationship with it or connection to it, its like that story exists on two levels, in two separate ways. There’s the story as it was originally told, initially laid down, the story a creator constructed based on their own personal experiences, lens, and priorities, the story both as they intended to write it and as they actually wrote it, what ended up on the page. And then there’s the story as it exists once distributed to a wider audience, the story as its retold and recounted and transformed and shaped and honed and added to.

And you can’t divorce that second, larger version of the story from the initial ‘baby’ story it grew from. Not to get too precious here, but as with anything that grows, either physically or metaphorically, there is a sense in which its alive, and can be compared to other living things. Like take any person you meet. That person grew from a baby. The baby they were is fundamental to the person they are now. Who they are wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for who they were.

But how much does the baby they were actually matter, when interacting with the person they are now? No, you can’t separate the two, the one wouldn’t exist without the other, but in every way that actually matters, its only the larger, more grown version of that person that you’re actually interacting with, engaging with, INTERESTED in engaging with in the first place. How much credit do you actually owe whatever they were like as a baby or young child, for them growing up to become someone you like and value as a person now, someone who adds something to your life?

I think its something similar, with the way we interact with stories, and I think that’s part of why I have such a problem with the way we’re...encouraged to give proper credit and even show gratitude to storytellers for giving us certain stories in the first place. And I say that as a writer myself, and one who LOVES feedback, and loves interaction, and collaboration, and for whom a large part of the appeal of writing is seeing what someone makes of something I’ve written, or what they go on to do with it.

But I mean.....there’s no doubt that however these things originated, Dick Grayson’s existence as a male rape survivor means a ton to me, as one myself. Just like him being Romani means a ton to a lot of Rom fans, and the way Scott McCall being Latino means a ton to a lot of latine fans and how he means a lot to survivors in other respects and how Bobby Drake being gay means a ton to a lot of LGBTQ+ fans.

But in a lot of those cases, these characters mean so much to us more as a result of what other people have done with them SINCE those initial stories laid out these aspects of identity. It’s not Devin Grayson’s fumbling attempts at writing Dick as Romani that most Rom readers I know celebrate and enjoy his character, its for what others have done with that heritage on their own. Adding to it with their own personal experience, or at least researching attentively and with proper credit and deference paid to people whose experiences they listen to and learn from, etc. Just like, its not her issue with Nightwing and Tarantula I would actually cite as the reason I identify so strongly with Dick Grayson, but all of the fics and meta and headcanons written about that issue by other survivors who added to it and fleshed it out and made it real and lived with their own experiences and takes, while filing away the parts that just didn’t work for them.

Then again, we could argue that at least we still owe something for having that opportunity in the first place, right? That there was even that seed planted, that other people cultivated and grew into the story we actually like and engage with.

Except, idk. Like, intent doesn’t matter in terms of harm done, we say that a lot and its true. The fact that you didn’t intend to hurt someone with something doesn’t mean that they weren’t hurt. But that doesn’t mean that intent doesn’t matter, that it doesn’t make a difference in how something comes across. That sometimes it isn’t THE difference, in and of itself.

I rant about non/con fic and hurt/comfort fics all the time, fics that are really just an excuse for torture porn, even as I write stories that deal heavily with rape and abuse. And I don’t find this remotely hypocritical, because for me, this part traces back to intent. I’ve got zero interest in people using trauma such as rape or abuse for a narrative REASON. Like when writers talk about using rape as a tool to reveal something about a character, to change them in some way or develop them, to show what they’re capable of surviving or toughen them up, anything like any of that, I have an immediate and visceral reaction of FUCK NO. That train of thought is basically a dealbreaker right there, because I’ve got a deep-seated hostility to the idea that rape or any kind of trauma can be a tool. Even in fiction. Because no matter how you frame it, that tacitly perpetuates the idea that rape or abuse can have a purpose, a reason for existing, for happening to a character or a real person, and from there it’s only a few small steps to justification of it happening. The idea that being raped or abused can make a person better, can change them into a better or stronger or person in ways no other experiences or circumstances can manage - that’s deeply abhorrent to me, and I’ve got no respect for stories that go this route.

But at the same time, I do write stories about rape and abuse and read and engage with stories about this stuff, like various stories about Dick or Scott. And for me, the difference in these stories, the reasons why I’m interested in these but not those others, is because of the intent behind their writing, or at least what I perceive that intent to be, based on the writing. I’m interested in the stories that aren’t about writing rape/abuse to tell a story about a character, but stories about characters who have been raped/abused. Stories that are about the PEOPLE affected rather than the events that affect them. That treat rape/abuse not as a narrative or plot device or a thing that happens with purpose or for a reason, but rather just as things that happened to the people the story is about. Treating these things as lived experiences rather than part of an author’s grand design, or the real-life version of these things as part of God’s grand design. I don’t read/write stories about rape or abuse, I read/write stories about survivors. The difference is in the intent. Writers who are trying to make something horrible into something useful versus writers who are trying to make something out of the aftermath of something horrible. The latter value the survivor’s pain; the former don’t value their pain enough not to subject them to it in the first place.

And this of course relates to writing identity as well as experiences. With writers like Davis and a Latino character like Scott or writers like Bendis and a gay character like Bobby. It comes down to intent. Why are they making these choices, giving these characters these identities. Are they doing so for a purpose, because they think it says something about that character or will result in something? Or are they doing it to tell stories about a character with this identity? Because just like with certain lived experiences, I’ve got no respect for writers who treat real life identities as a tool, as something that can be chosen with purpose, to achieve specific goals.

Most latine fans who are dissatisfied with Davis’ handling of Scott as a biracial or Latino character specifically, IME they cite the problem being how little interest Davis showed in actually expanding on that or doing anything with that aspect of his identity, even while happily taking credit for casting a Latino actor in his lead role. The vast majority of my complaints with Bendis and his writing of Bobby’s sexuality go back to how little interest he ever showed in writing Bobby as a character, having him explore his sexuality rather than just treating his coming out as a character benchmark or milestone that would forever have Bendis’ name on it, and that’s all he needed or wanted out of that. Why would anyone owe a writer credit or praise or gratitude for using someone elses’ identities for personal achievements?

The flipside though is what about writers who write outside their lane in an honest and sincere attempt to tell stories about people who have these identities, stories about the experiences that come with them, stories about these people as people. Okay sure, that’s different, that’s great. But I mean, its not THAT great. As a white dude, I don’t ever think, gee I sure am grateful that this writer sat down and decided I’m gonna make this character a white guy because I think white guys have stories worth telling. LOL. Nah. So why should I be like, well gee, I sure am grateful that this writer sat down and decided I’m gonna make this character gay or bi because I think gay or bi guys have stories worth telling? I wouldn’t. I shouldn’t. Congrats on seeing me as a person whose identity and experience has value, same as I am and do because of my whiteness or my maleness? I’m....grateful? Nah. I mean, yes, this is better than writers like Davis or Bendis who are only writing outside their lane to get credit and praise for doing so, but just because its not ACTIVELY bad, doesn’t mean its like....ACTIVELY good or worthy of gratitude instead of just....hey, here’s a thing a writer did, they wrote a story with someone who’s like me in these specific ways. I’m a person to them.

Again, I have noooooooo idea where I’m going with any of this or what I was trying to say in any kind of cohesive fashion. This was just....stream of consciousness musing that I will now wrap up because I’ve run out of steam and/also I gotta get back to work. Make of it what you will, like, if you can find something useful in this, hooray and also, impressive, lmao, and if not....let your eyes glaze over and scroll past, lololol.

#long post #rape cw #abuse cw

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therewillbesparkles · 5 years

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Properly aware of the advantages that come from studying comics. Which Marvel comics do you have to read earlier than (or after) Captain Marvel? Repetition. Return to your each day newspaper and look on the comics’ page. The cartoonist is using repetition to determine the character. Therefore, we could say that it has nothing to do with a changing developments, no matter is new and trendy, photograph to pop art print stays within the midst of its identified usability in area of art. I regarded, and there before me was a pale horse! There really is one thing for everybody. Cosplay also means costume play and the fans usually come to the comic conventions dressed in costumes. Eight delectable Expansions that adopted added to the joy of the sport play. Then by all means, use it. By way of the use of these exaggerations, it doesn’t matter what other details I include. The possessed doll first hit the screens within the 1988 horror classic 'Kid's Play'. Corey Haim, the lead of the unique horror movie, and Corey Feldman, the 2 Coreys, reprise their authentic roles. Nevertheless, in 2003 Hasbro would relinquish management to Batman's rights to Mattel. You also get preferential treatment in some circumstances and entry to particular events and performances. Did You Know About Fish Smarty? Educational Portal With Many Interactive Games

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Before we proceed into the main topic, let's reintroduce first who's Batman with regard to those who find themselves different about him. Batman is probably the many superheroes that is certainly located in comic strip stories. His alter ego is Bruce Wayne, a billionaire playboy who while very young witnessed the unfortunate murder of his parents Flash by common thugs. It was this event that gave Bruce the motivation to seek revenge not just to those that killed his parents, but to all criminals situating in Gotham City. He then wore a mask had become the hero known as Batman. But that might be evolving as increasing numbers of comics are increasingly being sold for computers and tablets. On the web, independent writers and artists don't have to face the drawback to paying higher per-book print prices on smaller print runs. And there are numerous storefronts and purchasers tools sellers can utilize to trade their original work on favorable prices. Needless to say, the better known platforms will continue to serve the important publishers, but the digital store is not as limited as the space inside a physical store. Using a live model have their benefits in that you can earn from doing live portraits at art fairs along with other public events. A more convenient method specifically for beginners is by using photos. When drawing a portrait you should focus firstly on the face. Here are some tips to achieve accuracy inside your drawing. There are many strategies which come into play when dealing with collectable investment potential and I have only shared two. I believe these are the two main strategies which will help provide some potential now, as well as some protection against weak economic times. They can also help you utilize strong economic times later on. The bottom line is that will have possessions, and memories to go along with those possessions. Some of the key ingredients to collectable buying a weak economy are identical key ingredients in your life. If you balance yourself, you can find enjoyment and happiness. If you extend too much, you risk your balance and happiness. Think ahead. Live today. Cherish your love ones. Enjoy your hobby.

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