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ihavenoideamanokay · 9 months

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okay I've given up I'm gonna rant about the blue beetle movie because OH MY GOD

I wanna watch it again but I don't wanna go back to the theater I just wanna buy it already so I can watch it over and over and over

IT WAS SO GOOD

spoilers ofc so be prepared (also this is gonna be really long)

my one complaint. is khaji having a feminine robot voice. because I'm used to young justice where they were just a slightly more murderous sounding jaime which I think is perfect. idk it just feels too much like a marvel movie with the female robot suit. IT WAS BETTER THAN A MARVEL MOVIE THOUGH HAHAHAHA-

(for the record I usually say they/them for khaji bc they are a bug robot thing I don't think they understand or care about human gender but I'm stuck between that and that one venom post where they say venom uses he/him sometimes to match eddie's gender BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE KHAJI WOULD DO THAT 💀💀)

anyway I loved the movie soooooooo much and I love boostle being gay (and wasn't prepared for ted having a wife) so I was worried that ted had a daughter but she was AWESOME I LOVE HER SO MUCH

I especially love how nice she was???? her only surviving family member is a complete jerk and it never rubbed off on her, no matter how done with it she was and all that

I have a family member who, like vIcKy, is just mean to everyone for no reason (okay victoria kinda had a reason I'll get to all that later) and if I'm around her for too long I start wanting to match her energy. like yell back. I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON? LOOK WHO'S TALKING! that kinda stuff. but JENNY DOESN'T DO THAT I mean she still stands her ground and all that BUT she never sinks to victoria's level and that's amazing.

anyway on victoria's reasoning yeah I get it, it totally sucks that you helped create the company and it never got passed down to you, and I'm not trying to invalidate that in any way, I'm just saying, think about it from a different perspective. she could've been a psycho from the beginning. creating weapons will probably make you feel horrible and depressed because you're killing people! I just think we don't know if she cracked because of that and that's when she started seeing people as expendable, or if she was born like that, or if she became like that because of the sexism! I was just thinking about it and I feel like there's a possibility that their grandpa thought she was being a little too aggressive or something and that's why he gave the company to ted. of course, I'm not saying that's what happened, just that that's an interesting thought I had.

NEXT this is dumb but I'm too bi for that movie I saw the main couple and went IVHVAJBKSBEJV THEY'RE BOTH SO PRETTY WHAT 😭😭😭 (well it was more like I went yeah the guy who plays jaime (I'm sorry idk any actors) is pretty and then jenny came on and I just. oh no. then they flirted and I was like NO WHAT-

okay I love the family relationships in this movie because they're all so different. I mean you have jenny and her mom who she didn't really know (because she died), then her dad being distant, then her and her aunt constantly hating each other but being too scared to do anything about it. of course they didn't wanna kill each other because ✨lawsuits✨ but they wanted to get rid of each other because victoria was doing horrible things and jenny was getting in her way. then you have jaime's family which is a disaster in the best way possible. I love how we didn't see them that much but could still tell exactly what was going on there. you get that they're all super close (you even get that there's no privacy💀) and they're all like best friends. I feel like his mom should've gotten a bit more characterization, but whatever. I mean her husband died?? and we barely see her???? idk. I just like how drastically different it is from the kords like I think it's cool.

I realized after the movie that. his grandma never saw him transform the first time. and she probably saw the hole in the roof and, knowing her, did not care. then when he comes back they saw khaji attached to him and she was probably filled in, but. we never saw her reaction. I think it was a good decision not to show it, because she'd probably react in some way that mentioned her fighting people in the past and all that.

okay this is another cursed thought but what happened to jenny's motorcycle at the end? she drove it over but then jaime flew her away. did she leave it there and just make him pick her up later to get it? did he go back and fly it to her?? motorcycles are heavy man I don't think that would be fun. did he drive it to her???? did he just leave it there??????? did he fly her everywhere after that??????????? people will guess your secret identity man. also did milagro steal it because that is totally a milagro thing to do-

OH YEAH let's talk about how they all hated jenny when jaime transformed because as funny as that was. guys. she literally told him not to open it. (honestly I feel like it's an insult to khaji's intelligence that they thought they couldn't get out of a fast food box but that's just me.) and I totally get that they hated her because she was a kord and victoria was being horrible but like THEY JUSTIFIED IT AS "YOU DID THIS TO HIM" AND I FEEL LIKE OUT OF EVERY COMPLAINT THEY HAVE WITH HER THAT'S THE WORST ONE TO USE. SHE KINDA GOT JAIME AND MILAGRO FIRED AS WELL although that's also because milagro was breaking rules and jaime's just too good of a person to not yell at victoria. WAIT WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT SHE SAID "PROTECT IT WITH YOUR LIFE" KNOWING FULL WELL HE COULD ACTUALLY DIE THAT'S A GOOD COMPLAINT but like we can excuse that bc we love her here

okay so yes the scene where he talked to his dead dad was fine and all like I like it but. PLEASE. THE CGI WAS SO BAD IN THAT ONE PART. like the rest of the movie was fine BUT SERIOUSLY COME ON GUYS but in other news I love that scene because anything that has khaji just. vibing. is the best. and then having jaime accept them and stuff.

I just realized this movie could totally be a queer metaphor because of the whole acceptance theme?? I mean it's not like THE QUEER METAPHOR MOVIE EVER it's more like hey self acceptance. I mean you have to come out to yourself before you come out to others so idk that's just random

anything that has khaji da and jaime being best friends is automatically amazing. so my favorite arc in young justice is the reach arc (because I'm a sucker for possession and it was just totally well done) and my absolute favorite part of the arc + favorite blue beetle moment + possibly favorite part of the whole show??? is when khaji says the "then you haven't learned anything from our time together" line (that jaime says like an episode or so before I think) and every time I rewatch that I'm just like 😭😭😭😭😭 because they're besties your honor (or in love idk that ship isn't my first choice but I don't have a problem with it) and it's so so so good

I was so worried the movie was gonna be bad because I've only seen one recent dc movie (okay it was half of one) and I'm going to be honest I was not engaged at all I was kinda bored (I don't wanna say what movie it was because it's a very very hot take) and I was like oh no what if this movie does it too. nope. I also was really really hoping that they'd actually be like yeah the scarab's name is khaji da AND THEY DID I WAS SO HAPPY

oh my god I was looking at the cast and they listed victoria's assistant scientist guy as dr. sanchez. NOW I'M NOT THE SMARTEST BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S NOT HIS NAME- WASN'T THAT A WHOLE PLOT POINT 😭😭😭

that's all I have to say for now, there will probably be more later

#spoilers for the blue beetle movie #blue beetle #the movie this time not just the character(s)#blue beetle movie #blue beetle 2023 #jaime reyes #khaji da #jenny kord #ted kord #michael jon carter #booster gold #milagro reyes #rudy reyes #victoria kord #this post is so long watch out

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lylethewaterguy · 9 months

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Just saw the blue beetle movie and here’s my thoughts

Spoiler free: It was great. 10/10 movie, it was really fun and definitely one of my favourite superhero movies, maybe even my favourite live action superhero movie.

With spoilers:

I loved the fact that Jaimes family was in it the whole way through, the whole thing was so wholesome and family focused and I loved it. Sometimes movies will try to send a family focused message but the family is barely present, but here Jaimes family was actually really there the whole way through and didn’t just feel like an emotional add on.

Low-key really liked Jenny and wouldn’t actually mind it if she made it into the comics (although she’d have to be from an alternate universe or the future or something cause I don’t want Ted to be a deadbeat). She actually felt like teds daughter (unlike Victoria who kinda just felt shoved in there a bit).

I liked the story, it was a really good high stakes origin story without being too high stakes. It can get a bit frustrating when someone’s origin story is like “evil dude trying to take over the world” and that’s supposed to be their first threat. Especially in a universe where superheroes already exist, cause then it’s like why aren’t the others stepping in? But for this it made perfect sense why no other heroes were present and Jaime was allowed to just have his origin alone with his family.

Some specific things I loved:

The suit and the CGI all looked amazing, the movie was really incredibly well made and I felt so hyped whenever Jaime was fighting.

The BUG!!! It felt so much like Ted was actually present in the movie in the bug scene and I loved it.

Jaimes grandma just casually having an extremely dangerous past.

When Jaime came to Kord industries and his whole family was by the car!!! I loved it, they’re such cuties

Milagro, just everything about Milagro

Khaji-Da speaking Spanish after they fused!!!!!!! Ahhhh I love it!!!

“Her mom died”

Overall this movie may have been the worst 2 days of Jaimes life but it was the best 2 hrs of mine. I loved every second of it and I would HIGHLY recommend everyone watch it, it’s great!

#blue beetle #jaime reyes #if any of this doesn’t make sense or #anything then shhhhh okay I’m tired

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dg-outlaw · 6 months

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Blue Beetle - Movie Review

Finally got to see this on HBO Max... yes, "MAX" we still think of you as HBO just as Grogu is still Baby Yoda. Deal with it.

So, back to 'Blue Beetle'.

Long review, short, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and think it's one of DC's best in their quasi-DCEU/not DCEU or whatever is going on with WB and the DC movies these days. From what I understand, James Gunn/WB is not scrapping everything from the Snyder-verse/DCEU, but changes are coming and there's rumor that this iteration of Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle will stick around and I really hope so. I also think it helps that there were no character cameos in the film, only mentions of heroes like Superman, Batman, etc. so this Blue Beetle could easily be folded into the upcoming Gunn-verse.

As a latino I'm both ashamed to say I don't know much about Jaime Reyes' Blue Beetle outside of his appearances on the 'Young Justice' animated series, but I was also excited to see him on the big screen (metaphorically) and plan to go back and check out his comics.

I won't do a random synopsis as you can easily hit up a Youtube trailer or read an IMDb blurb to get that info, but I will talk about some of things I really enjoyed about this film. Warning: Slight Spoiler's ahead.

First off, this was overall a well-polished, well-written, directed, acted, and enjoyable film. The CGI was CGI, but it never felt janky and I could see the attention to detail in a lot of the VFX work, even with Jaime's practical Blue Beetle suit. I also truly appreciated that this film took risks and didn't shy away from taking those risks, creating stakes and sometimes following through, and addressing certain cultural and socio-economic subject matter without being preachy. In some ways I compare it to the MCU's 'Black Panther' in tackling the cultural and socio-economic things that mainstream, especially Disney, often tries to shy away from.

While 'Blue Beetle' isn't as serious in tone as 'Black Panther' there were several moments in the film where you knew that the writer and director had some creative leeway as opposed to having lots of studio oversight, just as Ryan Coogler had in the first 'Black Panther' film. I'm not sure if this is because WB wasn't paying attention because the DCEU was dying off or if they were somehow convinced to let the creators do their thing.

There were also so many moments where my Hollywood Blockbuster/MCU-trained brain said, "now is where they pull away from the hard moment, make a joke to pull away from a real emotion, or water down the stakes", but that didn't happen in this film. Yes, it was funny throughout, and jokes were made to lighten the mood where appropriate, but it was never at a disservice to the story or the characters. There were no moments where I felt like some director/screenwriter/studio-exec was getting embarrassed because it's a superhero movie so [insert Whedon-esque quip here] to avoid showing feelings.

Plus, you had George Lopez bringing his well-known loud, wild humor as the conspiracy theory spouting, 1% hating, mad-scientist Uncle Rudy, but if anything I think he was needed to give light to a story that potential to be really dark and sad at times. This is not to say there weren't moments that tugged at your heartstrings and made you feel or think. This movie went there because yes, we can think it's cheesy because it's just a superhero movie, but in-universe these events are reality for the characters and I think other superhero movies need to remember that. This was really well done in the first transformation scene of Jaime into the Blue Beetle as it started with light humor and slowly morphed into an almost horror-film like scene. There was no gore, but you felt the terror that Jaime and his family were feeling by watching things unfold. We, as the audience know what's going on, but for him and the family, the shit was hitting the fan and they didn't know what was going on.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this film. Having recently watched Shazam 2, which I thought was really funny and better than the first, but also forgettable and the Flash movie (which I also thought was fun but forgettable), I just expected more popcorn fun--the last sugary drops of the DCEU slushie before the Gunn-verse got underway. What I recalled about the trailers and vague reviews about this film was that it was a fun superhero movie that focused heavily on family.

But unlike the popcorn, turn your brain off and enjoy chaos of the Fast franchise, it didn't require Vin Diesel, 30 movies, and an endless string of memes to drill that concept into your head. Yes, Jaime Reyes is the hero in the film, but it's the collective efforts and support of his family that ends up helping him win in the end and it's what gave the movie heart.

This is also not meant to take away from Xolo Maridueña's performance as Jaime Reyes as the hero, an actor I've enjoyed since first seeing him on the Netflix series 'Cobra Kai'. Just like in 'Cobra Kai', I continue to enjoy his almost innocent boyish charm, shyness, and vulnerability he exudes on-screen. In some ways his character and performance remind me of Tom Holland's Spider-Man as just this kid trying to do the right thing, but is totally in over his head as a teen superhero (even though Jaime is a recent college grad from Gotham U). And just like Peter Park, Jaime didn't ask to be a hero and had no real aspirations for being a hero, other than to his family, but in the end he stepped up. This was not for cool points, though Jaime eventually learned to embrace the scarab's many cool powers, but because he knew it was the right thing to do. And yes, Mr. Vin Diesel, because of family.

I could go on and on about all the cultural moments and subject matter addressed in this film that I thought was really brave and refreshing in a superhero movie, but I won't as that's a giant article in it of itself. But I honestly think Disney/Marvel could take some pointers here as they often pull away just as they are about to get there. Also, no hate on MCU. There are many of the MCU films I enjoy, but the overall formula hasn't gotten tired and needs a revamp. Again, another post for another day, but just putting in a BIPOC, female, or LGBTQ character in a movie doesn't make it good and marketable. And no, we don't need PSA sob-story movies beaten into our heads, but what does it mean to be part of a marginalized community and be a hero? What does that look like? What different perspective does that character bring to the table?

In the end, yes, enjoy 'Blue Beetle' as a superhero movie, but also keep an eye out for the smaller messages and heart of this film as it was a delightful surprise for me. I hope we get to see more Blue Beetle in the future of DC films and I'd even be down for a live-action adaptation of 'Young Justice', with Jaime on the team.

#jaime reyes #blue beetle #blue beetle movie #blue beetle 2023 #movie review #DG-ramblings

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angelbroad · 1 month

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This Scarab Is Blue

Inspired by an age swap au by @runeiio , but with a colder Khaji-Da

Milagro waited outside the middle school, scrolling through her phone as she waited for her little brother to come out. She had finished school earlier, and mom had asked her to pick up Jaime since she would be working later than expected. The pop of her bubblegum was simultaneous with the ringing of the bell, and Milagro waited and looked at the horde of children leaving the doors to find her own. She finally spotted a poof of brown hair and a blue backpack, and making her way through the children horde, Milagro got a hold of Jaime.

"Ey, Jaime!"

"Hola Mili.", the boy greeted back.

The two were soon on the street, Milagro meeting Brenda and Paco along the way and catching a conversation. Milagro unconsciously toyed with her ring, itching for a flight. Her attention was turned to an empty plot by Paco.

"Didn't this place used to have a building?", he asked.

"Kord.", Brenda confirmed, "And now it's like nothing was ever there."

Milagro looked at the empty plot with a flat mouth. It had been just over a month when her and the other Lanterns had this serious of a mission. Guy was especially cautious about this one, as it involved one of the Corps' oldest enemies. The Reach. Somehow Kord had gotten their hands on an Infiltrator, and Jarvis Kord wished to replicate that technology. Thankfully, they had help from the Blue Beetle, who was sadly lost in the crossfire as well as the Infiltrator. Guy considered it a somewhat win. The scarab was out of sight, and hopefully it would stay inactive and out of mind as well.

The girl noticed that Jaime had gone inside the plot, because he was coming back from it by the time Milagro turned her attention back to him.

"You off exploring little man?", she asked as the group started walking again, Jaime skipping to catch up to the teens.

"H-Hey! Wait up! Yeah, I just went and looked a little bit."

"Bien.", Paco said, "Found anything good, little man?"

Jaime shrugged, "Maybe."

"Oh sweet. Show me when we get home.", Milagro said.

"Mmmm, what if I don't?", Jaime teased.

"Oh you will you little twerp.", Milagro answered with a smile, "'sides, if you don't show me I'll just take it from ya when you're asleep."

"Would you stop stealing my stuff??"

"Naaah."

The two seperated with Brenda and Paco a little further down, the duos going their seperate ways. Jaime and Milagro decided to wait until their parents got home to start eating lunch, Milagro already preparing the food and forgetting about Jaime's supposed discovery. She made it easier on herself by using the ring to multi-task. Yes, mom said no suits in the house, but she wasn't here right now.

"Milagro Reyes."

Ah fuck-

"Sorry mamá.", Milagro said as she made everything disappear and rubbed the back of her head in guilt.

Bianca shook her head with a sigh as Milagro helped her with the bags, "Mili, I just don't want another accident in the house. Do you remember that time when your energy construct made a cabinet fall down?"

"Lo sé, lo sé. Lo siento, mamá."

"Está bien cariño.", Bianca responded, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Just try and keep that in mind, m'kay?"

"Yes ma'am.", Milagro responded, also going to greet her dad.

During the meal, Milagro couldn't help but feel...wrong. Her ring was ringing in her head like crazy, like the alarms blaring at the red flags on your tinder date. The constant rubbing of her temple had her dad ask if she had a headache, which she declined despite herself. It was her turn to wash dishes today, so she had her back turned as Jaime was telling their parents about his day.

"-and I also found something weird in that Kord space."

"Kord space?"

"Where that building was."

"Jaime, hijo, I told you not to go there. It's under construction, it could be dangerous."

"I know, I'm sorry.", Jaime said, "But I'm not hurt."

"What did you find, Jaime?", Alberto asked.

"Oh, I have it in my bag. Let me go get it.", Jaime said before getting up and skipping off.

Bianca looked at Milagro, "What did he find, Mili?"

Milagro shrugged, "I dunno, he didn't tell me." Her back was still turned to the three as Jaime returned, emptying the bag on the table much to his mother's dismay.

"Huh. Now that's something new.", Alberto said.

Jaime nodded, "I picked it up with my backpack, cause I didn't know if it was cool to touch it."

Milagro raised an eyebrow as she looked out the window. What a weird comment to make.

"It looks...weird.", Bianca commented, seemingly picking it up to study the object herself, "A little dirty, but I think it's alright to hold."

The object was handed back to Jaime as Milagro turned around.

"What did you find any...way..."

The thing Jaime was holding. It was the Infiltrator. Its legs started moving, Jaime looking at it with innocent wonder.

"No no no! Jaime put that down!", Milagro moved, but was not fast enough as a shocked Jaime backed away as the scarab climbed up his arm, finding its way to his back where it dug its feet in, making the boy scream in pain.

Their parents were terrified, and Milagro started cursing to herself and then out loud as she transformed. She knelt down to hold Jaime before looking at her parents with a panicked expression.

"Call Gardner. Now!"

Alberto moved to get a phone as Bianca stood there with the most shocked expression Milagro had ever seen from her.

"Milagro. What is this??"

"It's an Infiltrator. It-"

Jaime begun to shake as something started to sprout from the scarab, encasing her brother in a black and blue armor as the scarab hid itself in an enlarged beetle on his back like a crude backpack. No no no no no-why?? Out of anyone on Earth, why Jaime?!

"S-Sis...? W-What-t's hap-ppening?"

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay hermano. W-We'll get it out it's just..."

Oh god, she couldn't even recognise her brother's face. Jaime jumped, looking around.

"H-Hello?"

"Jaime?"

"I heard a voice..."

The scarab...Milagro grabbed his arms and made him look at her, "Jaime. Whatever you do, don't listen to it, okay?"

Host: aquired

"H-Host?"

Hello, Jaime

"W-Why?"

"Because it's evil!", Milagro blurted out. Bianca looked like she was about to pass out.

"It went to the answering machine.", Alberto said as he entered the room.

Jaime noticed the backpack was opening up as Milagro turned her head away.

"Well fuck-"

"What are thrusters?", Jaime asked.

Milagro looked at him, "Who-?"

Suddenly, Jaime was flung through the roof, leaving a hole in the ceiling.

"...Oh no you don't.", Milagro said through gritted teeth as she followed the Infiltrator through the hole in the roof.

"W-Where are we going??", Jaime asked as he was practically dragged out of his own house.

Testing flight systems., the voice replied.

"I can see that!"

Don't worry, no harm will come to you

"I find that hard to believe-"

"Jaime!", Milagro called out as she was gaining on them. The Reach could take a lot of things, but her familia was off-limits!

Threat detected: Green Lantern

"N-No, that's just Mili."

A canon manifested on his right arm, his arm moved up by the scarab and towards Milagro.

"Mili! Look out!", Jaime warned, Milagro working to avoid the blasts coming her way and making a shield as she moved behind Jaime to grab him.

"Let him go you damn space bug!", she barked at the scarab. The mandables tried to poke her in the face and neck, but through quick thinking, Milagro made armor for those parts. But as she focused on holding her brother, she failed to pay attention to her surroundings, resulting in her back hitting a building and her grip loosening, which resulted in Jaime escaping. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." Where was Guy Gardner when you needed him??

The flight became more stable the further it went on.

"Why did you do that??"

Elaborate

"You tried to hurt my sister!"

All Green Lanterns are to be eliminated on sight

"Stop using those big words! And my sister is not a threat!"

She is now., it said, Now that you are of the Reach, you are an enemy of the Green Lantern Corps

"But...I'm not...", bad. Jaime wanted to say he was not bad. But the words wouldn't come out for some reason, even when they finally landed in a deserted area. Jaime held himself, shaking. "C-Can we go home...please?"

Negative. Green Lantern will know of our position

Jaime frowned, "For the last time, Mili is my sister! She'd never hurt me!"

Host puts too much trust in family unit

"Says you! Why should I trust you, huh? You took me from my house!"

Green Lanterns are dangerous. Retreat: best option

Jaime's face softened as he realised something, "Are you...scared of Lanterns?"

Nonsense., the voice sounded quite rushed to respond, further confirming Jaime's suspicions.

"You are.", he said, hands on his hips.

I am a warrior of the Reach. Fear is not within my programming

"Liar."

Host: testing patience

"Look, if you take me back home, I'll tell sis to not kick your butt. Okay?"

That didn't seem to convince the scarab, much to Jaime's frustration. He started to walk, the armor feeling weird on him.

"Guess I'll walk then."

It would take at least one Earth day to return 'home'. Insufficient strategy

"Well, if you won't fly me back, I'm walking there."

Meanwhile, Milagro was panicking, having called Gardner at least eleven times as she searched for the Infiltrator. She was sent to the answering machine every time, but on the twelfth time he finally picked up.

"Hey kid, what's the-"

"The Infiltrator has been activated!"

"The what??"

"The Reach Infiltrator! What the fuck were you doing that you couldn't pick up the phone???"

She could hear Guy cursing as he moved his phone away from him before he returned, "You know the host?"

"Yes. Do not lay a finger on him when you find him, or I'm kicking your ass all the way to Antarctica!"

"This is an Infiltrator! It's supposed to be-"

"The Infiltrator took my brother!", Milagro screamed at the phone, "If I see even a scratch on him when I find him and you were involved, you're fucking dead!!"

Guy gulped, eyes widening as he remembered the alarmingly young age of the boy. He should have expected the Reach to stoop this low.

"...You have my word.", he said, flying off to find Jaime Reyes.

#ao3 writer #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #dc #dc fanfic #milagro reyes #jaime reyes #au #dc au #guy gardner #khaji da #angel writes

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nobodyfamousposts · 1 year

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Hi! I was reading about the Double Kwami AU yesterday and I couldn't help myself 😅

(Really hoping it's the right format)

I made a suit.

It said it should be able to be unrecognizable from each miraculous so I was having trouble getting something in between 😅

The red is iconic for Marinette at this point and I have seen Blue cat! Marinette is a fan favorite so I tried mixing the two without giving away much of either

I made this very late so it's a bit wonky but I really wanted to do something for this au 😁

What do you think har actual suit would look like? 🤔

Sorry this got long, hope you have a nice day! 😁

GAAAAASP!

Thank you so much! She looks so cool! I love the style and especially the coloring.

I unfortunately haven't seen Blue Cat, though it seems I need to...

As far as how I imagined the suit?

When I first created the Double Kwami AU, the idea was that Marinette makes her suits between the two Miraculous look identical regardless of which one she's using. That way, no one would figure that she has two Miraculous, or even WHICH two she's using.

Both Miraculous are based on their respective animals, so I wanted to keep to her having an appearance based on them, but a way for her to interchange between the two seemlessly.

The Black Cat is pretty straight forward. It's based on the Black Cat, so black would be the main color, possibly with some difference in the possible accent color. She doesn't HAVE to use green as the secondary color. She could even keep the outfit as completely black.

But Ladybug...it's pretty specific, so I figured if there'd be any issue, it would be with that one. So I did some research and it turns out that there are such things as black Ladybugs! The Steelbird Ladybug is pretty dark, but under certain lights can appear blue or greenish in tint. Then there's the Twice Stabbed Lady Beetle, which is mostly black with just a couple red dots. And there's even a Yellow Shoulder Ladybug, which is also mostly black except for some yellow on and around its head—which if you think about it, could match a cat's eyes...

Marinette is a designer, so she could certainly find a way to make a suit look that is consistent between the two. Mainly black but with a secondary color or alternatively a sheen depending on which Ladybug she's emulating.

Honestly, I'm still open at this point.

#ml au #double kwami au #marinette dupain cheng

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fullfiresiren · 1 year

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unconquered // 8

[8; varying degrees of warmth]

[read on ao3]

A week has passed since the incident at dinner.

Princess Helaena visits you often; in your apartments to sew, in the gardens to sketch, or just to pass time walking through the Keep. She brings you gifts she finds endearing, or ones she thinks you would enjoy -- an assortment of colored ribbons for your hair, romance and fantasy novels from the library, even some pastries she asked the cooks to make especially for the two of you to share. Where you have lost closeness with Prince Aemond, you have gained it tenfold with the princess. You grieve the loss of it, and yet, warmth blooms at your new friendship.

She mentioned briefly in first early days after what had transpired at supper, that her bull-headed brothers behaviour was undeniably uncouth, and there were no excuses for it. She had relented, however, that she would be happy to speak with him on your behalf, should you wish it. You did not; stubborn temperament refusing to bow and submit. Prince Aemond was at fault, so Prince Aemond should speak first. As the days progressed however, she spoke of it less and less. Until, one morning in her apartments, as the both of you sat sewing on her blue chaise longue, she felt the need to speak.

“My brother has a terrible habit of being unable to admit his mistakes,” she voices with a sigh, as if it will change your opinion of the situation. “Although I have no doubt that he knows he was wrong.”

You do not look up, gaze transfixed on your work before you, continuing to sew a small blue dragon in flight amongst four others. Your skills have grown since you first began, and although you are far behind Princess Helaena's ability, there is a visible improvement that has you proud.

“Indeed,” you murmur, wishing the topic would lay itself to rest once and for all. Instead, others drag it from the dirt to inspect continuously. “I could more easily forgive his pride had he not wounded mine, princess.”

She looks saddened by your words, but, ultimately does agree. Her obtuse brother will not soon hear the end of this from her, and likely, until the matter is resolved, neither will you.

“The weather today is lovely,” you change the subject quickly, hoping she follows suit. “It would be a shame to waste it indoors.”

“You sound like your lady’s maid,” she giggles, and you scoff good-naturedly.

“She is right, though. Why are we not taking advantage of the grounds? You know how much I adore them, princess.”

“Sewing outside in hot weather is distracting,” she speaks, adding, “and you know you need not call me ‘princess’ any longer.”

Close enough to finally forgo titles, you smile down at your work, friendship truly solidified. “Of course... Helaena...”

She nudges you affectionately with her shoulder -- an action you have come to realise means encouragement and closeness. Unbeknownst to yourself, you are Helaena’s first, and only friend.

Suddenly, she sits more upright, posture a little forced, and turns her head towards you. Her eyes linger on her embroidered beetle, but every so often, they flick upwards to your face.

“Perhaps... we should finish our sewing now, and meet in the gardens in an hour?” she suggests, but it is as if she is reading from a book, or piece of parchment.

You give her a curious look. “Yes, I... that would be nice...” A raise of your eyebrow, and then, “Why in an hour? Why not now?”

Her eyes glint with something you are unable to place when she says, “To give us time to ready ourselves, of course.” It seems like a flimsy excuse, and so she adds, “I also wish to check on my beloved children.”

At the mention of her issues, you readily believe her. You assume they are with the wetnurse, or maids currently. Children are to be loved, cherished. They require constant attention from an ever watchful attendant, and, you suppose, when a mother is without them for a while, a part of her heart aches to be reunited. You nod in understanding, placing your work down near her elusive sewing box.

“Ah, of course,” you smile, standing to leave her be, “Let us meet in an hour, then.”

She sees you out with fondness, and, once you are walking down the hall, calls out to you.

“In an hour, (y/n),” she reminds, waving to you, all formal titles discarded to make way for a blossoming familiarity.

You turn to glance over your shoulder.

“An hour,” you confirm.

You do not return to your apartments; no need to change, nor eat, nor rest. Instead, with nothing else to do, you choose to make your way down the length of the Keep, straight to the gardens. The princess told you to meet in an hour. It matters not that you are early, only late.

Your shoes click with each step you take to descend the stone staircase towards the open grounds, and crunch when you reach the pebbled paths. You set a leisurely pace when you walk, hands clasped behind your back, taking in your soft surroundings.

The garden is as you always remember it to be; vibrant green with delicate specks of color here and there. As if an artist has taken liberties to separate their monochromatic canvas with signs of life in every hue. It is refreshing for the eye; kindred to the soul. The air today carries the thick scent of wet earth, and when you scan the grounds for the reason, you become aware that the workers tending to the nursery seem to be planting a new row of fruit trees. Intrigued, you wander over.

A young man on his knees pats down loose soil around a sturdy sapling. Upon the crunching pebbles that sound out your approach, he glances over his shoulder.

“H-High Lady,” he starts, smiling up at you, dirt smeared across his features. He seems surprised at your appearance, and stops what he was doing, asking shyly, “Is... there something I can help you with?”

“What are you planting?” you ask, taking a step forward to inspect it closer, curiosity growing.

“Blood oranges, my lady,” he replies. “From Dorne. They were imported upon request of the King. I have heard when they are ripe, they release a fragrant scent.” You must look overly interested, and he satiates your need for knowledge, by adding, “We don’t know if they’ll take in the climate here, so we’re being careful with the planting, and taking extra care to grow them.”

“How lovely,” you murmur. “Can these be eaten like regular oranges?”

“Y-yes, my lady. When they grow larger and sprout fruit, you can pick them from the trees,” he explains, adding hastily, “should you wish.”

He seems entranced by you; your features, your way of speaking, your manner, and glances up at you like you are some kind of deity.

All the workers at the Keep have heard tell of you – the mysterious high born who arrived on dragon back, but bears no lineage to the crown. With little to no interaction with you, and your staggering notoriety and favor from the King, the small minds of the castles’ household began to wander far and wide. He has heard the rumors about you. That your beauty, they say, is striking -- almost unearthly. Some of them even go so far as to call you a witch. Some older and more cynical laundresses say you never bleed, not even once. The cooks whisper that you only eat raw meat, and one scullery maid swears to the seven that she saw you worshipping the full moon one night.

But as you stand before him now, he believes only one. Your beauty is not of this earth.

You smile at him. “I wish you luck, then, in your work.”

“T-thank you, my lady,” he nods, and you continue onwards, leaving him to stare after you in a trance.

When they grow fully, you expect orange trees would compliment the grounds very much, and perhaps one day, you can take the joy of sharing one with Helaena under the shade of the Wierwood tree. The thought warms you, but you grow cold when a breeze reminds you that as of this moment, Prince Aemond will not be a part of that future.

The grounds, however, never fail to ease your crowded mind and hush your thoughts. Something about being in amongst nature calms your fire. You wonder if it would be too much of you to ask the King for a room that overlooked the gardens? Perhaps. The view from your room now is undoubtedly splendid; one that stretches across the city and the Narrow Sea. Too low, however, to see the beaches, nor your beloved dragon.

Any room with a view makes you feel less like a prisoner.

Sometimes, when you step out onto the balcony of your apartments to gaze across the ocean, you wonder if you are staring in the direction of your homelands. Separated by distance and time. A thought that is sobering, and leaves you hollow.

From your path, you notice a head of long, soft white, and a light blue gown appear from the edges of the gardens; unmistakably the princess. The hour passed quicker than you thought it would, and you make your way over to her quickly. She moves to stand at the base of the stone steps that gives those coming from the castle entrance to the gardens, looking up as if waiting for someone -- waiting for you, of course. What a surprise, then, when you call out to her from across the grounds.

“Ah, Helaena!” you greet, quickening your pace to reach her. She turns, a little shocked, but holds out her hands for you to grasp. You readily accept them. “I have a wonderful idea! Let us introduce Dreamfyre and Archeon! We could ride them together over the city or the Narrow Sea? Wouldn’t that be excellent?” you gush. “Today's weather is perfect for... a... flight...”

You trail off when you notice Prince Aemond descend the stone steps behind her.

Like a ghostly apparition, or a phantom spectre, dressed in his usual melancholic black, he is graceful when he moves, but abrupt when he stops. He has spotted you, face hiding poorly concealed shock, eye growing wider before it narrows at the back of his sister’s head. You glance at Helaena, and she gives you a meek look.

You have half a mind to turn and stomp all the way back to your apartments, impudent at being tricked. Not willing to risk looking like the defeated party, however, you hold your ground until the Prince himself makes the first move. If he stays, you stay. If he goes, so will you.

You hear him sigh out sharply through his nose, and, after a moment of painful contemplation, continues down the stairs until he is before you both.

“I thought the three of us could use a calming walk in the gardens,” the princess explains, moving to stand between you both, linking arms with her brother, and then with you.

You realise you cannot escape, nor back away, and so, when she sets a pace, you can do nothing but keep up.

The atmosphere is horribly tense and high strung, and judging from the look on Prince Aemond’s face from the brief glances you shoot his way, he would rather be anywhere but here. You take offense, despite feeling the same. You turn away, refusing to look in their direction. A traitorous friend and a silent fiancé.

“My future sister and I were sewing earlier,” she speaks, filling the silence. “Isn't that right?”

Her affectionate word usage does not go unnoticed by you, and she nudges your side when you keep quiet.

You answer indignant. “Yes.”

“I found it most enjoyable,” she continues, guiding you through the grounds, and towards, you notice, the Wierwood tree. You have realized by now, that she has already planned something without your knowledge, and now, all you can do is brace yourself for the results. “Do you remember when I tried to teach you to sew, brother?”

Prince Aemond refuses to answer, allowing his sister to drag him about in the hopes that she’ll let go and he can retreat. But she has him tightly, and will not give up.

“We were young, and you would cry whenever you pricked yourself--”

“Yes,” he grits, willing her to cease talking. “I remember.”

“I so loved to sew,” she continues, “and you detested that I had to learn alone. You used to sit with me for hours, then, no matter how many times you hurt yourself. Do you remember the maester had to make a special salve to help with your cuts from the needle? I believe only you know the correct ointment to ask for--”

“Indeed,” he forces, giving her a particularly hostile look.

Your suspicions, however, are confirmed. The healing ointment was intended for you, and it was a gift from the prince.

Helaena stops abruptly, under the delicate shade of the ancient Wierwood tree, the canopy stretching out far beyond its trunk. She sighs. Her trick was craftily done, and well executed, but now, she fears she has not planned far enough ahead. This is the perfect place for you two to talk; secluded and quiet, but now, she fears, with her here, nothing will be said.

“Ah!” she exclaims softly, and far too pronounced for it to be natural. “My centipede! Oh dear, I believe I left the roof of it’s tank open... this will not do... I must return to my apartments to check, please excuse me!”

You give her a pleading look, silently begging her to not leave you alone, but she slips from your grasp like smoke, smiling excitedly at you from behind her brothers stiff back. And with that, she takes her leave; the only thing that fills the silence, is the soft chorus of songbirds.

You stare adamantly ahead, stomach twisting uncomfortably with nerves and apprehension. The prince does the same.

When a minute passes and nothing transpires, you decide to sit at the base of the tree. Leaving is defeat, but staying is victory, no matter the silence that hangs over both decisions.

Prince Aemond stands for a few moments longer, and you feel his eye on you. You dare not look at him, burning humiliation from supper still raw, and stare out across the secluded area before you. When he finally accepts that you will not meet his gaze, he sits slowly, placing himself further from you than necessary.

A breeze flits about the two of you, rustling the auburn leaves above.

“Did you receive the ointment?” he says aloud suddenly, looking away. You notice he has taken to playing with the strands of grass by his thigh.

You glance down at your hand, no sign of cuts or injury thanks to the salve you had been using. “Yes.”

“Good.”

You hear the branches above you creak softly, a few birds perched overhead take flight, as if they sense the oncoming storm. Prince Aemond is more forceful, you notice, as moments pass by, with the grass by his side, ripping out clumps and throwing it away, lips pursed in annoyance. Chaos is coming, you think.

“If you did not wish to marry me, you should have voiced your opinion sooner,” he says firmly, turning his head only slightly towards you, but keeping his eyes transfixed on where he is massacring the ground. There is something shifting under the waters of his voice that foretells of a lurking danger. He make his signature hum, but it sounds derisive. “Finding out at dinner in front of my family was detestable.”

You are genuinely confused by his words, taken aback by the distain in them. Frowning at him with a bewildered expression, you say, “I don’t understand--”

He meets your gaze hotly, and bites with more force, “I said if you did not wish to have me as a husband, you should have confided these feelings with me in private.”

“I feel no way of the sort,” you retort, scowling at the accusation. “What exactly are you accusing me of--?”

“I saw your reaction to my fathers words, my lady,” he lowers his voice, words laced with venom, “To the date of the wedding being set. You sat in fearful silence, and only relaxed when my sister reassured you that marriage is not that bad. Anyone who is happy to be wed would react in the opposite way--”

“You have great experience, then, in being wed to another?” you ask sharply, the question an obviously rhetorical one. “Of the innermost feelings of women? Of myself?”

He falls silent, but his eye grows wide and wild. Stories forewarn that you should not taunt a great beast, but they fail to recognize you are far more fearsome.

You stand your ground, and hold his gaze.

“Or are you making assumptions, my prince?”

You are sure that only your status and gargantuan dragon are keeping you exempt from the customary manners of court. Should you be anyone else, you believe speaking to a prince in such a way would mean your imminent death. How lucky for you, then, that no amount of power frightens you, when your own easily encompasses it.

He remains silent, and you have more to say.

“You humiliated me in front of your entire family, and your actions have left a searing wound on my--” you wonder whether or not to voice it aloud, but your adrenaline commands you to, “...on my feelings for you. You, too, were silent at the news. Does this mean then, that you loathe the idea of marrying me? Of being my husband?”

You leave the question hanging heavy in the stagnant air, chest heaving.

His face, however, abruptly changes, as if a sudden realization has dawned on him. The strength to look you in the eyes fades quickly, and he turns, scoffing. There are no words that form on his tongue as he stares out over the grassy path in front of him. A long moment passes where you fear he will not say anything at all. And then, ever so quiet, he speaks.

“It does not.”

Your emotions are raw with the confrontation, but a sense of calm washes over you. Like you have faced the raging storm and withstood its wrath.

“I told you I would not be insulted nor hurt if you rejected me,” he says, calmer this time, but you notice his fingers have returned to picking at strands of grass and dirt. He is not fully convinced, nor is his statement true. He was very obviously hurt at your rejection. “So tell me with honesty, my lady.”

You wait for the question but it does not come. A glance towards him, and he is already looking at you with an expectant expression, waiting for you to give him permission.

“Ask me, my prince.”

“I...” he trails off, murmuring, “...do not wish to ask.”

“Find the courage,” you say, unwilling to allow him to flit around his meaning. He should be forthright with this.

He sighs, heavy, and full bodied, like he has been mentally drained by the events. His hands come to rest in his lap, and he looks to the heavens, keeping his eyes there when he finally does ask.

“Do you wish to marry me?”

The question is heavy, but it was what you were expecting. You lean your head against the tree, staring up at the canopy above you. The sun glints through the leaves, and with honesty, you answer.

“I do not wish to marry you out of duty. I wish to marry you for love,” you say. “But never once have I not wanted you to be my husband.”

The silence returns, but this time, it is soft, calm. The maelstrom has passed, and now, the tide only ebbs against the shore.

He tilts his head forward, looking down into his lap; pristine appearance tarnished by his own doing. Pale fingers now smeared with grass debris, under his nails, earth.

“Please forgive me,” he whispers, “for my actions... and for my assumption. I... was wrong.”

My brother has a terrible habit of being unable to admit his mistakes.

You say nothing, heart thundering in your chest at the acknowledgement of his words. Despite what his sister claims, he has owned his wrongdoings -- for you. For the assumed loss of you, he was gripped tightly by anger and shame, wounded deeply by your perceived rejection. From you, only you, he asks forgiveness.

Prince Aemond of house Targeyen is rumoured to be many things. One-Eyed savage, full of bitter resentment and vengeance. Disfigured vortex of fury and wrath. Ladies cannot bear to be around him, men fear to look him in the eye. A dangerous mix of talent and perseverance that warns others not to toil. He readily commands the largest dragon, and yet, sits beside you soft, and quiet.

Her brother cannot admit mistakes. Your fiancé begs absolution.

He looks at you now, face filled with gentle sadness at your silent state.

“Have I ruined everything?” he whispers.

“On the contrary,” you murmur, smiling, “I am perhaps more fond of you now.”

He grows red in the face, looking down, and asks, “Do you forgive me?”

“Yes,” you answer, “I do.”

His eyes flash up at you, and he gives you a tentative smile. You return it readily.

“Speak to me,” you start, and he holds your gaze, “if you feel a bridge developing between us. The worst distance between two people is misunderstanding.”

He nods mutely, holding tightly to the phrase. He once heard his sister say that love is a strange and inexplicable mix of comprehension and misunderstanding. He does not want love to be anything other than warm. Varying degrees of it.

Prince Aemond does not care about a great many things. To be hated? It does not phase him. To be misunderstood? He is indifferent to it.

But to be either, by you, frightens him. Truly.

“I am sorry,” he whispers.

“I am sorry, too,” you murmur back. “I feel terribly for the ground, though. It seems like most of your anger was fixated there.”

He laughs, glancing down to patches of earth ripped up from his own fingers. “I was frustrated,” he hums.

“I know,” you acknowledge, sighing out peacefully and closing your eyes. “I was frustrated too.”

“By me?”

There is a soft insecurity that lingers about him. The more you have gotten to know him, the more you understand his cold and stoic exterior is to make up for that. Only his sister has been allowed to see through it. Now, you have been gifted the same.

“By the situation,” you reassure, peaking an eye open to glance at him. He is already looking at you. You close it again, and relax. “Never by you.”

You do not need to look to know that he is smiling.

[part 9]

#aemond targaryen x reader #prince aemond #aemond #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen #aemond x you #aemond x fem!reader #aemond fanfiction #hotd aemond #aemond fanart #aemond x reader #hotd #house of the dragon aemond #house of the dragon fanfiction #house of the dragon

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copperpipes · 3 days

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Someone sent an ask about green and black beetles and it got me thinking about DC's Martians' designs because of how I designed blue beetle and the fact that green beetle is martian. So I redesigned martians :]

I have lots of beef with american alien concepts (xenomorph too but less for various reasons) especially intelligent alien species' designs. Yes, i understand the audience needs to empathize with our alien heroes, Cameron, but then they stop being alien. Aliens don't need to be appealing visually, psychologically or socially to us at all, if you are intending to write them seriously.

But of course, all this applies only if you want your writing and design to be realistic or close to reality.

I have several noted points about DC's Martians I'd like to question and or correct in my design, I'll be going off of young justice's martian designs because those are the least human canon designs of them and the most interesting ones. (They can mostly be seen at the beginning of season 4 of YJ) here's the green beetle without the suit and miss martian for reference:

In the show martians are shown to not only have a variety in color but also body type (in some places) which is rare even in an animated show with just humans so big kudos for the animators on that, big fan.

AND martians have webbing between their fingers, arms and torso in this design which could point that they were a water dwelling species in the far past, so also a very big fan of that.

To the redesign:

I had a few ideas.

First I got rid of the teeth on the outside and turned them into a beak because that would be the same thing. Proportionally they are also quite different from the original.

I have some issues with martian abilities. The density shifting is ridiculous (leave it to the ghosts who can bend reality) flying would be unnecessary with the gravity on Mars, there shouldn't be a reason why they could do that. Telekinesis too, for what? What would be its purpose? For survival? They would have found a way without it and otherwise it is physically impossible. *huff*

But some are forgivable, like shape shifting and camouflage if you don't have bones which i solved and telepathy which could just be a very specific frequency only they could emit and hear, that could be adjusted depending on who they were speaking with (with the reading thoughts bit just make them loose the ability to lie, problem solved.) Of course that would also mean their vocal cords wouldn't be made for human speech, but that technology can solve.

The weakness to fire could just be because Mars is also a lot colder then earth.

Our biochemistry should be similar enough tho, carbon based n' all. @wazzappp i thought maybe you would want to see this :>

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justforbooks · 7 months

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Nothing can sum up Keith Giffen’s character better than the Facebook post he wrote to announce his own death at the age of 70: “I told them I was sick … Anything not to go to New York Comic Con. Thanx. Keith Giffen 1952-2023. Bwah ha ha ha ha.”

That eruption of maniacal merriment was recognised by comic fans as a last defiant laugh from the sardonic comic writer and artist, who has died of complications following a stroke, after a 50-year career during which he created many memorable characters including Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle), Rocket Raccoon, Ambush Bug and Lobo.

A Mexican-American teenager, Reyes first appeared in Infinite Crisis #3 (2006) and became Blue Beetle two issues later, when he gained superhuman powers via a scarab that morphs into an alien battle suit, eventually going on to appear in the 2023 Blue Beetle movie.

One of the stars of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies was created by Giffen early in his artistic career. Rocket Raccoon was a smart-mouthed anthropomorphic weapons expert who first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 (1976), written by Bill Mantlo, who resurrected the character in his own four-part miniseries in 1985.

Among Giffen’s other early creations, Ambush Bug’s debut in DC Comics Presents #52 (1982) and its sequel, which involved the Legion of Substitute Heroes, were so successful that they led to several miniseries and one-shots drawn by Giffen featuring the absurd, fancifully dressed alien wannabe hero, and a one-shot Legion of Substitute Heroes Special (1985).

In 1982 Giffen joined the writer Paul Levitz on The Legion of Super-Heroes #287 and began transforming the series into a saga of considerable depth. One of the most popular storylines in comic book history, The Great Darkness Saga (#290-294, 1982), featured Darkseid as its cosmic villain and Legionnaires and other heroes from across time teaming up to confront him. As a result, Legion of Super-Heroes became one of DC’s bestsellers of the early 1980s.

Lobo, who first appeared in Omega Men #3 (1983), was intended as a parody of violent characters such as Wolverine, but became a poster boy for violence when Giffen teamed up with the writer Alan Grant and artist Simon Bisley for Lobo: The Last Czarnian (1990), which spawned numerous miniseries and specials in which Giffen continually pushed the envelope of acceptability as Lobo battled everyone from Santa Claus to his own children. Combat Christ and the Howlin’ Apostles proved to be DC’s limit.

Giffen was heavily involved in numerous crossover event series, designed, he said, to “significantly alter the status quo or introduce new characters into the status quo”, including Invasion! (1988), the weekly 52 (2006-07) and Countdown to Final Crisis (2007-08) for DC, and Annihilation (2006-07) from Marvel. His creativity and tongue-in-cheek humour earned him a loyal fanbase and he won an Inkpot award in 1991.

The son of Rosa Ann (nee Duncan) and James, a salesman for a textile company, Giffen was born in Queens, New York, but grew up in Little Falls, New Jersey. He was a fan of comics from the age of eight, when his mother handed him a copy of World’s Finest, and especially loved Marvel’s monster books and Gene Colan’s Giant-Man. He began creating his own characters at high school and went on to spend “one abysmal year” at the School of Visual Arts in New York (“the less said about that, the better”).

Apart from a year of night classes at duCret School of Art, New Jersey, Giffen was self-taught, studying books on anatomy and perspective during his four years working as a hazardous materials handler at Hoffmann-La Roche pharmaceuticals. During a week’s holiday he decided to submit samples to comic companies. At Marvel, an artist had dropped out of illustrating a back-up story (The Sword and the Star) for Marvel Preview, and Mantlo, who had spotted Giffen’s portfolio, suggested they give him a try.

Giffen briefly produced layouts for Wally Wood on Justice Society of America for DC’s All Star Comics (1976), but was let go. After a period of selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door and other odd jobs, he tried again, drawing horror stories and Doctor Fate as a back-up strip in The Flash (1982), and working his way up to the Legion of Super-Heroes.

An accusation of “swiping” the work of José Muñoz in Ambush Bug (1985) – Giffen said he “parroted” it, rather than doing an outright copy – derailed his career for a time, until he was offered the chance to plot, and do breakdowns for, Justice League (1987-92) and its spinoff, Justice League Europe (1989-92), working with JM DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire. He also plotted and did breakdowns for Aquaman (1989) and plots for L.E.G.I.O.N. ’89/’90 (1989-90), a superhero group spun off from Invasion.

The range of Giffen’s output over the next 30 years was astonishing. He drew the superhero parodies The Heckler (1992-93) and Punx (1995-96), the return of Justice League International in Justice League: Generation Lost (2010), and episodes of Outsiders (2011), O.M.A.C. (2011-12) and Infinity Man and the Forever People (2014-15). He plotted or wrote full scripts for Eclipso (1992-93), Vext (1999), Suicide Squad (2001-02), a biography of HP Lovecraft (2004), Blue Beetle (2006-07), Midnighter (2007-08), Wetworks (2007-08), Reign in Hell (2008-09), Doom Patrol (2009-11), Booster Gold (2009-11), Magog (2009-10), Justice League 3000 (2014-15) and The New 52: Futures End (2014-15), all for DC; and for Marvel he wrote stories featuring Marvel Monsters: Where Monsters Dwell (2005), Drax the Destroyer (2005-06), Defenders (2005-06), Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos (2005-06) and Annihilation spin-offs Annihilation: Silver Surfer (2006) and Annihilation: Conquest – Starlord (2007).

During the same period he also penned or plotted various comics for Image (1993-94) and Valiant (1994-96), adaptations of Japanese manga, Battle Royale (2003-06) and Battle Vixens (2004-10), for Tokyopop and 10 (2005), Hero Squared (2005-07), Planetary Brigade (2006-07) and others for BOOM! Studios. He was also a storyboard artist for the animated shows Batman Beyond and Static Shock, as well as writing episodes of Ed, Edd n Eddy and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi for Cartoon Network.

In early 2023 he produced a podcast titled I’m Not Dead Yet, and had recently moved to Tampa in Florida.

He is survived by his children, Kyle and Melinda. His wife, Anna, predeceased him.

🔔 Keith Ian Giffen, artist and writer, born 30 November 1952; died 9 October 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Keith Giffen #in memoriam

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moviemunchies · 9 months

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Alright! Finally something that isn’t The Fast and the Furious!

Back to superhero films.

Jaime Reyes came back from college graduation to find his family is broke and is about to be evicted by the corrupt Kord Industries. He and his sister Milagro pick up minimum wage jobs, which they quickly lose; but not before Jaime leaves a good impression on heiress Jenny Kord, daughter of disappeared tech billionaire Ted Kord. She offers a meetup for a job at the family company (which is now run by her aunt, Ted’s sister, Victoria Kord, who has turned into a militarized and corrupt corporation), but when Jaime finds her, she’s just taken something out of the lab and asks him to hide it.

Of course, Jaime opens the box (at his family’s urging), and it turns out to be the Scarab, which quickly activates and fuses to his spine, creating an alien super suit. However! Victoria Kord will stop at nothing to get that Scarab, as she plans to use it to help her super cybernetic soldier program. Now Jaime and his family will have to figure out how the Scarab works, how to disconnect it, and most importantly, how to survive.

This film was originally produced to be released only on HBO Max, but with the shake ups at Warner/DC/Discovery/HBO, it was shifted to a theatrical release. Perhaps this was to try to avoid the backlash that came from canceling Batgirl? I don’t know. It’s not expected to do well financially, and thus far, it really hasn’t, though I’ve seen good reviews. But I have a soft spot for Jaime Reyes, so I wanted to give this movie a go.

Admittedly, this movie feels a lot like a made-for-TV movie, just with a much higher budget. The main criticism that’s come up in reviews is that this movie is a stereotypical superhero origin story. And that’s true! In terms of actual Plot, there’s not much that makes this different from a dozen other superhero stories that you’ve seen before. When this was an HBO Max original, that is a lot less egregious, but as a theatrical release it’s a little frustrating. The difference (and one that most reviews also bring up) is that this is a Hispanic superhero, and the movie’s emphasis on his identity is a highlight that makes this movie memorable.

How many Hispanic superheroes have been shown in live-action theatrical films? Not a lot! And certainly not that many that shine so brightly on issues that Hispanic people face today–gentrification, not being taken seriously, and being constantly stereotyped. These are things that theatrical superhero movies rarely touch on, and I can’t think of any that make it a thematic focal point.

And it’s not just doom-and-gloom! There are a bunch of really fun shout-outs to Hispanic pop culture that stick out to people in the know–from Selena music to Hispanic superhero media. There’s a few references to El Chapulín Colorado, and while some people laughed because it was silly, at least one person in my theater was guffawing because he definitely got the reference.

A quibble, though, but a big one: the whole thing about the Reyes family is that they’re all so together and strong because of it. They’re a loving family. And yet all of the family’s struggles are news to Jaime when he arrives back home–the family business closing, the upcoming eviction, his father’s health problems: he didn’t know about any of them! If Jaime having been distant from his family and having to repair his relationship was his character arc for the movie, then yeah, it works. But it isn’t–that he’s completely blind to their problems is a non-issue in the long run, and it feels wrong with how important family is to the story’s themes.

The worldbuilding reminds me a little of Black Adam in that this is a world with history, especially with superheroes. Jaime’s uncle is a fan of the Blue Beetle, and brings up Superman. While the reaction to the Scarab’s extraterrestrial nature is alarm and surprise, no one expresses disbelief. In a world with superheroes, these things are apparently not too unbelievable.

The Scarab feels a bit weird to me. I guess this is in part because my exposure to Jaime Reyes is Young Justice, in which the Scarab has a specific, robotic personality that’s hyper violent and has to be reigned in. The Scarab also turns out to be an agent of the Reach, an alien nation bent on galactic conquest. The Scarab of the movie ends up bonding with Jaime and connecting to his brain, and so some of its dialogue at the end uses Spanish and slang, which felt jarring to me. Maybe that makes sense for the character in the movie–they’re mentally bonded, after all. But it just seems weird to me from my experiences with the character.

The villains are… functional, I guess? Victoria Kord is a bit over-the-top, but given the world right now, a villain running a technology corporation maybe should be over-the-top. That’s kind of how life is sometimes with these people–as is their disdain for those not useful to her. Carapax is a bit more, though I think the movie waits too long to give him his much-needed depth. If we got stronger hints of that earlier, I’d have appreciated it more.

There is an odd bit with the soundtrack that stuck out to me. It's fine, mostly, but the part where Jaime fully bonds with the Scarab has swelling, heroic music playing. What makes it strange is that this is also while Carapax is getting his full powers, and we're shown him powering up at the same time, and the music continues its heroic tones.

It's just a weird juxtaposition, with the music going the way it does.

Overall, it’s a fun movie, though it’s not hitting too many unfamiliar beats. The main draw here is how unapologetically Hispanic the movie is. But after years of continuity-heavy superhero films, and several attempts to tell stories about the multiverse, a back-to-basics approach to a superhero movie is appreciated. I liked it. It isn’t blowing my mind, but it’s a good movie to watch if you’ve got the time.

#Blue Beetle #Movie Munchies #Jaime Reyes #reviews #DC

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justrandomfanfictionskh · 1 year

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A Blue Bird and a Black Cat pt 12

(Selina decides that Marinette would be better as the Cat than Adrien. Five years, later Dick is very confused about this Lady Noire)

ao3 Beginning Previous

If you had asked Marinette five minutes ago, if she thought Nightwing would respond to the phrase “I need a distraction,” by jumping on top of a building and doing the Macarena, then she would have laughed and said no. After all up until that point, Nightwing had always been this cool, serious leader, exasperated by Lady Noire’s antics, but kind to her struggles. Sure he had gotten a little snarky while she was taking his measurements, but he had always clearly been a soul of order.

And then she, as Ladybug, had taken control of the battle field, and felt it. The black and blue hero’s energies shifted just as hers had shifted on the roof tops of Gotham. Once she had taken charge, he immediately adapted and the order that was directing his movements became chaos. She told him to lead Dr. Light into the closest intersection anyway possible, while she directed Raven and Robin into setting up her trap.

She was just placing the banana when music began echoing off the buildings. She froze and looked up to see Cyborg blasting music out of his speakers, as he, Beast Boy, and Kid Flash followed Nightwing in an impromptu flash mob. To further draw out the villain, they began taunting the giant light monster as they sang horribly off key.

“What?” she said stunned.

“It’s your fault,” Starfire said landing next to her with a fond if exasperated smile. “You gave told Nightwing to distract him.”

“But why?!”

Starfire just shook her head and said, “That’s just him.”

Ladybug shook her head as she got into position, but she couldn’t stop smiling. It was absolutely hilarious! Suddenly, she was back in the early days, when her powers were exciting, and Chat Noir’s jokes were actually funny and not outright creepy. Back then his chaos would bring joy to the battle field, exciting hope and ease in everyone around him, including her. And then…She shook the thought away. She needed to focus, even if the Lady Noire in her was howling with laughter and begging to join in.

But she couldn’t. She was Ladybug and she had a job to do. So, when the Light Monster raised his fist against the jeering boys, she cried, “Now!”

Raven leapt from her hiding place and summoned her shadow. The black raven seeped into the ground and grew as it began to swallow the giant. The giant started back, but Ladybug threw her yoyo and willed it into a cage blocking the villain off from the surrounding streets. Now there was only nowhere as Robin, Blue Beetle, Starfire, and Raven stood at the head of each street and began to pour their power into the beast. Sensing the danger, the light giant turned to the one he deemed the weakest, and shrunk to his regular size in order to pass through the wires. But as soon as he landed in front of Robin, he stepped on the banana peel and fell backwards into the restraints the vigilante had placed their earlier.

It took Ladybug less than ten seconds to land on the villain and strip him of his miraculous, a yellow and brown bracelet with a gem carved into the head of a lion. In a flash of brown and yellow light, the glowing armor of the avatar was gone, and there lay a man in one of the strangest suits she had ever seen. He immediately began to cry, begging for the magic bracelet. He was blubbering incoherently, begging for the gem, when Robin came forward and knocked him unconscious.

“What was that?” Robin asked. “Usually, Dr. Light has slightly more dignity than that.”

“He was incompatible and unbalanced,” Ladybug explained as she put on the bracelet. “That combined with a magic that is powered by aura and channels cosmic energies, creates a volatile and addictive combination. He must be especially incompatible, to become addicted so quickly. But he’ll be fine. He didn’t have the jewel for long, so it will pass in a few days.”

“Good,” Starfire said, as the rest of the Titans gathered around the subdued rogue. “I’ll begin coordinating search and rescue with the first responders. Kid Flash—”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Starfire,” Ladybug said with a smile, “But that will not be necessary. Here, Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug closed her eyes, “Kwami!” she thought, “It’s been too long!”

Pure creation energy poured through her and into her lucky charm filling her to the brim with pure light. Ladybug had often felt that it was one of the most beautiful feelings in the world. It was as if for a few moments she had turned into a ray of light, and was now dancing with all of creation. She opened her eyes to see the waves of magic ladybugs fill the city, but what she found truly spectacular, was the Titan’s reactions. Even Robin was staring in open mouthed wonder as buildings were restored with less effort than blowing out a candle. It was truly a miraculous sight, and no one could deny it.

When the spell had been cast they all turned to Ladybug, but it was Raven who spoke first, her face alight with pure joy. “That was incredible!” Raven cried. “I have never seen so much pure creation energy in one place before. It was so concentrated! How do you maintain that without bursting into flames?”

Ladybug chuckled, “Well it helps, that most of the work is done by the goddess of creation. I’m just the conduit, or grounding rod, the energy is focused through. Tikki does all of the work.”

“But you don't go insane,” Raven said in wonder. “Does that mean…are you an Order Soul?”

Ladybug shook her head, “Sometimes I wish I was. But no. I am a fluid soul that is balanced between order and chaos.”

Raven’s mouth dropped open, and Ladybug thought she might start bowing again. But instead Beast Boy said, “Is that important?”

Raven spun on the green boy in a fury. A manhole cover exploded into the sky as the shadows of her cloak deepened. “Is that important?!” she scowled. And Beast Boy turned into a monkey and went to hide behind Starfire.

Ladybug quickly calmed the girl with a touch on her shoulder. Raven immediately began taking calming breaths, as Ladybug smiled fondly at her. It was not uncommon for magic users and magic creatures to treat her with reverence, and then proceed to defend her against any they deemed disrespectful or dangerous. Apparently, as wielder of the Black Cat, Ladybug, and Guardian of the Miraculous, she had a magic signature that screamed, “Cosmic Power Bow Before Be!” Lady Noire found it hilarious, while Ladybug couldn’t care less so she calmly explained, “There are many different types of souls. Incarnated, ethereal, demonic, and manifested.”

“Technically,” Raven said now that she had composed herself, although there was still an edge of bite to her voice. “I have a demonic soul, but thanks to my time in Azarath, I am also ethereal, making me dual soul capable of wielding both types of magic.”

“So souls can be changed?” Nightwing asked.

“Don’t pretend you understand any of that!” Kid Flash exclaimed.

“Just because you’re small mind in incapable of holding a complex conversation—” Robin began.

“Hey!” Kid Flash yelled.

“Enough!” Starfire stopped them, “Ladybug if you will continue.”

Ladybug smiled and said, “In answer to your question, Nightwing, yes souls can change and quiet easily too. But to keep things on topic, the rarest type of soul is a manifested one. Basically it means that this individual is capable of embodying the ideal and power of one or more of the cosmic forces.”

“The rarest are Order, Chaos, and Fluid,” Raven explained. “Fluid meaning that this person can embody more than one type of cosmic power.”

“So if Order and Chaos are rare,” Cyborg mused eyes widening in wonder, “Then a soul capable of both.”

Ladybug smiled and shrugged, “Apparently, I’m the type of being that only comes along every hundred years. The perfect Guardian as I am incapable of giving preference to one kwami over the other, at least not without becoming imbalanced and falling into a suicidal spiral that destroys my very existence.”

The Titans just stared at her wide eyed and horrified. But Raven just floated forward with shy anticipation. “Can I meet the kwami? If that is out of line, then I—”

Ladybug laughed and smiled. “I’m afraid you can’t meet Tikki or Plagg, since he’s with Lady Noire, and I’m not quiet ready to reveal myself. But you can meet the lion kwami…but perhaps not here…um.”

“You are most welcome to come to Titan’s Tower,” Starfire said serenely. “I have a feeling you and Raven have a lot to talk about. She has been a fan of yours ever since the Justice League—”

“Star!” Raven growled quietly. But Ladybug couldn’t stop smiling. She had nothing but respect for the half demon, especially once she heard about her battle with Trigon. And it warmed her heart to see the powerful magic user act like a teenager. A shy, quiet, but still passionate, and incredible teenager.

“It would be my honor to spend the day with you,” Ladybug said with as much sincerity as she could. “And Raven, I would gladly answer any question that you wish to ask. I myself have been a fan of yours ever since I heard about your battle with the Cult of Cthulhu.”

Raven started in surprise. “But that was years before Trigon. How did you know about that?”

Ladybug just smiled and winked, “Let’s just say I try to keep tabs on those who seem to have…an affinity with my charges. Remind me to introduce you to Nooroo one of these days.”

Raven seemed to have frozen in shock, as Robin sighed, and began directing her back towards the Tower. The rest of the Titans followed suit until chatting and laughing about their latest battle, and how good it felt not to have to rebuild the city…again. Ladybug found herself falling into step with Nightwing as Starfire flew off to explain the magic insects repairing all of the damage to the first responders.

“Nice work back there,” Nightwing said with his usual bright smile.

“Thank you,” Ladybug said returning the expression. “You too, but if I’m being honest, when I told you to lead him into the trap, a macarena flash mob was not what I had in mind.”

“Hey it worked didn’t it!” Nightwing cried with a laugh, “Besides, it’s good to cut loose every now and then, even in battle. If we can’t enjoy our work, then what’s the point of choosing this life?”

“True,” Ladybug mused, as she internally played with her Lady Noire mask. “But is that always how you have fun?”

“No,” Nightwing admitted, “That was a Titan’s special. When I’m with my brothers, we have competitions. Who can take out the most minions, or who can stay in the air the longest.”

“Clever,” Ladybug admitted.

“What does Lady Noire do to keep your missions interesting?”

Ladybug turned and raised an eyebrow at him. His was the face of innocence, even with the domino mask. But she did see the spark of something in his eyes, that told her this was more than just passing curiosity. She did not want to lie to him. So she told him the truth.

“To be honest Lady Noire and I haven’t fought that many battles together. She only took the Cat Miraculous, after the fall of Hawkmoth. The previous holder was…less than compatible. Selina found it absolutely offensive that he was the wielder of the cat, and convinced me to switch users once the battle was done. After that…well between rebuilding the Order of Guardians, her commissions, and the quest for the Miraculous, well…you can see how things can get in the way of team bonding.”

Nightwing nodded but his brow was furrowed in concern, “I see. But you still get the time to interact right. I mean teamwork only works if—”

“I can assure you Nightwing,” Ladybug said and she couldn't stop the amusement from seeping into her voice. “Lady Noire and I get every possible moment we can together. I doubt you will ever find a team more in sync than us.”

Nightwing nodded in consideration studying her carefully before catching her off guard. “Are you too sisters?”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s just…well, I’m trying to picture you without the mask, and it seems to me that you too could be related. You look so much alike. And you two seem really close despite not being together often. So…”

Ladybug grinned. She couldn’t help it. Whether he realized it or not, Nightwing was subconsciously recognizing her. And in battle he had filled the role of chaos so well, that she barely felt any changes in her energies even after pouring out so much creation. The Lady Noire in her just wanted to rip off her mask and laugh at his reaction. The Guardian wanted to maintain their strict anonymity. But in the end she was Ladybug. So, she just smiled and said,

“Lady Noire and I are not sisters. But I doubt it would be possible for anyone to know each other as well as we do, or to be closer in mind, body, and soul. And before you ask, we’re both straight.”

“Ah!” Nightwing said in both satisfaction and confusion. They went on in companionable silence. Swinging between the buildings, as the rest of the Titans flew or ran beside them. It only took three swings for Ladybug to notice, how in-sync she was with Nightwing. They danced on top of the buildings in a perfect rhythm. And when one did a trick, the other complimented them with perfect timing. The other Titans watched in wonder and awe. And more than once they thought, “are we sure Dick can’t fly?”

Dick collapsed onto the couch of the Titan’s Tower, exhausted. The kwami of the Lion Miraculous, Rexi, was adorable. But being around them seemed to amplify the worst qualities of the rambunctious teens. Mainly, Garth’s natural ability to get into trouble, Bart’s competitive edge, and Damian’s incessant need to adopt every cute animal he saw. And Rexi was probably one of the cutest things within a ten mile radius at the moment.

So as Dick was caught up wrangling the boys, the girls had disappeared into Raven’s room leaving him and Vic to keep the Tower together all by themselves. They were going to owe him for this. It was supposed to be a quiet weekend away from the crazy! Only now he had fought a giant light monster. Met Lady Noire’s elusive partner. And spent the entire afternoon trying to keep his brother from pissing off probably one of the most important magic leaders in the world. He just wanted to sleep!

But before he could pick himself up to drag his sagging body into his room, someone popped themselves beside him. He cracked an eye and saw Kori smiling at him. “I’m sorry about your weekend,” she said with her gentle smile. Dick groaned but flashed her a smirk to let her know that he wasn’t holding it against her.

“I should have known something like this would happen,” he said sitting up. “A mask asking for a day off is just asking for the apocalypse.”

Kori hummed in agreement before saying, “Ladybug seems nice. I told her about her standing invite to join the Justice League. She said Hippolyta already told her. Apparently the Queen of the Amazons trained her in her dreams, since neither of them could leave their homes during the Reign of Hawkmoth. Did you know she was one of the first Ladybug’s in history?”

“Kori,” Dick said, “I didn’t even know there were such a thing as Miraculous until Lady Noire stole one from the Gotham Museum. Right under my nose by the way!”

Kori laughed and nodded, “Yeah she told us about that too. She also told me the Lady Noire is very interested in getting to know the Waynes. Especially, certain members, who might need a few lessons in fashion. Which Lady Noire would very eagerly like to give.”

Dick shook his head, in an attempt to hide his growing grin. “Lady Noire is a pain in my ass.”

“And you weren’t a pain in mine when you were flirting with me?”

“Exactly! I’m supposed to be the one teasing! This is new territory for me.”

“In a bad way or a good way?”

Dick shrugged and ran a hand through his growing hair. “I don’t know Kor. She’s an amazing woman, funny, talented, kind, badass, beautiful. But whenever I’m around her, I can’t help but feel as if I’m missing something. It’s like looking at a puzzle, and you just know your missing a piece, but you have ten pieces left so you have no idea which one it is!”

“Have you tried talking to her about it? Maybe if you got to know her? You know…ask her on a date, or something.”

“I don’t even know if she’s interested in that. Last time we talked, I kinda got the impression that she’s had a bad experience with relationships.”

“So take it slow,” Kori said standing, “And get some sleep before heading back to Bludhaven, or Gotham, or wherever you’re based these days. And hey, if it doesn’t work out with Lady Noire, I have a feeling Ladybug might be interested too.”

Dick blinked in astonishment, “Seriously?”

Kori nodded with a smirk, “I think you impressed her with you dance moves. So, congratulations, you have successfully gained the interest of the two most influential magic users in the known galaxy! And if you mess it up with either of them, I think Raven is going to send you straight to hell. Good luck!”

Dick just stared out the window as Kori walked away laughing to herself. What was he even supposed to be doing with that information…Sleep. He needed sleep. With his luck this would all end up being some sort of crazy dream, and he’d wake up back in his Bludhaven apartment. But even as he tromped towards his usual room, he couldn’t help but think, “God, I really hope this isn’t a dream.

@tails-and-scales @the-ghost-trader @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl @the-dumber-scaramouche @yoonjae20 @robyalix @seraphichana @iglowinggemma28 @taewinterbear95 @heretopasstimebi @littleblue5mcdork @quotesandanime @komatsuna-yuki @attractivemyfoot @deathssilentapproach-blog @vel-vee @vixen-uchiha @lady-bee-fechin @qualityhistorygamingwinner @its-maemain @meira-3919 @raven-ette @doglover82 @plz-excuse-my-inner-gay @laurcad123 @crazylittlemunchkin @iamablinkmarvelarmy

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canineical · 1 year

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[Image Description: A zine in an 8-page layout.

The first page has “Oh, the HORRORS!” written near the top of the page with a subtitle underneath it saying “a zine on horror (wow) & all its forms” with the word ‘wow’ in parentheses. To the side of the title, there’s a drawing of a cat with its head twisted around and backward in a way it should not be able to move. The cat is edited to sit on a photo of a bookshelf filled with horror movie VHS tapes.

The second page reads “Everyone's image of horror is a little bit different, and usually informed by what they fear (especially for people who don't particularly like horror). Some people think of carnivorous bugs, some think of monsters, and some think of killers.” Along the right side of the page, there is a drawing of a wasp whose body is red, an alien head that shimmers green, blue, and purple, with a big forehead and eyes and a small mouth, and a scarab beetle that is colored teal.

The third page reads “This is why so much horror media is incredibly fucked up! Species are inherently dangerous and evil, and are out to get you. Murderers are often portrayed as queer-- proposed as confused about how they embody their sexuality and gender.” Across the middle of the page, there are two images that separate this first part of the text from the second. One photo is from a poster of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and depicts Frank-n-Furter and Riff Raff. The second is the title ‘Her Body and Other Parties,’ each word cut and pasted from the cover of the book. The text then continues: “Some media, like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, fights back a these narratives by allowing queerness to be simply powerful, and murder to be just part of the fun (fictionally, of course). Even more modern horror like Her Body and Other Parties, which does even more work to allow space for fear, dreamlike yet utterly real feelings of being lost, and casual queerness.”

The fourth page reads “American horror (in the past, though patterns have changed with 21st century horror) often takes the shape of slasher films, sci-fi/horror fusions, and the ill-defined creature feature. Let's zoom in a little on slasher films, because to me, this is a prime example of regional fears deciding how horror is formed. Usually focusing on suburban white America, these movies tend to follow the narrative of a small town being terrorized by a killer. Of course, this is not the fear of all America. In reality, POC (and especially Black) experience constant violence and countless murders from within their own communities and from the very people who are oathbound to protect them. But this is the fear of White America-- that they could ever experience targeted violence, too, however less severe.” Along the bottom of the page, there is a drawing in superhero comic style of a white man in a suit seemingly dashing away from some sort of monster chasing him.

The fifth page reads “In other regions, horror looks very different. Under the Shadow, for example, was made in Iran, and details the horrors of war and the evil & the ghosts that come with it. In many Indigenous cultures, horror stories take the shape of scary fucking forest monsters. I believe & fear those most, personally.” Near the top of the page is a screenshot from the movie Under the Shadow of a young girl, Dorsa, holding her doll and looking to the camera with a fearful or worried look. Along the right side of the page is a poster for the same movie in black and beige, depicting Dorsa and her mother, Shideh, cowering in a corner of a room, away from a window with a big ‘X’ taped across it.

The sixth page reads “These sorts of stories, about the wilderness and what it hides, are obviously most common in rural areas, with not many people there to incite fear. These always scare me most, mostly because stories are so consistent through generations and across all the world (though most cultures have their own unique creatures, too).” The text is evenly split between the top left and bottom right corners. In the top right corner, there is a gothic black and white sketch of a man in a tricorne hat & cloak on a horse pulling to a stop and looking down at a man who is cowering over his own seemingly dead horse. The ground is snowy, they are directly in front of a forest, and there are two winged creatures in the background. In the bottom left corner, there is a gothic black and white sketch of a man in a top hat riding his horse through a forest and cowering away from some sort of ghost hovering near and above him.

The seventh page reads “In recent years, with the rise of the internet, horror has began to take even more forms. Creations like Creepypasta, The Magnus Archives, and more-- while different-- all embody a new approach to horror, where people get attached to characters and concepts just like they would with any fiction! Scary creatures are lovable and interesting,and even cute at times! Whether this reflects a change in approach to fear as a whole is debatable, but an interesting discussion nonetheless.” In the bottom right corner, there is a simple drawing of a black humanoid creature with wings, a round head with a beak, hands with claws, and big eyes. It is facing and creeping toward the left side of the page, and we can only see its profile.

The eighth page reads “Horror can look a million different ways, and all of them are fascinating-- at least to me, and hopefully to you, since I assume you read this whole zine if you're reading this right now. Thank you for that, by the way! I hope you enjoyed it, and that you enjoy whatever horror media you consume next.” Below the text, there is a dashed line, and below that line is the text “by Xalli, may 9 2023.” Under that, there is the Instagram logo next to "desertfirelight," the Substack logo next to "palmlungs," and the Tumblr logo next to "baringteeth." Along the entire right side of the page is a drawing of a long, grey-yellow colored squid-shaped creature with bright, narrow yellow eyes. Instead of tentacles, it’s body fades into wispy sort of strings. Below that creature is a drawing of three magenta ants crawling around. /End ID]

zine about horror for y’all !

feel free to print & share or distribute or whatever it-- just don’t remove credit

#coyo yips #mine #zine #art #also do rb if you like it ! i make zines to share #it's meant to be for others!#not just for myself like how i write poetry

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