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on-leatheredwings · 10 days

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i've found your account only a few days ago but ever since then I've been STUCK here rereading your fanfics, especially ones with damian. i wasn't even a dc fan (heard about some stuf, watched some films and cartoons, but that's it) but now im reading comics since im Obsessed and need more batboys in my life (rip my productivity😔)

Anyway, after Sleepover i'm curious what will Bruce (and maybe even Thalia) think of batboys strange behaviour towards reader. He's smart, so he definitely notices it early on, but how he'll react....

I can see him being weirded out (like he was by Jason's anger issues, before his death), but he also can be an enabler, since Robin (literaly any of them) had a hard life, so if those relationships can help him why not pretend that everything is normal? you'll be safer in a Wayne's Manor anyway

All in all, thanks for a new hyperfixation 💞💞

P.s. About games:

1. Boyfriend to death 1&2 - since you're into yanderes you might want to check this game out. I prefer the second game, but the first is also fun. But beware the trigger warnings!!

2. Long live the Queen - more of a raising sim than dating sim but you still can romance some guys and girls.

,3. Hatoful Boyfriend - mostly a comedy, but there is a yandere.

4. The Royal Trap - it's been a long time since i played it, but it used to be one of my favorites so i'll just mention it.

5. Higurashi - once again not really a romance sim, but its an interesting horror mixed with a slice of life

;A; AWWWW THANK YOU IM SO HAPPY YOU LIKE MY STUFF.... THAT MAKES ONE OF US GIJSDOFAFGHFOJDSD

and yes yes get into DC!!! (girl who hasnt even read a full run since like. injustice)

damn now you got me thinking and excited. incoming spiel

i agree entirely about bruce just knowing how Bad things can get, so to make things simpler, he's like "yes, your darling(s) can stay in the manor, boys. 🙄"

mmm yes..... when it comes to bruce noticing the batboys are yandere, i think it's always sinfully delightful to just have him be reluctantly okay with it. 😈 it's also easier narratively ngl but i also like the idea that the batfam is all just corrupted.

bruce's thoughts are that they (his sons) fight for vengeance and justice but this is where they could use some leeway.... we all need our vice... they fight so hard for gotham, they deserve a little treat (getting rid of your human rights)... it's very "Dad who wants his sons to have happiness even if its not healthy" of him. in fics where bruce is a yandere, well, he's the exact same way so he can't judge. although if that's the case, i like the idea of bruce just being like "yes what we do isn't right. let's not talk about it. just don't kill <3"

still wondering what i like more. a yan!bruce who's self aware what he's doing is wrong but he just refuses to think about it. or a yan!bruce that justifies it all because of his paranoia, Tower of Babel style (if you don't know, that's when it's revealed batman has plans to subdue/kill the justice league just in case they go rogue.)

for the batboys depends on their personality... for damian, he's so resolute in things that i prefer when he just believes 100% what he's doing is okay, if not actually righteous. ^_^

hmmm talia.... I'M STILL UNSURE HOW I PREFER THAT AS WELL... i think talia being a you-arent-good-enough-for-my-son mom is a little cliche but also. she kinda would say that. you'd have to prove your worth somehow but idk how tf darling would do that LOL. in the end, i think talia is just relieved/comforted that her son indeed feels desire and wants love and will continue the family legacy (regardless if youre afab/can biologically have children.)

no THANK YOU FOR THE ASK!!! AND THANKS FOR RECS!!!! heheh yeah ive checked out btd and im not averse to the warnings its more like im not that most of into the designs ngl. fox guy seems cute? AND LMAO FUNNY BC IM ON A HIGURASHI REWATCH (never played it tho)

#yandere batfam #ask

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roseandgold137 · 7 months

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*chin hands* tell me about Darla Aquista!!

ok so there’s Darla in comics and then there’s Darla as I draw her, bc I think there are a few distinctions. Also bc this is Darla and not Laura I only took pictures of her pre-death for examples

This page is the first time we ever see her, with Tim instantly crashing into her. She’s very nice about it, and having read through her appearances pre-death in robin I can confirm that “kind” is probably her main character trait.

Here we learn that Bernard is like majorly crushing on her me too bear dw but he’s too afraid to approach her bc she’s always surrounded by the “giant jocks”, who turn out to be pretty chill. Unfortunately for Bernard, and because Tim is the main character, Darla develops a crush on Tim.

Darla isn’t just her looks, though - she’s very smart, and she can piece together the limited information to come up with just the right picture. I’d also like to point out how she talks to her dad - she’s used to getting what she wants from him, and the fact that she knows he’s withholding information annoys her. Luckily for her dad, she manages to derail herself, and we can also see a bit of bitterness in her last speech bubble - “I think he made her up as an excuse not to date me.” Which, to Darla, is pretty much exactly how it is. As she said, no one’s ever seen Steph. And she says it on the other page, too - everyone likes her, but none of the boys ask her out. And, as a fifteen/sixteen year old girl, who clearly would like to be asked out, that’s a very frustrating situation

now. She goes about this in very much the wrong way. I’m not going to sugarcoat that. The main thing I’m noticing from her throughout her appearances is frustration. She’s frustrated that her dad is hiding things from her. She’s frustrated that she thinks Tim’s lying to her.

She takes the rejection well, though, and seems amicable with Tim afterwards. Though, Tim, really, if you’ve just established that you’re not interested in her, please don’t ask her to sneak off with you to go to a restaurant together. It’s not a good look

And here we have them as their little trio! The dynamics here go crazy, but frankly my biggest question is where did her jocks. She doesn’t seem to be quite over tim, but she’s not kissing him out nowhere, so that’s something. 2000s comics, man. Bernard appears with his little conspiracies, and Darla indulges him to a point. She’s clearly not all that invested, but she does let him ramble on for quite a while.

She’s circled back to one of her other frustrations - her dad hiding things. Manipulates is a strong word, but she definitely sweetens Tony and Milo up so she can hear the answers she wants. Unfortunately for her, this is the issue she (and her drivers, rip) dies in, so she doesn’t get clear answers before then.

She clearly cared an awful lot about her drivers - as she said previously, they’d been with her for years - tony had just had a baby, and while it’s not on this page, she was distraught for him. This is the last page I have saved, but it happens pretty soon before she gets shot and dies.

in summary, Darla was kind, patient, and sheltered - but she also harboured a lot of frustrations and jealousy. She died at sixteen without ever really getting the truth out of anyone, she never found out if Steph was real, her dad never sat her down and told her the real reason she had bodyguards.

Comparatively, my version of Darla isn’t really as passive - that’s not an insult to canon Darla, by the way. Also, my Darla is a lesbian, so that kind of cuts out the whole jealousy plot she had around Tim and steph

She’s still kind, still frustrated, but she’s less sheltered, and she definitely knows more than she’d ever actually let on to her dad. She goads Bernard into coming up with more outlandish theories, once they get past her fake I-don’t-care persona she’s just as much of a geek as they are. Tim mentions a girl? Uh, you mean her girl. Bernard is after his stepmom, Darla is after his girlfriend, he can’t win. This time her frustration over Tim and Steph is that she can’t find her so she can mess with Tim by flirting with her.

Sorry this took a while I wasn’t really sure how to say what I wanted to say 😭 hopefully this answers your questions abt her <3 if you want to know more abt my Darla feel free to ask 💛

#asks #darla aquista #tim drake #bernard dowd #rose reads #robin #long post #character analysis #? Maybe?

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fancyfade · 7 months

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Can you please share all the times Tim was misogynistic? I just want to have panels ready in case any of his stans got too brave

rip I don't have the post someone else made breaking it down due to changing computers.

In general, though, a lot of it is less "this singular panel proves it" and more the way he consistently treats girls and women. Steph is the best example. She starts exactly where Tim started before fanboying himself into Batman's confidence. She is a teenager with limited training who wants to do good. Tim treats it as if it's ridiculous that she should be a superhero, and he continuously tries to dissuade her from it and acts like she does not belong. It takes a very long time for Tim to stop being condescending to Steph.

Robin #41

Like. This is not at the way start of his series. This is after she's been spoiler and he's been Robin for a bit. I'm p sure he only changes his tune on Steph once they start dating. Later on, in Nicieza's run, even after Steph has been a vigilante for over 150 comic issues worth of time, Tim acts as if Steph has an imperative to obey him and to stop being Spoiler (link)... and ofc he focuses a lot on whether the female characters were listening to him. This continues into Red Robin IIRC where he tells Steph he should not see her in her Spoiler outfit again. He continuously acts as he has authority over her for ???? reasons? He fanboyed his way into Bruce's confidence and she didn't?

Anyway Tim in general just does not respect women. Like. Here we have him dragging away his high school GF b/c she isn't listening to him when he was appearing like a bad boyfriend due to robin shenanigans (instead of, you know, being treated like a bad boyfriend for this 9_9) (link)

Tim also is judgmental in general (which is a trait I feel works well for his character, and I enjoyed the writer who was most interested in treating it as an intentional flaw rather than something they were writing accidentally), and this extends ofc to this weird instance (link) where it's incredibly important the reader know if he finds some lady hot... that said, I think this is one of the only instances of him judging someone as "hot or not" for the most part it's the type of judgment he gives to Steph or Zo, where "obviously you're not as competent as me or capable of making your own decisions or doing the stuff I do."

I would say I don't recommend getting into arguments about him if you haven't read the comics you're arguing about, though, because there are people with different interpretations of these scenes. Many people like to separate the "Tim is likely sexist because the author is sexist* so it shouldn't be counted" as most of these writers, except Lewis (writer of the judgmental bit and many early 100s Robin comics) don't treat it as a flaw or as something he should be wrong for. It'd be best to come to your own opinion about it, rather than assuming you'd agree with me :P

*which is fine, you know, as long as you extend this to female characters who are written badly because the author is sexist and characters who aren't your fave in general. You'd also have to re-write characters who react to his sexism in ways that would be irrational if the sexism was removed.

#dc comics #tim drake negative #just in case #anon #ask #robin 1993

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waspredteeth · 6 months

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Small tangent on Bette Kane and how people treat her

re-reading Beast Boy (2000) in order to really get a sense of where Bette was pre-Batwoman run (2014).

Does anyone else just feel sad whenever Bette brings up Titans West and everyone shoots her down? Objectively, I know that no one thinks Teen Titans West is a great team - especially when people like Hawk and Dove seem better off solo. But you do get a sense of loneliness whenever Bette is so excited at the prospect of getting the band back together.

Given that it's become sort of a running gag for Bette to suggest reforming Titans West, it is something that DC is aware of.

As the Beast Boy run continues, Gar gets himself into incriminating shapeshifter trouble and is put in a holding cell by the police. Bette goes to help him in her Flamebird costume (notably the one from the 80s).

After reading a lot of her earlier appearances in older Titans comics, this kind of exasperated annoyance when Bette makes an appearance is surprisingly frequent. She doesn't have a great reputation among the other Titans at least.

Later on in issue #2, Nightwing hears of Gar's predicament and goes to LA. In the next issue, he fights an enemy shapeshifter who was impersonating Gar. Bette shows up back in the police station to try and bail Gar out, but her check is invalid and the police officer from the prior issue rips it in half. Bette mentions, confused, that she's never tried to post bail before and that she even borrowed money from her Aunt Kathy. (Knowing that Catherine Hamilton wasn't created until the Batwoman series, I personally think this Kathy is supposed to be Kathy Kane.)

When the police learn that Nightwing is fighting "Beast Boy", the heroes learn that the murders of the previous issues were the cause of an impersonator trying to frame Gar. Bette leaves and goes to help Nightwing.

This is the first time I've seen Dick and Bette interacting outside of brief Titans crossovers. It's super obvious that he thinks she's annoying and that she's not skilled enough to be a vigilante. He cuts her off mid-speech and tries to sideline her when they fight the shapeshifter. When it inevitable gets away, he puts the blame on her involvement. Later on, he leaves her to deal with the police and the public on her own.

Putting all of these panels together, the writers are making Bette out as not a "real" hero, someone who clings to the past. In comics like this, Bette is always treated like that annoying little girl who doesn't know when to give up. Especially because Bette has never had her own solo comic, all of her characterization comes with the perspective of whoever's run she's cameoing in.

I am willing to concede that Beast Boy is a very early 2000s comic but since Bette is the only other female character in it besides two villains - it doesn't look good overall. Not to mention, this comic still sticks with the continuity of "Bette has a crush on/is obsessed with Nightwing." ANYWAY this leads to some panels that I actually like, even if it comes off rude and a little misogynstic with Dick telling Bette what to do.

It's that last little declaration of defiance that really solidifies to her character to me. Bette Kane has never needed permission to do anything, especially not being a hero. Also, this kinda puts back into canon that Dick was the inspiration for Bette becoming Flamebird.

When it comes to her characterization, I can't help but feel like she should be (rightly) a little bitter about this convo. When we get her back in Batwoman, Kate doesn't treat her as an equal either and also tries to get her to quit. Bette is a bit younger in the Batwoman run since I think it's post-one of many reboots, but it just adds onto the lack of trust anyone has in her.

Despite being Bruce's cousin, she's a blip in the wider Batman comic-verse. I'm pretty sure Bette hasn't directly interacted with Bruce in a comic, much less anyone other than Dick, Kate, or Cass (once).

All of this goes to say that I'm definitely addressing all of that and making it a main point in my fics. My Flamebird-in-Gotham au came about specifically because I want to reconcile the Bette Kane I like with the way others in-universe treat her. Bette deserves to be treated with respect. Trust me, there will be words had in fanfic form.

(Also bc I just think Bette and Damian interacting would be both interesting and funny).

#dc comics #bette kane #dick grayson #flamebird #nightwing #beast boy 2000 #dc meta #slightly-nightwing negative #flamebird-in-gotham au #batman #waspdoesathought #completely unrefined discussion here #dc's junk drawer appreciation

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gffa · 6 months

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I have such a complicated relationship with the softer aspects of characterization in DC comics, like one of the reasons I don't read much of Wayne Family Adventures is because it's just not scratching that itch of what I personally want, the biting drama of the mainline comics is where it's at for me. (I am glad WFA exists, though!! it's cute and fun and a great entry point for those who want to start there or just for those who enjoy it!!) But then I'll turn around and any Soft Batfam Characterization in the comics will get me right in the feelings place, like I think one of the reasons I enjoy Taylor's Nightwing so much is because, look, over the 20+ years I've been into comics, I have been put through the fucking wringer with Dick and Bruce's relationship, there's no way I'm seeing some Soft Dad Bruce and In A Pretty Good Place Dick Who Hugs His Dad and not grabbing onto that with both hands and holding on with a death grip. I have earned this!!! This is my reward for all the pain I went through because of Knightfall! All the pain I went through because of Battle for the Cowl and RIP! All the pain I went through because of Nu52! I WAS THERE, I LIVED THAT PAIN. IT IS MY TIME IN THE SUN NOW. It is also very, very easy to clip a lot of these moments out for posting on tumblr, like it's sooooo easy to post a panel of a hug between Batfam members and slap a crying emoji on there, because that is how I feel in the moment, I love that stuff! I wouldn't make it through the meaner storylines without it! But it often probably seems like I'm just here for the Soft Batfam stuff like because I enjoy Taylor's writing doesn't mean I'm not also eating up the absolute batshit drama of Gotham War or kind of losing my mind at Gotham Nocturne being so much better than I first realized or suddenly I'm just now sitting up in interest at World's Finest: Teen Titans because of a conversation I had about the darker aspects of it with a friend. I love the silly stuff, I love the idea of Dick and Cass baking together in a super silly little story, I love that Dick and Jason said "I love you" to each other in that recent backup, I am delighted with every issue of World's Finest I read that is light-hearted, I'm okay that the current Nightwing series doesn't have a whole lot of dark depths being explored, because for me it's balanced out with all the other storylines I've read/am reading It's just--

It creates a sort of conflict in my head, where I love the more complicated relationship dynamics, I love the meaner edges of the characters, I love the hard bites they take out of each other, but those are often harder to talk about compared to how easy it is to cry about how cute the softer panels are, it's easier to talk about the moments of the characters having good relationships because my entire reason for being here is the Three Ring Circus of Batdad Issues That Dick Grayson Has Just Right There On His Sleeve For The World To See, but also I get kind of tetchy when that softer content is expected to be the norm in the comics, as if the characters having hard edges at times is out of character and that the only way to write them is softer. (This isn't about preferences, but about putting that expectation on others, feel free to dislike it all you want, that's fine!! but it's not ooc for the characters to be shitty to each other and be assholes sometimes and for others to enjoy that kind of drama.) It's hard because I enjoy the softer moments in the comics, but I also kind of glance askance at some of them, like, these moments scattered across the stories make sense, characters who are just assholes all the time are ones that aren't very fun for me to read about, people can be assholes and sweethearts, I think it makes for richer characterizations, but I don't want it to be like that all the time, either. And all of that is kind of hard to put into words, especially when I'm very aware we're reading comics, which have a whole genre of Comic Book Logic (things do NOT work like they would work in the real world!) and Comic Book Structure (the nature of so many different authors and some truly batshit apparent decisions by editorial make everything an incoherent mess that I cannot even try to make a singular vision) that affect things, too.

#lumi.txt #dc #batfam

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joleneghoul · 1 year

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This is going to be less of an essay and more of a disorganized infodump where I just ramble about my favorite character Rip has a relationship with and that's Jeff Smith.

I actually find Jeff to be more important to Rip's entire story and character background than Booster. There will also be some mentions of Bonnie because the Rip, Jeff & Bonnie dynamic is pretty important.

Though partially that is because the erasure of Jeff is what has made Rip such a boring character to read within post 90s Booster Gold stuff.

Jeff Smith is probably one of my favorite characters nobody really knows about and comics forgot about (until recently, but I'll get to that).

To sum it up quickly, Jeff is Rip Hunter's partner in the broad sense of the term. He was Rip's mechanic, his best friend, his scientific other half, and even once a cowboy (howdy).

More under the cut because this info-dump got long!

Jeff was Rip's partner from Rip's first ever appearance in showcase #20 and stuck with him onward to the 90s. While the stories had Rip's name on them, Rip and Jeff were postured as more of a duo than otherwise.

Bonnie and her brother Corky were along for the story but not as front and center as Jeff and Rip, hell even the story starts with Rip telling them to stay home while him and Jeff test their time machine by going on a jaunt to the prehistoric together.

The time sphere was first and foremost a creation of Jeff and Rip's scientific and mechanical prowess put together. I find it more interesting this way than if Rip were some sort of solo genius.

Later within the Rip Hunter series from the 60s-70s Jeff Still plays the role of Rip's partner, even saving Rip's life multiple times over. A characteristic that is strengthened as time goes on with Jeff is that he is the more calculated and thoughtful one of the pair. This remains the case in the Time Masters 1991 series.

Jeff, much like everyone gets a redesign for this series and a bit more heft to his character motives/personality. This is a series (while not good) that follows a linear story line instead of a collection of adventures so it was needed. I honestly only reread issues of this series for Jeff because I like the way him and Rip's relationship is handled here, as it strengthens the fact that pushing others away can only hurt everyone involved and being alone can be worse than your fears.

He is introduced not only as Rip's partner but his best friend. According to Rip, Jeff is one of his only close friends on account of his obsessive personality. A lot of Rip's own characterization in my opinion mirrors someone who has OCD. His obsession becoming stopping what he saw the future became while in Booster Gold vol 1. Hell...Will Magnus tells him he's paranoid.

Specifically I think the relationship Rip has to his paranoia and fears vs the relationships he has with others is really interesting. This, while comes up with Rip's relationship to Bonnie, is shown mostly with his connection to Jeff.

Jeff throughout the series is the one to break through to Rip even as he pushes others away at everyone's expense. This is shown in the start when Jeff breaks Rip out of spiraling overthinking, bringing him back with his logical thinking. Then all the way to the end when Jeff comes up with the idea of how to fix the time sphere, while Rip was caught up in his own paranoia and had at that point pushed everyone else away or caused them to leave him.

ALSO Jeff has to tell Rip to trust BOOSTER, who in retrospect is Rip's father. I just find that interesting.

Now, I'm going to be talking about subtext which is just how I interpreted things not saying they were intentional but it's just what I picked up on. Also I have a lot to say about how Bonnie is treated I really hate it because she's so disrespected when shes supposed to be equals to Rip but- a rant for another time ig.

The relationship between Jeff, Bonnie, and Rip (and Cave but not really tbh) are at the forefront of the interpersonal drama. It's worth mentioning that every scene Bonnie has romantically with a man (like Jeff or Cave) is mirrored immediately with Jeff and Rip. Specifically usually when Bonnie struggling with her own relationships vs when Jeff and Rip are coming together.

There is when Jeff shows up to Rip's office in a green trench coat (not pictured in this panel bc he took it off) and sits on Rip's desk to tell him he'll be his partner. Then within the same issue Bonnie in her green trench coat trying to seduce Cave (who is HER scientific partner) by getting on his desk- but then getting rejected.

Then again when Jeff chooses to leave Bonnie (in bed) to go be with Rip VS the end of that issue when Rip solemnly makes the choice to leave Jeff (in bed) to go chase his own hubris. (later we see Bonnie make the choice to steal the time sphere and go live in the future and make her own life teaching people post nuclear war, thank god she didn't end up with any of these men after all that)

Also side note- When Jeff and Rip go to ancient Atlantis together that's practically the first time in issues we see either of them really happy since like, issue 2. The only thing that tips Rip off is once again when someone brings up his paranoia. Also they get these gay earrings.

Anyways at the end because Rip ends up alone, without Jeff who was his only close friend, Rip realizes that time changes everything and to not be so worried about the literal end of the world- and that hopefully in time even he can change and be a better person to others.

....WHICH I feel is totally ignored and thrown away later on when Rip returns as Boosters son and Jeff was erased from the picture entirely (Bonnie still managed some appearances in other media but Jeff did not- not even in lot so I've heard..which is odd because that was inspired BY time masters). Rip became characterized as the lone mysterious savant who always has a plan (or can easily figure one out).

Despite the reader knowing his secret that he is Booster's son, we do not tend to get to see much of their family relationship since Rip is more shown as a mentor than anything else. Otherwise Rip is used as a narrative device for stories to bring in a little time travel spice if Booster or that one treadmill isn't available.

I actually find the more interesting Booster and Rip interactions being the ones where Rip is shown to be overwhelmed, in the wrong, or confused instead of the "guy who knows everything". Sadly we don't get to see this often.

Jeff after over 30 years has come back to comics but not in a way I really like, he just doesn't feel like himself at all but neither does any of the time masters. We haven't seen him much yet but I'm just not excited because the reason we have this "loner" characterization of Rip still is because of the same writer who's bringing them back- and yet again its a case of "Rip is running around alone" "ah that's just Rip". Like I thought we went over why that's bad for him LOL.

Anyways I guess the moral of this infodump/rant is this:

FUN FACT TIME:

Jeff and Rip met at MIT where they were both top of their classes!

He is as smart as Rip who is classified officially as a super-genius.

Jeff according to the DC ttrpg books is as wealthy as Ted Kord was when he was still apart of Kord industries.

He also apparently has connections to the Metal Men and Magnus still while Rip does not.

#rip hunter #jeff smith #srry this is a mess im laying down w.o glasses and out of my mind #rip: hi me: WHERES THE REST OF YOU

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heybythepixies · 11 months

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My Personal Favorite Rocket-Centered Media

—

Rocket Raccoon (2014) — 11 Issues

The one that began the Rocket Renaissance. I don’t recommend reading this one first right off the bat, if only because I think it has a cooler effect if you read the comic after Rocket’s more somber stories, but it is totally a must-read. Rocket has been many different people in many different ways, but it’s important to remember his roots. (He’s so 2014 in this, and the art-style will totally take you out if that’s your type of thing. I know it’s mine.)

—

Rocket Raccoon (2016) — 5 Issues

Rocket’s been through a whole lot of shit up until this point, but being stranded on Earth is the cherry on top. His first solo-story, where his grand Rocket-esque, State-of-Liberty-destroying journey is narrated through absolutely gorgeous illustrations that get him so well. The story is fantastic as well, and maybe not-so-subtlety + amazingly takes a dump on America, sending an important message in general.

If you need further convincing, Rocket runs around in his underwear for about two issues. It’s hilarious. Check it out.

—

Rocket (2017) — 6 Issues

His second solo-story.

One of my absolute personal favorites that left me completely shaken by the time I was done with it. I can’t even really begin to describe it without getting too deep into how fucking insane it made me feel.

If you’re into gritty heist/crime sci-fi plots with a healthy amount of crisp, absurdist humor, you’re in luck. If you totally hate that, you’d probably still like it.

Rocket just has that effect on people.

But seriously, go in completely blind and read this. You won’t regret it.

If you need further convincing, yes, this is the one where he dons the infamous Stinger Suit you might’ve seen before on that one puzzle. He does fill out that suit nicely (not a reference).

If you need context, Rocket takes hiatus from the Guardians and gets tangled up in a whole bunch of shit he didn’t sign up for. He’s a bit of a pathetic meow meow. Totally worth. Also, one of the best styles for Rocket, ever.

—

Guardians of Infinity (2016) — 8 Issues

A really, really cool comic that starts off with Rocket being Rocket, “saving the galaxy” through… materialistic means. His team then runs into another team, who runs into another team. After an obligatory fight, they all find out they’re Guardians of the Galaxy groups from different time-frames.

Then the Collectors swoops in and plans to do something unsavory to our favorite raccoon! Oh no! :D

Really though, the writing for this story is phenomenal, and Rocket’s character is done so well. I love the way he’s portrayed in this one. So badass. So smug.

The comic also features one-shot stories that are a blast as well. He’s so silly. Go check it out.

—

GotG: Rocket and Groot Steal The Galaxy! (Prose Novel) by Dan Abnett

Guardians of The Galaxy: Collect Them All (Prose Novel) by Corinne Duyvis

Onto the novels that ripped my heart out.

Holy shit. If you’re. Well. Genuinely, right away, these two books are a work of art.

I don’t even know where to begin, but I just have to say that Rocket Man by David Bowie started playing over the radio as I finished Rocket and Groot: Steal the Galaxy and I felt something, like, stirring within my soul. I felt devastatingly. Something.

These two:

1. Are so, so criminally underrated and deserve fame. The amount of fucking heart put into these works are tangible with every word.

2. Deserve their own reviews, but I can’t even really begin to express how important they are to me.

So I’m just going to write their synopsis’s.

Steal the Galaxy!

A raccoon and a tree walk into a bar. The universe almost collapses into a Capitalist Armageddon. C-3PO stars as our narrator and MC. Rocket may or may not need a therapist. Groot is badass as fuck.

…Disguise sequence.

Gamora is also there. Hi, Gamora :3

Collect Them All!

How found and family can a found family get? Do people ask that question? If you have ever found yourself asking that question, and if you’ve ever breathed, read this novel.

A book about Acceptance and Love and all of that stuff. Which is honestly such a challenge to fathom sometimes, much less write about, but I suppose the Guardians always get it right.

Both of these books also certifiably and perfectly capture each character. If Vol. 3 left a big, gaping hole in your heart, this might help you or possibly make it worse. In a good way, of course.

If you don’t read anything else, if you haven’t even picked up a book in years, if you call yourself a GotG fan: read these novels. You don’t even have to know one thing about these characters to feel attachment by the time the journey is over. It’s a threat and a promise.

—

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Game, 2021)

I asked, how can found family can a found family get???

Some-fucking-how, GotG just. Defies all odds every single time . !

Please for the love of god, if you haven’t played this game, play it.

The tragedy that is the fact it was criminally overshadowed at the time of its release is just terrible. It’s genuinely, outside of my obsession, one of the best times I’ve ever had playing a video game in a long while. And it’s on sale often. Just experience it for yourself. It’s something so incredibly special.

—

Guardians of the Galaxy (2013), specifically #20-23

Venom attaches himself to Rocket and it’s fucking awesome. Also, I love the art-style he had under Valerio Schiti. He always got him right.

———

Get your hands on the comics however you desire, but the method to reading the novels for free is on Archive.org (where you can borrow books). Just be cautious, as only one person can borrow a book at a given time.

#rocket raccoon #gotg #rocket gotg #gotg3 #might add to this later #this is the result of me going through every single instance he's had an appearance ever #Sanely

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decepti-thots · 2 years

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ok so. i have now had a chance to skim through both volumes of the mtmte notebooks and instead of posting the entire thing one blurry photo at a time, i am going to do a quick post with my initial reactions/stuff that stuck out to me/etc.

if you want to keep things a surprise for when you get it and read it yourself, just ignore this post, haha! and i really do recommend getting this if you can. this is a very very fun thing to have for a comic. it's WILD to have this kind of stuff for one as niche as MTMTE, like the fact this exists is honestly kind of absurd (admiring).

it is amazing how many things from late game stuff is right there in 2010 notes. the rewind transformation sound thing that is in LL #23 (iirc)? THAT'S IN THESE. repeatedly. he has a whole thing about rewind having old transformation sounds and rung's transformation sound, it comes up and is iterated on several times. so though these notes are from "pre-production" and the first "series", there's a ton of stuff that goes right through to the end of the run.

one thing that LEAPED out at me is related to my opinion that mtmte series one is in part a slightly tilted LSotW sequel in its way. because it turns out two of the characters jro originally wanted for MTMTE were impactor and guzzle, who would have showed up later. like. holy shit i did not see that coming. that's wild to me. like it makes sense because again, a lot of mtmte s1 is indirectly a follow on from parts of last stand. but it's so far removed from that context that just seeing jro like 'yeah i want impactor and guzzle here' is. weird.

this guy wanted prowl for his book so fucking much folks, there are so many bits where he's trying to worm prowl in, LMAO rip

jro was not lying about how the plan was for chromedome to be the surrogate re: the baby. but by surrogate he meant instead of GRIMLOCK, chromedome was going to ADOPT THE BABY. i am losing it.

the rung situation is interesting. rung WAS suggested as being primus right from the start of these notes, but it wasn't the only idea he was throwing around- he wanted something to be up with rung but hadn't 100% settled on any one thing for ages here (though the primus thing comes up the most). other possibilities included him being the hivemind scraplet concept that got reused for Silent Light (yes, really), and him being one half of an unstable combiner. there's a lot of different stuff re: the primus concept too. so it's not WRONG to say the primus stuff was planned from the start per se, but it was in no way a sure thing.

in general there's looooads of stuff in there about religion. lots of different concepts for the guiding hand, for rung, for the knights. the early notes especially talk a lot about quintessons, there's various ideas for how to incorporate them, and unicron. which is vindicating because i have said FOR AGES i always got a vibe that jro was writing a universe in which 'the quintessons' was at least one plausible possibility for 'who made these guys', and while there's no actual discussion in here of the quintessons as direct creators (though yeah, there's talk of them as the knights), i wasn't far off. unicron too, he has various concepts including 'a small mech like rung as primus'. also one time he was like 'what if unicron was an idea' and the 2022 annotations are just 'oh dear' LMAO

oh and TONS about the concept of whirl being super religious in a 'fire and brimstone avenging' kind of way??? like this is something he returns to a lot, he liked the idea of the irony with rung, haha. (also, they were gonna have wayyy more of a prominent antagonism, i think. that's the vibe i got.) there's an issue pitch he mentions about some 'witchfinder general ft extreme violence' type coming on board and whirl hero worshipping him. it's interesting stuff

brainstorm was straight up gonna be bad. he was an actual decepticon double agent, and the quark plot originally had nothing to do with him- he was developing time travel, but jro literally says at one point he needs to come up with like. actual motivation for him. the quark plot was originally chromedome stealing it and going back in time to save the person who died after overlord.

who was… swerve. no joke. swerve and CD were originally the ones he was pitching as "best friends" before rewind replaced swerve (and then later on they're made married instead obviously, but that was wayyy later that was decided). also, one idea jro puts up before he makes said swap is that prowl is paying swerve to keep an eye on CD, but he starts to feel guilty and actually grows to like CD… which THEN jro would swap so CD was doing that to rewind before dropping it partway through actually writing the series, ofc.

oh man there's so much chromedome shit in here btw. AND rewind. those two get a lot of iteration and attention. originally CD's abilities were gonna be an outlier thing, it might have been implied he was in part a prisoner AT the institute, there was going to be a thing where he regretted having the opportunity to shadowplay megatron and didn't take it… also, i thought this specifically was VERY interesting:

surprising absolutely none of you. i am sure. yes, there's a lot of stuff hammering out cybertronian reproduction in here. lmao. (there is a point where the phrase 'birthing fields' is used.) but! specifically one thing of note, it goes into quite a lot of detail about ye olde concept of quickswitch being created (from what cd/prowl/etc learned from overlord, as a new phase sixer), and what that plot would have looked like. which is very very neat as i have always been SUPER curious about that. a lot of stuff re: nature vs nurture seems like it cropped up in that concept, plus the ethics of creating new life during wartime which feels like it became a foundational thing for MTOs conceptually.

drift! there is A LOT of drift stuff early on in here! fun fact: there was originally a plan to have rodimus want to detour to investigate his dead duplicate and drift got mad and refused because he was 100% desperate to find the knights, and they would have split up and the comic would have alternated between them/their crews. i can see why this was dropped in favour of exiling drift because that sounds like a structural nightmare in a monthly comic, but MAN i didn't expect that to even have been conceptualised. there's also LOADS about drift like, being someone who is very deliberately manipulating rodimus in series one. i'm just gonna show this whole character breakdown, because imo it is VERY interesting and puts to rest a lot of 'how much is deliberate, how much is it fandom overanalysing him?' stuff. while most of this didn't actually happen, it's clear a lot of thought was being put into drift's internal contradictions right from the start, they're definitely present.

god i have so much more shit i could say but i should probably stop here for now. LMAO. but it's just absolutely wild. a lot of the stuff here was definitely cut for a reason. many of the ideas are 'interesting, but near impossible to execute in the format', many more are 'buckwild but not necessarily good', some are genuinely like 'ah, yeah, not surprised you dropped THAT immeditaely', but just the sheer AMOUNT of conceptual STUFF going on here is fucking wild. there is so, so much just. raw STUFF he's poking at right from the start. you'd think they had told this man he had to create a continuity from scratch. it's an incredible document of just how much work went into this comic before issue #1 was even written.

#idw #meta

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oars · 4 months

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hiii I want to know more about appindex 👉👈

what is his relationship like with the other party members?

How easily does she trust other people?

If they are stressed or upset is there a thing/place/action that is comforting to him?

also anything else you want to share?

(I LOVE her design by the way, their appearance immediately caught my attention. Love your use of color too)

sorry this took me so long i swear when i saw this ask i started squealinf abd looking like this

gonna put it under a read more since um im gonna assume this will get really long lol

disclaimer im gonna straight spill my thoughts sorry if things stop making sense

i made a small comic just for the first question but tumblr doesnt like it for some reason and it prevents it from showing up unless you go directly to my blog :<

anyways i think overall appindex is like a mother of at least 6. companions come to them in the middle of the night like "i frew up :(" that typa thing

since family/clan n loyalty is very important to dragonborn and appindex just lost theirs before being abducted they are very quick to attach to these losers

i think while appin is not under the control of any god, lord, devil, etc they've created a personal hell of his own bc he tries to bear all responsibilities and burdens of those around him bc he's scared of failing and losing too much again. or all he has left really. that can make them kind of overbearing and it would be annoying if like the main companions didn't have issues and lowkey liked the attention.

what does get annoying is that it comes off as appindex not trusting their companions to do any heavy lifting but that improves in like act 2-3 especially since that's around the part the tav is expected to save baldurs gate. and the world like that's way too much weight for appin to carry on their own without breaking so atp they don't really have a choice but to let their companions share some of that albeit verrrry reluctantly

slightly more specific relations ---

shadowheart: shart is the first appin gets close to even if shes older i like to think she's like a little sister to appindex anyways <3 i should just show screenshots of the epilogue conversation bc it feels so fitting. probably one of the only companions to recognize appin's exhaustion and nag her

karlach: close in a years long tumblr mutual type intimacy way. "i'd let my mutuals come inside idc" type relationship. they occasionally sleep and cuddle naked. as good friends do. it's nice having someone they could rely on for literal heavy lifting and hitting bc in appin's eyes the rest of his companions are made of sticks and paper, save for lae'zel. girls who rip off heads with their bare hands and paint their nails in the blood :3

astarion: i do not know how to explain their relationship early on bc it fluctuates in my head. obviously irritated by how appin stops to help anyone and everyone especially since most of those people in act 1 are parents and children. appindex definitely laughs at his lame ass "seduction" bc it's pretty see through; it becomes less about seducing and just aiming making them laugh. appin probably said "im proud of you" at some point and it got to his head now he's vying for their attention and validation (get in line). my white hollow boned elf i'd probably give my organs to if he asked - appin

i think appindex is the more mature one, mentally and emotionally, especially since dragonborn develop and mature much earlier than elves do and i feel like dying young and being under cazador's control stunted astarions own maturity a bit. the result is appindex treating him like a child sometimes; not trusting him to do a number of things, scolding him,"dont treating me like a child" "dont act like one" etc etc. i think at some point he just does it and wears on appindex's extensive patience on purpose because he's a little freak like that :/. appin does not think its cute

ok no more of them next question

i think appindex is pretty trusting in a way. if they feel like they have no reason to feel threatened by someone they'll have their trust but that doesn't mean it can't be lost ofc. which is why they trust laezel and astarion so easily. why would they be scared of a tiny white elf who can't even get them to knife point (he failed that).

he does struggle to trust others to do things for them though, if he were ever to be out of commission or on the verge of it it would be like pulling teeth to try and get him to let someone else lead temporarily.

appin holds onto a piece of kednyr's old blanket bc it still smells like her :thumbs_up: karlach gives her a teddy bear with that piece attached to it as a gift. astarion may have helped but he will not confirm

extra notes ermm appin lived in the upper city, not a patriar or a servant, they just co-run an expensive smithy there.

as a passionate blacksmith (and someone who wants to become an artificer) appin is really intrigued by karlach's engine and wishes they could collaborate with dammon on how to fix it or make her a new one entirely

to add onto that he's extremely fascinated by the grymforge in the underdark its like a theme park to him. it is their nerdiest point in the storyline

they can stay underwater for a good period of time; an hour is their highest time

andd she has a prosthetic leg around age 40-45 sorry this got so long . this things in my head 24/7 rn i tried to omit some things to make it shorter but oh well

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comfortfoodcontent · 1 month

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Green Lantern Volume 3 #59 by Ron Marz, Darryl Banks, Romeo Tanghal, Steve Mattsson & Albert De Guzman is my second most important Comfort Food Comic. I couldnt even hazard a guess how many times I’ve read this one. To me its the best issue of the entire Marz Kyle Rayner run. It blends everything I could want in a comic: Christmas, classic superheroics, slice of life, 90s DCcharacter cameos, romance, inspiration – it has it all!

Kyle Rayner is my favorite DC Comics character. He’s almost like a real life friend to me. But before I get into all of that let me flashback to the early Oughts. After a long hiatus, I've returned to being a comics fan. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.'s Spider-Man comics as well as Ultimate Spider-Man were the siren call that brought me back in as a fan circa 2004. Brian Bendis’ monthly New Avengers really stoked the flames and that's when comics became my life permanently. Up until then, I’d been a Marvel only guy. I didn't care much for DC and I found it all super confusing and hard to get into. My oldest brother (RIP Steve!), who I've never really been super close with, started chatting me up about comics one day and started describing Sandman and the further Vertigo stuff he loved. I visited him and he let me borrow all of the Sandman collections he owned and described the DC stuff he was into in such a hyped up, magical way. I was entranced! I fell in love. Sure, most of this content was Vertigo stuff, but it was all blooming from this huge mythic DC Universe. I decided to read all comics, not just Marvel from then on. I started picking up all the big DC Comic essential collections: Swamp Thing, JLA, all the main Batman stories, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Kingdom Come and so on and so on as I started college. I was a real DC Comics rookie. Life was good. I was in a relationship with a girl I fell head over heels with in high school. I was growing up, starting college and really becoming comfortable with who I was and my identity. Exploring this new DC Universe while also exploring all the world had to offer went hand in hand. But graduation hit and lot of change happened very fast. Let me tell you, I don't deal well with change. I decided to dorm to start college – I moved back home after 2 weeks I hated it so much. This new real love of mine moved and went to college an hour and a half away. College was rocky. I went for English as I was completely clueless as to what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was always somewhat of a writer so I figured that was as good a start as any. I could only take one English course for my degree while I also had to struggle through stats, astrology, art history & Polish. College started to become something I loathed. My only reprieve was reading more and more comics. I found myself skipping a lot and taking trips to Borders Bookstore to check out the comic books there. One such book I find while skipping school and spending my morning at Borders is Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight/New Dawn.

I WAS HOOKED! I sat in that Borders for an hour or two reading the entire book and immediately buying it. This was it. I had found my ideal entry point into DC Comics through this new everyman Kyle Rayner. No longer was I just a guy who was reading all the main collections DC put out, confused as to who's who or wondering why people loved Hush or The Long Halloween so much(great art but terrible stories!). I was FINALLY invested in its universe. I was determined to jump into it and read everything I possibly could. The wonderful thing about this run is Kyle is new to everything, so when you read his comic you get an intro into the DC Universe from that same point of view.

Flash forward to Summer 2007. I've finished my first year of college, barely. My girlfriend, love of my life, breaks up with me. The distance, the immaturity, the lack of real life relationship experience, doomed it. I find myself utterly heartbroken. I find the path I’ve taken in life to be entirely unsatisfying. I spend most of this summer drunk every night, trying to hide from reality. My one healthy escape is comics. In August I read the Sinestro Corps Special and seeing that last page, become a converted monthly release buyer of DC Comics. Green Lantern becomes just about my favorite thing DC publishes. We move to September and school starting up again. I could barely muster enough energy to get out of bed in the morning, let alone go back to school. I'm told I need to take a mandatory religion class or I wont graduate. My spirit is just about broken. Before I know it, I end up skipping about 3 straight weeks of school. I lie to everyone around me and end up at various bookstores, reading comics or scoping out any DC Direct figures I can find. I'm still drinking heavily. I am suffering from full depression and I start to hate my life. My school had caught on and I either had to do some insane turnaround or I was getting kicked out. I at this point had pretty much realized college wasn't for me. It hadn't done a single thing to help me. It didn't put me on any type of path or give me any skills or help to find the career I wanted. It made me take mandatory bullshit classes and depressed me daily. I made the terrifying decision to drop out. I had to. My mental health was at an alltime low. Even comics couldn't cheer me up anymore. I felt like I had nothing left to live for. My life was a blur and I didn't even feel like I was in it anymore. Soon after I hit rock bottom. I remember it was a Sunday afternoon. My friends had been busy, everyone had stuff going on. I tried to read some X-Force and I ended up throwing the book across the room. I tried to play some Metal Gear Solid 3 and I just couldn't even do anything. I left the house and went to Media Play where I ended up buying some Resident Evil action figures. I felt nothing. I was joyless. Normally all these activities combined is a perfect day for me. At this point, I had put a mini fridge in my bedroom. Yikes! Talk about enabling my problem. I came back home, slumped into bed and drank as many Budweisers as I could. The next thing I remember is my Mom waking me up late the next morning. I had vomited all over the place in my sleep. My bed, my sheets, my floor – just about my whole room was covered in puke. I had either blacked out or done it while I slept. My Mom was concerned, I was shocked. Disgusting. I had hit rock bottom. My life was lost to depression. I needed to fight back. I needed to turn my life around. I needed to be happy again.

Cut to mid October. I reach out to my friends and family. I tell them I need to make changes. I resolve to live life on my terms. I resolve to be happy. I resolve to never let life rule over me. I will only be living by my choice and my joy from now on. I start to work full time at my family’s Construction Company. I turn back to comics for that joy and it helps. Sinestro Corps War is in full swing and its here that I find that love again. I hop on the internet and order or download every Kyle Rayner comic I can find. Continuing from the New Dawn tpb I start devouring Kyle’s adventures. Its here my life changed for the better. Sure, the absence of the college burden and the support of friends helped but Kyle Rayner SAVED me. I don't say that lightly. Being able to hop into this run of comics featuring a guy just like me at his own crossroads of life, dealing with some tragedy and resolving not to be depressed and soldier on as a hero really resonated with me. It was exactly the piece of media I needed that hit at the exact time it needed to. I know its corny but this run of comics is that important to me. It sparked joy in my life again. It helped me move on. It helped me finally reclaim my life back and be ME again.

I cant think of an issue that better sums up my whole experience working in synch with Kyle Rayner than issue 59. Kyle recently has had the responsibility of being Green Lantern thrust upon him. He’s lost the love of his life, his place in the world and had to deal with innumerable changes to what he considered normal. Instead of letting any of that keep him down, he fights on, dealing with the insanity of Zero Hour and ending up embroiled in a Titans Crossover. Its there he joins the team and starts reaching out to others again. He tries to move on and moves into a new apartment and starts to foster a relationship with Donna Troy. Its here our issue starts on Christmas Eve night as Kyle makes his way to Titans HQ for Monitor Duty. All the various Titans interact with him, letting him know he doesnt have to be alone. They give him a friend group, a family if he wishes it. ( We get some great Impulse moments in here!!)

Kyle meets up with Donna Troy who is also there. Besides Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, Kyle Rayner & Donna Troy are my favorite comic book relationship ever. I absolutely adore the little touches put into them getting to know each other here. It’s all done so organically and it's incredibly relatable. The start of something special. What makes it even better is how its all framed by Christmas, the best Holiday ever. I absolutely go crazy for Christmas. Everything about it makes me overjoyed. Having it be a part of this issue really makes it something special.

Its next we see how bad it can be when someone is alone and sad. Kyle unfortunately has his own dark subconscious thoughts manifest themselves through the ring in a heartbreaking version of his deceased girlfriend, Alex. Its so godamn sad. Again, parallel to my own journey in life; even a superhero isnt safe from these things. Its stuff like this that makes this run so special. You can really identify with Kyle’s struggles. Its an utterly human take on superhero comic books.

After helping a volunteer Santa from some thugs, Kyle sets out on patrol to help and clear his mind. Its here we get the best message. This is the powerful stuff that sticks with me. Life may be chaos. Kyle and me may have been in such a dark place, guessing at it day by day. But instead of thinking we are idiots, instead of sitting and wallowing in it, we both need to go do something. This was what I needed to hear at that point in my life. This was what endeared me so much to Kyle. His personal journey mirrored my own. I could live and grow side by side with him as I read. This stuff was an inspiration

Its here Kyle helps put a stop to Dr. Polaris and starts to realize life isn't all bad.

We then end the issue with Kyle going back to Titans HQ where Donna has come back to see him and give him a Christmas gift. The gift ends up being mistletoe and they kiss under it as the issue ends. OH MY GOD!! It just makes my heart swell up like the Grinch. It fills me with such joy.

So why is this comic special, why does it matter? Its an inspiration. It quite literally, saved my life and along with the rest of this run put me on a better, happier path. I owe a great deal to the power of this story. This comic shows how each comic can hit and affect people differently. It goes to show the power of stories. How they matter and help people. This comic is special in so many different ways. There would be no Dave Shevlin without this comic. My mental health would be a mess without this. And hey before I end this, Kyle Rayner is right. You cant wallow in depression. You NEED to live life for you. You need to find people, love and happiness. Things will always get better but you have to work at it and move past the challenges. I'm living proof of it. I lived through this dark time in my life. I still work at the same company, deeply ingrained with a comfortable living wage. I reconnected with that past love and after a decade of being together, she is my wife. I own a house and an amazing dog with that girl. I have never once let depression get ahold of me since. I kept that vow and live life authentically for my happiness. For anyone reading this, please dont ever let life beat you down too much. I know its sometimes almost impossible but please Live, and live happy.

#comfort food comics #donna troy #kyle rayner #dc #dc comics #me #my writing #writing #comics writing #comics #christmas #inspiration #story #comfort food kyle rayner #green lantern #ron marz #darryl banks #comic books

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absolutely-wretched · 4 months

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the twilight reveal (my dissertation)

I'm back on the Buffy comics train and just finished the second to last volume of season 8 for the first time since 2020 and here we goooooo (read more so if you want to hurt yourself physically and emotionally with spoilers you can, but you have an out.)

Twilight's mask comes off. I remember this. I don't remember it in detail, but my head instinctively goes into my hands. The trauma. The pain. The cringe. I've never felt so betrayed by Joss until I read the single worst thing he's ever written. and it hurts, just like in 2020. except not i'm reading it with my fiance and it compounds the cringe.

Spike got his SOUL BACK FOR YOU. He died for YOUR CAUSE. And just like when Angel comes back to give her the amulet, it all goes out the window for captain fucking forehead and I'M PISSED. Not to mention the most painful sex I've ever had to witness. Painful in the sense of cringey. Also, is Buffy possessed by Twilight too? Because why in all fuck would she be superpower fucking her ex just because he says "don't you want to be happy?". He's not acting normal at all, and all of this is bombastically weird and makes very little sense and Buffy just does it without questioning it? Let's live in our own microuniverse? WHY?????? Help? Why? Joss what were you going through when you wrote this??? I couldn't have come up with something worse when I was writing fanfiction at 14. I know that's the worst hurdle in the comics but damn. At least there's swearing in the comics, though, I'm not complaining that, it's very realistic.

Okay and why is NO ONE concerned about angel losing his soul??? Everyone knows it's happening and no one asks. Buffy doesn't ask. I'm screaming at the pages for someone to ask bc I'm asking and it makes no sense. the chill days of me defending the writing choices of buffy and satsu and taking mecha dawn in comedy stride are over. what in the absolute fuck. I hate it so much.

so then we get to buffy rejecting this INSANITY finally and that's cool. fuck destiny and all that. there's my girl. my selfishly driven girl (and no, that's not a chracter trait the comics invented, i could write a dissertation on buffy's character flaws from the show, they just seem to be amplified in the comics). dawn is actually the only one who seems to be questioning everything so i'm now team dawn. and xander rejecting buffy. i like xander a lot in the comics.

The best thing about this volume is this:

But I fear, since it's the end before the last volume, that i will be SO FURIOUS about a lot of things said and done in the issues cooming up, since we will have Spike and Angel and Buffy all in the same room together, and I really hope they don't do to Spike what they did in s5 of Angel which is downplay how great he is to make captain boredom look better in comparison.

and GOD i miss lynch so much. i'm not sure if it's the people writing joss's ideas or writing with joss, because I know lynch wrote after the fall but it was joss's story, so I'm thinking maybe the people writing the comics might have made it worse (even if joss's story BEATS for this was already bad). I at least know whoever storyboarded made a god damn mess of it, because half the time i couldn't figure what was going on based on the drawings in the panels.

ALSO I had this rant in the tags once about how much it bothered me that they took away Spike's black nail polish after he got his soul, genuinely annoying me that something so iconic was ripped from his design. so YAY for the return of the nail polish! Keep it!

#btvs #angel #buffy #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy season 8 #btvs s8 #buffy s8 #buffy comics #btvs comics #spike btvs #dark horse comics

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tenebraevesper · 1 year

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King Shadow (The Altered Future & The Altered Character)

I told myself I wouldn’t do it. I told myself I wouldn’t touch Mobius 25/30 Years Later with a 10 foot pole,... and I still did it. It doesn’t help that, if I don’t count Worlds Collide, which I read mainly because of MegaMan, Mobius 25/30 Years Later (written by Ian Flynn) was actually the first Archie Sonic comic I have read.

Yeah, this was my first real introduction to Archie!Sonic... and it wasn’t a good first impression.

Honestly, kudos to people who like the 25/30YL storyline, but I can barely stomach it without wanting to close the comic after the first page, step back and just forget this story ever existed. So, why am I analyzing it even though I clearly don’t like it?

It is mainly to write down my own grievances regarding one particular character featured in the story - Shadow the Hedgehog.

Shadow is someone who had his ups and downs when it came to writing his character, with SEGA aiming to make him the Stock Shōnen Rival to Sonic’s Stock Shōnen Hero. While I don’t have a problem with that (and I love their rivalry), I do have an issue when they make him act like an idiot who thinks he’s invincible.

Frankly, IDW!Shadow may not be the best written iteration of The Ultimate Lifeform, but I still like him, especially since he does show to have a softer side. Same goes for Boom!Shadow, who only exists to be Sonic’s rival, but I always looked forward to seeing him show up. To me, both are certainly more appealing that the iteration I’m going to talk about in this analysis.

So, if you don’t want to read about me ranting about an iteration of a character from a comic that has been deader than dead and won’t be continued thanks to a certain someone, you’re free to leave now. This is your last warning.

As for those who stayed... You’ll be greeted with what I personally consider the worst characterization of Shadow in any media (be it the video games, comics or TV series).

You want Edgelord Shadow? This is Edgelord Shadow.

Before I start, I need to do a quick recap regarding the Mobius 25/30 Years Later story. 25/30YL is a continuation of the initial 25YL storyline written by the most despised Sonic Archie writer in the whole community, Ken Penders. If you want more information on why he’s so despised, I recommend listening to Sonic_Speed’s commentary on what had happened.

After Penders left, Ian Flynn took over as the main writer, and his first year of writing can be basically described as him doing janitorial duty and trying to fix the mess the previous writers left behind, streamlining the story and bringing it more in line with the games. He wrote some really amazing storylines, like Hedgehog Havoc and Worlds Collide, but not all of his stories were good, like House of Cards (aka the one where Sonic and Tails fight; something Ian himself acknowledged wasn’t his best writing).

One of the stories Ian worked on was the above mentioned 25/30YL storyline, aka the continuation to the story Penders wrote, and I have to ask: who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to continue 25YL? I’m not asking that because 25YL was a good story or something - in fact, it was the worst! It was so awful, so boring, with the characters just talking and doing absolutely nothing. As for the ending... What ending? There is no ending, just a metaphor for how awfully Sonic was treated at the time, being literally ripped apart.

I also have other issues with the story, but those are more subjective. For example, it just felt wrong to see Sonic be a King, be married to Sally, have kids... I know that some people don’t have issues with that, but I simply cannot see a character who has been described as a free spirit, who doesn’t want to be tied down by anything, have to deal with this.

As a side-note, I have absolutely zero issues with Sonic being a King, considering how I loved the reveal of him being King Arthur, the true King of Camelot in Sonic and The Black Knight. I guess it helps that SaTBK is also a much better story than 25YL, allowing Sonic to be who he is at his core.

So, in short, someone told Ian to fix 25YL... and it’s not good. I know Ian’s a good writer, but not even he could fix 25YL. I also sincerely apologize to everyone for what I’m about to drag you into. This was really painful to read.

So, 25YL (Flynn Edition) kicks off with establishing how King Sonic fixed the world from collapsing by travelling back in time. The result of it was the future being changed, though, and we’re greeted with this:

*stares numbly at the page*

I’m not even going to pretend I don’t know who did this for the sake of suspension. This is just ridiculous.

Shadow, why the hell did you set up a statue of Maria as an angel and made the Mobians worship her?! I agree with Tails here - this isn’t right, but for completely different reasons. The first page made me already want to close this comic and never touch it again, but alas, I must soldier on.

The comic establishes that Shadow is the current King of Mobius, with Knuckles as his enforcer, which just feels weird (and I always imagined Shadow to be more of a Knight than a King).

We then finally meet his Highness for the first time, King Shadow, decked out in full royal regalia and torturing an older Rotor. After not getting any answer, he leaves the room, and is met by OC!Echidna Lien-Da (I don’t like her), thanking her for bringing Rotor over to be interrogated.

*sighs*

Okay, this is King Shadow’s first appearance and alarms are already blaring in my head. I cannot overstate enough just how wrong and painful this feels to see and read. It’s like someone grabbed Shadow and just brainwashed him into this dictatorial and militaristic version of himself who just screams “I’m the bad guy!”.

You know what’s funny, tho? I actually don’t think that King Shadow is wrong as a concept. As a matter of fact, we already had Shadow deciding to conquer the world in the video game Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), that being in the True Dark Ending - Dark Mission (where he decides to destroy the world because he gave up on humanity), the Dark Ending - Dark Mission (where he sides with Black Doom and becomes his enforcer), the True Dark Ending - Hero Mission (where he overthrows Black Doom and decides to conquer the universe), the Neutral Ending - Hero Mission (where he is - somehow - convinced he’s an android and decides to take down the Eggman Empire and make androids rule Earth).

So, yeah, Conqueror Shadow isn’t a new concept, but the difference is that in ShtH, it is at least somewhat explained that he’s either brainwashed (either by Black Doom or Prof. Gerald) and/or has given up on humanity... or thinks he’s an android (probably still influenced by the events of Sonic Heroes, but not less weird). The point here that is that there seems to be a somewhat solid explanation to why he has snapped (and Snapcube has him decide to become the President of USA/King of Hell, and I would legit vote for him).

King Shadow, on the other hand, feels like someone flipped a switch. He just woke up one day and chose violence, and it is really uncomfortable to see him like this.

Here’s also a little tidbit I found on the Sonic Wiki:

Ian has stated that there is no official reason for why Shadow became a tyrannical ruler after killing Eggman and destroying his empire.

So, yeah, King Shadow really did wake up and chose violence.

So, to continue, after he talks to Lien-Da about “thanking” Rotor, King Shadow reveals how he cannot lose this world, and how he had done too much good for it to be stopped now.

Okay, this is actually kind of interesting. King Shadow sees himself as some sort of heroic figure, using his militaristic forces to stop any kind of conspiracies against him so he can keep on ruling. He wants to protect the planet by controlling it, which I think is actually an interesting idea.

Obviously, his rule isn’t going to last much longer, since King Sonic is back and ready to kick ass... and honestly, I’m seriously debating whether I want to show the next image, because it just gets worse.

You know what, screw it.

I bet you haven’t thought you’d see Sonic as a hobo. Neither was I. Nothing could prepare me for this. Sonic is just there, sitting, doing nothing, throwing himself a pity party.

This is so wrong on so many levels. The Sonic I know wouldn’t allow this to happen. Instead, he would run right up to the castle, kick the doors down and fight Shadow in an attempt to set things right... not this.

There is also a nice moment between him and Tails (and later a nice scene with Knuckles), but let’s skip ahead to the next part. Again, this is supposed to be an analysis on King Shadow, with some added bits that had personally irked me (Hobo!Sonic being the prime example), not a whole plot analysis like I do with IDW!Sonic.

After finding his resolve to fight back, Sonic and Knuckles burst into the throne room, finding King Shadow and Queen Sally. Now, we learn later that Sally basically married Shadow to bring some balance and stability to the kingdom, and protect it from his tyrannical rule (not seeing any success here, Sal), but I have to ask: Why? Why was this necessary? Like, I may not be a fan of Sally, but I know that she is a fighter, so why didn’t she try to lead a rebellion against Shadow? She did the same when SatAM!Robotnik was around, so did she just give up?

I mean, I understand that Shadow is pretty much one of the strongest characters in the Archie!Universe, but still... nothing? No resistance?

Oh, and speaking of Robotnik/Eggman:

It was hinted at that Shadow took down Eggman before becoming king. When writer Ian Flynn was asked how Eggman died in the Light Mobius universe, he said "Any events happening between the present and the maybe-future will be teased at best. That said, the original M25YL revealed that Knuckles vaporized Eggman and had to be stopped by Sonic. I figure the same events unfolded but with Shadow replacing Sonic."

So, I guess that’s answered. I still don’t like the execution.

Moving on, Knuckles gets Sally out of the throne room, while Sonic fights Shadow. Shadow easily dodges it, sneering at Sonic.

This is followed by Shadow throwing away his cape and beating Sonic up, telling Sonic how he’s old and past his prime, and how as The Ultimate Lifeform, he never ages... so, Vegeta moment?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In any case, Sonic is beaten, and I’m asking again... Why? Sure, at this point, Sonic is in his 40s (still can’t believe I’m saying that, it feels so weird), but I’m pretty sure he can still fight. Hell, Shadow didn’t even use his Chaos Powers, so why couldn’t Sonic at least put up a proper fight, even if he does lose at the end?

I know that I’m just complaining here, but compare the fight above to this one:

I don’t know about you, but I prefer their fight in IDW more. Not only were they on equal footing, but this fight was less about Shadow proving himself to be superior, and more a challenge of their ideals, with Shadow insisting on killing Mr. Tinker and Sonic wanting to keep Mr. Tinker alive. Yeah, Sonic still loses (thanks to tripping on a root), but it still feels more satisfying than him being knocked down in a spin-dash, kick to the gut and punch to the face.

So, how is King Shadow defeated then?

In comes Lara-Su (to note, she’s not among my favorite characters), Knuckles’ daughter, who dodges Shadow’s attacks and goads him into using his Chaos Powers while also demonstrating her own.

Shadow throws Chaos Spears at her, which Lara-Su deflects, chanting Tikal’s prayer and using Chaos Control on Shadow, freezing him in place.

I don’t really know what to say about this. It is just... anti-climactic. Like, would Shadow really lose like this?

*shakes head*

You know what, I at least gotta give credit to Ian Flynn for trying to clean up the mess Penders left behind, but this story is just not my cup of tea. Shadow feels just wrong and Hobo!Sonic wasn’t something I wanted to see.

So, is that it? No more 25YL? No more King Shadow?

I’m sorry to inform you, but it’s not over yet. We still have 30YL and I’m still asking: why is anyone going back to this story?

I will let Sasha Cat sum up what happened:

Honestly, the expression she made about the wedding between Shadow and Sally mirrored my own. I hate it.

However, I do like the fact that Shadow is using the Black Arms logo as his symbol during the conquest. Black Doom must be proud of him.

Anyways, to sum up events, King Sonic and Queen Sally are happily married, Lien-Da and her mooks try to assassinate the royal couple, Lara-Su and Silver keep them safe, Sonic goes back into action in an attempt to deal with the situation, so Lien-Da calls for reinforcements:

King Shadow is back for Round 2! I have to admit, 30YL is definitely better than 25YL, but only by a small margin, and I still don’t like it. Not to mention, this Sonic Universe story came out right after The Shadow Saga, a fantastic arc where Shadow came to terms with who he is, internalizing how, even if he gets kicked down, he can learn from his mistakes and get back up, and formed Team Dark together with Rouge and Omega.

It is really jarring to just have King Shadow shoved right after an arc that developed his past/alternate self as a character. Like sure, here’s Shadow, who just had a moment of self-reflection, relying on his friends to help him, and here’s King Shadow, who wants to rule Mobius with an iron fist and fear.

As a side-note, tho, I like this cover. Not gonna lie, King Shadow does look badass in this pose.

Anyways, going back into the main plot, Lien-Da fills Shadow in on what happened after Lara-Su froze him with Chaos Control. Shadow is shocked that five years have passed, then walks away and tells Lien-Da to keep talking.

Lien-Da is ready to help King Shadow regain control over Mobius, but King Shadow refuses, much to her confusion (and I’m not gonna comment on the “Maria’s Wish” code; it has really uncomfortable implications), and explains how this world needs to be punished for its inaction.

Lien-Da is shocked when she sees what Shadow plans on using.

It is a glass orb filled with a green liquid, with Shadow calling out for Tikhaos. We see a shape in the form of none other but Tikal, being lonely and hungry, with Shadow promising to release her. Lien-Da pleads with Shadow not to do this.

Lien-Da tells him how she released Shadow to bring back his stern rule and to not release Tikhaos (which I assume to be a fusion of Tikal and Chaos, although I have no clue how she came to exist).

Shadow, clearly having enough of Lien-Da’s protests, asks her about the armband, which protects her from the shift in the time-line. Side note:

Ian Flynn revealed in an Ask Ian podcast that Shadow's knowledge of events in the previous timeline was due to Lien-Da's information.

When Lien-Da confirms this, Shadow just breaks it off, causing Lien-Da to vanish from existence. Okay, I didn’t like her, but this is kinda brutal. He basically killed her... or maybe she doesn’t even exist in this future?

Shadow then turns to Tikhaos, smirking as she tells her how it’s time to reintroduce her to the world. Honestly, seeing Shadow like this isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s plain disturbing. He looks like a maniac, as if something in his mind just snapped.

Tikhaos begs for Chaos Energy, which Shadow is happy to supply, removing his Inhibitor Ring and not caring anymore when he’s told that King Sonic has retaken the castle.

“Let him have it. It does him no good now.”

He forcefully feeds Tikhaos more energy than she can handle, with the echidna mooks running away when they realize that King Shadow is going to destroy them all, while Shadow remains calm, completely serene.

Again, I’m actually disturbed by this behavior. Are we sure that Black Doom hasn’t brainwashed him somehow?

Anyways, Tikhaos has turned into a complete monster resembling Perfect Chaos and is attacking the city, leaving Sonic and co. to deal with her. As for King Shadow:

He apologizes to Maria for what he has done. He tried to lead by example, but when they didn’t see it, he tried to lead by force. He was rejected. He wanted to bring peace, but the world demanded chaos, so he’ll let Tikhaos ravage the world, wash it clean and let it suffer... and when they learned their lesson, he will return to lead them to peace he desperately wanted for them.

Absolutely not a fan of this. It feels so forced, especially since the last Sonic Universe arc was about Shadow moving on. I love Ian Flynn’s writing, but this is one of the worst stories I’ve read that he had written.

And this is also the last we see of King Shadow.

Honestly, I’m glad Worlds Collide happened and changed the universe. I really didn’t want to see more of this. Not to mention, Post-SGW!Shadow is a real treat.

So, King Shadow? What are my thoughts on him now after re-reading the story?

Honestly, he’s a good concept, but the execution is awful. Even though Shadow as a conqueror exists in the Shadow the Hedgehog video game, we still know that those paths aren’t canon to the main story. The Shadow we know is a protector of the world, but he wouldn’t go this far to protect it, becoming a villain. King Shadow really comes off as unhinged and his personality switch feels like it came out of nowhere.

Again, if you like this story, more power to you, but I don’t. To me, this is the worst Shadow has ever been written. It just feels so unnecessary, so wrong... and I’m glad it doesn’t exist anymore.

If you guys want my thoughts on how I would write a King Shadow story, leave a comment and I might write down the concept for it.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch Sonic Prime. I need to clear my mind of what I just read and I just want to see Shadow trying to save the world without being a villain.

EDIT: Here’s my own take on the King Shadow storyline:

#King Shadow (The Alternate Story)

An alternate take to the Light Mobius story:

Isekai'd As My Past Self (Sonic the Hedgehog AU Story)

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

#king shadow #shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #king sonic #archie sonic #silver the hedgehog #sonic universe #I don't like King Shadow.#sonic idw #sonic boom #sonic prime #mobius 25 years later #mobius 30 years later #Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer

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