#that's like the price of 1 brand new comic issue

[lucinagf]

my cipher cards so far:

archanea: 14

jugdral: 22

elibe/magvel: 8

tellius: 4

ylisse: 4

nohr/hoshido: 4

fódlan: 2

colorless: 4

#i started feb 2021 #the.. bias is showing but it's mainly because someone recently put up a lot of like. 15 jugdral cards for 250 (5 usd equivalent i think) an #i got SUPER excited #that's like the price of 1 brand new comic issue #but funny thing is that with all those jugdral cards i don't have Sigurd ... lol #and i have more gen 1 than i do gen 2 #i really wanna look for a jamke card #i have an aideen! #though i like her more with midir (for the angst) they're also so very sweet together #actually i have a dew as well #might as well get all the people in love with her 😭 #ramblings

[timdoubleyou]

i found jay’s black jacket (an ID guide)

This black jacket is worn by Jay about 9 times throughout Marble Hornets, including his final appearance. And after some weeks of on-and-off research, I think I know the exact make and model.

This post will detail exactly how I found it, and serve as a guide for anyone that wants to find the jacket, whether that's for cosplay purposes, or if you're just keen on collecting items related to MH.

Main post under the cut

Intro

The first step to identifying the jacket was to gather as many references as possible.

I went back to the web series and took screenshots from any entries the jacket makes an appearance. (shoutout to mg549′s very comprehensive MH wardrobe guide, without it this would’ve been much more of a pain)

Jay's jacket is, for the most part, very plain. It's a solid color, full-zip jacket, without any particularly eye-catching logos or other details. I had to look for moments where even the slightest distinction appeared clear on camera, at least as distinct as it can be. Even if it was just close-ups to get the shape of a zipper, or how many buttons are on a sleeve, it was the best I got. While I did manage to find a decent amount of these, there was just one crucial detail that would've made finding it near-impossible; the brand is never shown. Thankfully, I had another resource.

In 2018 Troy Sold a Lot of Stuff

In early 2018, Troy officially announced that MH would be continued in a comic series. To fund the first issue, he held a number of auctions for production items used during the web series on Ebay.

These included items such as Jay’s camera, Brian’s hoodie, A Masky mask, and Jay’s black jacket.

Lo and behold, the jacket listing includes a picture with the brand in clear view. It's from Gap.

Ebay does not archive sold listings older than 90 days. However, Worthpoint, a website for valuing and pricing collectibles, does. Using Worthpoint I was able to find all of these items, (and a lot more, which can be found in this doc I submitted to Archive Hornets)

Identification

With the picture from the listing and the series screencaps, I had a complete ID list.

(Top image is from the Ebay listing, with the contrast adjusted a little for easier viewing. The bottom two images are from Entry #79)

The Gap logo (This specific logo dates the jacket being made anywhere between 1986 and 2009, when it first appears).

Front Zipper (Note the shape)

The two front pockets

The two buttons and pointed cuffs on each sleeve (Second one is a little hard to see but it's jusstt peeping out at the side)

The blue piping in the inner lining

The zipper in the right side inner lining

The gray mesh inner lining

With these in mind, I could now go to the next and longest step-

Finding the Jacket

I combed three resell sites; Ebay, Depop, and Poshmark. My main goal wasn't to actually purchase the jacket, (although, I would like to at some point) but to find a jacket listing that had every identifier, and have a more definite baseline for finding others. I needed to be sure what I had was enough to properly ID the jacket. The references I had stitched together were decent enough, but I wanted to see if there was something better out there.

After tons of page scrolling and tab-switching and comparing and contrasting, I finally got lucky.

(first two images are from crashthecloset's listing on poshmark, last six are from shannfo-76 on ebay)

I haven't bought one myself as of posting, but I feel pretty confident this is it. The jackets were already sold, but every marker seemed to be accounted for. It also revealed new ones, like the reflective pattern and pockets on the inner lining, (zipper on the right side pocket, button on the left pocket) and the materials tag.

With that, here's some final notes that may be helpful if you try looking for the jacket yourself:

Online sellers often describe it as a light jacket, a windbreaker, a 2-in-1, or 3-in-1.

"Gap Mens Black Jacket" is the search phrase I used the most since it yielded a (very) broad result pool.

Most of the jackets I found came from Poshmark or Ebay.

The exact size of Jay’s jacket is unclear. My best guesses are either a US Men’s S or M, since Jay was pretty skinny and of average height. I’ve only been able to find maybe 2 jackets that are a size M, one of which is the first pic in the photoset above.

Gap has sold other black jackets that look remarkably similar to Jay’s, and they do pop up on resell sites. One of these was so similar, the only discernible difference was the style of the logo. I highly recommend making sure it matches the exact one Jay had before purchasing. (It's also more than fine to ask/msg me if you have any doubts!) As long as you know what to look for, you shouldn’t have a problem finding at least one.

One detail that confounded me was this sleeve poking out of Jay's jacket. At first I thought he was wearing a long sleeve underneath, making this shot a continuity error since he appeared to Only be wearing the green short sleeve under the jacket.

@hivemite pointed out that this might be a two-in-one jacket, which has multiple layers for different types of weather. While I have not been able to see the sleeve outside of two shots in entry #79 and #80, one listing I found did describe it as a 3-in-1.

that's about it! hope this helps :)

#marble hornets #jay merrick #ref #over and out #long post #happy entry 80 day. heres some extra tidbits just for the tags #at least two listings called this y2k which is really funny. #it is also strangely difficult to find these in sizes smaller than large #another thing kinda related. worthpoint is a shitty site unfortunately #as you can see with the jacket description. in which it apparently ‘‘works and comes with a charging cable’’ #<- i mean that Couldve been an error on the original ebay listing #however that is. impossible to verify now unless someone somewhere had a screenshot #but each mh item from this particular auction there had consistently bad errors that inclines me to say that wasnt the case #ok this went too long for a few extra tidbits but can you tell i lost my mind

[handsofdarkness]

WITHIN TEMPTATION Teams Up With OPUS COMICS For New Series

Symphonic metal band WITHIN TEMPTATION is bringing its unique vision of the future to comic audiences with a brand new series from Opus Comics based on the group's 2019 album "Resist" and 2021 virtual concert "Aftermath".

Set in the distant future, an endless battle rages between two species — an advanced but inherently humanoid species ruled by a techno-organic matriarch on one side, and a cruel race of alien artificial intelligences on the other. Multiple stories collide to paint a sweeping portrait of the matriarch's life and her struggle to balance what she was created to be with the impossible forces that shape her.

In order to bring this story to the comic book page, the band has teamed up with acclaimed YA author Marieke Nijkamp and heavy metal artist Montos to flesh out their dystopian world.

WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist and co-founder Sharon Den Adel says: "'The Purge' cover star Genesis has come to life on our stage and in different merchandise designs, and now she will be taking you on the biggest quest of her life — in both our next album as well as in our comic book series.

"Teaming up with Opus for this seemed like the logical decision, as they are a heavyweight in creating comic books and only work with the best designers and storytellers. We can't wait to show you the final result! We hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!"

The first issue will be available in a limited-edition print run featuring an exclusive numbered foil cover by Agustin Alessio ("Star Wars", "Avengers", "Thor: God Of Thunder") direct from Incendium Online, with a newsstand edition in comic stores this May for wide retail release.

"The symphonic splendor of WITHIN TEMPTATION has always transported listeners to other worlds, and experiencing those songs supported by the incredible set design of recent stage shows and virtual performances presented a wonderful opportunity to explore their futuristic vision with an all-new narrative," says Incendium and Opus Comics founder Llexi Leon. "Today, the battle against AI is suddenly a very real topic, particularly for artists and other creatives, which is reflected in the story of the matriarch and her struggle."

"Within Temptation" #1 is the first in a three-part mini-series at 40 pages long, and is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' March Previews catalogue for May release at Opus Comics' signature $6.66 price point. Fans can also buy a numbered limited-edition version of the book with foil treatment.

Legendary leaders of dark anthemic music, with a career spanning two decades and with seven studio albums under their belt, WITHIN TEMPTATION are a genuine force to be reckoned with. Simply, they are one of the world's most successful heavy rock groups. In 2020 and 2021, the band released "Entertain You", "The Purge" and "Shed My Skin", singles that all peaked in the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator charts and topped the official German charts. The band's work has received numerous international awards, including a World Music Award, MTV Europe Music Awards, a Metal Hammer Award, and many more.

#within temptation #comic #resist #the aftermath #2023 news

[decepti-thots]

Hey you said that some of the transformers comics were jumping in price bc of paper shortages and limited prints due to poor sales. Is that true basically across the board, and they might go down if IDW prints more of them? I'm trying to collect the phase two hardcover collections and for some reason I can find all of them at retail price or lower, but there's like 3 copies of volume 5 online at any given time and they're 3-4x the retail price, and it's driving me crazy. (and the fact that it looks like phase 3 doesn't include the last 2-3 volumes-worth or so, and I can't tell if they just haven't published it yet, or it's going from limbo straight to never-published hell thanks to the reboot and IP sale...)

Ohhh this is about my SotW TPB post I take it?

So all the below is 100% conjecture for the record, and it is perfectly likely that I am wrong in every regard, but this is just what I've seen discussed these past few years in both fandom and publishing generally. Grain of salt, etc. Sorry to go into wayyy more detail than you asked for anon, but I figure while we're here and since I've seen people ask similar questions, may as well give all the advice I have to offer!

So yes, the reason they have jumped in price is they're out of print, period, and it is indeed more or less across the board bar brand new releases (which are likely getting 1-2 printings tops) as far as anyone can tell. We think this has been the case for a while, actually. A lot of stuff just didn't fully sell out everywhere so the last few copies in stock made it seem "in print" for a lot of titles, but then when IDW lost the license and people ran to buy up copies, well. Turns out those were just leftovers, mostly? So the prices started going way up.

The hypothesis in fandom is that IDW has almost certainly been running on a 'reprint only if needed' policy for at least some of their books for quite some time now, putting off doing new print runs for trades to avoid slapping a lot of cash down for a run that might take years to sell out and fully make a profit. Because again, publishing right now is expensive and risky for various reasons, so the threshold gets higher and higher before you want to go for it, especially for something as high-cost as full colour comics, especially for smaller print runs period.

So the stuff that the original print runs of haven't sold out yet are going for RRP, and that includes a lot of the more recent books, plus just some random older ones. Once they sell out, the price skyrockets. This leads to weird, random stuff being way more expensive, like volume 5 of the IDW phase 2 collection as you said, or volume 8 of MTMTE (saw one of those go for £110 not long ago).

(Also, stuff that came out before this was likely to be quite so big an issue isn't as badly hit even once out of print. LSotW is much cheaper than SotW despite both being out of print and both being in high demand. Why? LSotW probably got more and/or larger print runs. Not just because it's been out longer, but because when it was out, IDW may not have been as shy about when they reprinted stuff. See also: AHM is cheap as hell still, it's not as in demand and they probably just... printed way more copies total before the problem struck.)

For most of the TF stuff that's just sort of. It, really. They're not re-printing when the license is going next year, why would you. Buy whatever you can now tbh, if it's worth it to you; there's already MTMTE volumes on UK ebay not only being offered for £100+ but bought for £100, which means it's not people trying their luck and failing.

For the hardback collection volumes, though, there is the caveat people have speculated whether it's remotely possible IDW have retained the rights to finish publishing the rest of those comics in that specific collection past 2022. That is PURE speculation to be clear and not backed up by anything solid. The sole reason a few people think this is that they are, as you say, going ahead with the next phase three omnibus release as late as September 2022, which neither brings them remotely close to finishing the series nor makes a lot of sense if they are hoping to get them all out before losing the license January 2023. So we're wondering if they're not scrapping it because the transfer of rights allowed them to keep those in print, in which case maaaaybe reprints of earlier volumes will happen... but on the other hand maybe they're just. Gonna release a random last volume and let it end uncompleted. WHO KNOWS.

All of this may be eased somewhat if the new rights holder chooses to re-print IDW1 comics to make some cash off them, of course! The caveat being, there's a lot of IDW1 comics that just aren't... well remembered or beloved the way stuff like e.g. Wreckers is, so unless they specifically pick up the hardback omnibus series that covers the entire run, it's unlikely we'll see every comic physically reprinted even then. Some of this stuff is probably never going to see a physical re-release. Alas. They're a lot more likely to do a fancy MTMTE/LL omnibus release than like. Any of the random IDW1 crossover comics. (Which, sure, they're not worth it or anything half the time, but on principle it makes me sad, haha.)

tl;dr: it's not likely to get better for these versions, and we won't know til it's too late if the new comic publisher will make new versions. sorry. :(

[nei-ning]

I had long weird dream but here's the part I remember the best.

I was walking past my current neighbor's front door and his aggressive German shepherd got out of the house, coming after me. I managed to get inside of my place but I couldn't shut the front door fully so the dog got his muzzle between the door and wall. However, he wasn't behaving aggressively (unlike in real life) so I let him in, still being on my toes, just in case. He behaved and was very friendly. I later went to see the neighbor, telling him the whole story while he had 2 women as visitors. Women who I have never seen in real life.

He was okay with the dog escaping, still a bit surprised of it as well. I then chatted with those women and they asked if I would like to join them for a shopping trip. I did, taking my sis with me.

We, all 4 women, sat in this one car, one of the women driving. When she parked the car in front of a shopping center, I noticed I had left in such a hurry I had forgot to wear pants or skirt! (I had panties on) I asked the driver lady, who came to open the backdoor for me, that does she have some extra clothes which I could borrow. She had white paper shopping bag, big one, with brand new clothes. She said there's something I could use. Well, only "good" thing what I found there was these very thing, white see-through, pants which also reminded me of a skirt in some weird way.

I started to pull them on, complaining something about them when the woman said I need to be very careful with them, not to break them because they were expensive (note: this woman was rich, wearing jewelry, furs and other fancy clothes). I asked how expensive and she said 22 euros. I looked at her, then saying that's not expensive. That's normal price for a cloth in Finland. I was expecting 50 euros or more. She got offended, snorting at me: "Not everyone buy their clothes from New York."

My jaw almost dropped but I replied to her: "I have never been in New York!" (like I haven't but wish one day I could)

That was the end of the conversation and I got out of the car. I headed to this small Japanese lantern looking stall which was outside. It was made of wood and you fitted in it on your knees. I went in, noticing few small cute keychains and pouches. In order to go through, apparently, in another place or dimension to shop, you had to pay something. I had 2 euro's coin, putting it in one of the cute plushie pouches. The back of the stall opened and I crawled out.

Outside was sunnier area, because it was early or late winter with snow where I came from, and people were really chatty in this mall. There were lots of different shops etc. I ended in one big jewelry shop which also had huge Okami mask / head. I admired it, continuing my tour. When I stopped in one Cafe to sit, I noticed I had lost my wallet! My sister came to me, me sobbing wildly while telling her my situation while, still, digging my bag looking for my wallet.

Next to me sat young Japanese woman and my sister was now on the phone, calling to some other Japanese person (maybe this mall's customer service) but since she didn't speak / understand Japanese all that well yet, she turned to ask help from this Japanese woman. My sister told her she only need to press button number 1 and tell my situation in Japanese. This lady said she could do it but the issue was she couldn't concentrate on the phone if she had nothing to read. Luckily I was able to help. I had buy 3 small books and one of them was a comic book (manga). This lady took it, starting to read while handing my situation on the phone.

I had strong feeling I had forgot my wallet in that small lantern stall, somehow without noticing it, because that had been the only place where I had used my wallet or money overall.

Never got united with my wallet since I woke up.

#Text #Dream #Neis dream #Shopping #6.4.2023

[64bitgamer]

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Shaw’s 2020 Birthday R&S

🍒Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an R&S which has not been released in EN!🍒

[Prologue]

The birthday event begins with MC in an antique store, in search of a moderately priced antique. She had asked Shaw for help since she’s been having difficulties finding one

Unexpectedly, Shaw gives her the keys to an antique store the next day, telling her to take whatever she wants

Even though MC knew early on that Shaw used to have a mentor who owned an antique store, she still feels strange about it - she’s unable to associate antiques, which are filled with rich history and culture, with Shaw

She wonders if Shaw visited this antique store regularly in his childhood

She notices that a drawer is open:

There are several yellowed exercise books lying inside, and “Shaw” is written on the bottom right corner of the covers in pencil.

MC: Could these be Shaw’s exercise books when he was young?

Curious, I take out these “major discoveries” from the drawer, my mind whirring with countless questions.  

At the back of my mind, I have a feeling that this place has a special meaning to Shaw.

MC: Maybe, for Shaw’s birthday…

While I’m thinking, something else in the drawer attracts my attention.

There are three copper coins, the colours antique, under sheets of writing paper. Covered in dust, they seem to be calling out to me voicelessly.

~

[Chapter 1: Exam Results]

At 4pm on a Friday afternoon, the math teacher wraps up her final point and closes the lesson plan.

The black board is decorated with the homework for the weekend. The teacher pushes up her spectacles. There is a big stack of exam papers on the table. “Last week’s exam scripts have been marked. Come and take them when I call your name.”

“This time round, most of you have improved. Only one student did not pass.” She takes up the exam script at the very top, flips it open, her eyes sweeping across the last row of the classroom, stopping at the seat at the very corner.

“Shaw.”

Hearing his own name being read, Shaw unwillingly stuffs the interesting comics underneath the table, taking his time to stand up. At the same time, the whole class cannot help but turn around and look at him evenly.

Sensing the surprised and teasing looks in their eyes, Shaw instead raises his head high and walks forward, stuffing a hand into his pocket with a devil-may-care attitude.

Taking the exam script from the teacher, Shaw stands in place, flipping through the script to look at the questions he got wrong.

Well, he did get more questions wrong than expected…

But math itself as a subject is annoying. It’s fine if he doesn’t do well.

He folds the exam script, folds it again, and again, before stuffing it into his pocket, turning around to return to his seat.

The teacher’s eyes unhappily trail behind Shaw, before she once again talks in a serious tone. “This time, everyone has to have their parents sign the exam script. I’ll check them on Monday afternoon.”

Shaw raises his eyebrows in mild disdain. It’s just a signature after all.

The old man copies the calligraphy of the Tang and Song dynasties so perfectly that even experts cannot tell. A mere signature wouldn’t be difficult.

He retrieves the stack of comics from underneath the table and puts them into his bag. With sufficient preparation for the end of school, he waits for the end-of-class bell to sound.

~

[Chapter 2: After School]

Entering June, the cicadas grow increasingly chirpier.

Over 60 years old, the antique shop shopkeeper sits on a rocking chair, fanning himself while checking Shaw’s homework. The prescription of his reading glasses is too shallow, and he has to squint. “The way you write this… Why does it look like a dog crawling. It’s so crooked.”

Shaw takes an eraser to erase a sentence he has copied wrongly. He cleans it till there is not a trace of it left. In an elevated volume, he answers, “It doesn’t matter if the words look ugly as long as I didn’t write it wrongly.”

While saying this, he feels through his pockets and takes out two exam scripts. “My teacher says this one needs a signature.”

Taking the script from him, the shopkeeper laughs until he rocks back and forth. “Kid, it’s fine if you don’t score well, but your luck couldn’t be any worse. Even if you take wild guesses, you couldn’t have gotten such low marks.”

He sits upright, sighing a few times. He folds up his fan and takes out a ball-point pen from his front pocket. With a practiced motion, he signs them.

He sighs deeply. “Shaw, since I’m not your parent, I shouldn’t be teaching you anything.”

Shaw had just closed his pencil box with a “pa”. Hearing his mentor sigh, he takes out his exercise books from his bag again, before returning to a state of studying. “All right, all right, I know what you’re going to say…”

“I won’t talk about big life lessons. Your school teacher would have talked about it more than I have. From today onwards, apart from the homework your teacher has given you, you are to write two pages worth of math questions, and copy a short essay every day. Only after you’re done will I teach you my craft.” He stands up, holding a tea cup and walking towards Shaw. “Whether you agree or not, give me an exact answer.”

Shaw doesn’t make a sound but merely furrows his eyebrows.

The shopkeeper laughs. “Just look at your capabilities - even a math question can stump you. If you can’t handle this small difficulty, how can you think of yielding something big?”

“I’ve never found math difficult. I simply don’t like math.” Shaw sets aside his exercise paper and takes out a brand new sheet. “Next time, I’ll let you sign an exam script that has 100 marks.”

“Wow, look who’s ambitious.”  

“Hmph, this is nothing.”

~

[Chapter 3: After School]

There is only one class on Wednesday afternoon. After school, Shaw carries his bag and runs towards the shop.

Once he enters, he sees his mentor eating some kind of medicine – small white and yellow pills in his palm.

“Why are you here at this time? Oh it’s… I forgot, it’s Wednesday today.” The shopkeeper talks while he turns around to walk into the kitchen. “Put down your bag and wash your hands. I bought a big watermelon!”

Shaw knows the old man has high blood pressure, some heart issues… He doesn’t have a concept of these things, but knows that it isn’t something good.

Without a sound, he puts his bag down and takes out his exercise books and practice questions.

“Don’t rush to do your homework, come eat some watermelon first.” The shopkeeper puts half a watermelon into Shaw’s arms and guides him to the outside of the store, bringing two small stools over for them to sit.

The watermelon, which was just taken out of the fridge, glistens with water droplets. The red flesh has a spoon stuck in it. Shaw scoops a big chunk from the middle. It’s very sweet.

The shopkeeper is also holding half a watermelon, but eats very slowly. Noticing Shaw staring at him, he sighs and shakes his head. “I’m old, so I can’t just eat these cold things…”

While saying this, he looks towards the drawer inside the store. “Your mentor is 62 this year.”

“When people become old, they love to talk about reason. They don’t want you to walk the crooked path they have because it’s a waste of time. You’re still young, so you think you have a lot of time to spare, so you don’t notice. I want to teach you that this is wrong. You need to spend the time of walking down a crooked path to do other things.”

After saying this, he points towards the whole street lined with antique shops. “You can’t just look at these. Learning calligraphy and painting today, and tomorrow jade, and thinking you’re living a serious life. Spending months and years to take care of this palm-sized shop – You can’t live like this. You are my disciple, and I will teach you all my skills. But apart from this, you still have to learn other things. Whatever you can learn, learn it all, and learn it well.

“You have to look at the big world, craft a career, aim higher, be more forward looking…”

He looks at Shaw affectionately. “Put in more effort, learn all my skills, and then get out of here!”

Shaw turns towards the watermelon and lets out a glum “humph”. “You’re old, but I’m still young. I still can’t differentiate plus minus multiply and divide. You’re old so you should be the one putting in more effort to live for a long time, so I can take my time to learn all these things.”

It’s summer, so the night comes late. The clock already signals the time as 6pm, but the light has not yet dispersed.

Shaw puts a brush back into the drawer, takes off his gloves and wipes the sweat off his forehead. “Old man, I’m hungry. Why not let me join you for dinner?”

In the kitchen, the shopkeeper is washing vegetables. He takes out a small box from the fridge, pulls back the curtains and returns to the shop.

“I didn’t cook your portion, but you can eat this if you’re hungry.” He removes the cover of the small paper box, and Shaw’s eyes widen.

“What, you think I wouldn’t remember your birthday?” The shopkeeper retrieves a cake from the paper box, and removes the plastic surrounding it. “Once you’re done eating, go home quickly!”

Shaw takes a spoon, muttering in a small voice, “It doesn’t matter if I go home late anyway.”

“Today is different. A child’s birthday is the same day as a mother’s suffering… But you’re too young and still can’t understand this. On other days it’s fine, but today is different…” The shopkeeper holds up his tea cup and goes to the counter.

[Note: The actual phrase is: “儿子生日母亲的苦日”, which doesn’t have a direct English translation. The meaning is that the day a child is born is also the day the mother suffers in childbirth to bring him into the world]

“I don’t know why adults don’t have an issue with you hanging out here all the time. But I can tell that you wear clean clothes every day, and that your shoes are polished. These are because of your parents. Let this old man add one line of reason – if you’re angry with your parents, you’ll regret it eventually.”

Shaw lowers his head, biting the spoon and says evasively, “No one’s angry with them.”

“You don’t call this being angry? It’s not that I’m picking on you, but boys should manage their tempers better. If you’re unhappy, you have to say it straight out, don’t just keep it boiling in your heart without a sound and then wait for someone to come coddle you. With your personality, in future, you’ll become a person who never speaks from the heart. Even when you’re with someone you like, you’d put on a front – That wouldn’t be good.”

“Old man, what are you thinking all day long?” Shaw retorts, not bothering to clean his mouth which has been dirtied with cream. “I will never have someone I like. I play soccer with a few guys in class, and they spend the entire day talking about who they like. It’s so annoying.”

The shopkeeper laughs at how Shaw says this with an air of righteousness. “Which is why I say you’re still young.”

Shaw digs into his cake and lets out a “hmph”. “I’m not young. I just haven’t grown taller.”

The shopkeeper sips his tea. “Guys do take longer to grow. Maybe you’ll be taller than me in two years.”

“Two years is way too long,” the plastic spoon dangles from Shaw’s mouth. “The best thing would be to wake up one day and suddenly be taller. Mm… I want to grow to this height. No.”

He stands on a chair, using his hands to gesture until he is satisfied. “At least here.”

The shopkeeper responds with a sweeping gaze, “That’s 180cm though.”

“180cm is very good.” Shaw sits back on the chair contentedly. “I’ll make a wish to grow to 180cm.”

~

[Chapter 5: Fate]

The shopkeeper looks at the clock on the wall, and slowly puts down his teacup.

“Since it’s your birthday, I’ll read your fortune.” He pulls open the drawer and takes out three old copper coins.

Shaw finishes up the last bite of cake and throws the packaging into a bin. “You’ve already read my fortune many times and the results are always the same. Yet you’re doing it again?”

The shopkeeper looks slightly down, but his voice remains calm. “I have nothing else to do anyway.”

The first throw, one heads and two tails.

The second throw, one heads and two tails.

The third throw, two heads and one tails.

…It’s really not much different from the last reading.

The shopkeeper shakes his head, his hand ready for the fourth throw. The copper coins fall on the table with a jingle, and a combination which has never been seen before appears – all three are negative.

“Wow, there’s a change!” The shopkeeper says in a higher pitch than usual.

In the middle of downing his drink, Shaw almost falls off his chair at the shopkeeper’s sudden outburst.

The jingles from the copper coins continue. The final two throws are no longer the same ones as before.

Shaw looks at the coins. “What does this mean?”

“It means that in the future, you will definitely not always be alone.” The shopkeeper rubs Shaw’s head with a bright smile on his face. “I was always worried about what would happen to you, with such a stubborn personality, if I weren’t around anymore…”

“Of course I wouldn’t always be alone. I’m not alone now.”

Shaw puts the three copper coins in his hands, looking like he doesn’t take the reading to heart – He has his family, pretty good friends, a few friends from the neighbouring class who buy tidbits with him. His life will continue this way.

Even though it’s a little boring, but he wouldn’t be alone.

“Also, old man, you won’t have any problems, and will definitely live for a very long time.”

Shaw speaks, and softly repeats the sentence, “You will definitely live for a very long time.”

The dusk has begun to settle outside. The shopkeeper holds the copper coins between his fingers, and gently sighs. “That’s why I say you’re still young.”

~

[Chapter 6: Birthday Present]

After packing his bag, Shaw looks at the clock on the wall – he should reach home by 7pm, just in time for dinner.

“You’re leaving already? You don’t want your birthday gift?”

The shopkeeper appears from behind the counter, tossing his gaze to the cupboard. “It’s been there for a whole day and you still haven’t found it yet.”

Usually displaying antiques, the drawer now has within it a box wrapped in colourful paper. Shaw curiously walks over and rips off the packaging, revealing a small wooden box.

A dark brown Rosewood bracelet rests in his hand.

In his eyes, this is something only an adult can have.

At his age, he would have received books, stationery, toys or models – none of which he likes.

He is always treated like a child, but he has grown up since a long time ago.

“This bracelet isn’t something expensive, it isn’t that much of an antique, but it is made of quality Rosewood.”

“If you’re bored, you can play with this, and learn to manage your temperament. You’re still young, so it’s fine if you’re still impatient and stubborn. But if you continue with this little attitude of yours, you’d lose out eventually.”

“In this line of work, you need to have patience. One, only when you manage your emotions would you remain focused. Two, good things come to those who wait.”

“The change in your life is also something you will have to wait for.”

These words completely fly over Shaw’s head. He puts the bracelet onto this wrist, coils it around multiple times until it can stay on.

“In future, no matter what you face, you have to be calm, and be patient.” The shopkeeper gently taps Shaw’s head, and frowns. “Have you committed all this to memory?”

Shaw rubs his head, his eyes still trained on his present, completely engrossed with it. “Ahh – yes I remember, I remember!”

“What do you remember?”

“Remember… that I have to hurry home for dinner!” Shaw turns around and grabs his bag, disappearing out of the shop. Before that, he raises the hand that dons the bracelet and waves.

The stars flicker, and the light is reflected in Shaw’s eyes. His eyes are smiling.

#mlqc cn #mlqc #mlqc shaw #love and producer #mlqc spoilers

[collectorscorner]

CC Blogger - New Arrivals @ Collectors Corner : Wednesday 3/24/21

Collectors Corner Parkville - HQ : OPEN for IN STORE SHOPPING with Strong Safety Measures in Place (Hand Sanitizing Stations, Masks Required for All, Social Distancing Required, Limited Capacity, CURBSIDE Pick Up Optional) - According to Baltimore County Guidelines. 1-410-668-3353.

CC Parkville - 2020/2021 STORE HOURS, Sunday 12-6, Mon-Tues 12-7, Wed 9-8, Thurs 11-7, Friday & Saturday 11-8

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CC Bel Air - 2020/2021 STORE HOURS, Sunday 11-5, Monday/Tuesday - Closed, Wednesday 11-8, Thursday 11-7, Friday/Saturday 11-8

Complete list of items shipping to the stores, some items may be limited in availability. If you see anything you want to purchase on the list and are not a subscription member at Collectors Corner, just contact us and let us know if you want an item held at the stores. email - [email protected]

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PUBLISHER/TITLE/PRICE

ABLAZE Gung Ho Sexy Beast #3 (Cover A Stephen Segovia), $3.99 Gung Ho Sexy Beast #3 (Cover B Jae Kwang Park), $3.99

ABSTRACT STUDIOS Terry Moore’s How To Draw Expanded Edition SC, $19.99

AFTERSHOCK COMICS Miskatonic #5, $3.99 Shadow Doctor #2, $3.99

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #318, $7.99

AWA STUDIOS Year Zero Volume 2 #5 (Cover A Kaare Andrews), $3.99 Year Zero Volume 2 #5 (Cover B Ramon Rosanas), $3.99

BEHEMOTH COMICS Necromorfus TP, $14.99 Paranormal Hitmen #2 (Of 4), $3.99 Steambound #3, $3.99 Vietnam Horror #1, $3.99

BOOM! STUDIOS BRZRKR #1 (Of 12)(Cover C Rafael Grampa Foil Variant), AR BRZRKR #1 (Of 12)(Cover D Mark Brooks Foil Variant), AR Dune House Atreides #5 (Of 12)(Cover A Evan Cagle), $4.99 Dune House Atreides #5 (Of 12)(Cover B Greg Tocchini), $4.99 Dune House Atreides #5 (Of 12)(Cover C Evan Cagle Virgin Variant), AR Dune House Atreides #5 (Of 12)(Cover D Greg Tocchini Black & White Virgin Variant), AR Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover A Qistina Khalidah), $4.99 Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover B Veronica Fish), $4.99 Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover C Blank Variant), $4.99 Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover D Jenny Frison), AR Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover E Kevin Wada), AR Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover F Jenny Frison Virgin Variant), AR Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover G Qistina Khalidah Virgin Variant), AR Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #1 (Cover H Veronica Fish Virgin Variant), AR Once And Future #17 (Cover A Dan Mora), $3.99 Once And Future #17 (Cover B Dan Mora), AR Once And Future #17 (Cover C Christian Ward), AR Power Rangers #5 (Cover A Matteo Scalera), $3.99 Power Rangers #5 (Cover B Daniele di Nicuolo Legacy Variant), $3.99 Power Rangers #5 (Cover C Blue Blank Variant), $3.99 Power Rangers #5 (Cover D Matteo Scalera), AR Power Rangers #5 (Cover E Daniele di Nicuolo), AR Power Rangers #5 (Cover F Peach Momoko), AR Power Rangers #5 (Cover G Peach Momoko), AR Seen True Stories Of Marginalized Trailblazers Volume 2 Rachel Carson GN, $5.99 We Only Find Them When They Are Dead Volume 1 TP (Discover Now Edition), $9.99 Wynd Volume 1 The Flight Of The Prince HC (Comic Book Shop Exclusive Hardcover Edition), $19.99

COMIC SHOP NEWS Comic Shop News #1753, AR

DARK HORSE COMICS B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth Volume 1 TP, $29.99 Barbalien Red Planet #5 (Of 5)(Cover A Gabriel Hernandez Walta), $3.99 Barbalien Red Planet #5 (Of 5)(Cover B Nick Robles), $3.99 Blacksad Amarillo HC, $19.99 Crimson Flower #3 (Of 4)(Cover A Matt Lesniewski), $3.99 Crimson Flower #3 (Of 4)(Cover B Marguerite Sauvage), $3.99 Earth Boy TP, $12.99 Kill Whitey Donovan TP, $19.99 Lady Baltimore The Witch Queens #1 (Of 5)(Cover A Abigail Larson), $3.99 Orville Season 2.5 Launch Day TP, $19.99 Spy Island TP, $19.99 Youth TP, $19.99

DC COMICS Action Comics #1029 (Cover A Phil Hester & Eric Gapstur), $4.99 Action Comics #1029 (Cover B Julian Totino Tedesco), AR Batman Arkham Talia al Ghul TP, $29.99 Batman Black And White #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Becky Cloonan), $5.99 Batman Black And White #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Gabriele Dell’Otto), $5.99 Batman Black And White #4 (Of 6)(Cover C Simone Bianchi Two-Face Variant), $5.99 Batman Detective Comics Volume 5 The Joker War HC, $29.99 Batman Superman #16 (Cover A Ivan Reis & Danny Miki), $3.99 Batman Superman #16 (Cover B Greg Smallwood), AR Batman White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #6 (Of 6)(Cover A Sean Murphy), $4.99 Batman White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #6 (Of 6)(Cover B Matteo Scalera), $4.99 DC Connect Checklist Poster #10, AR DCeased TP, $19.99 Detective Comics #1034 (Cover A Dan Mora), $4.99 Detective Comics #1034 (Cover B Lee Bermejo Card Stock Variant), AR Future State Teen Titans Ruins #1 (Cover A Rafa Sandoval), $5.99 Harley Quinn #1 (Cover A Riley Rossmo), $3.99 Harley Quinn #1 (Cover B Derrick Chew Card Stock Variant), AR Harley Quinn #1 (Cover C Blank Card Stock Variant), AR Harley Quinn #1 (Cover D Yoshitaka Amano Team Card Stock Variant), AR Harley Quinn #1 (Cover E Yoshitaka Amano Thank You Variant), AR Harley Quinn And The Birds Of Prey The Hunt For Harley HC, $24.99 Swamp Thing The New 52 Omnibus HC, $125.00 Teen Titans Academy #1 (Cover A Rafa Sandoval), $3.99 Teen Titans Academy #1 (Cover B Jamal Campbell), AR

DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Game Trade Magazine #254, $3.99 Previews #391 (April 2021), $3.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT Dejah Thoris #11 (Cover A Lucio Parrillo), $3.99 Dejah Thoris #11 (Cover B Vasco Georgiev), $3.99 Dejah Thoris #11 (Cover C Joseph Michael Linsner), $3.99 Red Sonja #25 (Cover A Jae Lee), $4.99 Red Sonja #25 (Cover B Joseph Michael Linsner), $4.99 Red Sonja #25 (Cover C Sanya Anwar), $4.99 Vampirella Vs Purgatori #1 (Cover A Derrick Chew), $3.99 Vampirella Vs Purgatori #1 (Cover B Carlo Pagulayan), $3.99 Vampirella Vs Purgatori #1 (Cover C Joseph Michael Linsner), $3.99 Vampirella Vs Purgatori #1 (Cover D Szymon Kudranski), $3.99

HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE Cold Dead War #1 (Of 4), $3.99 Taarna #4 (Of 6), $3.99

HUMANOIDS House Without Windows TP, $19.99

IDW PUBLISHING Comic Book History Of Animation #4 (Of 5)(Cover A Ryan Dunlavey), $3.99 Comic Book History Of Animation #4 (Of 5)(Cover B Ryan Dunlavey), $3.99 Dungeons And Dragons At The Spine Of The World #4 (Of 4)(Cover A Martin Coccolo), $3.99 Dungeons And Dragons At The Spine Of The World #4 (Of 4)(Cover B Character Sheet), $3.99 Dungeons And Dragons At The Spine Of The World #4 (Of 4)(Cover C Max Davenport), AR Sonic The Hedgehog #38 (Cover A Matt Herms), $3.99 Sonic The Hedgehog #38 (Cover B Thomas Rothlisberger), $3.99 Sonic The Hedgehog #38 (Cover C Nathalie Fourdraine), AR Star Wars Adventures Volume 2 #4 (Cover A Francesco Francavilla), $3.99 Star Wars Adventures Volume 2 #4 (Cover B Yael Nathan), $3.99 Star Wars Adventures Volume 2 #4 (Cover C Francesco Francavilla), AR Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Best Of Michelangelo #1 (Cover A James Biggie), $5.99 Usagi Yojimbo #17 (Cover A Stan Sakai), $3.99 Usagi Yojimbo #17 (Cover B Billy Martin), AR

IMAGE COMICS Big Girls Volume 1 TP, $14.99 Bitter Root #11 (Cover A Sanford Greene), $3.99 Bitter Root #11 (Cover B Blank Variant), $3.99 Crossover #1 (Geoff Shaw 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Crossover #3 (Geoff Shaw 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Department Of Truth #1 (Martin Simmonds 4th Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Department Of Truth #4 (Martin Simmonds 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Department Of Truth #5 (Martin Simmonds 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Die!Die!Die! #14, $3.99 Getting It Together TP, $14.99 Haha #2 (Of 6)(Zoe Thorogood 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Haha #3 (Of 6)(Cover A Roger Langridge), $3.99 Haha #3 (Of 6)(Cover B Paul Rentler) , $3.99 Moonshine #23 (Cover A Eduardo Risso), $3.99 Nailbiter Volume 8 TP, $16.99 Nomen Omen #13 (Of 15)(Cover A Jacopo Camagni), $3.99 Nomen Omen #13 (Of 15)(Cover B Werther Dell’Edera), $3.99 Post Americana #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Steve Skroce), $3.99 Rain Like Hammers #3 (Of 5)(Cover A Brandon Graham), $4.99 Scumbag #6 (Cover A Bengal), $3.99 Scumbag #6 (Cover B Brian Level & Moreno Dinisio), AR Scumbag Volume 1 Cocainefinger TP, $9.99 Skyward HC, $39.99 Stray Dogs #1 (Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Stray Dogs #2 (Cover A Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs), $3.99 Stray Dogs #2 (Cover B Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs Horror Movie Variant), $3.99 Undiscovered Country Volume 2 Unity TP, $16.99

MAD CAVE STUDIOS Pantomime #5 (Of 6), $3.99

MARVEL COMICS Alien #1 (Cover A InHyuk Lee), $4.99 Alien #1 (Cover B InHyuk Lee Virgin Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover C Steve McNiven), AR Alien #1 (Cover D Ron Lim), AR Alien #1 (Cover E Peach Momoko), AR Alien #1 (Cover F Salvador Larroca), AR Alien #1 (Cover G Todd Nauck Headshot Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover H David Finch Launch Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover I InHyuk Lee Premiere Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover J Patrick Gleason), AR Alien #1 (Cover K Patrick Gleason Virgin Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover L Skottie Young Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover M Wraparound Space Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover N Black Blank Variant), AR Alien #1 (Cover O Peach Momoko Virgin Variant), AR Amazing Spider-Man #62 (Cover A Patrick Gleason), $3.99 Amazing Spider-Man #62 (Cover B Dustin Weaver Design Variant), AR Amazing Spider-Man #62 (Cover C Greg Land Spider-Man-Thing Variant), AR Avengers The Gathering Omnibus HC (Steve Epting & Tom Palmer Poster Direct Market Cover), $125.00 Avengers The Gathering Omnibus HC (Steve Epting Sersi & The Avengers Book Market Cover), $125.00 Black Panther #24 (Cover A Daniel Acuna), $3.99 Black Panther #24 (Cover B Joe Quinones), AR Black Panther #24 (Cover C Jen Bartel Shuri Women’s History Month Variant), AR Black Panther #24 (Cover D Michael Cho Black Panther Two-Tone Variant), AR Cable #9, $3.99 Carnage Black White And Blood #1 (Of 4)(Cover A Sara Pichelli), $4.99 Carnage Black White And Blood #1 (Of 4)(Cover B In-Hyuk Lee), AR Carnage Black White And Blood #1 (Of 4)(Cover C Ryan Ottley), AR Carnage Black White And Blood #1 (Of 4)(Cover D Peach Momoko), AR Carnage Black White And Blood #1 (Of 4)(Cover E Marco Checchetto), AR Carnage Black White And Blood #1 (Of 4)(Cover F Patrick Gleason Webhead Variant), AR Conan The Barbarian By Jim Zub Volume 1 Into The Crucible TP, $17.99 Excalibur #19, $3.99 Fantastic Four Epic Collection Volume 2 The Master Plan Of Doom TP (New Printing), $39.99 Guardians Of The Galaxy #12 (Cover A Rafael Albuquerque), $3.99 Guardians Of The Galaxy #12 (Cover B Meghan Hetrick Gamora-Thing Variant), AR King In Black Scream #1 (Cover A In-Hyuk Lee), $4.99 King In Black Scream #1 (Cover B R. B. Silva Stormbreakers Variant, AR King In Black Scream #1 (Cover C Ryan Brown), AR Maestro War And Pax #3 (Of 5)(Cover A Dale Keown), $3.99 Maestro War And Pax #3 (Of 5)(Cover B Phil Jimenez), AR Marvel Masterworks Dazzler Volume 2 HC (John Romita Jr. Book Market Edition), $75.00 Marvel Masterworks Dazzler Volume 2 HC (John Romita Jr. Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 302), $75.00 Marvel Masterworks The Invincible Iron Man Volume 13 HC (John Romita Jr. Book Market Edition), $75.00 Marvel Masterworks The Invincible Iron Man Volume 13 HC (John Romita Jr. Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 310), $75.00 Marvel Portfolio Peach Momoko HC, $50.00 Marvel Previews Volume 5 #10 (April 2021), $1.25 Miles Morales Spider-Man #24 (Cover A Taurin Clarke), $3.99 Miles Morales Spider-Man #24 (Cover B Ken Lashley Miles-Thing Variant), AR Punisher Welcome Back Frank Marvel Select HC, $29.99 Savage Avengers #19 (Cover A Valerio Giangiordano), $3.99 Savage Avengers #19 (Cover B Michael Cho Black Widow Two-Tone Variant), AR Star Wars Doctor Aphra #8 (Cover A Joshua Sway Swaby), $3.99 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #8 (Cover B Natacha Bustos), AR Taskmaster #3 (Of 5)(Alessandro Vitti 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Taskmaster #3 (Of 5)(Valerio Giangiordano 2nd Printing Sketch Variant Cover), $3.99 Taskmaster #5 (Of 5)(Cover A Valerio Giangiordano), $3.99 Taskmaster #5 (Of 5)(Cover B Jim Terry), AR Werewolf By Night New Wolf Rising TP, $15.99 X-Men Epic Collection Volume 3 The Sentinels Live TP (New Printing), $39.99 X-Men Inferno Omnibus HC (Marc Silvestri Goblin Queen Book Market Cover), $125.00 X-Men Inferno Omnibus HC (Marc Silvestri/Bret Blevins/Walter Simonson Headshots Direct Market Cover), $125.00

ONI PRESS Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends HC, $11.99 Delicates TP, $14.99 Dryad #9, $3.99

PANINI PUBLISHING Doctor Who Magazine #559, $11.99

SCOUT COMICS Frank At Home On The Farm #3, $3.99 Provenance Of Madness TP (Cover A Paul Jackson), $19.99 Provenance Of Madness TP (Cover B Christian Dibari), $19.99 Rabid World #1 (Of 4), $3.99 Recount #3, $3.99

SCOUT COMICS – SCOOT Catdad And Supermom An Elephant Never Forgets #1, $3.99

SCREAM HORROR MAGAZINE Scream Magazine #64, $9.99

TITAN COMICS Blade Runner Origins #2 (Cover A Angel Hernandez), $3.99 Blade Runner Origins #2 (Cover B Peach Momoko), $3.99 Blade Runner Origins #2 (Cover C Fernando Dagnino), $3.99 Blade Runner Origins #2 (Cover D Robert Hack), $3.99 Blade Runner Origins #2 (Cover E Peach Momoko Sketch Variant), $3.99

VAULT COMICS Hollow Heart #1 (Paul Tucker 2nd Printing Varant Cover), $3.99

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT Belle Thunder Of Gods #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Anthony Spay), $5.99 Belle Thunder Of Gods #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Igor Vitorino), $5.99 Belle Thunder Of Gods #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Nei Ruffino), $5.99

TOYS - T-SHIRTS & COLLECTIBLES POP Animation Naruto Kabuto Yakushi Vinyl Figure, AR POP Animation Naruto Pain Vinyl Figure, AR POP Animation Naruto Shikamaru Nara Vinyl Figure, AR POP Animation Naruto Six Path Sage Vinyl Figure, AR POP Five Nights At Freddy’s Security Breach Glamrock Freddy, AR POP Games Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Eivor Vinyl Figure, AR POP Games Pokemon Pikachu Silver Metallic Vinyl Figure, AR POP Games Pokemon Ponyta Vinyl Figure, AR POP Garbage Pail Kids Ali Gator Vinyl Figure, AR POP Garbage Pail Kids Jay Decay Vinyl Figure, AR POP Garbage Pail Kids Leaky Lindsay Vinyl Figure, AR POP Garbage Pail Kids Split Kit Vinyl Figure, AR POP Icons Bozo The Clown Vinyl Figure, AR POP Marvel Deadpool 30th Roman Senator Deadpool Vinyl Figure, AR POP Marvel Zombies M.O.D.O.K. Vinyl Figure, AR POP Marvel Zombies Red Hulk Vinyl Figure, AR POP Marvel Zombies Thor Vinyl Figure, AR POP Movies Bramstokers Dracula With Chase Vinyl Figure, AR POP Movies Bramstokers Van Helsing Vinyl Figure, AR POP Movies Bramstokers Young Dracula Vinyl Figure, AR POP Rocks Iron Maiden Number Of The Beast Vinyl Figure, AR POP TV Eastbound And Down Kenny In Mariachi Outfit Vinyl Figure, AR POP TV Good Omens-Aziraphale With Book With Chase Vinyl Figure, AR POP TV Good Omens-Crowley With Apple With Chase Vinyl Figure, AR POP WWE Chyna Vinyl Figure, AR POP WWE Drew McIntyre Vinyl Figure, AR POP WWE Edge Vinyl Figure, AR POP WWE Stone Cold Steve Austin With Belt Vinyl Figure, AR Voltron Ultimates Voltron Action Figure, AR

[comixconnection]

Choose Your Three Free Comics!

At long, long last...Free Comic Book Day is here! Unlike the usual “first Saturday in May” celebration that has defined the even in normal years, due to issues with the ongoing pandemic the folks in charge have decided to move this year’s celebration back to August 14th. Want a sneak-peak at the books...?

The following titles will be available at Comix Connection on Aug 14th (while supplies last!). Everybody gets to pick three! Unlike previous years, we will NOT be accepting FOOD DONATIONS in exchange for additional comics. Instead we will be collecting monetary donations to give to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. For every DOLLAR donates, you may select an additional free comic book!

We know the line for the FCBD comics can get long (if you want to come in and shop first, you can skip the line and head straight inside!) so in an effort to both entertain you while you’re in that long line and to help it go a little faster by giving you a preview of the various titles so you can decide ahead of time what looks good, the Comix Connection Counter Monkeys have read and reviewed all of the available FCBD books! Take a peek!

CHOOSE YOUR FREE COMICS:

One hundred years before the Skywalker Saga began, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy! In this prelude to the ongoing Star Wars: High Republic Adventures comic series, follow padawans Ram Jomaram, Lula Talisola, and Zeen Mrala as they try to save Lonisa City from the dreaded Nihil. Also read the beginning of Star Wars: High Republic Adventures #1! [All Ages]

“Two brand-new adventures from the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender! In Clearing the Air, Tenzin attempts to teach his rambunctious children a lesson Aang taught him about how to resolve conflicts. In Match Makers, Iroh runs into some trouble with a few friends...that just might lead him to something fun he’s been trying to hide from!” [All Ages]

Who Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott? gives a sample of the upcoming graphic novel by the same name, a tale telling the true story of the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” Rosa Parks! This excerpt features the immediate aftermath of Rosa’s arrest, and her decision to start a legal battle that would change the course of American freedom! [All Ages]

“There's nothing better than a beautiful sunny day reading comics, so join us for a look at this summer's fantastic all-ages reads, courtesy of Oni Press! From the gentle, magical worlds of The Tea Dragon Tapestry (by K. O'Neill) and The Sprite and the Gardner (by Rii Abrego and Joe Whitt), the adventurous magical mystery of Mooncakes (by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu), and the action-packed Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters (Chris and Laura Samnee), there's something for everyone. Sneak a peek at these four fantastic fantasy graphic novels!” [All Ages]

Sonic is 30 years old! Celebrate the anniversary of the world’s fastest hedgehog with this peek into the ongoing Sonic comic series. Things get meta when Amy Rose starts drawing a comic about Sonic, Tails, and their friends...but what will Sonic think when he finds out he’s been turned into a comic book? Prepare for the big 30th Anniversary Sonic Celebration here! [All Ages]

It's the crisis of infinite Archies! Celebrate 80 years of the Riverdale Gang with this tale featuring a dimension-hopping Archie Andrews in his quest to save the multiverse. Then, witness Archie go toe-to-toe with... himself?! May the best Archie win! Plus, get a preview of the newest Archie One-Shot in shops! This title includes several versions of Archie (from classic to TV to horror) and showcases his evolution as a character over eight decades, all while being a tie-in to the company's 80th Anniversary plans. [All Ages]

“Despite the pandemic and the swirl of world events, back issue comics are booming! It's not all record prices (though there are many) or bargain basement deals, but rather it's many different categories! The team that brings you The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide shines the spotlight on this exciting part of the universe of comic books. Includes tips on how to collect, care for your comics, and preserve them, among other things.” [All Ages]

“Get a sneak peek at book four in the bestselling InvestiGators series! With agent Brash trapped in a mysterious coma, the technicians at S.U.I.T. have designed the ultimate replacement: RoboBrash! This high-tech replica has been programmed with all of the original Brash's crime-fighting skills and know-how--but it seems he's got a few bugs in his system! Will Mango and his new partner be enough to stop the giant ants that are on a rampage in the city? Orchestrated by the spaced-out villain, Maestronaut, and Houdino, the dinosaur escape artist, it seems criminals are certainly upping the ANT-e!” [All Ages]

“My name is Grace, not ‘Kyle's little sister’!” Having a good-looking, friendly, outgoing older brother sucks--especially when you're the total opposite: someone who likes staying home and playing video games. Your parents like him better (even if they deny it!) and everyone calls you "Kyle's little sister" while looking disappointed that you're not more like him. Grace was really hoping she'd get to go to a different middle school, but no such luck. At least she has her friends...until he finds a way to ruin that, too! What will Grace have to do to get out of his shadow?! [All Ages]

Jewish mythology has it that when God created the universe, He left one corner of it unfinished. Opinion is divided on why, but everyone agrees that the Unfinished Corner is a dangerous place full of monsters. Twelve-year-old Miriam is too busy preparing for her Bat Mitzvah to care about the Unfished Corner. She spends her days wrestling with whether she even wants to be Jewish--until a peculiar angel appears, whisking her, her two best friends, and her worst frenemy off to this monstrous land with one mission: finish the Unfinished Corner. [All Ages]

“The City of Gloomhaven isn't "safe" at the best of times, but lately, more folks than usual seem to be disappearing. In a city paralyzed by an unknown menace, only one adventuring crew will do: The Jaws of the Lion! Based on the hit games, Gloomhaven and Jaws of the Lion from Cephalofair Games, comes a fantasy adventure with humor and heart.” [All Ages]

The Last Kids on Earth and their friends each tell their own best story of the Monster Apocalypse, including Jack's high-stakes baseball game, Globlet's attempt to take over the world, Quint's bad-day-away invention, Dirk's bragain with a witch, and June and Skaelka's creepy carnival--plus a surprise story from some bad guys on the run... [All Ages]

Being the new kid is tough, even for a superhero/ward and heir to a billionaire, Damian Wayne (aka Robin)! Join Damian as he struggles to learn patience and understanding from the students at Gotham Metro Academy, including star student and all-around Great Guy, Howard! Plus, an adventure of Amethyst, princess of the mystical realm of Gemworld by bestselling authors Shannon Hale and Dean Hale! [All Ages]

To celebrate the new animated TV series premiering on Nickelodeon Fall 2021, Papercutz is releasing a new series of graphic novels entitled The Smurfs Tales. Preview it here with a number of silly short Smurfs Tales, with a back-up appearance by one of Peyo’s other beloved creations: Johan and Peewit, the young page and the court jester. [All Ages]

In Edge of Balance, a new High Republic story set in the wake of the Hyperspace Disaster, meet new Jedi and their enemies 100 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga! Young Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi is assigned to help displaced civilians relocate to Banchii in the Outer Rim. She and her padawans will face more threats there than just anxious settlers, from the insidious Drengir to the Nihil! And in Guardian of the Whills, encounter Baze and Chirrut before they join the Rebellion against the Empire in Rogue One! Presiding over the Kyber Temple on Jedha, the Guardians of the Whills had hoped to maintain the balance despite the growing presence of the Empire in their Holy City. Yet when a rebel named Saw Gerrera appears, Baze and Chirrut must decide if they're willing to compromise for peace, or if Saw's plan is too dangerous to risk. Read the first chapter of these two new Star Wars Manga Graphic Novels here! [Teen]

It wouldn’t be the Teen Titans without heightened teenage emotions and romance! Fan favorites Beast Boy and Raven are travelling away from the dwellings they know to find homes they can feel comfortable in. Along the way, their paths cross, sparks fly, and even a destiny or two might be found. [Teen]

“Street Fighter heads back to school, as the world's young fighters flex both their academic and martial arts prowess! Fan favorites Sakura, Ibuki, Karin, Makoto, and Elena come face-to-face with a new challenger - the leather-clad, motorcycle-riding Akira! It's a square-off of (rival) schools in this action-packed one-shot!” [Teen]

[NOT FINAL ART] “This Fall, jump on board here as VALIANT UPRISING overthrows the status quo with new titles, new creators, and new takes on Valiant's most iconic characters! The VALIANT UPRISING FCBD SPECIAL features: A brand new X-O MANOWAR story from Harvey Award-winning writer Dennis Hopeless and breakout star Emilio Laiso. It's the perfect jumping-on point as Valiant's flagship hero prepares to "Upgrade the World"! Then, get a special advance preview of THE HARBINGER #1, an all-new series from co-writers Jackson Lanzing and Colin Kelly join superstar artist Robbi Rodriguez that promises to take Valiant's psiot rebel in a vivid new direction! Plus, find out how the world's greatest spy responds to being unmasked, hunted, and trapped in a first look at NINJAK #1, the pulse-pounding thrill ride from Ringo Award-winning writer Jeff Parker and legendary artist Javier Pulido. Finally, get a sneak peek from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Jon Davis-Hunt of what's to come when SHADOWMAN returns!” [Teen]

Three epic new Marvel moments begin here! Read the beginning of the upcoming Spider-Man Beyond story that will be starting in Amazing Spider-Man #75! Big changes are coming to everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man...but are they for good, or ill? Also discover the new Venom series, which will take spider symbiosis to whole new levels in the wake of King In Black. And last, sneak a peek at the Luke Cage: City On Fire mini-series, which will pit Luke against not just the Kingpin, but Daredevil too! [Teen]

Gotham is under attack, and it’s by the people claiming to keep it safe! Billionaire Simon Saint has slowly been taking over the institutions of Gotham with his insidious private security Magistrate program. Meanwhile, Batman finds his mind infected by Scarecrow’s fear gas, forcing him to question every decision he makes. It is all leading to the DC-spanning event FEAR STATE that will rock Gotham to its core. Plus, read a preview of Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridely’s I Am Batman series in which the sons of Lucius Fox struggle with the legacy of both their father and Bruce Wayne as they take up the cowl to defend Gotham. [Teen]

Who is Avenger Prime? And what has spurred the chronal collapse that has them sending their army of Deathloks out to save all of space and time? Discover the start of the end here! Then, journey into the unknown with the Incredible Hulk! Bruce Banner never wanted to smash, he wanted to discover. Now, it’s finally time for the Hulk to expand his horizons with Operation: Smashtronaut! [Teen]

In this story from Critical Role, explore a small but important corner from the adventures of the Mighty Nein. Then, in The Witcher, it's an original tale featuring the iconic witcher himself, Geralt! Created in close collaboration with CD Projekt Red! [Teen]

A fascinating graphic adaptation of historian Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny, a collections of essays and reflections on lessons from history and how they can help America steer away from the course of authoritarianism. Recommended for anyone looking to learn more about how tyrants all through history have manipulated people and systems to take away the freedoms of others. [Teen]

“Side A: "BLACK: Interlude" What else was going on the night Kareem Jenkins was shot by police and discovered only Black people have superpowers? Find out in this FCBD one-shot! Side B: "CALEXIT: Hollywood Babylon" Once California refused to be ruled by the US government, its resistance fighters became overnight celebrities. Zora used her infamy for recruiting, but Emmie-X has other ideas.” [Mature]

In 2019, James Tynion IV (Batman) and Werther Dell'Edera (Briggs Land) introduced the world to Erica Slaughter, the iconic monster hunter who came to Archer's Peak, Wisconsin to save the town's children from the monsters only she can see. But Erica is not the only member of the House of Slaughter... With nearly half a million copies sold, Something is Killing the Children has become a true comic phenomenon and this Free Comic Book Day you are invited to enter the House of Slaughter...if you dare. [Teen]

Crewed by teenage geniuses frozen in cryosleep, the JEMISON is on a mission to terraform other worlds and provide hope for the human race. But when the ship is mysteriously stopped over a planet that isn't on any of their maps, the crew finds themselves suddenly awoken ten years early. One half remains behind to try and assess the damage and the other is dispatched to the planet below to figure out the answer to a perilous question: What stopped the ship, and is it friend or foe? [Teen]

As the earth dies, salvation is offered to five thousand children who will be spirited away from our planet’s apocalypse -- but what of the other children, still hoping to find one of the bracelets that give them their ticket off planet? In this wistful one-shot from the sci-fi hit We Live, go into the Broken Lands with a group of friends...but there are four of them, and only one bracelet to be found. How will they decide who gets to leave? Then, preview the Rainbow Bridge graphic novel where Andy has to help his beloved dog Rocket save eternity! [Teen]

“The comic adventures of Max, Chloe, and Rachel from the award-winning video game Life Is Strange continue in this exclusive lead-in to an epic new story arc! This FCBD special features the first comic book appearance of an all-new character who will feature heavily in the Life is Strange universe in 2021! This FCBD issue contains exclusive original material!” [Teen]

“To reclaim the Dungeon that fell to the scheming William Delacour, the plan is simple: Marvin the dragon, Isis, and Herbert the duck must find some magic “fugus purit” and use it to dislodge the current occupants of the fortress. But is this really the Guardian's plan? Our heroes will have to fight against everyone to save the Dungeon. Meanwhile, will Marvin succeed in his engagement blast-of-firebreath 'Tong Deum'? Preview the new series here!” [Teen]

See the next chapter of the super-powered scifi epic The Resistance, and then meeet the “Moths”: a subset of the super-powered Reborn. The pandemic that granted the Reborn their gifts during The Great Death gave power to people like  Emily Kai and the rest of the Moths, too...but the moment they use their gifts, their clock starts ticking and they have six months to live. Also, get a sneak-peek at the just-released Not All Robots futuristic techno-depressive-thriller! [Teen]

The second semester of School for Extraterrestrial Girls is in session! Peer into the lives of Tara Smith (fire lizard!), Misako Sato (extra-dimensional fairy!), Summer Cortez (pink tentacle void beast!), and Ekaterina and Zvenislava (anthropomorphic Russian kittens!). They’re all normal teenage girls...except that they’re all aliens stuck on Earth, and since Tara partially destroyed their old school they’ve been sent to bunk at the School for Extraterrestrial Boys while it’s repaired...that’ll go fine, right? Read the first issue here! [Teen]

This official spinoff manga of Rent-A-Girlfriend, the rom-com turned hit anime, features fan-favorite Sumi, the shy girl longing to come out of her shell. Written and illustrated by original creator Reiji Miyajima! Catch up on the manga before the Rent-A-Girlfriend anime returns for a second season, coming soon! [Teen]

Zom 100 is a violent and funny take on the zombie apocalypse! Its main character, Akira, is so depressed in his soul-crushing job that he uses the undead hordes as motivation to finally complete his bucket list! Also included is a sample of the hit fantasy manga Demon Slayer. [Teen]

“Known as the the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung's contribution to raids amounts to trying not to get killed. Unfortunately, between his mother's hospital bills, his sister's tuition, and his own lack of job prospects, he has no choice but to continue to put his life on the line. So when an opportunity arises for a bigger payout, he takes it...only to come face-to-face with a being whose power outranks anything he's ever seen! With the party leader missing an arm and the only healer a quivering mess, can Jinwoo somehow find them a way out?” [Teen]

In the small Pennsylvania town of White Ash, there isn’t much going on aside from mining...and keeping the fact that there are elves and dwarves living in the town secret, of course! In this pre-launch of Season Two of the ongoing series, a romantic rendezvous for the grieving dwarf Alex and mischievous elf Lillian doesn’t go as planned...with potentially disastrous consequences! Also read a preview of The Game, a new series where your every action affects impacts the score of your life! Plus a sneak-peak at some vampiric troubles in colonial America in Stake! [Teen]

World of Zorro gives readers a peak at the upcoming titles for the legendary masked swashbuckler, both new stories (that range from the familiar to supernatural horror) as well as newly-translated classic tales! [Teen]

For FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, enjoy this special expanded edition of the hit IMAGE series, STRAY DOGS! Stray Dogs is a comic thriller that features art inspired by classic Don Bluth-style animation, telling the story of a group of dogs brought together by a mysterious loner. Rather than behave like four-legged humans, the brilliance of Stray Dogs is that it gets inside the heads of its canine characters, showing the human world from their perspective. Unique, entertaining, and creepy. [Teen]

The undead Vampirella has been around since 1969, and as the celebrations of her 50th anniversary draw to a close, Dynamite presents a reprint of the first issue of their series that kicked-off her modern adventures! [Teen+]

Take an inside look at everyone’s favorite bipedal shark god, King Shark (aka Nanaue)! Suicide Squad’s many-toothed muscle is currently inside Belle Reve prison, but he won’t remain there for long. PLUS: a sneak peak at the just-released Suicide Squad miniseries Get Joker! [Mature]

“After 20 years of antics coming out of Sunnyvale trailer park, the underground TV phenomenon Trailer Park Boys is finally coming to comics! Full of short stories and activity pages, several of comics' finest join to create a series of comic book specials in 2021 and beyond honoring Ricky, Bubbles and Julian and everything fans have come to love about the series.”  [Mature]

Fungirl is a humor comic that is as unpredictable and hilarious as it is observant and smart. Cartoonist Elizabeth Pich’s creation does as much smashing the patriarchy as she does dreaming of delicious donuts and being spit on by llamas. [Mature]

“Tensions between the clans are high, so when Cecily Bain, an enforcer for the Twin Cities' vampiric elite, takes a mysterious new vampire under her wing she finds herself in over her head and dragged into a massive undead conspiracy! Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city, a rebellious found-family of clan-less vampire cast-outs investigates a vicious killing.” [Mature]

“Preview the forthcoming full color, original Space Pirate Captain Harlock series from ABLAZE, personally overseen by the legendary Leiji Matsumoto!  In this brand-new Captain Harlock adventure, planet Earth is threatened by an upcoming invasion by the Sylvidres and despite being banished as a pirate, Captain Harlock won't give up trying to save the world. Will Captain Harlock and his crew manage to solve this mystery and save the Earth from yet another menace?  Also includes teasers for 3 highly anticipated upcoming manga/manhwa releases from ABLAZE, including The Breaker Vol 1 omnibus (critically acclaimed martial arts manhwa), Versus Fighting Story Vol 1 (Capcom e-sports shonen manga) and Crueler Than Dead Vol 1 (zombie horror seinen manga).” [Mature] 

“An evil so profound it threatens all mankind... the mightiest heroes on the planet uniting to defend us all... a secret crisis of such utter finality that a countdown to civil or infinite war seems unavoidable... but have you ever wondered what really happens during Crossovers? The Seven, Payback, Teenage Kix, Fantastico and every other supe on Earth team up for an annual event like no other... and where the supes go, can a certain "five complications and a dog" be far behind? Vought-American prepare to make their move, in a story that will change the world of the Boys forever: Herogasm #1. The first-ever Boys spin-off mini-series features the pairing of Ennis with Hitman artist John McCrea and covers by Boys artist and co-creator Darick Robertson!” [Mature]

“The most eagerly-anticipated series of 2021 gets the FCBD treatment with this ALL-NEW "bonus" issue of the series! Featuring 33 pages of comics produced exclusively for FCBD, from the creator of Hip Hop Family Tree and X-Men: Grand Design, designed as a perfect entry point for new readers and a must-have for those already on board. Aided by the anonymous dark web and nearly untraceable crypto-currency, there has emerged a subculture of criminals who live-stream and patronize webcam murders for entertainment. Who are the murderers? Who are the victims? Who is the audience? How do we stop it? An outlaw, splatterpunk masterpiece, as seen on Piskor's YouTube channel sensation, Cartoonist Kayfabe!” [Mature]

“An award-winning comic and soon to be Netflix anime series!  When dusk arrives in the city of Manila, that's when you become the most likely prey of the underworld. Kidnappers and thieves will be the least of your worries. Beware the criminals that can't be bound with handcuffs nor harmed with bullets.  Beware the ones that crave your blood, those who hold your heart ransom, and the ones that come to steal your soul. When crime takes a turn for the weird, the police call Alexandra Trese. Featuring a preview from TRESE Vol 2: Unreported Murders, a section on the forthcoming Netflix TRESE anime series launching this summer (including an interview with Director Jay Oliva), bonus pages with w/ background about the monsters of Philippine myth as told by TRESE creators Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo, and a teaser on TRESE Vol 3: Mass Murders, coming this Sept from ABLAZE!” [Mature]

“2000 AD Presents All-Star Judge Dredd is a thrill-powered showcase of the past and shocking present of the iconic lawman of the future! Witness the birth of the world of Judge Dredd in an incendiary preview of upcoming prequel graphic novel Dreadnoughts by Michael Carroll with art by Watchmen's John Higgins. Fan-favourite Judge Hershey travels to the ends of the earth to dispense her own brand of justice in long-anticipated blockbuster spin-off, Hershey: Disease by Rob Williams (Suicide Squad) and Simon Fraser (Doctor Who). Along-side these teases for Fall 2021 epics enjoy a bone-rattling all new stand-alone Dredd caper from elite writer Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk, Marvel's Empyre) and Caspar Wijngaard (Star Wars, Home Sick Pilots)!” [Teen]

“Four titanic tales of pure fun and entertainment for everyone to enjoy! First up. It's no dog and pony show here! Bringing back the iconic puppets from the San Francisco Bay Area "Charlie and Humphrey"!! The modern-day Gumby and Pokey! A true love for al ages featuring a tale by Justin Sane and John Hageman! Next up is "Red Dawn" Written and created by Brandon McKinney, with inks by Bill Anderson and vibrant colors from Ross Hughes!! The government has created the first "controlled" superhero doing the bidding of a shadow operation until things go bad leaving our hero to blame and now on the run. The following story is only exclusive to this FCBD edition. Written by Greg Boucher and illustrated by Victor Moya they bring you "Rock and Roll Biographies: FIGHt" See how a troubled Rob Halford leaves the world biggest heavy metal band to form his own supergroup and take metal back!! Our last preview is written by Mel Smith, illustrated by Frank Cirocco/Alex Sheikman and hand colored by Gerhard! "Becoming Frankenstein" takes down the journey of a troubled Victor Frankenstein as he grieves the loss of his mother while harvesting the body parts of victims to create life again for his monster! Learn the tales of the victims and who they were before they became what becomes Frankenstein's ultimate creation! : This will be the only edition to feature this Rock and Roll Biographies story featuring FIGHT “ [Mature]

Enjoyed your Free Comic Book Day books? Want to read more? Let your friendly neighborhood Comix Connection Counter Monkey know which ones caught your eye, and we’ll be happy to direct you to the next part of the story!

#free comic book day #fcbd #fcbd 2021 #free comic book day 2021 #comixevent #comixmech #comixyork

[claraxbarton]

MCU Bucky Barnes

So here’s the thing.

I’m a costume designer by trade, and one thing that I actually really love about Captain America: The Winter Soldier (okay, among the things I love) is the costume design and the rhetorical value given to the clothes and, well, costumes in this movie. 

For example - when Sam and Steve have their heart to heart on the bridge that ends with Sam saying “but he doesn’t even know you” and Steve saying “he will” before going to steal his old uniform - the one Bucky last saw him in when he was Bucky. There are some other great costume points in this movie, actually a LOT of them (costumes, not wigs, don’t at me because I KNOW).

But one thing that has always stood out to me, and not in a good way, is the “I’m with you til the end of the line” flashback.

Now, here’s the thing, it’s not JUST about the clothes. We’re in MCU verse, so it’s MCU canon - obviously, the Steve and Bucky duo is drastically different in Marvel comics canon so - and Bucky starts this scene by saying his folks wanted to give Steve a ride to the cemetery.

Which is super cool and nice. So one, we know Bucky’s dad is still alive - and his mom, but two, we know they have a car.

So this is supposed to be when Steve is around 16? So it’s... 1936 (according to MCU wiki it totally is)

So cars.

Crazy popular ever since they started having closed bodies and all that. BUT, were they crazy popular in CITIES in 1936? Especially in the middle of the Great Depression?

There’s some evidence that actually no, that car ownership in a city like NYC was something like 1 car per every 43 people. Then again, looking at the NYC.gov 2015 Mobility Report we see that the population of NYC in 1936 is something like 7.2 million, and the number of registered vehicles in 764,000... or roughly one per every 9.4-ish persons. Which is a pretty drastically different number. This doesn't, of course, account for taxis or fleet cars being registered - so the number might seem inflated. I still think it’s probably something closer to 1 car per every 20 than every 43 but... I’m too lazy to dig that much deeper at the moment. Plus I'm sick, which is fueling this in the first place.

So, anyway you slice it, Bucky’s family was in 11%, 5% or 2.33% of New Yorkers who own cars in 1936. Which says something, I think, about Bucky Barnes that we don’t always - ever? - think of in fandom.

I’m not going to say that Bucky Barnes was loaded. Maybe his family owned a garage or a grocery store or a delivery service or a funeral home...?? or something. So, the vehicle could be occupational as opposed to private usage - but either way it’s a statement. Bucky’s family has money and/or Bucky’s family has steady employment.

I’ve been there. I’ve read the fics where Bucky works at the docks to put Steve through art school and get him his medicine. I love those fics. I love that head canon.

But I... don’t think it’s realistic in light of some evidence showing us that, actually, Bucky wasn’t doing too badly for himself.

Let’s now actually look at CLOTHING. Here’s the whole scene via youtube, if you want to follow along with what is about to get RIDICULOUS.

Actually, before I dive in, who is the costumer for this movie? And should I be like... reading into all this as much as I am?

Judianna Makovsky - fellow New Jersey..Ian?ite?no clue - 3 time Oscar nominee and designer of 5 MCU films and a lot of other big budget movies, including quite a few period pieces dealing with issues of race and class (The Legend of Bagger Vance, Seabiscuit, The Little Princess.. and also like Harry Potter and The Quick and the The Dead.) So, should I have some faith in Judianna Makovsky’s designs? I’m gonna go with yeah, yeah I should. 

So, back to the movie. The scene.

This is post funeral. We’re in 1936. As a general rule, the dress, colors and style of mourning wear was pretty much formalized in the early Victorian era. There was a great - read PHENOMENAL - exhibit at the MET a few years back on Mourning-wear and I’m still reeling from how lovely everything was - but the gist of it is this: you wore black when someone died. If you were a lady, and especially if you were a rich lady, you then went through a few different colors (dull black to SHINY black to purple/mauve and gray and white and then back to color within six months to one year). By the 1930s only the really rich were sticking to the actual rules of mourning - or like, really old people. And, of course, really old rich people. Really old rich WHITE people. Because it needs to be said: these are WHITE customs. I'm not saying people of other ethnicities didn’t follow them, but these are basically British Victorian practices that were assimilated into American culture.

I’m not going to go off on a huge sidebar about American fashion following in French dressmaking and British tailoring, but I need to say at least that much. Everyone who was anyone knew you got your dresses made in France or in the French style and you got your suits made in England - Savile Row in specific. I am NOT implying Bucky’s got himself an English suit, fyi. I just... have to be thorough.

BACK TO THE SCENE:

We’ve got our boy Steve. STEVE. Who just buried Sarah Rogers and what is he wearing...?

For starters, he’s wearing a windbreaker, check out the 1933 ad below, he’s the guy almost giving us the Fonz finger gesture, or maybe guy in the fedora on the end.

This thing isn’t falling apart at the seams, but it’s a very nondescript not really gray, not really blue - maybe was at one point. It also doesn’t FIT Steve. It also, in the ad above, would cost about $165.40 in today’s money.

My guess? It’s Bucky’s old windbreaker. Because it’s not cheap and because it’s just a bit too big on Steve. 

He’s also wearing a shirt that is maybe tan? And a brown tie and maybe - MAYBE black trousers. And if those trousers are black, it’s the only black thing he’s wearing. Not even a black tie, or a black arm band (which I’m pretty sure - but also pretty aggressively atheist so I don’t know - the Catholic Church would have provided for chief mourners and pall bearers right?). We also have our depressing as all shit Depression surroundings to clue us in: Steve Rogers ain’t loaded. Steve Rogers is poor as dirt. Side note: boys. Hiding a key under the ONE FUCKING BRICK on a walkway is not like... a smart idea???

So we can guess a few things here, we can guess that Steve and Sarah were really struggling - this checks out with the rest of MCU canon (wearing newspapers stuffed in his shoes, even when he had nothing he had Bucky, etc.) - and that all money probably went towards Steve’s numerous ailments, food and then the TB medication or treatment, as it was, that was available to Sarah.

We can maybe guess that Steve and Sarah weren’t very religious -but I don’t feel qualified to impart anything except my own agenda here so I’m not taking that stance. But like, real talk, not even an arm band?? 

But, well, let’s move on to the point of this whole long ass thing anyway?

--

Then we go to Mr. Barnes, looking dapper AF. Also, hey, check out this ad from 1933 featuring... pretty much exactly what Bucky is wearing down to the god-damn two-tone shoes:

If you’re curious, yeah $24.98 in 1936 is $475.44. I'm not suggesting Bucky Barnes went out and bought a brand new suit for Steve’s mother’s funeral - for one thing, this ad is from 1933. BUT, that suit fits Bucky. Quite well, and it’s in good shape. He’s also sporting that super stylish mid-late 30s into 40s deeply angled collar shirt - as is our dude up in the ad - and so we know these clothes are at least new-ish. We also can see that the suit is definitely of the mid-30s moving into the boxy silhouette of the later 30s and early 40s and NOT the look of the 20s and early 30s, which has an almost bell-bottom fullness to the legs instead of our straight-leg here (though we can debate nuance if you want to hit up my DMs.)

I should note, Bucky’s shirt is not bright and pristine white - it’s kind of grayish? And I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be an old-timey sepia thing or an indication that Bucky can’t afford to... bleach a white shirt? So that’s an odd choice for sure because we’re still in an age when a crisp, white collar shirt means something (Hey, if you want to hear me go on about the democratization of men’s fashion via shirt collars and 19th century Victorian suits, let me know because I am READY).

All this is to say: I don’t think Bucky Barnes is a poor dock worker. I think Bucky Barnes of MCU canon. Okay, so the MCU wiki on Bucky/The Winter Soldier is an actual mess (because it tells us that Sarah died in 1936 and that’s FINE but I’m not going back to change my math because I’m SICK so just... I went back and changed it. She died in 1936. Fine. The damn wiki also says that “a year later, during their art class, Barnes and Rogers found out that the United States of America had joined World War II. Which, like, I’m sick, but there are a few years between 1936 and December 8 1941... just... I’m no rocket doctor but...

ANYWAY. Bucky is a three time YMCA welterweight boxing champion by this “year later”/ 1941-1942. He and Steve are also in an ART CLASS together. Bucky also trained Steve in boxing at Goldie’s gym before the two of them went to enlist - Steve rejected and Bucky, again quoting MCU wiki, “drafted” (which I'm gonna take to mean he didn’t try to enlist when Steve got rejected, they went home and Bucky got called up later but... hey, who knows?!).

So, I can’t easily find the prices of gym memberships in NYC in the 1930s right now because I don’t feel like wading through all of the articles complaining about Equinox pricing in 2019. But I do know that part of Roosevelt’s WPA (Works Progress Administration) building projects included building more public gyms - as well as libraries, auditoriums, pools, parks etc. Check out your local public buildings - if they are WPA projects they will have a cool plaque like my local NJ library does! All that is to say, there were free or very cheap PUBLIC options where Bucky could have trained Steve.

Bucky trained Steve in a private gym. Do I like to think that this is the same gym Steve and America’s ass are working out in in The Avengers? Yes, Yes I do. Do I like to think that Steve likes to box because it reminds him of Bucky? Yes, yes I do.

But moving on: it’s another sign of wealth.

So is this “art class.” Whether we are in 1937 or 1941 - we’re still in the Depression. Steve still has all of his health issues and presumably accompanying “medication” (wanna talk 1930s medicine? Again, slide into my DMs or shoot me an ask). So Steve either has a side job making enough to cover all of that, rent? and enrollment in an art class.

OR maybe Steve is teaching the art class and Bucky is his model for life drawing instruction (yeah, it’s a fic bunny I’m sharing with the world).

OR maybe... Bucky is paying the rent and other things or Steve is living with Bucky and can afford the class and meds... somehow or...

OR I'm not saying that Steve is Bucky’s kept man because Steve Rogers would punch anyone who dared to say such a thing.

All I’m saying is, Bucky Barnes was not a poor dude. Bucky Barnes... had some money.

And also I’m about to be late for my doctor’s appointment so I gotta run.

At me with your thoughts!

#Bucky barnes #James Buchanan barnes #winter soldier #Steve rogers #captain america #marvel #mcu #meta #head-canon #costume design #character thoughts

[superonceuponawholock]

Ebay Store updated for Black Friday Shopping!

I updated my ebay store for Black Friday, If you see something you like make an offer and I will combine shipping if you buy more than one item.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/jessicalynndrake

Autographed Books

Sewing The Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag

Two Boys Kissing  signed by David Levithan

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Sucks to be me The all true confessions of Mina Hamilton Teen Vamprie Autographed Kimberly Pavley

 Funko Pops

Funko Pop! Tee Black Widow Marvel Collector Corps M T-Shirt New in bag

Black Widow Movie Alexei 620 Marvel Collector Corps Brand New Exclusive

Taskmasker Funko Pop Pin from Marvel Collector Corps Black Widow Mystery Box

Doctor Who Books (All are Hardcovers and like new, except one which has some light wear to the cover and prices is lower than the others.)

Doctor Who: The Women Who Lived

Doctor Who: The Secret Lives of Monsters

Doctor Who: Time Trips

Doctor Who: The Day She Saved The Doctor

Doctor Who: Wooden Heart by Martin Day Doctor Who - Forever Autumn by Mark Morris Doctor Who: Sting of the Zygons by Stephen Cole Doctor Who: The Last Dodo by Jacqueline Rayner Doctor Who WISHING WELL Doctor Who Martha in the Mirror, Justin Richards DOCTOR WHO Snowglobe 7 MIKE TUCKER Doctor Who: The Eyeless by Lance Parkin Doctor Who: Sick Building by Magrs, Paul VG Doctor Who - The Many Hands by Smith, Dale Doctor Who Adventures Magazine Doctor Who Adventures Issue 9 with Dalek poster  

Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Love is Love

Luisa Now And Then

Rick and Morty Presents Birdperson

Thor #1 Funko Pop Loki Variant (FCBD Free Comic  Book Day Mystery Box)

X-Men Vs Dracula #1

City of Dust 1-5 set by Steve Niles

Batman and Robin #1

After Watchmen What’s Next All Star Superman #1

After Watchmen What’s Next Batman Hush

After Watchmen What’s Next Green Latern Rebirth

Spider-Men Classics #3

Detective Comics 854 First Batwoman

X-Men Gold #30 Wedding issues Colossus & Kitty Gambit & Rogue

All New Invaders #1-5 Marvel Comics

Invaders #1-6 Marvel (2019) Comics

Doctor Who The Road to the 13th Doctor (Titan Comics) #2A 2018 BN

Doctor Who #2 Film Lovers Almanac 1926 Sliver Scream

Angel #1 Boom! Studios 2019 Buffy the Vampire Slayer NM

Wires and Nerve: Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer Lunar Chronicle Series Hardcover 2017

Owly The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer  TPB Vol 1 First edition

Owly: Just a little blue  TPB Vol 2 1st edition

Owly: Flying Lessons TPB Vol 3 1st edition

 Adult Coloring Books

Doctor Who Coloring Book

Colour Me Good Benedict Cumberbatch

Color and Activity Book for Librarians: Or anybody who has worked at a library

 Other Books

Harry Potter A Journey Through A History of Magic

Or Give me Death: A novel of Patrick Henry’s Family (Great Episodes)

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the living dead

An Abundance of Katherines

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances

The Vampire Watcher’s Handbook: A Guide for Slayers

I am Not a Serial Killer

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed

Librarian Stereotype: Deconstructing Perceptions

Alice in Zombieland: Through the Zombie Glass

The school for good and evil number 1

Ever After High The Storybook of Legends Book 1

Ever After High Wonderlandiful World Book 3

The Road to Woodbury: Walking Dead Series Book 2

Lost Souls: A Park Avenue Novel Book 3

Wires and Nerve: Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer Lunar Chronicle Series Hardcover 2017

Owly The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer  TPB Vol 1 First edition

Owly: Just a little blue  TPB Vol 2 1st edition

Owly: Flying Lessons TPB Vol 3 1st edition

 Parenting Books

What to Expect When You're Expecting

Cheap Psychological Tricks for Parents: 62 Sure-fire Secrets and Solutions for Successful Parenting

 Comic Book Art

Witchblade Original Art By Keu Cha Comic book Artwork

Boone Original Artwork By Jeff Johnson Comic Book Artwork

Po-Po Original Artwork By Jeff Johnson Comic Book Artwork

Sharon Carter Original Artwork By Andy Smith Comic Book Art

Natasha Romanoff Black Widow Original Artwork By Sean Chen Comic Book Art

 Halloween Costumes (All Costumes wore once and like new)

Adult Princess Bubblegum Dress Adventure Time Costume

Princess Bubble Gum Crown

Adult Finn the Human Adventure Time Costume

Adult Batman Spirit Halloween Costume (Batman vs Superman)

 Collectible Stamps, Coins, & Postcards

2012 London Olympic Games 50p Sports Collection card. Uncirculated Gymnastics.

2012 London Olympic Games 50p Sports Collection card. Uncirculated Hockey

THE ROYAL MAIL - PHQ CARD NO. 324 ( 2 ) - MYTHICAL CREATURES – 2009

Royal Mail 2009 Presentation Pack #428 MNH Mythical Creatures

Royal Mail British Mint Stamps - Magical Realms - Pack No. 453 Voldemort HP

 Limited Rare TY Beanie Baby

Britannia the bear with Tush tag and box, with errors Brand New.

#Black Friday #Online Shopping #Doctor Who #Collectibles #FOr Sale #Ebay #Adventure time #TY Beanie Babies #Books #Graphic Novels #COmics #Comics for sale

[welcometoitalia]

21 Cultural Pointers about Life in Italy

1) TIME: Kick off your shoes, throw away your watch... everything is relative. Whilst much has improved in recent years, trains, buses and people tend to work on an "approximate" timetable. Learn patience and go with the flow.

2) LANGUAGE: Other than in Northern Europe, English is not as widely learnt and used in Italy. Until recently, French was promoted above English. Italians suffer from a sort of language inferiority complex so that even those who do speak good English are convinced that they do not and therefore only speak when absolutely necessary. A common mistake in listening to an Italian speaking his mother tongue is to assume that they are angry or excited. This is not always the case as you may witness in seeing two Italians "argue" and then kiss each other on both cheeks and disappear for an Aperitivo (pre-dinner drink).

3) NATIONALISM: As reflected in regional dialects, modern Italy was actually only unified in the mid 1800's. Still today, great divisions exist between North and South. This means that culture, traditions and life style vary significantly between the various provinces. True allegiance is to the local town or province and less to Italy as a whole. If you want to compliment an Italian, remark kindly on his home town.

4) POLITICS: Often called "the Politics of Favors", politicians don't fade away, they just become prime minister for the 10th time! Bringing down Government is a national pastime, averaging nearly one government for every year since World War 2. Reflecting the national divide, Italy has a strong ex-communist and a strong ex-fascist block. Most Italians believe the country is successful despite the best efforts of the government; tax avoidance is another national obsession. One of Italy's stronger parties is dedicated to the break up of Italy. Lega Nord (Free the North) has a passionate following - in the north! To mis-quote Beppe Grillo, a famous Italian commentator: “One Italian makes a Latin lover, two together can never agree, whilst three make up four political parties.”

5) DRINK: Italian bars often double up as coffee shops as there is a much more limited drinking culture than in other European locales. Italians on the whole do not have a "drinking culture"; many bars reflect this less intense relationship with alcohol, although the club scene is more "traditional" in its appeal. Wine is often less expensive than bottled water and whilst a staple feature of Italian meals, it is very rarely drunk to excess.

6) FAMILIES: Careful of stereotypes but, whilst waning, the family is central to everything and all. It is normal for unmarried children to live at home, even if they are in their 30's and 40's. Children move away... to the house next door! ;) ... and shouting between balconies to borrow some sugar is common. The grandmother plays the role of matriarch and family members like to turn up for a meal and are gladly received.

7) RELIGION: Catholic, of course (about 90%). Strangely though, Italy now has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, So called Mafia bosses may fastidiously attend church on Sunday and married Catholic men may happily have an “amante” (lover). Many Catholics are uncertain if they are Christians as well as Catholic, such is the hold and “brand” strength of the Catholic church. Church attendances are, however, in decline and the number of new priests has declined by 85% in the last 50 years.

8) SPORT: One thing all Italians agree on is the national football/soccer team, often referred to as Italy's "true" religion. When Italy won the World Cup, people took to the streets in their cars, blowing horns, standing on car roofs and the entire nations transport system ground to a halt for hours as Italians demonstrated their passion for the game. Other sports take a back seat although cycling, volleyball, skiing and Formula One have their place on the front pages. One of the largest selling national newspapers is entirely dedicated to sport (LaGazetta dello sport).

9) WORLD AFFAIRS: Not our affair... so who cares, right? 

10) FOREIGNERS: In most cases are greeted with enthusiasm and delight, although heavy non-European immigration has started to create phobia and resentment of the non European invasion in recent years.

11) FOOD: Italians are passionate about... Italian food! So much so that even when abroad, many Italians will go out of their way to seek out the nearest Italian restaurant. Each region of Italy has its own "local dish" and each dish may be prepared in a different way according to local custom. A wedding meal may last more than 6 hours and feature up to 20 courses. Such is the strength of Italian food that finding a Chinese, Mexican, or other type of restaurant outside the big towns is a challenge.

12) DRIVING: The Italian zest for life is well reflected in the Italian driving style! Cars are viewed as a status symbol; Italy has one of the highest percentages of Mercedes owners in the world. Speed limits, like train schedules, are considered approximations. Recent clamp downs and a new point system is beginning to dampen this zest and the best advise for foreign drivers is not to panic if a car cuts in, speeds by, or tailgates you. Don't worry, they have had lots of practice and are very good at it!

13) QUEING: Or lines. Until recently, the concept was an enigma for Italians. The advent of supermarket deli ticket lines and other such devices are being readily adopted and even when no line exists, Italians appear to have an uncanny sense of when it's their turn.

14) GREETING: Even vaguely familiar acquaintances will kiss each other on each cheek, but a hand shake will suffice. “Buongiorno” (formal) and “Ciao” (informal) being the classic accompaniment, followed by "come stai?" - the (informal) “how are you?”. In English-speaking countries, it's normal to reply "fine, thank you" even if you feel awful, in Italy they may well tell you how they actually are! Failure to greet or say goodbye to somebody can be taken as an insult.

15) FASHION: Italians will generally conform to the latest fashion trends, colors and styles, indeed foreigners can easily be spotted, even in a crowd, as they often do not conform to this hidden code. Italians take pride in their dress and are much more brand-conscious than some other nationalities.

16) BUSINESS: Italians prefer to do business with those they know and trust (hence, the relatively low success of Internet companies). Unlike some other industrialized powers, the back bone of the Italian economy is based on people, not multinationals. This is reflected in the proportionally high level of family businesses. Even large Italian businesses are often originated, directed or owned by a family (Benetton, Fiat etc). The local family shop concept still prevails, even though supermarkets are beginning to change the fabric of shopping.

17) PLANNING: Whilst many Northern Europeans are busy planning their next summer holiday in September the year before, summer holiday catalogs in Italy are not even printed till March! Planning ahead is considered restrictive and often Italians will decide what to do for the weekend on Saturday morning. Don't try and force Italians to plan, or expect next seasons bus timetable to be published months before. 

18) EUROPEAN: Italy is a great believer in “voting European”, agreeing to many issues and then simply not implementing the directive. Italians themselves see Europe as an escape clause from their own government's perceived incompetence and corruption, however when put to the test, Italians in reality dislike anybody who tells them how to live their lives. Most Italians were enthusiastic about the Euro, until they found that most shop keepers used it to increase prices twofold.

19) HUMOR: Warning: “Sarcasm is not defined”. Do not try sarcastic or ironic jokes on Italians, many will think you are serious. Humor is a lot more lighthearted and obvious (Benny Hill was a big hit) and Italians are not afraid to make fun of themselves. The famous Oscar-winning actor and comic Roberto Benigni once remarked: “If the Berlin wall had been built by Italians, it would have come down on its own.” The prime-time nightly comedy program “Striscia la Notizia” goes out of its way to poke holes and find humor in Italian news and politics. Few Italian comedies work well when translated but have an avid following in Italy itself.

20) TELEVISION: Italians love game shows and reality TV (Big Brother is a yearly event). Like Italian fashion, brand names are important. The host's "brand" is critical and what he or she wears is critically examined. Nearly all shows feature "dancers or assistents", nearly always women, and nearly always clad in mini skirts and revealing tops. Where other countries would cry foul, Italians revel in the female form and are happy to have it presented to them as often as possible, even when totally irrelevant to the show.

21) HOTELS: Contrary to popular belief there is no unified star rating system in Europe. Each country provides its own system. A hotel's ambience is not assessed in any system, only facilities. In Italy, a 3-star hotel will have a restaurant, on-suite bathroom, bar, and lounge area. Room sizes in Italy are below the European average, mainly because many hotels are converted residences. Most hotels are family-run with attentive, very friendly service and homecooked meals. It is not unusual for the grandparents to take over responsibilites when the owner is away or to be greeted during school holidays by the 14 year old son (who probably speaks better English than the parents). This family atmosphere is one of the charms of smaller Italian hotels.

Oh, and one last warning: be careful of the stereotypes. Whilst you can always draw a thread (or even a rope) of similarity (as above) between the nationals of a country, the extent and size of the thread can vary.

Edited and adjusted from an article by A. Reed, a Brit in Brescia, Italy

#italians #europe #europeans #culture #culture clash #stereotypes #customs #italy #italia #humor #politics #food

[dccomicsnews]

If you’ve ever had the dream of owning every comic DC has published — which currently number more than 40,000 — then get ready for a great opportunity. Sotheby’s auction house will be selling the “Ian Levine Collection,” which contains a copy of the publisher’s entire output from 1934-2016.

With the current rise of Facsimile Editions, more fans have had the opportunity to get a taste of comics history. Click over to Sotheby’s to look at the whole auction catalog of what’s sure to be a record-breaking sale price. The auction record for a comic was achieved in 2014 when Action Comics #1 alone sold for $3.2 million back in 2014; Detective Comics #27 hit $1.075 million in 2010.

Here’s the press release:

Sotheby’s is pleased to announce that we will offer DC Complete: The Ian Levine Collection, an exclusive private sale offering of every comic book released by American publisher DC Comics from 1935 – 2016, including complete runs of Superman, Batman, Action Comics, and Detective Comics. The more than 40,000 comics in the collection also features superhero icons Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Hornet and Aquaman, as well as the Justice League series. Available now and on view on Sothebys.com, the sale marks the 81st anniversary of the release of Detective Comics #27 on March 30, 1939, which featured the debut of The Batman. For a comprehensive overview of the collection or to inquire about its purchase, visit here.

The Ian Levine Collection of DC Comics – the most comprehensive in the 80 year span – was amassed over half a century that spans the birth and development of superhero comics as cheap forms of entertainment to pop culture juggernauts. From New Fun #1, the very first DC comic book published in 1934, to complete collections of Superman and Batman, the collections also includes first appearances of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Martian Manhunter, Plastic Man and more; superhero teams such as the Justice League of America and the Teen Titans; and supervillains Lex Luthor, the Joker, Two Face, the Penguin, General Zod, and more.

Richard Austin, Head of Sotheby’s Books & Manuscripts Department in New York, commented: “The Ian Levine Collection is the holy grail for comics collectors. Amassed over decades of hunting, Levine’s collection embodies the passion and fandom that has defined comics culture for generations, which today is best encapsulated not through printed issues but popular superhero films that regularly break box office records. Featuring some of the most valuable individual books as well as extremely rare promotional issues, the Levine Collection includes all the DC heroes that are among the most recognizable and versatile pop culture touchstones in the world.”

A  significant figure in modern pop culture himself, Levine is a DJ and producer, early popularizer of the Northern Soul movement, and one of the originators of Hi-NRG music. He was first introduced to DC when he began reading The Justice League of America as an eight-year-old in 1960. Upon discovering London comic shops Dark They Were and Golden Eyed in 1972, Levine realized it was possible to find long-out-of-print issues and discontinued titles such as The Justice Society of America, a Golden Age forerunner of his beloved Justice League, thus sparking his half-century of comic book collecting.

For a decade, Levine purchased a new copy of every DC issue he could find, while trying to fill in earlier issues. However, in pre-internet 1987, Levine despaired of finding many Golden Age comics he lacked, and decided to sell many of his best issues in order to fund his collection of Northern Soul records and Doctor Who film prints. However, reviewing his stacks of comic books with the purchaser reawakened his passion for this pop art form, and Levine bought his comics back from the dealer he had sold them to—at a 50% premium. Amassing about half of the comics DC had ever published, Levine determined to form a complete collection. Sacrificing his incomparable collection of Northern Soul records and Doctor Who prints, along with the assistance of the nascent internet (including the discussion forums of Certified Guaranty Comic, a comic book grading service) and dealer, advisor, and author of The Comic Book Paul Sassienie, he achieved this ambition, which would essentially be impossible to replicate. In 2010, Levine’s paramount, unique collection was utilized to supply the illustrations for Taschen’s monumental publication 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking by Paul Levitz, the former president and publisher of DC.

The collection spans the nine decades tracing the trajectory of the effect of comics on popular culture, from the target of a congressional investigation of their corrupting influence to the topic of doctoral dissertations addressing issues like war propaganda, environmentalism, and gender identity. Every comic genre published by DC is included, such as humor, parody, romance, crime, science fiction, and adaptations of classic and popular works of literature and film. The work of successive generations of the greatest comic book artists and writers are preserved in the collection, from pioneers such as Jerry Siegel, Joseph Schuster and Jack “King” Kirby; to those who maintained the quality and passion of the books through the Silver Age including C. C. Beck, William Moulton Marston, and Sheldon Mayer; to those who carried on the tradition through the Bronze Age and into the twenty-first century such as Neal Adams and Curt Swan.

Although National Allied Publications, DC’s predecessor firm, had been publishing comics since autumn 1934 with New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine #1, Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1 (June 1938), sparked a new era not only in comic books but in global pop culture, with superheroes exerting enormous influence on film, television, and fashion. Superman was soon joined by a radically different superhero than the alien man of steel, but equally as significant and influential: Batman (originally, the Bat-Man), who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Shortly after, National Allied Publications adopted the initials of this popular title for the company brand that is still recognized the world over: DC. Representing the pinnacle of the Golden Age of comics, these two seminal characters would soon be joined by an expanding roster of several hundred celebrated superheroes and serialized stories.

The Levine Collection is highlighted further by hundreds of rare promotional comics by DC artists and writers, featuring various DC (or DC-inspired) characters endorsing various consumer goods and corporate entities; a number of “ashcan” issues (intended to establish copyright but not available for sale), as well as many foreign (non–United States) reprints, British comic books featuring appearances by DC characters, and anthology reprints in proper book form.

Sotheby’s To Auction Every DC Comic 1934-2016 If you've ever had the dream of owning every comic DC has published — which currently number more than 40,000 — then get ready for a great opportunity.

#action comics #Detective Comics #sotheby&039;s #sotheby&039;s auction house

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Spider-Verse v3 #2 Thoughts

This issue is not bad...but I hate it....

And I hate it for entirely personal and petty reasons.

See back in 2009, in the pretty recent aftermath of OMD, we fans looked upon Spider-Girl and the MC2 universe as something of a safe haven, a place where we could not only expect good stories that respected Spider-Man’s legacy, but where Peter and MJ were still married.

In 2008 Marvel threw us something of a bone in the form of a ‘Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man’ a segment of the newly released anthology title Amazing Spider-Man Family.

Lacking access to physical or digital comics, I had to wait patiently for the collected edition of ASM Family to be released and triple checked on Amazon that it was in fact collecting the issues that featured Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man. 

Not only did I pre-order the collected edition (thus paying full price for it) but it was the premiere HARDCOVER too, meaning it was likely more expensive than getting the single issues fresh off the shelves.

The day finally came where I got the book and I eagerly flipped through it. I didn’t see Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man, but I knew they weren’t the standard length of stories, so I presumed I’d just missed them.

I read through the book cover to cover.

I vaguely enjoyed two DeMatteis Untold Tales of Spider-Man.

But other than that I was subjected to some utterly filler level Brand New Day stories with Carlie Cooper and Man-Thing, nonsense involving Spider-Monkey (not even Spider-Ham!) and...Spider Ma’am.

No Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man.

They literally omitted the ONE thing I, and MOST fans wanted to see from this extra expensive trade.

Thus I grew a resentment towards almost everything in that goddam HC, including Spider Ma’am.

Spider-Ma’am in particular in fact.

Due to OMD Marvel and Quesada had essentially presented a sadistic choice between Aunt May (who’d only been a really great character under JMS when she knew who Peter was, which had been erased by OMD making her once more useless) and MJ (who’d been perennially popular), who at that time had been almost entirely absent from the main titles.

Seeing a version of Aunt May IN LIEU of spider marriage stories particularly pissed me off, and the fact that the story sucked shit anyway. Why on Earth would anyone really want to read a version of Spider-Man where he is in fact a boring old woman and every gag revolves around that fact?

THEN in 2015 I picked up Spider-Verse team up #3 and encouraged other people to do the same. The reason being that I wanted to see a Mayday Parker story written by DeFalco and Frenz, her co-creators.

This was a big deal not just because since her cancellation in 2010 Mayday/DeFalco/Frenz stories were thin on the ground but because she’d been wrecked by Spider-Verse not too long before that and fans were hoping for some kind of consolation from this story, maybe a fix for what had been done to her.

The issue did provide that, but you know what took up about half if not more of the issue?

A goddam Spider Ma’am story.

Spider Ma’am walked out of Spider-Verse unscathed but Mayday lost her Dad, her costume, her name, her identity, her optimism and her general premise.

Now we come to this issue. One of six in a mini-series that hinted at exploring the wider Spider-Verse. Spider-Girl got a brief as fuck cameo in issue #1 but the solicits have not shown or mentioned her beyond that. 

The format of this mini-series is to spotlight one alternate Spider-Person each issue alongside Miles and the solicits have made it clear who those are going to be for issues #3-5. Since the premise of this series is finding Spiderling, she will likely be the closer for issue #6.

Which means that once more Mayday got the shaft and Spider Ma’am is just one of the handful of characters we’re giving spotlight to INSTEAD of Mayday, who’s an infinitely superior character.

Now two of those spotlighted characters are Spidey Noir and Peni Parker. I get that. They were in the movie. But who the flying fuck HONESTLY was demanding the return of Spider Ma’am or of Cowboy Spider-Man?

Who LIKES these characetrs really?

Even if Mayday was going to get the shaft, surely there were infinitely more interesting Spider People to spotlight other than her.

Now I’m done with my griping, how is the issue unto itself.

Honestly, not bad.

It’s rather amusing in many places and seeing evil Peter, Uncle Ben and in particular evil Carnage Aunt May is funny.

Miles is a little underused in the story, but at this point Miles is just a vehicle through which we’re exploring the multiverse so whatever.

The science behind how they win is kind of confusing but the sentiments that they win through love is nice.

The thing I will give this story is that North does keep everyone on point. Yes this is a world where Aunt May is Spider-Man and Ben and Peter are her sidekicks (for lack of a better word) but they are still fundamentally recognizable as those characters.

The art I must say is also very nice, it reminds me a little of Pat Oliffe on Untold Tales of Spider-Man. it manages to strike a balance between classical art from the silver and bronze age whilst still feeling quite modern.

The only real problem with the story is the blurb describing Spider Ma’am. There is an embarrassingly amateur mistake there because it claims Ben died but they are clearly alive in the story.

My recommendation is to skip this.

Not because it is bad, but because it is total fluff.

#Spider-Man #May Parker #Spider Ma'am #Ben Parker #Peter Parker #Miles Morales #Uncle Ben #Aunt May #Carnage #Spider-Verse

[culturejunkies]

The Best Reads of 2019

By Kenshiro

The end of 2019 is here, and I’ve been up to my neck in back issues of comic books.  There’s been SO MUCH i have been wanting to read, that it seems almost impossible to keep up with them all.  But i’m almost caught up to the weekly releases and maybe next year I’ll finally be ready to keep pace with the rest of you with a regular pull list of items to read and recommend to you.

But lets look back right now on the year that was.  It was an especially big year for DC Comics who seemingly dominated this readers mind with the amount of quality stories they’ve been putting out across the line with the excellent Doomsday Clock maxi-series, the Year of The Villain story line coming out of Justice League and of course Tom King’s character-defining Batman run which ended in December.  I’d also be doing you a disservice in not mentioning some of their excellent Elseworlds and Black Label books too.  Of course 2019 also saw the surprise ending of The Walking Dead comic book, and the end of Jason Aaron’s epic run on Thor for Marvel.  But let me go a head and run down what I liked and why this year.

Each book series is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.  Average score rating is based on issues individual rating.

The Immortal Hulk

Probably the most unconventionally popular monthly Marvel book currently out right now, The Immortal Hulk has completely rewritten the rules on how we understand The Hulk, Bruce Banner’s multiple personality disorder and how to weave a story based purely on grotesque, ghoulish superpowered horror.  The book launched in 2018 returning the Hulk to life after being killed by Hawkeye a few years back, but turns out that Bruce Banner was never really dead and according to the story that head writer Al Ewing has been telling, he CAN’T die.  Instead, every day when at dusk, Bruce transforms into a Hulk persona that is as strong as he is ruthless to his enemies, mercilessly dishing out destruction on all those around him who get in his way, or his agenda. Hulk is on the run from adversaries like Alpha Flight and General Fortean, and eventually joined by an African American woman reporter named Jackie McGee. (clearly a reference to the classic 70s Incredible Hulk TV show character Jack McGee) The story is never short on surprises, and eerily captivating art supplied by Joe Bennett. If you aren’t already reading it, you should pick up the first couple of trades ASAP and add it to your pull-list if you’re into gory violence and dark storytelling.  Average Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Art like this is a regular occurrence in the pages of The Immortal Hulk

Spider-Man: Life Story

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Mark Bagley draws Spider-Man.  I mean the guy is only the longest tenured artist the Web-slinger has ever had, so the pairing goes over like Peanut Butter & Jelly.  However, writer Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals) joins him in a tale of Spider-Man done in real-time over the course of 6 decades.  Each issue taking place in every decade that Spider-Man has existed starting in the 1960s and ending in the 2010s with Spider-Man as a nearly 80 year old man.  We see Peter living his life and decisions and all of the repercussions that come from them without being reset by a retcon.  We see him get married, divorced, cloned, become a father, face being an outlaw from governmental law and more.  Its one of the better Spider-Man tales in recent years, and worth picking up as a trade.  Average Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Harleen

DC’s Black Label is the mature comic line featuring your favorite DC characters, but you can be forgiven if you want to accuse DC of using it as an excuse to publish even more Batman or Batman-related stories given what they’ve got on their slate upcoming.  Sure, there’s the occasional story like Superman: Year One, but looking at the upcoming stories, they’re almost all based on the characters from Gotham City.  But even if that’s an annoying gripe for me, I must say that one of the more enjoyable reads has been Harleen which was produced by dual-threat artist/writer Stjepan Šejić.

The art is absolutely lovely, but even more gripping is the tale of Harley’s origin done in long-form.  Here we see what makes her tick, how she deals with the growing madness around her as well as inside her mind as she falls into the Joker’s thrall.  If you’re a fan of Harley Quinn at all, its certainly worth a read, even if you’re familiar with her origin story.  Average Rating: 4 out of 5

Prodigy

Mark Millar’s Millarworld is soon going to be churning out live action stuff for its new owner, Netflix.  The first comic with actual ties to the live action version is going to be this book, Prodigy.  Prodigy is about the most intelligent man on Earth, a man who seemingly can do anything within the realm of human possibility and he just happens to be an African-American.  Its not a pandering ploy, since he’s a brand new character, but I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to have someone who looks like me, be the one who has the world at his fingertips, who is idolized and held up as an example of the pinnacle of human achievement.  The story itself was somewhat predictable, but the manner in which the character Dr. Edison Crane is written is worth the price of admission if only because he’s something rarely seen in the history of comics: perfection in the form of the black male. Average Rating: 3.6 out of 5

House of X/Powers of X

In a year that saw Marvel finally reacquire the X-Men properties, we got the best year of X-Men related books this year, none better than the franchise altering mini-series by Jonathan Hickman. The revelations set in motion in this series radically alters the playing field for Mutankind in the Marvel Universe, fully emancipating them from a world that has continually kicked them just for simply existing.  Hickman’s Avengers run was very fondly remembered by some, but did get a bit heady for some more casual readers.  Hickman did an even better job keeping things paced here, even though he went back to the well with some of his favorite plot devices (alternate universes and time jumping). If you’re a fan of X-Men in any capacity, I’d definitely put it in my must-read column. Honestly, the reset of the universe done by sending the young X-Men back in Extermination, almost superceded this one, but the sheer coolness factor of it all had me switch it up.  Read em both if you have a chance. Average Rating: Powers of X – 3.6 House of X – 4.5 out of 5

Doomsday Clock

Honestly, this shouldn’t be too surprising.  Despite having a hellish release schedule, this story was one of the better ones released by DC this year in a year that also included Tom King’s Batman run, and the Scott Snyder-led Justice League opus Justice League/Doom War.   The final 6 issues of Doomsday Clock  were supposed to seamlesslytie into a lot of the things that were happening with the aforementioned Doom War, so some of the more….radical elements of what happened lacked bite at the end, but it was a satisfying mixing of Watchmen and the DC Universe proper.  There are some instances within where it seems writer Geoff Johns, who is one of my favorite comic writers of the last decade and a half, given his importance within DC Comics itself, is trying to have his cake and eat it too.  He has pretty much established every single iteration of the DC Universe, Golden Age, Silver Age, Post-Crisis(Pre-Flashpoint), New 52, Rebirth, ALL EXIST, but the end result, re-positioning Superman as the center of the DC Multiverse, is very welcome for me as a Superman fan.  The maxi-series release schedule may have made it a chore to wait for since it came out sometimes 3 months between issues, but as a trade it will make for a thrilling read.  Average Rating: 4.1 out of 5

What were your favorite reads from 2019? Share them with me below and lets discuss!

#DC Comics #Marvel Comics #Prodigy #X-Men #Comics

[riddlerosehearts]

okay, i’m on my way home from AWA and i’ve finally had time to actually look into overwatch 2 and collect my thoughts, so here goes... this is gonna get far too long and essentially be a big essay that i know most people won’t care about, but i just really wanna get my thoughts out so i’ll drop it under a readmore! also be warned that if you‘re super into the new character designs you won’t be into part of this post, lol. but anyway:

first off, i think a lot of the discourse i’ve seen about it seems... overblown and based on inaccurate info?? (don’t worry i am not talking about hong kong here, people are absolutely justified in hating blizzard for that and so do i). people keep acting like they’re gonna charge $60 just for new maps or something but for one thing no price or release date has been announced (in fact, the dev team doesn’t even know when it will release and it’s been said that we may have to wait until 2020 for a date, because it’s still early in development), and for another thing overwatch 1 wasn’t even $60 on pc at launch?? yes on console it was which sucks but most of the playerbase is on pc, and the base game was $40 at launch for us. blizzard cannot be so colossally stupid that they’d charge more for this than for the base game, and if they do i’ll absolutely be complaining about it, but for now we literally have no clue how much the cost for OW2 will be.

and on top of that, it’s... not just new maps? it’s new maps, yes, but also multiple new heroes at launch, a whole new PvP mode, a PvE story mode which is something people have begging for to move the lore forward, a new updated engine, and the PvE will have its own maps and brand new abilities and skill trees—with the abilities and skill trees being unlike anything overwatch has done before, and uniquely exclusive to OW2 and not affecting the PvP so you’re not unfairly disadvantaged if you don’t have OW2—and i also feel the need to reiterate that it’s still in early development so i highly doubt we already know all there is to know. blizzard hasn’t been entirely clear on what overwatch 2 even is tbh but it’s certainly not just new maps and if you think it is then i’m actually begging you to spend at least 30 seconds on google because 30 seconds is really all you need to click on one article and see that that’s far from the truth.

also if you’re not interested in the lore then from what i’m gathering you don’t even need to buy it because apparently OW1 is getting all the same stuff except for that? like, people are saying blizzard should just release it all as free content, but apparently they almost are since the new “push” game mode, plus the map that comes with it (and any future ones) is coming to OW1 and it’s gonna keep getting all the hero updates and everything that isn’t exclusive to the PvE mode and players will be put into the same PvP lobbies across games?? correct me if i’m wrong on that but it sounds like if you already own OW1 and don’t want the story mode stuff you literally don’t need to buy OW2 at all—so if you do then you’re just buying the story mode/PvE stuff, that’s it. and if you do, every cosmetic item you already own will transfer over! it’s also not like OW1 is done updating, as we know we can still expect new heroes in it before OW2 releases.

don’t get me wrong, i am a bit worried that the amount of new content won’t be enough to justify the price, i do still hate blizzard for the entire hong kong controversy and desperately wish they would do better, and as a massive lore enthusiast and someone whose primary reason for loving overwatch is based in its characters and world i am very frustrated that this is what it takes for the story to actually move forward, but i’m also really excited to see where this all goes and i honestly think people are largely just complaining without actually looking into what they’re complaining about. i also literally don’t understand the idea that “lol overwatch already had this for like a week before they took it out” about the PvE stuff and would like someone to explain that to me if possible because i’ve been playing this game since very shortly after launch and i’m confused asjdjdnfkd

that all being said i do have what i’m guessing is a pretty unpopular opinion though, and it’s that i... i don’t like most of the character redesigns we’ve seen, and the ones i do like i mostly just kinda like, i don’t love them or feel excited about them, while the rest i’m neutral toward or hate, and that actually really upsets me because the ones i hate most are for two of my most favorite characters and it makes me worried for what they might’ve done to redesign and potentially mess up my other faves—but i guess these will be the designs going forward, and everybody’s pretty fanart is gonna have these designs, so i’ll just have to get used to them.

to be more specific on that last point: i absolutely hate lucio and mercy’s hair and i’m honestly really sad about that, especially since i run a mercy appreciation blog and i don’t wanna celebrate her new design on it because i hate it so that would be very insincere of me but i don’t wanna say negative things and complain on it either, but i just think her hair looks so strange now. and i like lucio’s outfit tbh but his weird neon glowstick hair just... ruins it, it looks so bad to me i can’t stand it and i want his regular hair back. i would honestly prefer not to even acknowledge these 2 designs (well, mostly the hair i guess) exist if i could help it. i also don’t like reinhardt’s beard or bun although i am glad to see his face exposed and like the lion on his armor, and i can see his new hair possibly growing on me eventually. and while mei’s design is mostly okay i loved her old hairpin, it was distinctive and cute and i’m sad it’s gone because i dislike whatever it is that’s in her hair now sjdjdkgkd. also before seeing a side by side comparison i legit had to ask a friend if anything was even different about winston or if i was just blind—which i guess, considering how i feel about the others, is a good thing for me lol. but if you like all these designs that’s valid and i’m happy for you!! just don’t expect to see me praising them, but i’m also not gonna be super negative like this too often either.

for kinda-positives: i actually do really enjoy one single new design though, and it’s genji’s, but not for any specific reason other than i’m excited that he’s finally wearing clothes lol. i don’t feel strongly either way about the design of the clothes themselves (...though i do lowkey agree with the people saying they’re boring looking, but hey, my man is finally done running around naked everywhere, so i’ll take it). and i like tracer’s new glasses and the fact that she ditched the crocs finally!! i’d also like to talk a bit more about mei’s design—a friend of mine is saying people are complaining they slimmed her down, and i haven’t seen any of that for myself but if they really are then i uh... don’t get that? she still looks just as fat to me?? i’ll just let this comment i made in discord as soon i saw the new designs speak for itself:

so yeah, if she is any skinner it’s because of the newly normal-sized coat, because when i look at the models side by side she legit looks the same size to me or maybe a little bit smaller—but hey, who knows, maybe i truly am just blind! but anyway, if you gave her old hairpin back then i’d honestly have no issue with her new design.

i truly hope the new designs will grow on me more though, especially mercy’s because the feeling of having an appreciation blog for a character you love a lot and not being able to celebrate something like this is a feeling that really sucks, but i... feel very alone in disliking them as much as i do and while i’m glad everyone else is happy i’m sad about that?? at least all the old skins will still be there though, so ultimately i suppose it isn’t that big a deal, i just really really hope i don’t hate symmetra or hanzo’s redesigns too whenever we see them, assuming that every character is getting these design overhauls.

i’ve also had the time to finally watch the gameplay trailer and the cinematic, and you know what’s one of the things i’ve always loved about overwatch? the maps have always been gorgeous, and the ones shown in the OW2 trailer are no exception and i can’t wait to fully see them and explore them. the gameplay itself looks solid too imo and i am very excited to see sojourn will be added to the game, she’s gorgeous and i love her. and the cinematic!! it had so many cute little details, like the ana & baby pharah photo and the birthday photo, and tracer having that picture of emily. and the winston-tracer-mei friendship, getting to see genji and rein being badasses... seeing brigitte and then echo both show up, mercy and mei having that cute little moment, everybody working together and being amazing. the scene between brigitte and tracer that was adorable, the fact that rein made a terrible “ice to meet you” joke the second he was introduced to mei. seeing winston so happy to be able to say that overwatch is back. just... it was cute and cool and fun and i liked it a lot, it reminded me of what made me fall in love with this game in the first place and it made me really excited! i also think that the story should’ve moved forward like this much sooner and that we should’ve been getting much more shorts and comics in between, and i also wish that we didn’t have to wait until overwatch 2 to get sojourn because we still don’t actually have a black woman that we can play as and that really really sucks, but i’m still looking forward to everything as well.

so, in conclusion: i uh... may have mixed feelings about some things but i have to confess that i’ve loved overwatch for years, many of the characters are very special to me, and i’m genuinely excited about overwatch 2. i fully intend to start looking into charities that support hong kong as soon as i can because i want to actually do something for them and show that i’m not ignoring what’s going on over there, but i also wanna buy overwatch 2 whenever it’s released and i feel excited to play it. unfollow or block me for that if you have to but nothing good would come from me being ashamed to say it and i won’t hide it, i definitely hate blizzard but it doesn’t remove my love for the world they created. i‘m going to donate to hong kong charities and i‘m also going to buy overwatch 2 (which probably won’t even come out until 2021 or something), and i feel like giving more to them than i give to blizzard instead of just not doing anything at all is a fair enough way to deal with this issue especially since i am doing my best to boycott them otherwise. and if i play the new OW2 content and it sucks and/or just isn’t worth whatever the price is i’ll complain about it then, and if/when we see other redesigned characters i’ll probably complain about some of them too, but for now i really am excited for the most part!

#again if you need to unfollow or block me for wanting to buy overwatch 2–or even just continuing to post about ow—then fine go ahead #but i genuinely AM gonna find at least 1 reputable charity to donate to to help hong kong and not only will i donate as soon as i can #but once the price for OW2 is announced i’ll donate more than that price to HK if help is still needed #bc i really do think that will help more than just making posts about how much blizzard stinks #and i do want to help! and i do also think blizzard stinks! i just wanna help AND also get to play this game #so ANYWAY here are my honest thoughts and you can reblog this but if you’re rude to me you’ll be wasting your energy #if i got anything factually wrong about like. what’s in OW2 or whatever please let me know.