💭 poison ivy #10-12

I reread poison ivy #10-12 before sharing my thoughts because I wanted a fresh perspective and a clear head. And here 🎶we don't talk about janet🎶. (okay, maybe just a little.) we talk about the story as a whole!

so what's going on in this arc? what are we doing here? ivy and janet have made a pit stop on their way back to gotham to scope out a "consciously capitalistic" wellness retreat. here ivy discovers her dangerous lamia strain has mutated in the wild.

thus, what initially appears to be another episodic environmental exploit becomes a deep dive into the consequences of ivy's actions in #1-6 and a test of ivy's recent growth.

at first, I felt a bit icky about ivy using the infected women as human shields against their will. it seemed so out of touch with her recent journey about control and bodily autonomy. but then I realized that's the point.

ivy has a history of puppeteering people with her pheromones to achieve her own agenda. this is a reflection of that. the horror that ivy displays at the near outcome along with janet's reaction show the reader that she has truly moved past that stage.

the following issue reaffirms this with the woman who chooses not to take ivy's antidote. this scene also helps to show that the effects of ivy's actions will continue to be felt beyond these issues.

I said we'd talk about janet a little bit, okay? everyone has their opinions about this. well, here's mine.

as far as #10-12 go, I don't mind janet's behavior here. all of these women have essentially been drugged and sexually assaulted by the woman who runs the retreat. (potentially straight) women who barely knew each other engaged in sexual activities under the influence. we can't blame janet for giving in to her feelings in this out-of-her-control situation.

and it is to be expected that drama will ensue now that that can of worms has been opened. how it's handled is still to be determined.

Figment is a great all ages comic from the Disney Kingdom line. This is my review.

Disney Kingdoms was a truly unappreciated gem of a comic book series. Each issue was based on a different Disney Theme Park attraction; past, present, and even ones that were never built. There’s a lot of lore and creativity put into Disney Theme Park attractions, so there is certainly very fertile ground for story telling.

So, I’d like to share with all of you a review I did of the comic Figment. Based on the classic EPCOT attraction Journey Into Imagination. Figment takes place in London in the year 1910.  It follows an aspiring inventor named Blarion Mercurial.  He might not look it, but he is destined to become The Dreamfinder.  Blarion works for The Academy Scientifica Lucidus.  He's always been a dreamer and he wants to harness the power of imagination and creativity.  Unfortunately, his boss, Chairman Illocrant, is only interested in creating a device that can during thought into energy.  While working on the device, Blarion brings Figment, his childhood imaginary friend, to life.  He also opens a portal into a realm of pure imagination.  Before long, our heroes embark on a journey into imagination.

I’d been meaning to read this comic for a while, but it got a major boost after I watched Defunctland’s episode on Journey Into Imagination. By the way, if you haven’t check out Defubctland, fix that as soon as possible. One of the best channels on YouTube. Love his attention to quality, and the amount of information he always manages to find on defunct theme park attractions.

Anyway, back on topic, I loved Figment. It is a great all ages comic with a strong message in believing in yourself. The segments set in the land of Imagination were fun and whimsical, but the real world segments were entertaining as well. It also a surprisingly well done origin story for Dreamfinder. It could easily have done very wrong. He’s one of those characters like Willy Wonka or Mrs. Frizzle where you don’t know much about them or their origins, but they’re so awesome you just don’t care. However, giving a definitive origin to such characters can backfire badly. Thankfully, that is not at all the case here.

Also, Figment is as cute and adorable as ever. Just as he should be. I’m not the only one who thinks this comic is great. It is the only member of the Disney Kingdoms line to get a sequel. Even then Disney CEO Bob Igor was blown away by the comic’s success. I know that Disney+ is going to be producing some shows based on Disney Theme Park attractions. So, perhaps Disney Kingdoms will rise again some day.

Have you read Figment? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog is here: http://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2018/09/comic-review-figment.html?m=1

Gene Colan Saves Daredevil, Pedal to the Devil #2

The Man Without Fear, or a Consistent Artist Halfway through his introductory run of Daredevil, Stan Lee faced two looming threats, artistic consistency and painful mediocrity. For the entire preceding run of the series, Lee had been unable to nail down long term artists. This resulted in a cycle of the book coming to a screeching halt just as it is picking up speed. The chemistry and collaboration between writer and artist never seemed to truly click, with the slight exception of John Romita Sr. However even Romita’s run would be quite short at the end of the day compared to Lee himself. Despite the rotating bullpen of artists, the book always looked good and the art was never distracting or particularly lacking. Being passable actually highlighted the main issue facing The Man Without Fear, his identity.

As outlined in the previous post for this series, there is a certain amount of crossover between Daredevil and Spider-Man design wise, with their bright red costumes and contraptions to swing across the city. Add on top that Matt Murdock doesn’t have flashy powers, and throw in some truly generic villains, and you have a recipe for the blandest superhero comic around, especially with Spidey on sale at the same time. The saving grace of the first half of Lee’s run is the melodramatic plots and character beats which essentially bookend each issue.

Nearly two years in though, something seems to click and the book makes some big changes. First and foremost, Gene Colan is brought in on pencils for the remainder of Lee’s run, barring the final issue, which is forgivably given to Barry Smith. Colan’s work will elevate the book from an amusing bit of entertainment history into a more digestible modern experience. Next to the artistic jump, the stories will actually revert, almost re playing the hits.

The plots bring back older villains, and puts the characters into positions where their development retreads, but does so with much more intention and room to breathe. It is as though the story takes a step back and realizes that it’s going to be much more long running than the creator’s initially predicted, and as a result attempts to flesh out the ideas that have already been presented. This rehashing may seem tedious to some, but the overall package is so much more enjoyable, it arguably turns the book around for the better.

Karen, Matt, and Foggy

The cast of Daredevil stays relatively consistent as the series extends past year two, despite the character’s frequent assertions and attempts to the contrary. Each of the main trio makes their own bold exit from the central law office, for varying durations and to differing degrees of dramatic success. The messy law office thrives off spontaneous decisions and some deep traumas.

There’s not a lot of personality deviation from their introduction, each keeping a facade of the mild mannered office worker, while sharing more petty and self serving thoughts with the reader. Instead of sweeping changes Lee opts to run back each of the characters and hit their best beats again and more thoroughly. The relationship between Matt and Karen, Foggy and Daredevil, or any of the cast’s career pursuits are mirrors of the previous storylines, but with more vibrant art and extended time.

This approach makes sense if the title and company was gaining lots of readers back on the publication date. There’s a good chance Lee and company had no idea which of Marvel’s characters would last for decades as opposed to months, so they would lead with their best foot forward. It does sap a bit of energy from the story’s momentum once the parallels become clear, but the extra development time elevates the neat aspects of the first portion of the run into genuinely captivating ideas.

The group is flawed and weird and petty and perfect. The three are all far from paragons of virtue, with a hundred things for which each one of them could be criticized. Their worse actions though are always clearly fueled by insecurities and personal woes, in a way that keeps the reader betting on these losing dogs. As the readthrough progresses hopefully there will be some long term shifts in the dynamics of the main group, as there will definitely be tonal changes for the entire book.

Mike Murdock, the True Daredevil

The most enjoyable story beat that Lee hammers home through his run is the third alter ego of Matt Murdock and Daredevil, that of his own twin brother Mike. With a completely flipped, extroverted personality, Mike does and says everything that Matt doesn’t. He zings Foggy and treats Karen with both open admiration and misogyny, which he otherwise would hold back. The interactions with Mike are consistently funny, and become quite distinct when conceptualizing just how broken a man has to be to deceive his two closest friends into thinking he is his own twin brother.

Matt, who is secretly Mike, who is secretly Daredevil, who is secretly blind, who secretly is also… Thor? The idea of a secret identity is explored rigorously by this series, and in many ways finds the limits of the concept. The book sees just about every combination of fake outs and surprise reveals between alter egos and costume swaps. Unfortunately superhero comics will fail to recognize tired tropes in perpetuity, making the entire concept feel a little like something that’s been seen before. However nothing out stays its welcome in regards to Mike, and the sheer absurdity of making an alternate personality such a prominent aspect of the story is an effective hook.

Beauty in Simplicity

For this run of Daredevil there is a distinct setup of a status quo vs unexpected interruption dynamic. Essentially the issue to issue plot revolves around the three person law office, vigilante and all, facing a threat that will upset their established everyday routine. Whether it’s a maniacal villain trying to murder Daredevil or a job opportunity for Karen, the obstacles facing the characters tend to be surprises that put the protagonist on the back foot. There is no overarching goal to the series or the hero, and they are both placed in positions where they are reacting as opposed to pursuing a specific end.

The organization of the story saps a lot of the narrative drama, as it is clear that most things will return to normal quite quickly, if there is even substantive change to begin with. However what it does establish is a reusable base, one that the creative team can use to create a consistent and long running comic. The tone and main cast become relatable and thorough as they are continually explored.

Each arc lasts only a few issues and generally starts with the simple premise of a vigilante and his law office. Quickly the convulsions of the series are added, with the heroes being as messy as the villains, and then all is right and finished with a bow at the end, and the good guy winning. The repetition makes binge reading a bit of a slog, but would have worked well for continually drawing in new readers or as a weekly pick up. The interactions are witty, the plots are bonkers, and the main drag for the series is it does not feel fresh.

Get Your Words Outta My Comic

The nearly twenty five issues of idling story are almost entirely saved by the work of the series' new artist Gene Colan. The step up in consistency and quality are an equal testament to improved comic making and maintaining a primary artist, as well as to the talent of Colan. When the plot is less than engaging, the propelling force of the book really falls to the art. In the case of Colan’s run he rises to the occasion, and brings Lee up with him. The longtime writer may be at the peak of his dialogue powers in this run, writing smart wit and snark more than obtuse unnecessary descriptions.

The fact may be that Colan’s vibrant and clear illustrations simply did not necessitate any of the extraneous bubbles explaining what the art is meant to be. Equally true could be that the quality of the work was lessened when crammed with too many words and white spaces. Either way an improvement in art direction and a more focused writing style proved to be a recipe to fix the more prevalent drawbacks of the earlier issues.

The best example from this batch of stories is when Daredevil faces the Jester. Much like the other recent arcs, the formula is a weird and specifically themed villain has shown up to fight Daredevil and be defeated over three or four issues. The Jester is actually one of the longer arcs and the story is a pure slog when revisited today when clown villains are among the most played out tropes in the medium.

The Jester saga is completely worth reading for the art alone. Colan decides to play with the panels in ways that are unique for the relatively tame title, and heavily utilizes full pages of art. The dynamism from the integration of these techniques infuse the series with a little more heart, and sparks a bit of interest. Together with the panel to panel quality and the longevity of the artist on the series, this becomes a clear leader in the title’s early runs. Issue forty nine is the last for Colan but only for a bit, as he will return to collaborate with new staple writer Roy Thomas in just a few issues.

Closing Arguments

With the well established creators Stan Lee and Gene Colan both firing on all cylinders, Daredevil becomes a comic that can stand against the test of time. The stories are dated, and by modern standards even the art may be considered simple. The dialogue and early forms of dynamism make all the difference, and present a package that is a lot of fun even from a contemporary view. It’s not necessarily a great binge, and substantively isn’t the deepest comic around, but with a little patience the book becomes simple, pure hijinks and melodrama.

Enjoyable at the peak and forgettable at the lowest points, issue fifty of Daredevil sees Lee’s run come to a close. Unceremoniously departing in the middle of an arc, Lee will transition into an editor role and hand the writing duties over to Roy Thomas. As iconic as his style has proven to be, it feels like the right time for a change in creative direction. Seemingly Lee had drained himself of any more Daredevil stories, but had laid the groundwork that would facilitate the ideas and work of other writers for decades.

Citation Station

The Cover Original Article

Daredevil, Issues 25-50

25-50 written by Stan Lee

25-49 art by Gene Colan

50 art by Barry Smith

Daredevil #33, Art By Gene Colan

Immortal X-Men #14 by Gillen, Werneck, and Curiel

I haven't been posting my thoughts about weekly issues in a while, mostly because grad school / life has gotten hectic. I really loved X-Terminators and the new Scarlet Witch ongoing, if you're looking for some sick comics to read, but I want to talk about Immortal X-Men for a minute.

Specifically, the renaissance of Exodus, Bennet du Paris, who might be... one of my favorite mutants??? I was raised protestant, ended up going to about a million different kinds of protestant churches (it's a long story), and became an atheist in high school. I didn't expect to like the pink crusader character. When it comes to religious-adjacent characters, I tend to be more interested in the demons rather than the angels, and certainly not the holy warriors...

But Exodus fucking slaps.

The way I got CHILLS reading this page, as Hope, Destiny, Exodus, and 250k other mutants find themselves stranded in a desert, seemingly outside of time and space (?). Things are bleak. It's the Fall of X. It's the most grimdark we've ever gotten from the Krakoan era (but certainly not X-Men comics in general). Hope has lost hope. Destiny has given up. The mutants with them, we're told explicitly they don't have useful powers. There's no food, water, or shelter.

But Exodus, man, Exodus has faith. His faith - while full of Christian allusions and allegories - centers on mutants. The chosen people. They carry the cross in their blood - the X. And Exodus, the person whose chosen name means a mass departure of people, he's the one who has faith when mutantkind finds itself in exile. He's the one who can inspire the others that not all is lost, that there is a promised land waiting for them, that they can keep the faith and survive.

I could read a million issues about Exodus. There's this sort of awe and chill and intensity to him that I usually feel when reading about Magneto. This man was no one before Krakoa. No one cared about Exodus really. What Gillen and the others have done... it's miraculous.

I can't fucking wait to see more.

A Look Back at X-Men Adventures Season II #9 (1994)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised…

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Batman: Killing Time (Tom King & David Marquez)

Issues # 1-6

Read January 2024

Story: 9/10

This book. This book is incredible. It’s nearly a perfect Batman story. It’s tight, it’s concise, it’s gripping and most importantly… it’s fun! Tom King does a phenomenal job at tackling an early Batman story and having a good time with it while still delivering his style. I felt like Tom held back in areas for the books benefits the flashback scenes to Ancient Greece and Constantinople are fascinating but not over used or complicated. He keeps the story to a tight group of cast members and lets them play off each other throughout like a Tarantino film. This book feels heavily inspired by Pulp Fiction all down to the “fake out” of the prize at the end. I imagine that this ending will and has pissed people off but I found it oddly satisfying and meaningful in a nihilistic way that just isn’t present in comics besides like Jokers played out motives. This will easily become a must read and recommend for people who want to understand comics and what the medium can offer in a casual yet fulfilling way. Any person can enjoy this book at face value but there is depth to be found in the pages for those wanting to dive.

Art: 10/10

Holy shit. I’ve never even heard of David Marquez before but this has to be one of the best and most consistently drawn books I’ve ever read. I’m a sucker for a single artist all the way through, I just love the cohesion it creates through the book and it’s even better if that single artist is of this high of a quality. With Clay Mann as my favorite artist of all time it’s hard not to draw so many comparisons and inspirations to David’s style that some panels I found myself thinking that Clay might have done this. The lay outs are simple and don’t really break the mold but why should they when the art is simply beautiful to look at. These characters pop off the page (thanks to astounding design and inks/colors) and breakthrough the scenes with texture and lighting.

Special Notes:

- this would be a phenomenal choice to do as a movie. The script is tight and has many fan favorites all battling it out in a heist mystery thriller.

- Catwoman just made me smile ear to ear in this book. And the surprising standout in this book is The Riddler. He is cool, suave and actually funny.

- Agent #%@# curses way to much it’s insane to read and not laugh

- The help is simply a cool character, would love to see more of him

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Tom King and David Marquez are clearly masters of their crafts and I’m profoundly thankful they collaborated on this project to amazing effect. A short and elegant story like this is ease to overlook because of its length and seemingly non complex ideas but below the action packed adventure is a smart and well plotted tale of an early Batman and the motivations behind criminals. The writing is sharp and thoughtful and the art is gorgeous and timeless. On a meta note I had been struggling with some of the recent Tom King books I had read but this shot an arrow in my heart and reminded me why I fell in love with his books in the first place. I highly recommend this to all readers and fans.

When it comes to Star Trek, I’m pretty sure that Deep Space Nine is my favorite series. I quickly love Benjamin Sisko, and that translated to the rest of the series. Being able to enjoy Star Trek, Vol. 1: Godshock was a treat.

The non-Q god-like beings in the world of Star Trek aren’t my favorite, so I was a little bummed at the end of Deep Space Nine, when Sisko disappeared into “nothing” with the Bajoran gods at the wormhole. This story picks up three years later, and Sisko finally reappears, albeit with a message and a mission from those gods.

Sisko takes a Starfleet experimental ship, the Theseus, alongide a crew of some familiar faces to investigate a mysterious message from those gods.

Joining Sisko on the trio are Montgomery Scott from Star Trek; Data, Worf, and Beverly Crusher from The Next Generation; Jake Sisko from Deep Space Nine; and Tom Paris from Voyager. There are also several other familiar faces who make an appearance.

There were occasions early on when reading this book that I did a few double takes on the art of established characters. However, I was able to adjust pretty quickly and had a good time.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I enjoyed The Dog Of War, but… I like Star Trek, so it was still a fun read.

Comics Fangirl n°1 - Into the fangirlverse:

Today's review is about "What if? Dark: Spider-Gwen"/2023

Plot by Gerry Conway & Jody Houser

Art by Ramon F Bachs and Dee Cunniffe

Welcome to this first "Comics Fangirl", where i use my fangirl super powers I got by being bit by a radioactive super-fan for good, as with great power, MUST also come great responsibility.

Get ready for a true superhero action thriller, packed to the brim with thrills and chills, twists and turns, more super-vilains than you can shake a web at, and of course, non-stop web-slinging ACTION !

So if you're not aware yet, Gwen Stacy is theorized to be a trans wowan in the latest spider-movie, "Across the Spider-verse". Needless to say, most of the "fan base" is up in arms AGAINST the idea. That, in my humble opinion, is because most of the "spider-fan base" is a bunch of racist incels. I, as a TRUE spider-fan hold the only true true. This is f*cking comics, you f*cking nerds. Cry some more, #Gwenistrans. Now that THAT'S sorted out, moving on to my review.

First off, my eyes bleed every time I have to witness Greg Land's... "art". Motherf*cker can't even find something new to trace over, I feel I've seen this "o-face" a BILLION times already (I'm not being funny here, Greg is KNOWN for tracing over porn 😑)

Spoilers for this comics from here on out, you have been warned. Also, minor spoilers for Ghost-Spider's backstory.

It's one of comics most well known event, but in case you didn't know, the main universe Gwen Stacy died years ago, during a fight between Spider-Man and the green goblin. Only this time, it's Peter that dies, hitting his head as he jumps to save Gwen.

I love this alternate universe, because usually the "What ifs" involve someone acting out of character or something ludicrous happening to set the events into motion. Only this time it's Peter not thinking of his personal safety as he saves the woman of his life (MJ and him start dating after Gwen's death), which is 100% in character.

Gwen discovers Peter's secret identity as she drags his lifeless body from the water. Instinctively, she gets rid of his costume. I love the way she INSTANTLY knows what Peter would've wanted, as I'm sure he wouldn't want any of his ennemies knowing who he was, especially now that he can't protect his loved ones.

Instead of just grieving though, our girl Gwen starts scheming. She's going to take revenge on the green goblin. Only problem, she has no super-powers, and no training. That won't stop her, as she enlists Harry Osborn's help to spring a trap for the gliding menace. What she doesn't tell Harry is that she plans on killing the goblin, using her late father's gun.

She baits Osborn senior by acting like Spider-Man survived their last encounter. When the Goblin falls into her trap, she points the gun at him, ready to shoot.

At the last minute though, she changes her mind, proving once more the love and understanding she has for Parker. Peter wasn't a killer, and she won't become one in his name. So this is the part where my eyes started leaking for some odd reason.

Sadly, Harry, overtaken by grief (and probably overcompensating for missing Pete's funeral) shoots the Goblin in the chest, not aware of his true identity. When Norman dies in front of his son, Harry snaps, telling Gwen he holds her responsible for his father's death, exacerbating her already existing guilt.

This is the start of this Gwen's journey as a spider-person. As far as spider-folks go, that's pretty f*cking metal.

So I want to touch on the fact this is now the second "Spider-Gwen" who fights crime WITHOUT SUPER POWERS. First of all, #SlayQueenYaaas. Secondly, I can't help but read this as a metaphor for Gwen being trans.

In case you didn't know (we can't all be virgins, I understand) Ghost-Spider, mostly know as "Spider-Gwen", also doesn't have super-powers at the moment (at least when the writers actually REMEMBER THAT). She lost them during a story where she compensated using a version of the venom symbiote, which she tames in about one issue, one-upping Peter like no one's business.

I may be over thinking this, but I view that fact as a parallel to her transness. Much like the fact she doesn't have the same "powers" as cis people, she doesn't have the powers most spider-people have, and she has to work twice as hard to achieve the same results as them. Also, Ghost-Spider has no secret identity in her universe, and I couldn't help but see that as a trans thing. You KNOW people IRL would out her the first chance they got. Or maybe that's just me, I don't know.

So in case that wasn't clear, I loved this comic. The plot was good, and I loved the art. If you plan on picking it up (I just spoiled most of the plot, but you do you) consider pirating it, in case you don't know Disney funds war criminals.

I give this comic nuff'said/10

Talk to you later, true believers.

Fangirl out.

Lucid's comics are the gold standard of boys love and I will fight anyone who says otherwise: a review of Avialae

For all 2 of my friends who read this blog, I want you to know that I debated for weeks about which comic to review first. Should I start with the "classic" yaoi manga from the 2000s/10s that sparked my obsession with boys love media in high school? Maybe write about the current trends on popular sites like Lehzin and Tapas? Or perhaps just dive straight into monsterfucking with my one true love, HamletMachine? Well, my questions were answered when nearly $200 of @misslucid comics showed up at my door last week. Thanks, Mom & Dad, for letting me shop for my own Christmas presents and not asking ANY questions about my purchases. May you never learn that I spent all your hard-earned money on porno comics and Chinese boys love novels.

The reason I say Lucid serves the gold standard of boys love is because their work touches on all these factors: they draw on the comics language and visual humor of yaoi manga, publish on the popular webtoons sites on a weekly basis, and of course the crème de la crème: they've got monsterfucking in every. Single. Comic. Have I died and gone to heaven, or did I just fall asleep on my open copy of Avialae volume 4? They're really the epitome of porn WITH plot, my absolute favorite type of erotica. My friends who prefer one-shots laugh at my desire to be strung along by a story--sometimes for months on end if it's a weekly webcomic like some of Lucid's work--but I always say it's like emotional edging! When you've seen as many illustrated dicks as I have, you need a little extra somethin' to make it worth your while, a carrot and stick situation, to use an appropriately phallic metaphor. And let me tell you, Lucid's work is worth the wait. Ultimately, I'm starting with a review of Lucid's comics so you can get a sense of my taste--this is what an A+ perfect boys love comic looks like on this blog.

First, some links! Lucid has one completed webcomic, Avialae, that you can read for free on their compilation site, yaoi.biz (the funniest URL I have ever bookmarked). That's going to be the focus of this review, since I just re-read it in print. They're also posting weekly pages for The Hunt (the Sterek fan comic of my DREAMS) and River Street (vampire x grim reaper pretty boys in NOLA) on their site and all the buzzy webcomics sites. I would highly encourage subscribing to their Patreon and/or purchasing the print comics from their online store. I've done both, but I'm a real sucker for the print books and their printed editions are totally worth the splurge. Glittering foil letters on the covers, creamy heavyweight paper, and bonus comics printed in the back, not to mention the glow-in-the-dark details on the The Hunt: it's book nerd paradise.

OK, got all that? Gave them all your money because we pay artists for their craft around here? Great, now let's dive in.

ART: Even in the very earliest pages of Avialae, you can see that Lucid is a professionally trained comics artist whose attention to stylistic detail elevates the emotionality of this series. This image comes from the very first chapter, in which Gannet wakes up to discover he's sprouted bloody, shriveled bird wings overnight. The golden-hearted bird-watchin' boy next door, Bailey, helps him patch up his back and hide his wings in the early days of the comic, in which the characters are trying to hide this monstrosity (read: queerness) from others in their conservative, midwestern high school. Lucid wrote a wonderful note about their artistic journey with Avialae in the back of volume 6, explaining that this comic was a way of reconciling their formal art school training with their personal preference for the pure camp of boys love comics. The gray wash, they explain, was considered an acceptably artsy fartsy medium for an indie comics artist to work in, even though they could hear the siren's call of full color webcomics over the horizon, and would eventually return to color with The Hunt. They clearly had to make their own way with their art, to find a balance between high art and high camp, and you can watch this journey unfold throughout the Avialae books. They start with a lot of edgy concepts and painterly line work (as you can see in the background work above), but noting readers' responses they slowly started camping things up with more yaoi tropes and visual jokes that really punched up their 'comics language' (Scott McCloud, step aside-- there's a new game in town, and they understand that comics should involve manga gags and hole pics). Their anatomy is impeccable, their backgrounds are nuanced and diverse, and huge credit to them for drawing these elaborately detailed wings for years on end. I'm a huge fan of their other comic, The Hunt, as I am apparently stuck in the year 2012 and read Sterek fanfiction once a month at a minimum, but I think the art of Avialae is my favorite. From their personal writing, I sense that this art style might not have felt the most true to their webcomics origins, but I love the subtle beauty of the gray wash. You can really see the stroke of the artist's pen in this medium: ink blooms in the background around the characters, gestural line work creates movement and fuzz that makes it feel more handmade, and the lack of color focuses one's attention on the emotions of a scene. And just look at how their skill has grown over the years! From this first sketch of a bird boy having his wings wrapped by his offscreen boyfriend, to the refined intensity of this page from chapter 6 where Gannet saves Bailey from falling out of a tree, Lucid has really honed their craft and it's been a joy to watch.

2. STORY: While the art of Avialae is probably my favorite part, Lucid's writing certainly does not disappoint. Sometimes when someone is SO artistically talented I think, ah well their writing just isn't going to be as good, there's no way someone can be that perfect, but nope! They've got it all. They have a great sense of narrative pacing across individual pages, chapters, and the total collected work; their plots make SENSE; and their dialogue is both realistic AND fuckin' funny! I think the exchange between Gannet and Bailey around ~swapping roles~ in chapter 4 is some of my favorite writing, and Lucid so smartly invokes both dialogue and the language of comics to make their joke. When Gannet's question, "Have you ever thought about bottoming?" is following my the SCRRRCCH of the car skidding to a halt, I yelped with laughter! Later in bed, Bailey asks if he should be "feeling it" more since Gannet always looks like he's "melting" when he bottoms, Gannet's response of "Oh, that's because I'm a slut" is met with the perfect little aside-expression of Bailey's exasperation. It's a comedic beat pulled from the pages of BL manga, where showing a little chibi emotional reaction face is commonplace, and it made me CACKLE. In summary: suspense, humor, and compelling emotional moments between our two male leads make the writing un-put-down-able.

3. CHARACTERS: Well folks, as you might have guessed by now this is a no-holds-barred Lucid stan account, so yup, rest assured their characters are just as much as fun as the technical elements of their comics. First of all, I love a gay monster metaphor--you can never go wrong with a character struggling to discover literal monstrosity alongside their very gay feelings for a friend, as far as I'm concerned. Second, who doesn't enjoy a sassy slut and a boy-next-door pairing? It's as classic a combo as peanut butter and chocolate!

Our two leads, Gannet Sharpe and Bailey Gilbert, have a whirlwind romance (or should I say whirl-wing--get it? Oh you did but you're just not laughing? Alright BE that way) going from frenemies next door, to co-closeted monsterfucker high school classmates, to interspecies lovers exploring the hidden world of the Avialae bird people deep in the Appal-GAY-chain mountains (I'm not sorry and I will never stop). I assess characters based on writing, design, and pure n' simple fuckability, so here we go.

First up we have Gannet, who evolves from an angry gay teen stuck in a small town to a lovestruck fool who would do anything for his partner, even abandoning his title as long-lost prince of the bird people in later chapters! He's defined by his biting humor and indefatigable slutiness, and I absolutely adore him. His character design is gorgeous--he's a strawberry blonde covered in freckles that blend into the dappling on his wings. We watch his dyed black hair grow out through the series in a gesture of subtle realism that speaks to Lucid's incredibly patient and thorough artistic vision. He's got a splendid little collection of body piercings but I won't spoil the surprise for you here--you'll just have to read the books to see more. An incredibly fuckable character, indeed. Personally, I'd say I lean more into identifying with Gannet rather than wanting to fuck him myself, but that's just because I'm also an edgy strawberry blonde, and am not usually attracted to people who I think look too much like me. But I'll be honest, if I ever landed in the world of Avialae and saw this cutie in his angel costume, I might have to make an exception.

Bailey, on the other hand, makes me go absolutely FERAL. His BLUSH, his TEARS, his EMOTIONAL SINCERITY--god DAMN I am sprung. He's got this tight little track star body and an ass that Gannet is often admiring from afar, and wow do I get it. Not too tall, glasses, normcore in the streets and a begging bottom in the sheets: I love a man who can do it all. Bailey is funny in his own right, the naïve "straight man" (but gay) who is constantly comedically surprised by Gannet's outrageous advances. He's obsessed with birds despite an allergy that leaves him constantly sniffling in the first 2 chapters, but he gets new allergy meds and through it all supports Gannet in his trial of self-discovery. He's sweet and simple but also a raging monsterfucker, and I would absolutely DEMOLISH him in bed.

4. HORNINESS: Ah, the most important category on the list: how spank-bankable is this comic? Well, let me tell you: you're going to want to lock this one in the vault and throw away the key. Your sexuality will be forever changed for the better by these loving little twinks screwing each other 6 ways to Sunday. I'm not going to post any explicit pictures because Tumblr, ugh, but you should know: Lucid's artistic training really pays off. It's an uncensored salve to all the white-out lightsaber dicks splashed across Webtoons right now. Holes, poles, mouths, and feathers a' flyin'--you're gonna wanna see this.

Hands down, though, the best part of Gannet and Bailey's dynamic is that they SWAP ROLES. You almost never see this in boys love comics, and I think it's to the detriment of the genre as a whole. I say this as queer cis woman who identifies as an S&M switch--real gay people swap roles in bed all the time! Sure, plenty of folks identify as only a top OR bottom, or only ever play as a dom OR sub, but a lot of us live in shades of gray; it's all about the dynamic with a specific partner. When I first read this comic online about a year ago, I think I actually screamed out loud when I got to chapter 4 and realized that it wasn't just a joke in the car--Gannet was actually going to top Bailey after 3 chapters of the opposite dynamic! And holy shit was it hot. There's something so satisfying about watching a boy bottom for the first time, and adding the unexpected surprise of having a theretofore tomboy top confess to wanting to be controlled, dominated, entered by his far more femme partner? I was over the goddamn moon with giddy horniness.

The monsterfucking is also excellent, especially if you're more into light fantasy monster lovin'. Personally, I love me some wild ass monster dicks in my porn, but the human anatomy in Lucid's comics is so well done that I don't even mind if no one is getting gaped or cum-dumped! Gannet and Bailey have a really tender, loving sexuality that shines through all their kinky adventures, and I have happily jerked it to their beautifully realistic sexual exploits many, many times. Also, major points to Lucid for including condoms and lube in every single sex scene! This ain't your mother's magically pre-lubed yaoi hole, folks--this author actually knows how human buttholes work. Their characters speak openly about STD testing in the epilogue wedding, and when they finally do it RAW it's with full informed consent. I really loved this little condom PSA in a BL world that seems typified, these days, by buckets of cum spraying everywhere, on everyone, all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love a cum shot as much as the next pervert on the internet, but Lucid's subtle attention to reality makes their comics feel emotionally organic and satisfyingly original.

FINAL VERDICT/TLDR: 10's across the board, Lucid's Avialae has it all: great art, humorous writing, sexy & believable characters, and kinky ass sex scenes. Porn with plot made for all you sentimental monsterfuckers out there, this comic is sure to satisfy if you're looking for a longer read that'll really suck you into its fantasy world. Highlights include: a killer sense of humor, beautifully rendered bird wings, a swapping sexual dynamic, and an evergreen gay-monster-metaphor that feels familiar but still fresh!

I truly love all of Lucid's work and hope to write in more depth about their ongoing webcomic, The Hunt, in a future post. Monsterfuckers unite! Thanks for reading.

Now that I'm done commenting on everything I want to comment on Imma do a quick review and rating for the story.

I loved everything about it expect for Lin lie being able of picking the hammer, I just really hate that everyone by now can pick Thor's hammer come on marvel leave mojnir be. Lin lie moral code is hilarious but I like it.

Loki were almost perfect if it wasn't for the fact that he's helping a villian which he's not supposed to do since he swore he's not gonna work for villains after the war of realms.

I also really like how the story were balanced between being about Lin lie and Loki instead of feeling like it's about Lin lie or Loki only

So I will be giving it a 8/10

Side note I thought going in that I'm going to start shipping Loki with Lin Feng came out shipping him with Lin lie instead fuuguguffu.

Turtlethon Extra Slices: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures" #1

Above: Cover "A" for TMNT: SMA #1, by Tim Lattie.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures is a new ongoing comic series by IDW Publishing that presents original stories set in the continuity of the 1987 TMNT cartoon. The first issue’s story, “VR in Deep Trouble”, is written by Erik Burnham, with art by Tim Lattie, colours by Sarah Myer and lettering by Shawn Lee. 

NOTE: Mild spoilers to follow, but unlike regular Turtlethon entries this won’t be an exhaustive frame-by-frame analysis of the comic, just a general overview and my thoughts. There are plenty of surprises throughout for seasoned viewers of the show, and I don’t want to ruin it for you! 

Above: The Turtles hooked up to Donatello's new simulator.

April reports on the relentless rain that has been a burden upon New York as of late. With a supercell storm about to make the situation even worse, the Turtles find themselves stuck in the Lair. Donatello sees this as an opportunity to road test his new battle simulator, which he declares is like virtual reality “but more advanced”. The other Turtles and Splinter are divided as to whether this is a good idea, but eventually agree to give it a try. 

Above: Leonardo battles Baxter Stockman in a fighting game setup paying homage to the Super Nintendo version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters.

Once the Turtles are inside the program, Donatello reveals that the setup is a game of capture the flag, but with a twist – if they fail to do so, the flag disappears, and the team will need to engage in one of a series of mini-games before they can have another try. While the quartet take on a simulated version of Shredder – and discover that they can feel pain while playing – a lightning strike back in the real world causes the system to malfunction. Now the Turtles are unable to leave, and each of our heroes finds themselves doing combat with a variety of their old foes in different genres of video game as they search for a way out. 

“VR in Deep Trouble” is a light-hearted and engaging debut issue for this series, that generally feels faithful to the spirit of the 1987 cartoon, specifically the long stretch during the show’s heyday where it wasn’t afraid to be irreverent and silly. The depictions of the characters are almost spot on, their dialogue and interactions perhaps not an exact match to what we saw on TV, but I think it’s okay to bring a little bit of a modern sensibility to the proceedings. New writers working in this sandbox thirty years after the event will inevitably have a different approach than the creators of the old cartoon. 

Above: Donatello from the pages of Saturday Morning Adventures #1 versus his appearance in the season three episode "Turtles at the Earth's Core".

Similarly, the artwork captures the spirit of the 1987 series while incorporating a modern polish; the saucer-eyed Turtles evoke memories of season two and three episodes like “Return of the Technodrome” and “Turtles at the Earth’s Core”, and while those weren’t the flashiest outings in the original series, seeing that vibe in the pages of Saturday Morning Adventures makes me happy.  

Above: Rocksteady is one of more than thirty old enemies that the Turtles battle while trapped in the simulation, retaining his helmet from season one.

The big draw for veteran Turtles fans will be the bonkers levels of easter eggs and cameos incorporated into this story; once Donatello’s game malfunctions a plethora of familiar villains appear, many from episodes I've written about for Turtlethon, as well as a few from the toyline and later years of the show that I've still to cover. Almost none of them get to say or do a whole lot, but they’re fun to see. This does lead me to worry that perhaps the series is doing too much too fast, and that by shoehorning in practically every notable villain in the first issue – albeit in simulated form – Saturday Morning Adventures might have peaked too early. Hopefully the remaining issues will be compelling enough in their own right to overcome this. 

Issue #1 of Saturday Morning Adventures gets a big thumbs up from me, a nostalgic romp that manages to incorporate the conventions of modern comic storytelling to great effect. You can purchase it now from your local comic store, digitally through Kindle/Comixology, or directly from IDW’s website. 

💭 poison ivy #13

for its first issue as an OFFICIAL ongoing series, this book had a cover that bamboozled us. but honestly, I'm not mad about it.

ivy's back in gotham, a new situation for her within this series. I think we were all a little curious to see how this would go. what would ivy do now? how would her story remain strongly, vehemently HERS?

wilson nestles us back into the gotham setting right away with reacquaintances, reestablishing ivy's place in the batsphere. she's harley quinn's girlfriend, catwoman's friend, batman's rogue. but don't think wilson lets us forget that she's goddamn poison ivy too.

ivy has always had her private paradises. it doesn't take long for her to find another. but this one comes with a twist.

I LOVED killer croc's inclusion. I love rogue interactions because when done well, they're so complex, not to mention entertaining. and I think wilson hit it spot on. I also love how this set ivy up to continue her environmental justice missions.

final thoughts on this issue: wilson hit the ground running with her ongoing status. this issue addressed where ivy's been, where she's at now, and where she's headed. I can't wait to see how this new storyline goes!

additionally, I'm starting to see the strings between the harley quinn and poison ivy ongoings thread together. this soothes my continuity brain, and it shows me that our girls can have strong individual stories with overlap.

finally, shout out to all the artists in this issue. I was worried it would feel a little jumbled when I saw the credits, but it all came together to enhance the issue. each scene's art style heightened its mood and message. amazing work!

The Eagles of Rome by Enrico Marini is an example of the great historical fiction comics the European comic scene has to offer. This is my review.

One of the things I love about European comics is the number of great historical fiction titles available. So, I thought I share a review I did of one of my favorites: The Eagles of Rome. 

The Eagles of Rome, by Enrico Marini, is set in the The Roman Empire in the first century AD, during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Rome is seeking to expand its boarders into Germania. Towards this end, a young Germanian prince has been sent to Rome to be fostered as part of a peace agreement with the Cherusci tribe. To his people he is Ermanamer, but the Romans have given him a new name: Arminius. Arminius has been sent to live with Titus Valerius Falco and his son Marcus. The comic follows Arminius and Marcus as the grow into men and join the legion. As they grow, Arminius finds himself increasingly drawn to the land of his birth. Marcus and Arminius are going to find themselves on opposite sides of a great conflict. In time it will be known as the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. 

The Eagles of Rome isn’t finished yet, as Marini writes and draws the comic all one his own. There’s usually a few years wait between volumes, but it is totally worth it. Marini takes his time to ensure a quality comic. The comic is illustrated in gorgeous watercolor paintings, and you can tell Marini puts lots of love and care into his artwork. 

The historical accuracy is rock solid as well. A few events are shifted around to make for better story flow, but otherwise it is all perfectly accurate to the historical record. The biggest bit of artistic license is that Marcus and his family are totally fictional. They’re mostly there to give the Roman perspective on things. Funnily enough, DC did this thing a few years back where they hired European comic writers to make comics based on iconic DC heroes. Marini wrote a Batman comic, and he drew Bruce Wayne almost exactly like Marcus. 

There’s also little details that add to the historical accuracy. Statues and buildings are covered in vibrant colored paint, just as they were in Roman times. We also get to see the seedier parts of Rome and how, if you were poor, living in Rome was like living in a third world country. 

I don’t know when the next issue is coming out, but I can’t wait to see what happens next. Have you read The Eagles of Rome? If so, what did you think? 

Link to the full review on my blog is here: http://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2019/07/comic-review-eagles-of-rome-vol-1-5-by.html?m=1

Hey guys in today's video, I'm going to tell you the origin of the skrull characters that will be important in the next phase of the marvel universe

Fala aí galera no vídeo de hoje vou falar sobre a origem dos skrulls personagens importantes para as próximas produções do universo Marvel

Book Review #57 of 2023--

Heart and Brain by Nick Seluk. Rating: 4 stars.

Read on May 12th.

Let’s keep this one short since it’s a comic collection. Who doesn’t love reading these comics? Even better, I got it from the library so it wasn’t even at an insane cost to me. Which I appreciated. Especially since reading 50 pages chunks at a time made my anxiety skyrocket. I think we spent so much time with Brain that it eventually started getting to me. That’s the only reason this one got a 4 and no higher. I have multiple anxiety conditions so I should probably have read this one over the course of a few days and not within a few hours. But Heart and still so sweet. And it makes valid points too. A cute comic that I would read more of. Just not as much at once.

New Deep Dive Zone! Today, we face Dark Wizards, character payoffs, and the nastiest thing Penders has written yet.