#bendy hit those very specific things i like about stories but then it started to hit the things i hate
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Irt you post about the archives- Have you read any of the novels? I feel like some of them, like Joey's autobiography, help give a bit more insight to these characters, at least a little.
As for Nathan, I think it's supposed to represent that, unlike Joey, he really was a self made man with good intentions, and that highlights that Wilson was trying to live up to the shadow of his father and instead of being the kind of man his father would have raised, Wilson chose to be as vile as he is.
Memory Joey on the other hand, really is just a representation of this flawed idea people had of the man, only the good parts of Joey that he chose to show. The idealized version of himself that he saw, rather than who he really is. It makes sense to have that contrast there, but he really is just a plot device rather than his own character and it's a shame.
I can't say much for the others, because they feel very lacking. They have a lot of good moments, like the "I'm beautiful." "Always were." scene for example, but outside these moments they feel somewhat empty.
It's unfortunate, because if they had the time, team, and resources, they could have had an incredible story to tell, but limitations with money and staff because of the irl studios layoffs and TheMeatly & Mike Mood making really, really bad choices with their business caused the game to fall short of what it could have been.
we must have read different books because it felt to me like batdr completely ignores book lore
honestly i just feel like the books have been made irrelevant and theyre just kind of telling us stories about these random characters? like adrienne is doing her best to describe these characters but im not gonna lie, as there was some potential to them batdr has been a huge turn off for me for reading anymore (plus that upcoming book is gonna have a yet another completely new character as the main protagonist and im just... bruh how about yall expand upon the characters you already have because this universe is just becoming very messy and full of shallow characters instead of having fewer but interesting ones?? im not against new characters being introduced but they just keep on adding then and then it feels like what we're reading doesn't even matter in the grand scheme of things, that sucks)
sure we get an insight to joey... the only character that actually HAS a lot of complexity and screentime in the games so like yea i like joey and i enjoyed his book but again it felt more like an extra rather than anything that helped expanding the story or the world, i dont really understand their strategy for these...
nathan's and wilson's relation is just uninteresting and shallows wilson's character in my opinion, like what he says to you in game makes out nathan to have been some sort of a horrible father and that'd be kinda interesting and would make wilson a morally grey character
but no he's just a spoiled brat or whatever his archetype is supposed to be and we can throw away the entire symbolism about nathan and bockswell lotsabucks (that cartoon cat from the comics) and the fact that there is supposed to be nathan arch junior and senior making it clear that they changed their minds about the plot just to surprise people (even worse, they ADMIT to doing that in the interview that recently came out... as if it was a good thing ToT) but by doing so they just contradicted clues that existed there before that we could have gotten away from the damn books! like this just makes me not wanna buy any other books anymore because its a clear message that it doesnt fucking matter if we read them, theyre just there to tell us stories about random characters that also wont even appear in the games anyways but we will get 200 more audiologs from other randos we wont care for
again i gotta be sorry for being so negative but im just SO disappointed with batdr and with what the archives had to say
like whatever they are telling their story, its not a sin to be bad and scummy at writing (scummy as in not understanding that youre baiting people into buying extra things for understanding the lore and then making sure you surprise people anyway)
so basically
there is no use for theorising because the message is that they just want to surprise us so if we guess where theyre going they will just change the story no matter how much its gonna suck and contradict what happened before
i cannot comprehend how meatly sees that as a good thing but i guess thats how he wants to tell his stories and whatever makes them happy man
but i find it incredibly shady when you advertise your game as a mystery to be solved and personally this kills my enjoyment of the franchise
#im not saying im gonna leave the fandom but you wont see me theorizing anymore#its headcanons now only baby#and im probably not gonna get any new books#as much as i have a lot of respect for adrienne kress and enjoy her writing#i still didnt even touch the lost ones book tho i have bought it when it came out#and at this point idk if i will#im currently undergoing an awful state when im still kinda fixating on bendy but i dont have anything to power my fixation#in an enjoyable way#and it sucks!!!#ive been trying to get into other things and ive been enjoying different stories but it isnt the same man#bendy hit those very specific things i like about stories but then it started to hit the things i hate#and that is even not to mention all the controversies#its just a real shame#halfask#halfpost#bendy and the ink machine#bendy and the dark revival
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MONTHLY MEDIA: March 2024
……….FILM……….
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Every piece of technology felt and looked so tangible. The baby worm too! Love the tactile nature of this whole production and I hope studios take note that CG can't be the only tool in your belt. So much bigger than I imagined and just enjoyed the whole thing.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Ages surprisingly well and a script that lets the main quartet be both funny and layered.
……….TELEVISION……….
Columbo (1.01 to 1.03)
Hey I'm starting Columbo! Love that each episode is feature-length and Columbo appears fully formed right out of the gate. The sets and costumes are all so glamorous and L.A. Very excited to keep going.
Succession (2.05 to 3.04)
The Kendall play at the end of season 2 felt very much like the Kendall play at the end of season 1 and while I'm still a huge fan of this series, I just hope it's not the same going into season 3 and 4.
Delicious in Dungeon (Episode 1.09 to 1.13)
Great adaptation that isn't just a straight recreation of the artwork in the manga. The more kinetic/frantic moments in the animation are a nice departure and while they don't pop up in each episode, now that I'm 13 eps deep I can appreciate how they're sprinkled throughout.
Love is Blind (Episode 6.02 to 6.13)
It still amazes me that anyone goes on reality tv.
……….YOUTUBE……….
Twilight | ContraPoints by ContraPoints
Yes I did watch a nearly 3-hour essay on Twilight, sexual expression, and all that comes with that. And you should too.
VIDEO
Instagram fatigue and the rise of 'Resentment Reels' by Taylor Lorenz
While I haven't noticed this specific phenomenon, I have noticed Instagram declining as an app (both as a user trying to see anything other than ads, and a creator trying to get my work seen in between those ads). It's a bummer.
VIDEO
Saltburn: The Tumblr-ification of Cinema by Broey Deschanel
Every since I saw Saltburn, I've been thinking about what wasn't quite sitting right with me. This unlocked a lot of what I couldn't describe and most of it stems from the writer/director's upper class upbringing. Saltburn isn't a "take down the rich" movie, it's a horror story from the perspective of a wealthy family.
VIDEO
Why Is It So Hard To Cross The Street? (& What You Can Do To Help) by Strong Towns
Accidents where drivers hit a pedestrian are going up in my area so this really hit home. And for those feeling like there's nothing you can do at ground level, consider taking their course (not a paid sponsorship I'm just in real support of community-lead initiatives).
VIDEO
……….READING……….
Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock
(Complete)
After picking up the last book in this series (which I've yet to read) I figured I'd start at the beginning. Love the fast pace pulpy action and I can see how this influenced the creation of D&D.
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
(Complete)
This one would lose me for stretches but the final quarter of the book is stronger. A lot less cozy and a lot more action than I was expecting but skimming other reviews it sounds like this was written during her more...adventure-focused era. Three books deep and I have to give Christie credit that each has been a completely different experience.
Adventures of a Japanese Business Man by Jose Domingo
(Complete)
Always love going back to this nearly wordless epic that follows the titular Japanese business man. I love the complexity of the earliest panels and wish that could carry throughout more of the book, but it's always such a treat to discover just where each new panel will go.
Delicious in Dungeon Volume 5 by Ryoko Kui
(Complete)
Enjoying rereading this with shorter breaks between volumes as I certainly missed/forgot details on my first read. It's here that the story and tone shifts from light romp to a more dramatic and dangerous affair but it never loses its spot-on humour. Love those dryad pumpkins.
Ultimate Spider-Man HC Volume 11 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, David Lafuente, and more
(Complete)
Going from some of my other comics back to this, I'm struck by just how wordy it can get. Now knowing where the story goes, it was a great idea to prime readers to the idea of Peter Parker dying even if it's not from this event.
……….AUDIO……….
Blank Check with Griffin & David (Podcast)
Late to the game on this but really enjoying burning through their back catalog. Obviously started with their episode on Speed Racer as it's a near perfect film that you should watch right now.
……….GAMING……….
Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
The Tuesday group just killed a mayor! So the aftermath of that is going to play out over the next couple of sessions. And the Mof1 crew is investigating the aftermath of their own district-wide catastrophe and it's all looking rather suspicious!
Spot It (Blue Orange Games)
I can't recommend this game enough. It's so easy to learn, rounds last maybe 5 minutes, it plays well with small or large groups of any age, and all it requires is pattern recognition and quick reflexes. Every time I've played this someone says they're going to buy a copy for themselves.
And that's it. See you in April!
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Hey, first I want to start by saying that I love your stories. There are two in specifics that I ask myself a few times and I would like to know: in Dark Appetites, Steve and Peggy in the face of everything that happened and even having solved themselves managed to overcome what happened? And Peggy about her new situation, did she learn to deal with without running away? Or did the thoughts of moving away still prowling around her and caused some discussions with Steve? I love this one, because seeing them in a universe where they are vampires and lavish such a powerful sex Appeal is luxurious and wonderful. My other question refers to New York Solstice, my curiosity is about what YOU thought after Peggy assumes to Steve who loves him and how for you the situation proceeded after that? I know what I imagine, but I would love to know what you think about it. Thank you, I emphasize again that I love your steggy stories and I would love to see more of them❤️✨
Hello! Thank you for this wonderful ask! It made me smile so hard not only because of your kind words, but because of your inquiry. It's not often I get asks like that without it being a part of writing game/meme. So thank you 😘
Dark Appetites - it's not that easy getting rid of old habits, especially ones that are connected to some insecurities. Peggy will try to work on her tendency to run away and instead communicate more with Steve, but occasional ideas about running away still cross her mind. Especially when things get hard regarding following Zola's trope and what he does to other vampires. However, this time it would be much harder for Peggy to leave, because Steve still hasn't lifted the ban on her outings. And he won't. They may be together, but she falls under the same rules as everyone else and has to serve her "sentence". Like he said: “It's the law. Archaic, but still law. Which you stomped all over.” His eyes darkened again. “Consequences of your actions didn't touch only you, Peggy. There has to be atonement.”
As for the New York Solstice, it's the kind of fic I love as a story, but would be very judgmental of in real life, lol. Honestly, it follows exactly as Steve says and does. Meaning, he won't be chivalrous or honorable, he won't step away just because Peggy has a husband. And Peggy's marriage wouldn't be just done so easily. Making final decisions takes Peggy some time and she purposely uses her new job in New York to postpone any final heartbreaks, though she knows well they're coming and she has to cut the cord soon.
I toyed a bit with an idea that Daniel follows her to NY no problem, unaware of his wife having a hot affair with Steve. He plays house, finds a job here, all the while Peggy is very busy in her new career position (as well all the bendy positions Steve fucks her in). At some point shit hits the fan. Either Daniel starts pushing for them to start a family, or finally realizes those marks on Peggy's body can't be all from fieldwork. Daniel is heartbroken, Peggy is tired of dealing with it all, and Steve is simply unrepentant.
BUT, if I were to write a follow-up to the main story, I'd focus on Peggy actually trying to work on herself (not her deltoids - if you read, you get the joke). Meaning, she'd come clean to Daniel and end things with him before moving fully to NY. Obviously, divorce takes longer than few weeks and there's a lot of emotions involved, but she moves back to NY without her soon to be ex husband. Gossips spread fast, however, so Peggy starts her first months already known to some as an alpha boss bitch who bangs Captain Rogers. Peggy doesn't care much - she's a badass at her job, makes serious changes, and gets mindblowing orgasms.
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(1/?) The MCU is going on a specific direction and might touch Wanda's history of mental illness. Maybe talk about that when you have the time? Wanda was going on a nice direction before all that happened.
Whew! Sorry it’s taken me so long to answer this— I have several super-long message chains like this one in my inbox and they’re hard to parse through and harder still to write a real answer for. I’m gonna try through a couple of these today.
Well, I think you hit all the important points here-- the optics of a mixed-raced family of first- and second- gen Holocaust survivors committing mass acts of terrorism, becoming rulers of a fascist, supremacist regime, and then, finally, committing pseudo-genocide, are, you know, not great. These are complicated characters whose representation can easily swing in either really positive or really, really negative directions, but this goes beyond the pale for me, especially given the proximity to 9/11.
The portrayal of Wanda's mental illness during this time, while not wholly unsympathetic, is wildly inaccurate and generally played as a horror motif. I'm not an expert on schizophrenia, but I think we can all agree that it's high time we moved past exploiting sick and disabled people's experiences for cheap scares. It's especially frustrating because Wanda, as a character, does have ground for poignant stories about mental illness-- she's had numerous traumatic experiences, starting with generational trauma and a lifetime of violent discrimination, and ending, at that point, with the deaths of her young children and the abrupt dissolution of her marriage. Her mental health should be addressed, but not in a way that demonizes illness or characterizes sick people as villains. One thing I appreciate about Robinson's Scarlet Witch is that it represents her mental illness in a very human, matter of fact manner and gives her the power to take control of her own wellness. She has realistic symptoms and pursues realistic treatments, instead of, you know, making hallucination constructs and getting mind-probed by Charles fucking Xavier.
Wanda is simultaneously infantilized and vilified in these stories-- she's denied agency at every turn, and yet, Wolverine and the other "heroes" of this saga view her with unbridled contempt, and most of them are immediately ready to murder her in the name of justice, even before the "no more mutants" spell was cast. You wondered how Bendis was able to inspire such a long lasting hatred of Wanda, and I think the simple answer is that almost every character in House of M hates Wanda. The characters you root for, the characters whose perspectives dictate the tone of the story, direct palpable fury towards her, and even those who aren't out for her blood don't extend any actual empathy towards her-- most are ambivalent to her wellbeing, while Xavier and Strange are incredibly paternalistic.
The final spell, "no more mutants", has baffled me for years. You're spot-on in saying that Wanda here represents a self-hating minority, but it's really hard for me to understand how she could have reached that point. It's not consistent with her previous characterization, nor is it thematically connected to the factors which led to her breakdown. Bendis places the onus of her condition on Erik, alleging that he abandoned and abused his children in his fanatic commitment to the mutant cause, which, besides being a willful misinterpretation of canon, has nothing to do with Wanda's current circumstance-- she's like this because Agatha Harkness altered her memories, because the Avengers continuously gaslit her, and becaue Mephisto killed her kids in the first place. It has nothing to do with Magneto, and Wanda's breakdown has nothing to do with mutant politics. She and Pietro were raised in a loving family until their adoptive parents were killed by racists. Erik didn't knowingly abandon them, and while he did mistreat them during the Brotherhood days, it wasn't parental abuse because he wasn't a father figure to them-- neither party had any idea they were related. Bendis is evoking specific forms of trauma that never actually happened, while ignoring the ones that did, and the effects of the spell itself are vague and seemingly random.
~~~~~
Young Avengers does call back to Wanda's circumstances in Disassembled and HoM, but it doesn't execute the concept of reality-warping in the same way. The driving force in YA is the spell which Billy casts, and Loki tampers with, in the first issue. It is a spell which distorts reality, but it has specific parameters, and neither party is characterized as "crazy" the way Wanda was. The spell was intended to bend space and time so that Billy could pull Teddy's mom from the past, before she was killed, into the present-- it's not dissimilar from how Wanda "retroactively reincarnated" her kids. Due to Loki's interference, however, the spell was hijacked by an interdimensional parasite called Mother. The Mother virus appears primarily as a construct of Teddy's mom, but as her influence over the Earth-616 dimension grows, she's able to create constructs of other dead parents, and even mind-control living adults. All of the ways in which reality is being warped hinge on the specific conditions under which Mother was summoned, and while it is Billy's magic that's fueling these constructs and distortions, they aren't symptoms of psychosis-- Billy doesn't lose control of his magic because he's losing his mind, he loses control because he's too young and inexperienced to protect himself from predatory forces. Those forces do take advantage of his depression and anxiety, but his condition is never the cause.
Loki's magic is wrapped up in the spell, too, but rather than conjuring dead parents, it emerges as a construct of their former best friend, Leah. Loki, in Young Avengers, is a mashup of two personae-- the reincarnated child Loki, and Ikol, a phantom of their past life who is carrying out the previous Loki's evil will even though their heart isn't in it. Ikol has mostly overshadowed Loki, who has been reduced to a ghost that torments Ikol by acting as a constant reminder of their guilt. Ikol is haunted by their past, but it's important that this haunting is a nuanced metaphor and not literal hallucination, as Wanda's condition was in HoM. Because Loki's power is part of the spell, Kid Loki's ghost is able to hijack the reality distortions to summon the construct of Leah, who, in turn, is able to summon the Young Avengers' other exes, the same way that Mother, in the form of Teddy's dead mom, can summon other dead parents.
Loki does raise the question of whether or not Billy might be subconsciously influencing Teddy with his powers, but this is clearly illustrated as a manipulation tactic and disproven several times. Loki's original goal in summoning Mother was to draw out Billy's full magical potential so that they could steal his power for themselves. Driving a wedge between Billy and Teddy, and causing Billy to question his own sanity, were devices to make Billy more susceptible to having his power stolen, and they worked-- Billy is not able to divest his magic from the spell and banish Mother from Earth-616 until he overcomes his self-doubt and start exercising mindfulness. Loki, in turn, is not able to divest their power from the spell and banish Leah and the other exes until they own up to their guilt and admit everything they've done. Both characters are experiencing symptoms of exacerbated mental illness-- Billy's depression and suicidal ideation, Loki's disassociation-- but their mental illness is not the source of their magic, but a challenge which makes it harder for them to live as their fully realized selves... just as it would be for any normal person.
I know that was a long-winded explanation, but I wanted to illustrate what sets Gillen's take on "reality warping" apart from Bendis's. It's based on clearly though-out ideas of how magic works and what defines "reality" in a world populated by parallel universes and living myth-forms. Gillen affords Loki and Billy a degree of sympathy without denying them agency, and Loki is held accountable for their decisions without being painted as a total monster. Bendis, meanwhile, characterizes Wanda's magic as delusion made real, and completely vilifies her for her illness in spite of the fact that she's given no control over her actions.
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☾ ˚⊹ ❛❛ GENERAL QUICK CROSSOVER GUIDE
So crossovers are usually difficult for a lot of people. So, because I tend to think about these things, I thought I would make this comprehensive list/guide to writing crossovers with me. This isn’t anything in concrete, but to get the ball rolling or to help make it easier for both sides to contribute to plotting. It can be hard when you don’t know the fandom.
FNF, or Friday Night Funkin’ is a rhythm based game around rap battles. The Protagonist (known as BF) is trying to prove himself and win over his Girlfriend’s (GF) Dad, and it spirals from there. Gameplay style, it is very similar to Dance Dance Revolution, and the music is a fast pasted dubstyle/chiptune soundtrack.
What a lot of people know FNF for, however is the Mods. Due to it being on Newgrounds, and the creators having it be open asset, many creators are able to make their own “weeks” for players to challenge their skills in. Ruv, and those within Mid Fight Masses, are one of those mods. You can find most of their lore scattered in the scenes of their week, or by going on their official FNF Wiki.
Now, what does this mean for crossovers? I put it under a read more, simply because this is going to be a lot. I’m going to explain crossover verses I have. How I make them, and how YOU could have your character be in the FNF verse quite easily. So go under the read more to continue reading.
☾ ˚⊹ ❛❛ RUV IN OTHER UNIVERSES
Here are some just ideas that I came up with. While not EVERY interaction will work with these, they are ideas. They’re meant to kick start ideas and inspirations. I do not consider these full verses until I’ve talked with the other mun to make sure that they are okay with it. These can easily be changed, and swapped out for different things. My main goal here is to try and keep Ruv down to his core elements while fitting into a new setting.
POKEMON- Ruv, along with Sarv run the church- which she has turned into a sanctuary and a Nursery. Much like in Canon, Sarv is supernatural, and Ruv as a run away criminal vowed his life for all eternity to protect her. With church’s going out however, the next next step would be a PokeNursery.
Ruv acts as protector of the Nursery from trainers and groups alike. He usually is seen sitting on the roof, throwing pebbles at kids or passerby’s who irk him in some way. You can always find his Onix, his Low-Key Toxtricity, and his Absol around him or the nursery at all times. He does still have his strength, speed, and other abilities. The “face” he has is also a mask- an attempt to hide his identity as the wanted criminal.
OWL HOUSE- Ruv was a wanted criminal for the longest time. His magic, due to where he was born was a lot less like those around him. He could fit into the covens, but anything he did reflected back on him. Living alone, and learning to just modify himself he became a wanted criminal with a bone breaking shout.
However all of those times soon came to a stop as he met the winged mistress he stays with now. Protecting her (though she is much more than capable of protecting himself) she runs one of the many sects in the area. It isn’t the best building, but it’s out of the way and he usually isn’t spotted. However, unfortunately his past comes back to haunt him. He has no choice, and begrudgingly assists the Guards to repay for his crimes.
Tied to Sarv through magical bonds, he has made it clear to those in charge and to her- should something come between his duty as a guard or her, he would chose her a million times over.
DUCKTALES- Ruv is the petrified remains of the guardian of St. Sarvente. Awoken as the earth was shifted off of it’s orbit and forced into something it’s not, the callous guard is in search of the one he calls Sarvente, whom he claims is the Ruler of Souls and the one he Vowed to Protect. He is, 100% made of stone.
TOONTOWN- Stickfigures aren’t uncommon drawings. One’s as complicated as he and Sarv though usually get a few eyes. Not only that, but video game characters are always treated differently in Toontown. Maybe it’s because of a developers history, or lack there of. The story of Ruvyzvat being a heartless killer however spreads like wild flower, and while he and Sarv will primarily stay at the church... sometimes curiosity becomes too much.
KINGDOM HEARTS- FNF is it’s own world. Keyblade turned into a microphone, Ruv & Sarv are some of the first that would be met. Despite their challenge, they are rather distanced from the troubles of the Darkness and Light and would be semi-good companions.
THE BLACKOUT CLUB- Ruv is a 16. Any day will be the day that a voice will end up taking over, merging with his mind. That’s fine. Much like how Seed-The-Grudge would want, he’ll just get revenge.
HAZBIN HOTEL / HELLUVA BOSS- Ruv ironically enough is one of the few in Hell who does not make him dead. In fact, in some cases that can make him extremely rare. This crossover he IS able to accompany Sarvente into the Underworld, and follow her on her treks through it. While most assume he is a dead sinner, he usually just doesn’t answer. However something about being here and meeting those who reside within the land sets him off. He’s a tad more feral, and a tad more willing to go to the violent answer.
PORTAL- Violence core. What else is there to say? Alternatively, him being a test subject would be fascinating, especially if he was grabbed post-vow. The man is immortal, and therefore would have messed with the tests just by the fact that there is only way for him to die. Death isn’t the worst thing to happen to a man however, and he does still feel pain.
RWBY- Ruv has the ability to manipulate sound waves, specifically his own). Trained with great strength and and even greater speed, his form of combat is continuously dodging as he looks for a weak spot. Weapons of choice are shot gun snow boots, and his sickle that doubles as a short sword.
DOCTOR WHO- Sarv has the ability to create portals. While they are MEANT to be used to intergalactive travel, but instead parallel world travel that in of itself is monumental for a lot of DW plots. Ruv and Sarv can easily go from one universe to the next, however chose to stay in the church. Not to mention Ruv’s skills in target elimination and his abilities would make for some individuals to repurpose him into a weapon. While they have been approached by UNIT on several occasions, they always refuse. However, enough time has passed that they’re starting to notice that the couple in the church aren’t aging...
FNAF- RUVYZVAT and SARVENTE were creations of Fazbear Entertainments as karaoke machines... if we want to go the robot route. If we want to go the normal person route, Ruv was hired by Fazbear’s because it’s one of the few places that doesn’t do a background check, and when he said he wanted to wear a mask as part of the work outfit they were all for it. He runs the karaoke machine though. Stays away from quite literally everyone. While he isn’t the infamous killer of children here, he does have a reputation of his own that he is running from, and that does tend to make him silent.
BATIM- Criminal on the run stumbles into the wastelands formerly known as Bendy’s. Actually enjoys it at first because the cartoon was popular when he was a child. ALT. Stickman drawing of one of the artists come to life. Usually pretends to be Lost One, but when he’s alone with another (Sarvente) they turn into their stickman version selves. Has the ability to jump between 2 and 3 dimensions, but none of the strength or voice.
PSYCHONAUTS- Agent Ruvyzvat, Russian sector. Ruv is working for the Psychonauts in some weird, turning event. Mainly because the sole woman that he trusts and saved his life, Agent Sarvente brought him in. The two are inseparable, and despite Sasha and Nein being infamous for their clinginess, these two take it to a whole knew level. Ruve’s “loud voice” is actually a psychic ability he can use outside of the mind to jumble and confuse thoughts and has no damage on anything physically in the present.
GRAVITY FALLS- Sarvente is a Demon, much like Bill. Where sa Bill desires nothing but chaos and madness, Sarvente is trying her best to keep the world like it is and preserve it’s beauty. Seeing such beauty in a runaway criminal, she and he run to the forests of Oregon. Throughout Weirdmageddon, neither managed to be captured or turned to stone, however Ruv seemingly gained his incredible voice abilities. Now, they live in a semi-collapsed church out in the forest. Sarvente always asking those who come her way to join their church, Ruv is suspicious why such events would happen in such a small town, and is distrusting of most everyone he sees.
DETECTIVE CONAN / KAITOU KID / ANY ANIME OR SERIES LIKE THAT- VERY infamous criminal. Take his “Wanted Dead or Alive” that exists in all other verses, and ramp that up quite a bit. Usually wears a mask whenever he is committing a crime. He does seem to be in it for the fun, though it’s hard to tell with the stoic and expressionless looks. That being said, he does seem to have a very clear goal of what he wants. There are no patterns to where he hits, or what he takes. From wallets of people off the streets, to priceless artifacts. He’ll find where Sarvente went, and how they were able to change her mind in such a way.... how they could corrupt her.
MODERN / NON-EXTREMELY FANTASTICAL- Ruv is honestly a rather down to Earth individual, in some terms. He is untrusting of EVERYTHING, but also due to his own strengths finds little that fear or challenges him. Keep him mind he did make a deal with Lucifer (or his Lucifer) for Immortality for protecting her. While he will always be doing things on his own, a lot of his end goals and motives will come back to her. Without her involvement, he is a walking, talking, machine of destruction with no sway on which side he decides to tear apart.
☾ ˚⊹ ❛❛ GENERAL STOPPING POINTS FOR WANTING TO PLOT
DON’T KNOW THE WORLD YOU’RE FROM / YOU DON’T KNOW MY LORE. - That’s fine. I can get my hands dirty. I can research. In fact I usually would love nothing more to. I love learning about new fandoms, or new media to get into. You shouldn’t be afraid of that. As for mine- It should take someone less than an hour to get through all of the links I have posted in the RESOURCES tab in my bio. I’ve timed it. So if you have an hour to spare, or 15, or just enough time to read his wiki that’s fine. He’s not from a long running show, or anything like that. You can catch up extremely quick.
WELL WHAT ABOUT A BOOK/COMIC? HOW WOULD HE FIT IN?- If we are talking about Super Hero comics, then it depends. 90% of the time I will just play up his wanted status a lot more, and make it more of a reason for an interaction. You just ran into a man who has killed hundreds. If your muse is a super hero, or a vigilante? Would you let him go? What a villain? That might make a good partner.
TV SHOW? LIVE ACTION?- Again, it depends on the type of show. Superhero follows the same above. If it’s investigative, have him be a witness. Or a falsely accused man who can prove he isn’t the guilty party. Is it more supernatural- well he did make a deal with Lucifer and is an immortal now from it. There are a million ways to spin it. Don’t look at making him a big character. Quite honestly, side characters that you pass in the street have just as much backstory, and as long as there is a plausible chance of interactions then we can work it out from there.
☾ ˚⊹ ❛❛ GENERAL IDEAS TO BE AWARE OF THAT MIGHT HELP
HE IS A WANTED CRIMINAL.- Meaning his name Ruvyzvat is known. Despite his crimes going on for decades, he is on the run and never stopped. Several city, state, countries, and possibly nations are looking for him, and looking to take him in.
HE IS ALSO AN IMMORTAL.- While he hasn’t been around forever, and nearly not as long as Sarvente has been, he HAS been around for at least 100 years, give or take some. He can be injured, but even fatal injuries heal in an almost Deadpool like way.
HE ALSO HAS SUPERNATURAL POWERS.- His speed and reflexes alone is not something to be taken lightly. He does train and fight with Lucifer on what used to be a semi-regular basis. He has moved and adapted to be able to make sure no one but the singular person he trusts is able to lay a hand on him. That isn’t to say you can’t catch him off guard. You also have his inhuman strength to worry about, but most of all his voice. His voice which could completely demolish a building, and that isn’t the full strength. He has an amazing control over it, but that certainly isn’t a trait of his to ignore.
HE IS NOT ALWAYS IN THE CHURCH. I MADE SURE OF THAT WHEN I MADE MY BLOG.- He goes on walks, and he goes on errands. He also goes to the Gym on occasion, though not as often. He enjoys walks on the beach far earlier than anyone should be awake at. What I’m saying is running into him OUTSIDE of the church is possible. That being said, meeting him IN the church is your best bet for him warming up quicker. He feels safer in the church, and therefore usually wishes to stay there.
DOESN’T FIT THE STYLE OF CHARACTERS/WORLD? - If he doesn’t fit, then I can work to adapt him into something that WOULD fit. What characteristics about him doesn’t work. This is when I would need plotting help. If, lets say it was an all animal world, we can talk about what he is, his traits, and other such things. I am always happy to not use my icons- I just like to because I think they’re neat and I worked hard on them.
WHAT WOULD HE BE DOING?- Any number of things. He likes throwing pebbles at people. He mainly guards and protects Sarvente and her things, but I know we’re talking besides this. He cannot cook, but he does actually sew, and he does read quite a bit. Working on his fist to fist fighting would be a big one. He likes secluded areas, which especially work for explorer’s and people who walk off the beaten path.
IS THERE ANYWHERE HE COULDN’T BE?- He wouldn’t be at a bar. Ruv doesn’t drink, at all. I also don’t see him at any parties unless Sarv dragged him to them. Writing starters or plotting around those are perfectly fine, but do not expect his muse to be comfortable while he’s there.
HE SEEMS OVERPOWERED.- At times, he certainly can be, but only when he feels it’s necessary. He doesn’t flaunt his abilities, and most he has are out of self preservation. If you as a mun are worried about him and what he can do, the best thing you can do is read my information, look into his wiki, and then come and talk to me. Ruv isn’t someone who will 100% abuse what abilities he has, especially since now he is trying his best to be better for her since it makes her happy.
☾ ˚⊹ ❛❛ GENERAL IDEAS TO HAVE YOUR CHARACTERS IN HIS UNIVERSE
LOCATIONS?- The Church, the back alleys, the karaoke bar (that primarily does rap battles), the Alternate dimension that Sarv made so that he can be loud and not retrain his voice.
MOTIVATIONS?- If your muse is in the FNF world, then be ready for some sick beats to be dropped. Your muse could be rescuing someone from the BBEG and going through the slew of minions to sing against. There’s always the alternative side of this of “what the hell is going on?”
MY CHARACTER ISN’T FROM THERE, SO THEY WOULDN’T FIT IN.- Well I do have a “main” verse which replaces raps with fists. Looking for someone important to them, in the search of a deep and hidden artifact within the search, the rumors of a man born 100 years ago- theres a lot to be found in the library if you looked.
WHAT DOES THE FNF WORLD CONSIST OF?- It consists of Demon Daddies, Singing Skeletons and Pumpkins, Tankmen, a Demonic Lemon Demon, Sentient Video Game Characters, and if you take the mods in you also have Demon, Angels, Ghosts, Deadly Ex’s, Bomb Headed Men-- I promise your character will fit in at the end of the day.
ISN’T HE EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE AND HARD TO TALK TO?- He can be. He talks in very short sentences, however I do my best to give my reply enough that you can reply to. Actions, and I chose to be very descriptive with his expressions in this case. Ruv spend many years alone, and sometimes with him, actions speak louder than words. When you or your muse figure that out is up to you.
WELL WE CAN’T DO AN ENTIRE THREAD IN A CHURCH.- I never said we had to. He is more than happy to leave the church should he want, and should there be a reason. Usually, (despite what it seems) he does like helping people, so you can lure him out that way ;)
#∘⡊ ☾ ˚⊹ 𝕽𝖚𝖓 𝕬𝖜𝖆𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝕸𝖆𝖓 ⊹ — ❛❛ v. crossover.#∘⡊ ☾ ˚⊹ 𝕴𝖙'𝖘 𝕶. ⊹ — ❛❛ resources.#∘⡊ ☾ ˚⊹ 𝕴𝖙'𝖘 𝕶. ⊹ — ❛❛ psa & updates.#∘⡊ ☾ ˚⊹ 𝕴𝖙'𝖘 𝕶. ⊹ — ❛❛ save.#i added all i could think of#just so i could kinda help out when it came to plotting but#even if we don't know each others universes or anything#this is pretty comprehensive so i hope it helps#i spent a while on it and it should be pretty helpful to anyone who wants to write with me but has no idea how#now if you excuse me im going to scream because of how long this took#∘⡊ ☾ ˚⊹ 𝕾𝖎𝖓𝖋𝖚𝖑 𝕰𝖓𝖉 ⊹ — ❛❛ headcanon.#∘⡊ ☾ ˚⊹ 𝕾𝖎𝖓𝖋𝖚𝖑 𝕰𝖓𝖉 ⊹ — ❛❛ meta.
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Storytime with Maggy!
WARNING: Tws in the tags
Just getting this off my chest because this has been boiling up inside my head for a while. This will be a long one so don't bother to read it if u don't want to; this is legit just so I can get it off my chest.
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Ok so
Some people that follow me here on tumblr know me from the BATIM Amino. I used to be very active there, even being one of the biggest content creators (I'm not saying that lightly I was literally on the Top 15 when it came to that weird reputation points system) . I recently left Amino as a whole because of something that happened there.
So the story goes like this: I was 13 when I started posting on Amino. Bendy and the Ink Machine Chapter 2 had just come out and I was drawing fanart of it. After a while I started talking more with other artists there, making ocs, just having fun. It went well for a few months until I met this person. For the sake of anonymity, I'll call them HWI (it was an acronym to their persona's name or something).
So I'd been checking out this HWI person for a while now. I really liked their art style and this specific character they had. They had this classy killer 1800s style and I'm an absolute sucker tor those. One day, I got the courage to message them with a small piece of fanart. They replied and liked it, and then the conversation went on.
We commented on each other's art, rp sometimes, we became really close. They later on introduced me to their other friends and we made a small group chat on Amino. We rpd a LOT to pass the time and just play with our characters. I remember staying up late just to talk to them about how my day went. I wasn't very social at the time and I had the bad habit of grabbing onto the first friend I could make like my life depended on it.
So 2018 came around. I was diagnosed with autism, at the time still called Asperger's Syndrome. All I knew was that I finally had a face to put on the problem of "being weird"; it wasn't a problem at all. It was different sure but I wasn't broken or less that anyone else. I didn't told anyone online about my diagnoses because well I was coming to terms with it myself first. This will come in hand later so stick with me.
With time I started realizing I had a favorite character of them that I just liked way way more than the others; that same oc I spoke about earlier. I had no fucking idea why I liked them so much it just??? it happened, and I believe HWI realized that.
We had these two ocs. One of them was mine and the other was their oc, and we kinda shipped them so we just made them a couple for the heck of it. I had lots of fun doing rps and fanart of those two but I never understood why. After a while, HWI started acting a bit weird. They did a total 180 on said character, randomly making them rude and unlikable. Now I know that it was just an rp and I shouldn't have taken it seriously, but it was bumming me out a little: the only place I had to vent out stuff and to take a break was now making me feel bad.
I was stupid by making those small moments the pillar of my self confidence. I was in a rough spot at the time and latched onto that group chat like it was the only good thing I had in life. I now know I shouldn't have done that.
I didn't had the guts to step up and tell HWI to at least don't be so rude so I kinda just took it. A few months went by and I finally had the courage to stand up against them. I had realized at the time that I was having a hyperfixation on said character and I told HWI to just not be that rude. They said they didn't meant it and told me they would stop. Except they didn't.
Then followed 3 years of having HWI dangle that character over my head like some treat for a dog. They'd threaten to stop using said character or to delete their stuff if I didn't behave in the way they wanted. If I had an opinion about something and they didn't liked it, they threatened me with that stuff. I now look back at it and realise "That was just some stupid random character why was I so scared and in panic?" But I was young, didn't had good role models and didn't knew better.
I moved to an arts school when I started 10th grade. There I met a lot of people who were like me; everyone had their very distinctive quirks and troubles they were coming to terms with, people were discovering themselves. Everyone was so different from each other, but everyone respected everyone and the whole school lived in harmony. I felt like I finally fitted in, I started making lots of friends and my life changed for the better.
In 11th grade, I finally told my friends about what had been happening for 3 years now. They knew about my previous problems at home and about my autism so they told me that they thought I'd been groomed by HWI. I didn't believed them at the time; HWI had been so nice to me and helped me through a lot in my life. Then I finally took a step back, and it hit me.
I never liked HWI. They were indeed very rude and manipulative, but they had something I loved so much that I'd become submissive to the point of believing that was normal, that it was the way to treat friends. They were 20 when I was 13. I thought it was ok at the time, until they started asking for fanart and favors in exchange for rp time, and pushing sexual rps onto me a lot. They would tell me that they were the only one who could understand me, that the rest of the world was just filled with evil corrupt people and I fucking believed in everything they said. They would bring down the mood of the whole chat with their negativity to the point other people started complaining about it. I remember having a breakdown mid-lunch break when it finally hit me. I'd been groomed.
But, thank goodness, this has a good ending. As I realized that I had to get out of this situation, I quickly came up with a plan. I had tried multiple times to go without said hyperfixation but I would always end up having panic attacks and just not feel well. So the plan was to try and get said character to my side and run off as quickly as I could. I knew they didn't liked the character at all and were just using it to control me so I knew I could do some kind of art trade with them and get the character. After a while of asking if I could have the character since they weren't using it anymore, they said they would give him to me in exchange of some fanart, demanding it to be very very good or either they would refuse to give the oc. I rushed to ibispaint, drew something I was dead sure they would like and sent it. And then it was done.
I stayed in the chat for some extra weeks as if trying to prove myself wrong; that HWI was a good person and this was all a big misunderstanding. But it wasn't. They continued being toxic and manipulative, but they didn't had anything to use against me now. I left the chat and a few months later the Amino as a whole.
So to anyone who finds themselves in a situation similar to this one, here's a piece if advice: get out of that shit as fast as you can. I know there are people who have it WAY worse than me, but I don't wish for anyone to go through something even remotely similar to what happened to me.
If you find yourself in a toxic relationship, get out of there as fast as you can. No matter how many lies they tell you, that no one else would love you or understand you, that only they can handle what you are; it's all bullshit. There are somany people out there who would protect you and fight for you with their life. Heck you find yourself with a toxic friend but are scared to leave them because they're your only friend? Hit me up! I'll gladly be your friend!
People deserve so much more than feeling like they're emotionally dependant on someone else. Self-love and self-worth were two of the best things that I learned to have since I left that toxic relationship, and everyone deserves to feel good and to be proud of themselves FOR themselves.
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Wow this was... long XD so yeah. HWI is also on tumblr but don't go searching for them. I told them off and that's it. As the meme goes, the evil has been defeated XD I will be posting stuff with those two ocs since I'm kinda removing them from the BATIM fandom and making them kinda just their own thing. I still love them to pieces and want to draw them so so much!
So wow you've made it all the way down here? Have a snack you must be so tired 🍩🍪🍰🧁🥧🍫🍬🍭🧃
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Action Comics #1023 Review
“The House of Kent: Part 2″
Action Comics #1022 “House of Kent: Part 1″ Review
Hoo-boy.
I actually appreciate this recap page, I really do, but it just rubs me the wrong way. I’m not sure if it’s the content of the recap that pisses me off or if it’s for the fact that they literally just took a page from the previous issue and slapped in some new dialogue (see Bendis’ Man of Steel mini for this to be taken to the extreme).
Most likely the latter, but there’s a good argument for the former because reading objective statements about what Bendis has done tends to do that. I guess what they could be going for is for something similar to when Svengoolie comes back from commercial break and it’s a still from the movie with Sven’s face superimposed somewhere and he makes a quip about the movie before it starts back up again.
But I digress. It fills me in on what’s been happening in the book and that’s what I needed it to do.
The art really goes down in quality since last issue. Romita, Jr.’s pencils aren’t as good, Janson’s inks are heavier and a lot more boring, and Anderson’s colors are bland and flat and not as lively. There are a few good spots and I’ll point them out, but they’re infrequent, and overall, the quality of the art is much more similar to the art in the Metropolis Doom arc than it is to last issue. This leads me to believe that editorial only gave the art team enough time over the pandemic-induced break in publishing to produce one good issue before forcing them back into a deadline where Romita, Jr.’s work is not as good and tends to suffer.
Red Cloud attacks and attempts to kill Jimmy Olsen instead of Lois Lane to send an even greater message to her and Clark.
For those of you that don’t know, the Invisible Mafia speak in code to avoid detection by Superman’s super-hearing and meet in areas surround by lead to hide from his supervision. In the beginning of this confrontation, no one says anything that Superman would respond to if he hasn’t already tuned it out, which is why Lois says out loud her nickname for her husband to get his attention.
It’s a sign of affection for them and could be utilized for such a scenario, but I don’t see why she had to say his nickname over anything else to get his attention. Maybe because since he revealed his identity to the world his real name is being said a lot more often in non-criminal ways, so he doesn’t respond to it as much as he has in the past. I’m not sure if I’m trying to come up with a rational excuse for what is actually a writer’s weird and out-of-character creative choice or if it’s what an actually competent writer intended for a discerning reader to infer and get joy from a successful analysis.
Regardless, it’s what got Superman’s attention at the end of Superman segment in the last issue. I don’t think what was supposed to be conveyed with those panels last issue was accurately conveyed by the art. Either Romita, Jr. didn’t sufficiently depict (but still beautifully rendered) what Bendis had directed him to draw, or Bendis had poorly directed Romita, Jr. in what he wanted him to draw. With this added context, however, these panels do make a lot more sense, but only with the added context. Without it, the scene is a little unclear.
You can clearly see the change in art with the two issues side by side like this. This issue, the art just doesn’t look as good. It’s just kinda blegh. It accomplishes what it needs to convey the story, but in a very boring and unspectacular way.
Also, this panel is very Harry Potter to me. Superman’s more subdued face is similar to that of book!Dumbledore in Goblet of Fire, but the almost hyperbolic dialogue is more akin to that of movie!Dumbledore. It’s very dissonant.
I really want to hate the humor of this panel, but it’s just so fun, so I won’t.
This is a really cool panel, one of the few standout moments, but I have issues.
First, I may have enjoyed the humor in the last panel, but Bendis’ attempt at humor with Jon here just makes me want to cringe. Whenever Bendis makes Jon talk, it just pisses me off and makes me want to stop reading.
Second, I see what they were going for with the glowing eyes, but this is some more of that dissonance between the art and the writing. It actually looks quite menacing, but the dialogue has a more humorous tone. Also, the actual effect for the glow is just two red circles, making their eyes look more like flashlights than radiating energy. I also want you to keep this moment in the back of your minds, I’ll refer back to it in a second.
I think the dissonance is the result of the Bendis-speak, where some of the characters are quippy, but other characters are playing the situation straight and are reacting accordingly to the incorrect behavior. There’s nothing wrong with a superhero comic being light-hearted, but it just doesn’t quite fit here. All the right ingredients are present, but they’re not all in the right proportions.
Another panel I really like. The smoke and its color are really well done, especially in contrast to the all black silhouettes except for their back logos of the Supers.
The eye glow effect looks much better here. It’s simple yet powerful.
I don’t know how important this revelation is actually supposed to be, so I’ll defer to the depiction of the comic instead of playing the fool and acting upset about something I’m ignorant about simply because I’m not a fan of the writer.
This moment is cool and all, but I don’t think Conner has super-breath. He doesn’t actually have the powers of Superman, he uses his tactile telekinesis to mimic some of the powers of Superman.
The “extreme high-velocity super-speed” was this issue’s first indication that Bendis might not know anything about this character he has stewardship over, but that can just be chalked up to Superman not remembering the powers of Conner. We don’t know the upper limit of Conner’s tactile telekinetic flight, nor should we care, it’s supposed to be a fun line.
The second indication is that Conner is shown to have heat vision when his eyes glow alongside Clark and Jon’s. He only has heat vision when he wears special goggles or a visor. Again, he doesn’t have all the powers of Superman. Tactile telekinesis only covers so much of Superman’s powers. But this can be forgiven because it is a pretty cool image.
“Once Is Chance, Twice is Coincidence, Third Time Is A Pattern.” This panel is the third instance of Bendis’ lack of understanding of Conner’s character. If this was the only instance, this would be fine, but it’s not. The moment is cool, but it’s a bridge too far.
Refer to my review of the first issue for more of Bendis not knowing anything about Conner.
EDIT: Thanks to @thebartallenblog for pointing out to me that Conner does in fact start developing more Kryptonian powers outside of his tactile telekinesis in the 2003 Teen Titans book by Geoff Johns, so Bendis does in fact know more about the character than I give him credit for, which is more than I can say for myself in this instance.
Also, this moment goes on for way too long, almost two entire pages. Beautiful, the art of decompression and wasting reader’s time and money.
“Should I super-inhale?” Shut up, Bendis.
Also, why is Red Cloud is so fixated on Superman’s family instead of just Superman. Does the Invisible Mafia have something against his family as well? It was my understanding that they have it out for him specifically, anything that is ancillary to him is extraneous and not worth their time.
“Hey! It’s not my favorite super-move on a good day.” Then why the fuck did you even make him suggest it, Bendis?
I don’t know if loved ones referring to Lois as Ma is something Bendis has been trying to push as a character quirk or if it’s some sort of weird one-off. Either way, I don’t like it. It’s not bad in of itself, don’t get me wrong, it’s just not my thing and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Again, I’m not sure how significant Jimmy figuring out Red Cloud's identity is supposed to be to the plot and the narrative, but this seems to be a bit of lampshading from a writer who literally has no right to be lampshading.
Couldn’t give a shit about the plot, I’m just here to nitpick. Next.
Feels a bit janky in the art department, but the dialogue is surprisingly in character. They all feel like they have their actual voices. It’s a nice little moment.
I would address all the instances of Bendis making Jon talk, but that would make this longer than it already is, so I’ll only do it when it’s particularly egregious.
Red Cloud comes back and attacks not!Jon and I couldn’t care less. Kill the bitch. Please.
The next two pages are a lot of nothing, just a boat load of Bendis-speak.
I’m pretty sure this played out a lot differently and more humorously in Bendis’ head when he wrote it down and Romita, Jr.’s art makes it all the more funny but for all the wrong reasons.
Who’s his partner? Officer Tomasi?
You know when I said that one panel with Lois, Clark, and Jimmy was written really in-character? This panel with Conner and Jon is the exact opposite of that.
Red Cloud and Ms. Leone have a fun back and forth for two pages. It’s a good example of Bendis-speak working well.
“Black Label Club?” One meta-reference is enough, but two is stupid. I actaully feel a little conflicted nitpicking this, but Black Label is in such a weird place right now, so why reference it?
But “Clark Kent walked into a bar...” is a pretty bad ass line, very John Wick.
A very cool sequence, but it’s full of Bendis-speak and very decompressed.
Why the fake-out of the Superfamily executing a gangland-style shooting with Jon being the one pulling the trigger? I get it’s a story beat the narrative is supposed to hit, but still.
The reveal is pretty funny, shrinking the club, so it’s a little forgivable, but the set up and the pay off don’t quite match. It’s just another example of that dissonance I’ve been mentioning.
I know that “supersons” line was put there by Bendis as a deliberate dig at his detractors, so I’m not going to take the bait and get pissed. Nice try, big guy.
All in all, this issue was not as bad as I initially thought. It’s series of some really big highs and lows.
#superman#superboy#conner kent#jon kent#lois lane#jimmy olsen#red cloud#robinson goode#ms. leone#invisible mafia#brainiac 5#clark kent#action comics#brian michael bendis
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I was asking what you think Henry's fate is. Is it a time loop? Is it just a reel playing? Is all of it just a dream on his or Joey Drew's death bed? But you pose an interesting question too, do all the games connect in some way even if BATDR is not gonna be a direct continuation?
I’ve pondered on the nature of the world of Bendy and the Ink Machine for a while now and, after a little bit of digging around, reading theories that people have had, watching theory videos and a few playthroughs, I’ve come to a few conclusions over Henry’s fate and the meaning behind the ambiguous ending we got.
This idea is, as such, a mixture of Game Theory’s Revised BATIM Ending Theory plus expectations for BATDR, SuperHorrorBro’s ideas for who BATDR’s Big Bad might actually be, as well as several other ideas that have consistently popped up through out the Fandom’s existence.
Buckle up, this might get long as heck.
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To start this off, I’m gonna need to clarify that the Cycle (which is the dimension the first game takes place in, although the origins of this particular world are still debatable as real or fiction within the canon itself) functions in a way that seems to rely heavily on ideas and impossible physics.
Not only that, but those who exist within this plane will follow a mixture of Real World and Cartoon World laws, so while death exists in the Cycle it isn’t permanent and things that could usually obliterate you in one go (like massive falls, a hit with an axe, or getting bashed by an out of control fairground attraction) aren’t an instant threat to your overall health.
It also appears that people within the Cycle aren’t immediatly aware that they’re following cartoon logic, as Henry (who is supposedly human) doesn’t seem to react all that much to some of the most life threatening moments he faces in the Studio. This in itself already shows something is off about the whole situation Bendy’s original creator has gotten himself mixed up with.
Another thing I need to point out is that the Toonification process doesn’t seem to be reliant of the Cycle itself, and instead happened in the Real World as the events in “Dreams Come True”, and Thomas Connor’s and Joey Drew’s Audio Log on the Ink Demon imply. This, to me, seems to point towards the Cycle having been made some point during Joey’s Toonification experiments as maybe somewhere to hide his twisted creations, so it might be the Ink Machine has the capacity to not only bring things to “life” but to also create other dimensions from templates. Where these dimensions are kept is up to debate, but I assume Joey keeps the Cycle withing the Ink Machine itself.
Either way, what I mean to say with these two little notes is that, while Henry appears to be in a fake version of the Studio that doesn’t mean the story of the game is just that, a story. I think everything IS real. But more on that in a bit...
Lets get started with the actual questions you asked:
--Is it a time loop?--
Yes, positively. The Tool clarifies this as soon as we get it. In fact, the iteration of the loop we’re doing as Henry is the 415th, and the following we do with the Tool unlocked is the 416th, meaning Henry (and by extention the other Studio Prisoners) have been at this for quite some time even if we weren’t aware at first. To the point where Henry began trying to establish contact with himself.
--Is it just a reel playing?--
Also yes. The Cycle as I’ve pointed out before, operates on Cartoon Logic. As such it can be compared to an endlessly looping reel of unfinished film. This is made more apparent by the reel Henry uses to “beat” the Ink Demon. “The End” is something of a curiosity as it is a contradiction in of itself.
Not so much a final dot to close off an act as an infinity mark.
It’s existence within the Cyle is also curious, as it seems unlikely Joey would have physically made a reel to stop the Ink Demon, so it brings the question of whether or not Mr. Drew can alter the Cycle externally (something that’s already hinted at due to the storyboards you can find on his desk at Joey’s apartment).
This to me indicates the Cycle can be altered (which Henry does whenever he tries to communicate, and by Allison Angel discovering the messages), but that bigger changes need to be done from the Real World.
--Is all of it just a dream on Henry’s or Joey Drew's death bed?--
No, I don’t think it’s a dream or just a story Joey is telling a child. I think the happenings of the game are actually happening, but that perhaps “The End” is a series of blank reels Joey feeds into the Ink Machine and that get filled out by Henry’s actions, and that Joey then watches them and recounts the tales to who I can only assume might likely be Henry’s and Linda’s daughter (as Joey pointed out Henry settled down while he did not, and it’s never mentioned if he has siblings).
With these questions out of the way, here’s what I believe happened to Henry and the implications of the game’s ending where Joey’s “niece” requests another story... The fact of the matter is that Henry is dead.
Why do I believe this?
It’s like Matpat pointed out in his Revised Theory video (I know, y’all gonna get on my case because “Game Theory is cringy ew”, but seriously have a look yourself instead of going off in my askbox).
It all has to do with small details that seem insignificant or just asthetic choices, but that can actually have a lot more hold on the plot.
Two of these details are:
The 5 coffins at the Studio and letters in Joey’s appartment.
The newspaper clipping Joey keeps in the Ink Machine room at the appartment, which was specifically picked and curated to appear in the game despite the player never going into the room to see it up close.
There’s a number of characters you learn about in the game and (by extention) the novel, and quite a few are dead (Such as Buddy’s friends Jacob and Dot who were murdered by an insane Sammy), but surprisingly only 5 have physical coffins at the Studio ingame.
And what do I mean by physical coffins? Well, there’s a 6th unofficial one, that’s what... And where can we find it?
Henry’s cell in chapter 5. He drew it himself even.
This doesn’t confirm anything of course, it could just be that Henry is into dramatics, but then we get to the newspaper clipping that Joey picked out specifically and kept in a room only he likely enters:
“Local Artist Pushed Himself Too Hard, Found Dead at Desk”
And what did Joey say about Henry pushing him to do the right thing? That he should have pushed a little harder... Like somehow Henry is at fault for Joey’s bad choices. Like Henry deserves what comes next...
It almost feels like someone dishing out a speech before an execution, justifying why they’re getting killed. It’s a scene that made me inexplicably nervous until I looked into things.
Why bring up the coffins and letters to prove this, you may ask?
Well, another thing Matpat points out is that the people who have coffins are people who were put through the Ink Machine, dying in the process and returning as Ink Monstrosities/Imperfect Toons, while people who got a letter from Joey and that replied to him were never lured back to him.
Wally Franks, for example, is living in Florida so he couldn’t make it to New York to fall into Mr. Drew’s trap.
Allison and Thomas Connors are also out of the way so they merely exchange formaleties through correspondance (which implies Joey “made up” with them at some point to try to lure them back and has kept the charade up for a while).
So anyway, people who have coffins in the Studio are not only confirmed dead but also became monsters.
Norman became the Projectionist
Grant likely became either the Piper, Fisher, or Striker
Bertrum became the monstrous Carnival Ride
Lacie likely became either the Piper, Fisher or Striker
Susie became the Imperfect Alice Angel
You’re likely asking about Allison Angel and Tom Boris now, to which I raise you another Matpat pointer from the video above: Allison Angel states that she and Tom would dissolve if they were in contact with pools of ink.
Why is this relevant?
Well, it means their bodies are made entirely of ink unlike, for example, Norman who is the sculking Projectionist.
Why Norman? Well, he wades through a pool of Ink in level 14 and doesn’t dissolve. Heck, he chases Henry through the pool of ink without any trouble whatsoever in catching up.
Why is he different from Allison and Tom? Because he has a soul stabilizing his grotesquely altered body.
Creatures that were once human and were transformed don’t just dissolve into ink. Their bodies remain intact after death until they eventually return to the inky abyss (potentially from being ripped apart) or until they’re revived by a Bendy Statue (Like Sammy, as implied by a clever easter egg near the fountain with the respawning Swollen Searcher).
In fact, now that I think about it, out of all the hostile creatures you encounter, Sammy, Susie, Norman, Bertrum and the Butcher Gang are some of the more stable bodied creatures within the Cycle, requiring a lot more hits to die than Searchers and Lost Ones, although Susie does die from a single stab (though the blow itself WAS pretty devastating in itself).
After pondering on this little idea I realized that the presence of Allison Angel and Tom Boris were entirely fabricated at that point.
One of many alterations created by Joey to guide Henry through the last leg of his journey towards “The End”, very likely modelled after the real Allison and Thomas who he viewed as hostile, thus portrayed them as initially aggressive towards Henry.
I mean, after so many unsuccefful attempts to make creatures entirely of ink (like the Ink Demon), it’s not too farfetched to say Joey eventually got the hang of it. The Mini Ink machines do it flawlessly and even help Henry, so who’s to say Joey didn’t perfect it within the Cycle to create beings not quite as strong as the Ink Demon, but strong enough to kill corrupt humans?
Again why is any of this relevant to how I think Henry’s dead?
Simple. People who replied to Joey lived. Henry didn’t reply, instead he was lured in.
I believe that the Ink Machine’s disastrous results in the Real World made Joey realize that making a person into a Toon through passing them through the machine with a template wasn’t gonna cut it to fix the grand mess he’d made out of the Ink Demon.
But, I also think he realized passing them through the Ink Machine while living was also the issue. The ink corrupted their souls, left them vulnerable to becoming Imperfect beings like Susie.
Having them ingest the ink prior to going through was also not gonna cut it, as it’s connection to the Ink Demon gradually destroyed Sammy’s already frail sanity and changed him into an abomination (that had a pretty strong will for possibly three deaths before he finally lost himself completely and became a soulless Searcher).
This left one final method to experiment with on the one person he thought responsible to clean his fuck-ups: Joey had to kill Henry prior to putting him through the machine.
In “Dreams Come True”, Buddy reveals that upon becoming Boris, his body was discarded. A byproduct of his soul enfusing with the ink and rejecting his human flesh. It might be possible that Joey was quick enough in killing Henry in an inconspicuous manner and then putting his body through the machine that Henry’s soul was pulled into the Cycle flawlessly while his body was spat back out for Joey to later deal with (Putting him behind his work desk as if he’d simply died of exhaustion, neatly hiding his crime behind the “suffering of a tortured artist”). This would explain why Henry lacks a shadow or reflection. He’s a ghost. A ghost that’s slowly realizing how hopeless his situation is. What a great pal Joey Drew turned out to be...
Moving on to the ending of the game itself, there’s some very dark implications that come with Henry being dead.
For one, Joey Drew doesn’t have a family, yet he’s recounting Henry’s plight to a little girl who affectionately calls him “Uncle Joey”.
We know Henry pursued a family over a busy career, so it’s heavily implied that during the 414 attempts of trying to find a way out of the Studio, Henry’s wife has been grieving him, going so far as to leave their daughter with Joey as she tries to provide for the both of them.
Joey being the pathological liar that he is, would likely graciously look afer his old friend’s daughter and maybe offer “emotional support” to a distraught Linda, cementing his innocense, all the while bragging to the child about what really happened to her father without her knowing.
That is a pretty twisted theory and I honestly like the idea due to how horrific it is.
But where does BATDR come into play here?
Well, it’s been confirmed to not be a prequel nor a sequel.
Matpat suggested it might either be an Alternate Universe or a Side Story.
I believe the latter is more likely, thanks to SuperHorrorBro theorizing that the people behind Gent might be the Big Bad/cause of that particular game’s misfortunes.
A Side Story about the Ink Machine being recreated and templates re-used to create a familiar yet brand new nightmare.
I believe BATIM and BATDR are a vicious cycle of madness happening at the same time. The same task repeated by people who expect different results. Only with Joey Drew it was an animation studio, with GENT it might be on a larger scale...But who knows?
There will be returning characters, so maybe BATDR will shed new light upon the Ink Machine and the Cycle’s true nature.
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Chapter 6: Tally
Read from the beginning or Read on AO3
Henry learns a lot of things. He sees even more. What to do with this information, and what is even useful? That's another story.
VOICES.
All indiscernible whispers, but some gentle, some sad, some furious. Quiet tones murmured so constantly they rang deafeningly loud in his ears.
Blackness, total yet moving—no, swirling—around him.
The feeling of constantly being touched, yet knowing there was nothing around to touch him.
He was standing (but when) in a long, dark tunnel (but where?). The instant he moved (at least, he thought he did), orange and white spun together like an entrance, beckoning him towards it. The voices got louder once the entrance (or exit?) formed, and he felt the urge to see where it led, yet… this urge felt so foreign to him. It tugged on his mind so lightly, almost a suggestion instead of an attack on all other thoughts, so convincing he almost moved, but—
A shift.
Fear. Suddenly the noise in his ear gained clarity. The whispers rioted.
“No…”
“Please, leave-!”
“RUN!”
The former animator listened.
“|HENRY|.” One voice, crystal clear in the blackness, so disturbingly familiar it sent a shiver up his spine and yet he couldn’t place it.
A glance revealed an arm, untainted by ink, reaching for him through the blackness. Instead of relief at seeing something unmistakably human, he only felt horror watching it draw closer. He stopped moving, mind at war. Half demanded he listen to the voices and run, and the other…
|Wait.|
|WAIT.|
|NO—!|
Something else reached him first, suddenly grabbing him and yanking him to the side, away from both the hand and the exit, into the whispers now screaming—
And just as suddenly, he was expelled from that blackness, the hand making one final lunge for him before disappearing along with everything else. Henry lay sprawled on the studio floor, every inch of him trembling with pain. A low rumble above him slowly pulled his attention upwards. Bendy stared down, head tilted questioningly to one side in a caricature of concern. All he could do was groan and tense. His gaze flicked around the room, and he realized with a sick sense of relief that he knew exactly where they were.
“I… need a hand, buddy…” The ink demon stared questioningly at the outstretched hand a moment longer before giving him a tug, Henry hissing out some choice words as he was dragged to his feet.
He staggered down the hallway. The exit door taunted him, inaccessible due to the giant hole where he’d fallen in before. They were back on the top floor.
“You… brought me back up.”
Bendy chirped affirmatively.
“How?!” he demanded, only briefly feeling guilty as the ink demon bowed its head. Why was he even asking? Bendy couldn’t answer him, only chirp and trill and groan, like a cross between an animal and a bug. After a moment, he shook his head, leaning heavily against the wall. “It doesn’t matter, I suppose. We’re up here now. That’s something.”
Bendy held out his other hand. In his grip was the seeing tool. Henry gratefully took it. At least he could check out what the ‘little’ devil was so agitated about. “Alright, Bendy. What do you want me to see?”
The first hidden message lay next to the exit sign, adding ‘OR DIE’ to the side. Seemed self-explanatory, if confusing. Who could have written it? Judging by the displeased grumble, that wasn’t what he was supposed to look at. He glanced at the hole curiously.
I always fall.
Henry grimaced, stomach twisting without fully knowing why. The hole was new! Why ‘always’? Another grumble, louder and more frustrated behind him. The animator shot him an exasperated look. “Bendy, if you have something specific for me to see, you need to actually show me where to point this thing.”
The ink demon placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him towards the posters. Henry raised a questioning brow. The demon just pointed again. With a sigh, he brought the glass back to his face.
His eyes widened as he stared at the countless markings that littered the wall, confusion mixing with deep-seated, horrible recognition that he couldn’t quite yet place.
Tally marks. He slowly exhaled, reaching out towards the very end of the list, running a thumb down that final line.
“Where did these—or, how… how do you get a new tally? Who put these here?”
Bendy jabbed him in the back.
“…Me? When? I didn’t—”
No.
He had. Completely reflexively, he didn’t even give the poster a glance as he did it in passing.
Hesitantly he moved his finger further up the wall. Where his memory failed, his body remembered: the second the digit touched the softly glowing marking, searing pain ripped through his body, across his back, flashes of injuries attacking him at all angles and driving him to his knees with a choked noise. The seeing tool clattered to the floor. His arms quickly followed, trying to brace himself.
Next came the visions.
Faces flashed in front of his eyes. Faces tied to events. Faces tied to deaths.
Putting a reel in a throne. A beast dissolving to white.
An apartment. A familiar apartment, housing familiar face, filling him with hate.
The entrance they were in, playing in a horrible loop, all slightly different yet everything that mattered never wavered.
“There’s something I want to show you.”
He gasped, only then realizing Bendy had pulled him up and started shaking him, whimpering and whining. As his eyes finally focused on the demon, he was pulled into a tight hug. Too dazed to really fight it, he let him do so until the fog on his mind cleared.
“I… I remember,” he muttered, and Bendy made a questioning trill. Henry added, a little louder, “…Somewhat. Fits and bursts. I think… if I kept trying out tally marks I could get more back, but like hell am I going through that again. Once is enough… Is that all you wanted me to see?”
The demon nodded, and the ex-animator groaned as he pushed himself away. Next question. “How did you find out?”
A long silence, before Bendy pointed at him. His mind went back to the audio log full of static.
Seemed like there was some use to it after all. Now they just needed a way to proceed. What use did this knowledge give him? A better idea of the people he might encounter (even if all he remembered was in glimpses), perhaps. It did give him an idea… one that combined Bendy’s awareness and Sammy’s… extra pair of hands? A chance to reunite and possibly rescue his old friend, but he didn’t dare dwell on that thought. Not with the prophet’s mind the way it was. He’d move the former musician away from being just a demonic lackey, but that may take some time.
“We should return to Sammy.”
Only after he spoke did he realize what he would have to do to GET back down. As Bendy turned to head back to the sigil, Henry stayed rigid, conflicted and worried. “W-wait, no, you are NOT putting me through that again!” His eyes scrunched shut, gripping the sides of his head. “Those voices, that hand, that pain… not again. Can’t I just hop through the hole again? Sure, that injured my—” He’d moved to show off his injury for emphasis… only to find his palm completely smooth.
“—My hand…” It looked like nothing happened. A thousand questions ran through his head, but the one that left his mouth played a very familiar tune. “What did you do to me?”
Of course Bendy didn’t answer, only stared. Henry wasn’t sure if it was because the demon didn’t know, or if he did and just didn’t have the means to say it. But, the ink demon did shuffle back to his side and tug on his arm. A request to follow. Henry wordlessly obeyed. That was easier said than done by the time they reached the sigil, though, Henry hesitating just in front of it. The ink demon grumbled again and gave him a little shove.
He reached out to catch himself on the sigil.
When that didn’t happen, he plunged straight through the wall and fell face-first to the floor with a yelp. He lay there a moment, staring wide-eyed at the makeshift walkway before him, until he saw Bendy walk over him with a pleased chirp.
“You knew that would happen,” he commented, pushing himself back to his feet. The demon whistled and nodded. Now it was his turn to grumble, resignedly following.
Hands reached out through the slats at him, but before he could fully react to the sight, Bendy hissed loudly. While Henry jumped, the hands yanked back, and the murmurs grew louder. Even with the knowledge he’d regained, all of… this… confused him. Realization hit.
“I’ve never seen this before,” he breathed. Bendy made an affirmative noise. He paused, having to take a moment just to let it soak in. “This is new…”
After so long of doing everything thousands of times, becoming so numb to it all that death received the barest of emotional responses, the idea that something could still be new… well, it was almost enough to give him a little hope for a change. In fact, the more he thought, the more he realized he’d never done before. Just existing the way he did, still being emotional, getting to be much closer to the Henry that first walked into the building however many years now ago… it awed him. The script was changing, and though part of him whispered to |go back to the familiar, to give up on what he knew would fail|, he found it ever easier to push that voice aside.
As they made their way out of the sigil they first came from, Henry noted Sammy patiently waiting to the side, hands clasped together as if in prayer. He seemed to notice the animator first, shoulders slumping. Henry raised a brow. “Yes? Glad you react now, and not when I’m being ripped apart.”
“…How?” The question came so… weak. Quiet. Upset, even.
“How what?”
“You are… you. How is that possible?” Sammy made a frustrated noise that he couldn’t quite place, and his next statement came with an accusatory edge. “Why YOU?”
That set Bendy off. A low growl rumbled from him, and the prophet froze. Despite his reverence for the ink demon, he seemed to scare him—petrify him, really. Bendy advanced, darkness seeping up through the floorboards in wisps and tendrils that curled around Sammy’s feet as he backed up, until he hit the wall. One large hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him. The prophet desperately tried to claw the hand off, choked noises of pain escaping him yet somehow still able to speak,
“M-my lord, please! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I will never question your judgement again, please—!”
“Bendy!”
Both stopped, looking at Henry.
“Put him down.”
Bendy whined.
“DOWN.”
Slowly, the demon set his prophet back on the ground.
Sammy stared, first at Henry, then at his own hands. Henry watched him with concern. “Are you okay, Sammy?”
He didn’t answer. Ink started to pool and drip beneath the mask on either side of his chin.
“Sammy…?”
Finally, he looked at him, still dripping. “My lord wishes, and I—but the humble servant—I obey,” he whispered, not a trace of his previous pride in his voice. “Where do you will me?”
#Bendy and the Ink Machine#The Last Loop#Life kicked my butt for a bit and I lost my confidence in my au but I am back on the wagon!!#BATIM
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mangas
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Bringing a New Justice League to Life
https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
If you’re assembling a Justice League roster, names like Superman, Batman, Flash, Hawkgirl, and Aquaman spring immediately to mind. But what about Black Adam, Hippolyta, or new hero Naomi? When Brian Michael Bendis reunites with artist David Marquez in Justice League #59 in March, your perception of what a Justice League team can be might change.
Mr. Bendis told us what to expect about this new and unexpected Justice League.
Den of Geek: This is an interesting roster. It’s a very different kind of Justice League roster than we’ve seen in a long time.
Brian Michael Bendis: I was genuinely delighted by the reaction to the roster. I was ready for the pushback. But people seemed really into it. I think I have to thank Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for laying the tracks for Black Adam so nicely. I thought it was going to be more of a pushback, but it wasn’t.
Why this roster?
Oh, for many different reasons, but there’s a fantastic reason and it’s talked about in our very first issue. Green Arrow, concerned about if the Justice League is being everything the Justice League could be, wonders what justice means to everyone. It means different things to different people, so how can we be what we’re promising that we are, which is a Justice League for all, if our perspective is limited?
That starts an excellent conversation right in the middle of a very large event that happens to them. It opens some doors for them to think about who the Justice League should be and what they should be doing with their time.
Was this the first DC project that you talked about reuniting with David Marquez on?
Yes. We knew we were going to do something. I knew what I wanted it to feel like, but I wasn’t sure which title it would be. When Justice League came out, I’m like, “Oh, that’s it exactly.”
But because I know team books are very, very hard on an artist that I just wanted to make sure that he wanted in, and he did. And also, he does an amazing Naomi. He really draws a great Naomi and a great Superman and a great Batman. It’s just perfectly tailored towards him.
How far ahead have you planned out Justice League?
Quite a bit. This was offered to me as a long-term project. Also, I know people are very curious and interested about these new formats that some of these DC books, where there is a main story and a backup side story. I hate to say backup like it’s a bad thing… It’s another story of equal value being told. Justice League Dark will also be featured in it.
Once we’re launched, once we’re past our first storylines, you’re going to see some hopefully innovative interactions between the two stories, including opening up the whole book to being a giant story between the two stories as some of the more magical components of the DC Universe affect both parts of the story.
We have some new villains that we’re bringing in, and also some of the new villains that we debuted at the end of my Superman run were specifically being set up to really come at us in Justice League too. So you’re going to see some of those ideas percolate even further.
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The roster as we see on the cover is not the complete roster. There’s going to be constant membership changes based on what they’re doing and where they’re going.
The people on this roster don’t all understand each other. Sometimes, when you have a classic team, whether it be the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Teen Titans, or the Justice League, there’s always a core group that have known each other a long time. They get each other, and sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad.
And then you put new people on the team like Queen Hippolyta, whose perspective is completely different from everyone else’s on the team, even different than Wonder Woman‘s, and is bringing something that was not there before, but yet is right at the center of the DC Universe. You have three or four characters who are bringing a completely different perspective than what the core Justice League had. Black Adam has completely different perspective. That opens some doors to them understanding each other and their jobs better, and kind of illuminating what the Justice League really can be in ways that we haven’t seen before. So there you go.
I also, I personally like seeing the characters interact as friends more, as really enjoying each other’s company and busting each other’s balls and stuff. So there’ll be a lot more of that than some people may be used to in the Justice League. With Gerry Conway and all my favorite Justice League writers, these characters really like each other, and we’re going to reflect that.
Justice League #59 hits on March 16.
The post Bringing a New Justice League to Life appeared first on Den of Geek.
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The Change
Harry hadn't expected Joey to ask him to stay late to talk with him.
He would have thought that since it was Halloween, with the man's love of fantasy, he would have have been itching to get home in time to join the festivities.
Harry for one had just wanted to get home in peace and hopefully have a nice, quiet evening to himself. It never seemed to last very long before things went wrong for him, and he didn't want to test his luck on a Halloween. He hoped that whatever Joey wanted to talk to him about could be wrapped up quickly and he get home before something happened.
Henry (the worrywart that he was) had asked if Harry would be okay finding a way home afterwards, but he'd assured the man he would be fine. It wouldn't be too hard to hail a cab to his apartment building, and the landlady was used to him coming back late. Sillyvision members often had to keep extra hours to get their work done in time for the deadlines.
Harry had left his belongings in their places around his workstation and department coat area, deciding that he would collect them once he was done talking to his scatterbrained but well meaning boss.
Harry lightly knocked on the door to Joey's office, politely waiting to be called in.
"It's unlocked!" Harry carefully opened the door, green eyes peering in at his boss who was sitting at his desk looking through a bunch of papers. The blonde man looked up at him, his face brightening. "Ah, Harry! You came sooner than I expected!"
"Watcha Mr. Drew, you wanted to see me?" The blonde nodded, waving him in with a smile.
"Yes, Harry. Come in, come in! Have a seat, take a load off your feet. I made you a cup of tea, first time I've ever done that. Hope you don't mind that it's in a coffee mug." Harry gave smile, pushing up his glasses slightly, and shrugged.
"Not a problem, mate. I'm not picky about presentation." He sat in the chair, picking up the mug. He could tell by the feel of it that Joey had made the water too hot for him to drink yet without burning his tongue. He'd have to wait a bit before actually drinking it. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Ah, well, I found something of yours in the lunchroom the other day." Joey carefully pulled out a folder from his desk and laid it out. Harry froze when he spotted the papers in question. He knew those papers.
'Oh dear, those are the scripts I was writing that went missing.' he thought, his heart sinking. He had written the scripts to make fun of the last few episodes of their cartoons, putting in a happy ending for their Devil Darling instead of him being the butt of the story, and now his boss had found them. Was he going to be fired for them?
Joey smiled brightly at him, his blue eyes glittering, like he hadn't just sent the dark haired wizard into a well hidden panic.
"I wish you'd shown these to me earlier Harry, they're all very well done! If I had known that this was what you had in mind when you said you wanted to brighten up the show, I would have given the okay sooner!"
'What.' Harry was sure his disbelief showed on his face, but Joey didn't seem to pay any heed to it.
"With a Demon for a main character it's hard to come up with good stories for them that won't get shot down by the code, you know. But I think these scripts you wrote just might be able to get through them," Joey continued, shuffling through the scripts. "I want to make them into official episodes, but I think they need a little tweaking first. That's why I want to talk to you, I want to work out what can be changed so we can produce them."
Harry gaped at him.
"S-Sure. I don't have a problem with that." He muttered staring at his boss in disbelief.
"Excellent, let's start with this one here, "Haunted House Hangups". Let's talk about how it would go on screen..."
Harry found himself drawn into a long discussion about Bendy hiding from a rainstorm and being pranked by a ghost, only for the ghost to feel bad when Bendy starts crying. Then trying to make the little devil feel better after his scare. It had been a cute idea he'd gotten while watching some kids playing when he'd gone to the local park while the weather was still warm for his lunch break.
The tea tasted a little odd, he'd noted, but Harry couldn't tell if it was the brand, if the mug had previously held coffee in it, or how Joey had made it. So he didn't mention it, not wanting to offend his boss's hospitality.
Harry yawned into his sleeve for the third time in as many minutes.
"S-sorry, don't know why I keep yawning." It was odd, tea usually didn't make him drowsy, since it was usually his substitute for coffee. Joey waved it off.
"You've been working hard to meet theses past few deadlines, it's probably catching up with you. You can take a nap on my couch once we're done. I don't mind." Harry nodded, his eyes drooping slightly. Joey pushed a sheet forward, pointing at one of the lines on the page. "What about this scene here? What did you have in mind for it?"
Harry found himself downing the mug of tea rather quickly as he explained his thought process for the episodes to his boss. Finally setting the empty mug down, having finished his explanations, he leaned back in his seat to look at his boss. Harry was struggling to keep his eyes open, leaning heavily in the chair. Joey watched him for a moment, an odd look on his face that Harry wasn't up to deciphering right then.
"You look really tired Harry, why don't you take that nap now? I can wake you before it gets too dark out. I could even call a cab for you, if you'd like." Harry nodded drowsily, stumbling to his feet. Joey darted forward, bumping the side of his desk in his haste, catching the wizard before he could fall over. Normally, Harry would have tried to shake him off, but he didn't think he could make it to the couch without help.
"Come on then Harry, let's get you over to that nice, comfy couch." Joey said, letting the drowsy teen lean against him as they crossed the short distance to the couch. Harry swiped half-heartedly him, then slumped onto the piece of furniture in question.
Harry was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the cushions.
~~B~E~N~D~Y~~H~A~R~R~Y~~
Joey waited until he was sure Harry was in a deep sleep before acting, then he carefully pulled the small British teenager into his arms. (Harry had always been small, smaller than most suburb raised teens) One arm slid under his back, while the other hooked under his knees and he lifted him up.
"Sorry about drugging your tea, Harry, but I don't think you would have agreed with my plan if I tried to ask you about it." Joey said conversationally, adjusting his grip so he could carry him out the door more easily. "But I do mean well by this. I think you would even thank me for it later."
The sleeping teen didn't respond to him, his breathing remaining slow and even. Not that Joey had expected any different, what with the strength of the drug he'd slipped into the drink.
Honestly he was surprised Harry had stayed awake as long as he had. He'd expected the teen to doze off halfway through their discussion, not after they'd finished it. Not that he'd minded, since it let them actually finish prettying up Harry's scripts for the show.
"You're such a secretive person, too! It took me forever to figure out you were magical. That's why I needed you for this." He continued, wandering down the hallways. There was no real point the talking to Harry right then, but pretending to explain himself to the teen made him feel a little better about what he was doing. "Well, not so much you specifically, Harry, but someone with magic. And you're the only person I know of who has magic that I know of."
There was a clatter and Joey nearly dropped his burden in alarm. Henry hadn't decided to stay and wait for Harry, had he? His friend had become rather protective of the teen (Almost fatherly to him) which had lead to Joey having to be extra careful getting Harry alone to pull this off. He glanced around, not spotting anyone in the hall besides himself and his sleeping burden.
He couldn't help checking the face of the dozing teen, despite knowing there was no way the teen could have woken up. And he relaxed
That was it, Harry's glasses were no longer sitting on his face. They must have fallen off and that was what had made the noise. He considered taking a moment to find them, but decided against it. It didn't matter if they were gone.
"I suppose that's one thing you would thank me for if you could, you won't be needing those horrible glasses of yours anymore." Joey said with a chuckle, shifting Harry's head so that it was resting against his shoulder instead of lolling back like before. A bad move on his part, carrying him like that would have given Harry a painful crick in his neck.
Joey strode into the Ink Machine room, glancing around to make sure everything was still in place for the ritual he had spent most of the month planning. Moving to one side, he carefully laid the teen down and set to work. He needed to make sure everything was ready and set up everything that wasn't, and he had to do it before Harry could wake.
Firstly, he had to move the tarp he used to cover the ritual circle he'd draw on the floor under the Machine's nozzle.
He thought hiding it like that was one of his cleverer ideas. All he'd had to do to keep people from being suspicious was claim he was trying to lessen the number of spills in the animation department, as well as keep the ink from being wasted. He'd had to put a few more tarps up around the building to lend the story credit, but it had worked. The fact that it had actually helped with some if the messes had been an unexpected bonus.
He carefully pulled off the tarp, rolling it up and shoving in to one of the enclaves in the back of the room.
Moving over to the dresser next, he pulled out a number of small jars filled with various ingredients, some candles or varying colors, a box of matches, a silver bowl and a silver knife. He gently poured some of the ingredients into the silver bowl, setting it down next to the circle. Followed by setting up the unlit candles around the edge of the circle, making sure they were all sitting stably and wouldn't fall over during the ritual.
He moved back to the sleeping teen, lifting him once more and laying him in the center of the circle. Joey lifted one of Harry's hands, carefully picked up the knife and cut the sleeping boy's palm, making sure the blood dripped into the mixture in the bowl. He set Harry's hand on his chest, making sure no blood fell on the ink circle itself.
Joey lit all the candles and started his chant, watching as the flames started flickering strangely in the otherwise still room. Shifting the levers on the machine so a drip would start, he pulled out a previously filled bottle of ink and poured it into the bowl, watching the circle seem to glow slightly in the low light.
Something in the air changed, and Joey could see the ink dripping into the circle start moving towards the sleeping person in it's center. The flames grew brighter, and Joey had to squint to keep his eyes on the ritual (he wouldn't look away, he couldn't). Joey wasn't sure how long he kept going, but his throat had become sore, the air had become heavy with magic (he was sure) and Harry had been completely obscured by the ink at one point.
But when the ritual was done, the candles had almost burned almost all the way down and a much smaller form lay in the center of the circle. Joey unlit the candles and crept over to the sleeping form on shaking legs.
It had worked. Now, laying in play of his voice actor, was Bendy the Darling Devil himself, eyes closed in a peaceful sleep.
Joey knelt down, carefully gathering the sleeping toon into his arms. He wasn't quite on model, the toon in his arms had a long spade tipped tail and a slightly more pinkish face than the one on his model sheets, but... Joey let out a sigh and smiled.
Bendy was okay, nothing had gone wrong or hurt him during the ritual. He was okay.
He gently tucked the toon against him and headed back to his office. He would have to stay the night to make sure Bendy was completely alright. (He wouldn't want something to go wrong that he could have prevented. Not after what he had done to get little Bendy to the real world in the first place.) The little errors could be explained away easily with a slight edit to his toon models, and the tail would be perfect for gags in later cartoons.
He cupped the side of Bendy's head, gently turning his face to better look at him. He paused, spotting a small crack of some kind by the little toon's brow.
It looked a little like a simplified version of the lightning bolt scar that had been by Harry's brow. It was an unexpected feature, but Joey supposed it must have had something to do with magic. Perhaps Harry had gotten it in some accident involving magic? Something that would have made it a defining feature for him? It seemed possible.
It wasn't a bad feature for the little devil, now that it was there. Perhaps he ought to have some kind of explanation for it to be woven into the show? He would have to think about it.
~~B~E~N~D~Y~~H~A~R~R~Y~~
He stirred slowly, shifting on the soft surface he was laying on. Something was off, different. But what?
He blinked open his eyes, slowly pushing himself up (a couch? Why was he laying on a couch?), the jacket that had been laid over him sliding off. He looked down at his hands, he had gloves on, with buttons on the back and only three fingers and a thumb (Why? That didn't feel right). He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing the heels of his hands against the back of his eyelids.
He felt dizzy, why did he feel dizzy? Where was he? What had happened to him? (Why didn't he feel right?)
Something behind him twitched, and he pulled his hands away from his face. Looking back he saw a long, whip-thin, spade tipped tail poking out from under the coat. Did he… Did he have a tail? He… Was he supposed to have a tail? (No, something wasn't right here)
His head felt fuzzy. What was going on? Why did he feel this way?
"You're a awake." A voice breathed out, sounding amazed. He turned, spotting a tall man standing a few feet away from him. He curled in on himself, tail wrapping around his legs, pressing himself into the cushions of the sofa. A kindly smile crept over the man's face, and he slowly came over, kneeling closer. "You're really awake. I didn't think you would wake up so soon. I'm Joey Drew."
"Welcome to the real world Bendy."
.
.
AN: Bet you guys weren't expecting THAT now were you?
I suppose I should mention that the stories for this won't be submitted in order of when they would actually happen in the story. I might reorder them later, but for now you're gonna get them in order of when I finish them. Enjoy!
#Harry Potter#Harry Potter crossover#hp#hp crossover#Bendy and the Ink Machine#Bendy and the Ink Machine crossover#batim#batim crossover#Joey Drew#voice actor Harry#bendy harry
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Jane Espenson on humor: types of jokes, part 1
Compilation of joke-telling advice from Jane Espenson’s blog. Yes, I’m just copying and pasting. These are all about screenwriting in particular, btw. I found them interesting, so maybe you will, too.
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Hang on, everyone. I’m about to take an unpopular position. I’m going to advocate analyzing comedy. This is, in general, thought to be a very bad idea. Even dangerous. Once you start trying to figure out why something is funny, the reasoning goes, you lose the sense of whether it is or not. The enterprise is, at best, fruitless, and at worst, a path to the numbing loss of comedy sensation.
Well, it’s true that once you start taking apart a joke to learn how it works, you do lose track of your natural unselfconscious sense of what’s funny. The sensation of it is unmistakable. And, to me, very familiar. Before I was a comedy writer I was a student of Linguistics. We had to talk about language all the time, asking ourselves questions about which utterances were a part of our own natural idiolect and which ones weren’t. Even a few minutes of this kind of thinking tended to lead to blunted judgments about what one could or could not say. I have heard this referred to as “Scanting Out,” the name coming from the result of trying to figure out when one would naturally use the word “scant.” Would you naturally produce the utterance: “His entrance was greeted with scant applause”? “I had scant time to prepare”? How about “there was scant butter in the storehouse”? Or “She gathered her scant dress around her”? Or “He was a man of scant talent”? Or “Any loss of water will reduce the supply to scant”? Hmm-- lose your sense of it yet?
And still, we do not stop analyzing language. It’s valuable and worth the effort. I think joke analysis can also be worth more than a scant effort. (See-- the instinct is back again. It bounces back!)
I would love, someday, to create a Field Guide to Jokes. A real inventory of types of funny with lists of examples. Much of the skill that makes a good joke writer is clearly subconscious, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be sharpened. And for those of you who are new to joke writing, I think this kind of guide might help you a lot, giving you a mental check-list of possible funny approaches to a moment.
So let’s start.
One of the entries in the Field Guide would have to do with taking cliches and altering them, usually by simply reversing the intent. For example, when Buffy was battling an especially ugly monster she once said: “A face even a mother could hate.” And I vividly remember Joss pitching that in another script someone should say, “And the fun never starts.” In another, I riffed off the old Wonder Bread slogan “Builds strong bodies eight ways” to describe a weapon that “Kills strong bodies three ways.” This one was less successful since no one but me remembered the old Wonder Bread slogan. They can’t all be winners. The headline of this entry, a punnish play off a title, is one that I simply cannot believe we never used.
It’s a fun type of joke. Breezy, a little dry, kind of smart. You might want to play around with it. If you’ve got a character who needs a wry observation on what’s going on around them, this might be the joke type for you.
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I recently received such an interesting letter from Gentle Reader Maggie in Brooklyn. She writes to point out another variety for our menagerie of joke-types — a favorite of her and her boyfriend. She says:
We were wondering if there’s a specific writers’ room term for a type of joke that we love. It happens when you cut to a scene and someone is in the middle of wrapping up a story, and the only line you hear gives you very clear, very funny picture of what the rest of the story was about.
She goes on to give some examples. One of them was from that Charles Barkley Super Bowl ad in which we hear him say, out of a cut, “…and that’s why I never eat shrimp.” Another is from “Pirates of the Caribbean” in which we hear Johnny Depp wrapping up a story with “…and then they made me their king.”
Maggie is right that this is certainly a distinct type of joke. I love this joke. I remember particularly taking note of the “shrimp” line when I heard it. I don’t think this kind of joke has been given a particular name, although every room invents some of their own terminology — if a particular show used this kind of bit as a running gag, I’m certain they’d come up with a name for it. Maybe it’s a Fragment Joke, since it’s based on only hearing a fragment of the whole. Note that it’s certainly the same joke if you only hear the start or the middle of a story. If you open a door just long enough to hear, “Now if I was to show you the OTHER buttock…” for example. That’s the same joke.
These jokes are so effective because they make the audience do the work of inferring what they missed. They’re certainly related to jokes like those in the old Bob Newhart routines in which we’d hear one side of a phone call or even an in-person conversation and have to infer what was being said or done. From his Driving Instructor Routine: All right, let’s get up a bit more speed and gradually ease it into second… well, I didn’t want to cover reverse this early….
Any time you can get the audience to do some of the work, you’re getting them invested, and that’s a great thing.
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The day that Harvey Korman died, I heard a little excerpt played on the radio of a comedy bit that I’d never heard before, taken from a sketch he performed with Danny Kaye. I’ve located the whole sketch here, but you don’t need to watch the whole thing since other than one funny joke — the one I heard excerpted for the radio — it’s pretty dire. But the joke worked for me. Here it is:
HARVEY
Class, for a baby’s bath, what’s the most important thing you absolutely need?
DANNY
A dirty baby?
Now, listening to this being performed, it’s clear early on what the joke is. It’s one of those “Stating the Obvious” jokes that I’ve talked about before. Once you hit “the most important thing,” you know that’s the joke. You probably already know that the answer is some version of “the baby.” And yet the joke made me chuckle. Because of the adjective.
It’s not just that adjectives make things funnier, although they often do. Moist, bendy, pointy, itchy — they are all great words that spice up any sentence. But in this case, “dirty” is doing something beyond that. Can you bathe a clean baby? Well, if you take bathing to include the idea of removing dirt, then, no, you can’t. So the answer makes literal sense, but it also raises the idea of NEEDING a dirty baby — needing something that is normally undesirable. For me, it even raises the image of someone purposefully dirtying a baby so that they can bathe it. Funny!
The joke isn’t in the words, of course, but in the concept. These are all the same joke (even though they don’t all work exactly the same way — since you can’t purposefully make a chicken raw, for example, it doesn’t quite resonate the way the baby one does):
What do you need to cook a chicken? Raw chicken.
To fix an engine? A broken engine.
To censor a movie? A dirty movie.
To cure the common cold? Well, first you need a cold…
If you wanted to use these, you’d massage the language a bit, but those are the hearts of the lines, right there.
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Friend of the Blog Alex Epstein sends along an interesting contemplation on a certain type of joke. I’m going to let you see his explanation and then present mine, which differs on a certain point. Here is how he explains it:
Sometimes, I see good writers make fun of bad, obvious dialog and cliche. Saw a bit on Steven Moffat’s JEKYLL, ep. 3. A bunch of suits and techies watching the usual assortment of screens tracking Dr. Jackman:
Shot of a dot moving along a drawing of a railroad track.
Technie: He’s moving.
American agent: Of course he’s moving! He’s on a train!
We don’t really need “He’s moving” to tell us that he’s moving, unless we’re washing the dishes and listening to the TV out of one ear, or we are very, very stupid. The American agent makes that point for us.
But wait, there’s the retort:
Technie: He’s moving.
American agent: Of course he’s moving! He’s on a train.
English agent: You obviously haven’t got the hang of England yet, have you?
Joss does this a lot, I think, subverting our TV viewer expectations:
Buffy: Puppets give me the wiggins. Ever since I was 8.
Willow: What happened?
Buffy: I saw a puppet. It gave me the wiggins. There really isn’t a story there.
I bet that sort of retort comes up a lot in story rooms; I wonder how often it makes it to the screen. (Network exec: “But how does the audience know he’s moving?”)
Oh, this is very interesting. I agree that this is totally about subverting the expectations of the listener. It never would have occurred to me, though, that this had to do with a response to exec-driven overwriting. I would have taken this (at least the first joke) more as a response to the real-life human tendency to state the obvious. And the second one I take as a response to the expected structure of normal conversation (i.e. “ever since” is supposed to lead to a anecdote.) So for me, both of these are about someone reacting to a statement that was deficient in some way, but deficient because of the foible of a character.
However, I’m open to Alex’s interpretation, now that I hear it. Certainly, the first joke illustrates an excellent way to turn a “make it clearer” note into a benefit — have someone hang a lantern on the over-clarity and then, if possible, slap a topper onto it! (So much writers’ slang! Yay!)
By the way, the Buffy example reminds me of another classic Joss joke, in which someone tries to deflect a question by saying “it’s a long story,” only to have another character quickly sum up the situation, leading the first character to lamely say, “Guess it’s not that long.” The standard conventional rule is that “it’s a long story” ends any discussion. To go past it and deflate it is funny.
It’s making me curious about other jokes that do this. Oh! How about the Princess Leia/Han Solo moment: “I love you.” “I know.” That’s certainly a violation of how we know that exchange is supposed to go. If you’re writing a comedy or a drama with wit, it’s worth doing a bit of thinking about this kind of joke since there’s something so ingrained about conversational assumptions that these jokes always pack a nice punch.
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hi! this is a little embarrassing, but I want to start reading comics and I have no idea where to start. I wasn't allowed to read comics growing up so I'm not even sure where to get them. anyway ahh you just seem cool and I like your blog so I hope it's okay that I'm asking you for advice!
i’m so happy to help! when i started reading comics (about 2 years ago, now) i found the amount of comics and the sheer mass of backstory and even just the basics really overwhelming, so under the cut i went through and explained where to get comics, tips for how to start reading, and some recommendations for good comics for folks who are new to comics. if you want specific recs for specific characters, shoot me another ask and i can help with that!
Good luck, and let me know if you have any more questions, or how you like the books I recommended!
first, some basics.
a quick rundown on how comics are sold. new issues are released every wednesday, and new issues can be bought physically in comics shops or digitally. comics run in story arcs, which might be made up of 2 issues, or sometimes as many as 12 issue, depending on the comic. a while after an arc is finished, the collected issues will be released as a trade paperback (tpb).
where do you get comics?
comic books stores tend to be pretty common, so if you prefer to read physical comics rather than digital. this website will tell you the closest stores to you. comic stores will carry newly released issues, assorted tpbs, and some have large selections of older back issues of comics that you can buy individually.i honestly only went to a comic book store for the first time this summer because i was really intimidated by them, though i’m not entirely sure why, so it’s really easy to read comics, even if you don’t have a store nearby.
you can always buy tpbs on amazon, and i know barnes and noble and some independent bookstores also carry tpbs, though in my experience b&n tends to be pretty heavy on dc/marvel, and heavy on popular characters.
for digital comics, comixology is your best friend. it covers any/all publishers, so i would just skip marvel/dc digital stores and go right here. it’s good to support the creative teams behind comics, but if you can’t afford to buy that many comics, you can read comics for free here, and download them here. comixology also offers a subscription service, comixology unlimited, that allows you immediate access to a library of digital comics, from marvel, dc, and other publishers. marvel offers marvel unlimited, a similar service, but with a wider range of marvel titles. both take a few months to upload new issues, as an incentive to both buy issues and subscribe. it’s worth noting that sales of digital comics and tpbs are counted towards official sale stats, so if you want to support a comic that’s in danger of cancellation, buying the issue at a store is the only way to have your purchase counted.
what to read?
there are so, so many comics, so i’ve recommended a handful of series that are pretty easy to get into for beginners, while still being good reads. i’ve sorted these recs by dc/marvel/indie, and included some quick notes.
full disclosure, i almost exclusively lead comics led by women, so i am not the person to ask for captain america or batman reading recommendations. luckily, most other folks are reading those characters, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find suggestions!
DC
DC rebooted their whole universe with the Rebirth initiative last year, so pretty much everything is 30 or fewer issues in right now. Rebirth was technically a reboot, but some comics do reference earlier continuity from the New 52, their previous reboot (in 2012 i think?). I’ve not read a lot of n52, and i think general consensus is that rebirth titles are much stronger than n52. Aside from these recs, the best thing to do with dc/marvel is find the characters you like, and then go read the current book that they’re in, and see how you like it!
Batwoman (2010)- Kate is a new character, and this is her original solo. There are other character in the book with long histories, but you don’t really need to know them to read it. I’d recommend reading Batwoman: Elegy first.
Batwoman: Elegy- Batwoman was introduced in an earlier comic, but this is her first collected story.
Batwoman (2017)- I’m not caught up on this, but I would assume you can read this without having read Kate’s earlier series, if you want to start with Rebirth. Otherwise, the only thing you need to read to be caught up for this is the 2010 Batwoman solo.
Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell- This is a team up story that gives you backstory on Dinah and Zatanna’s relationship, and shows them going on a mission together. It’s a graphic novel, so it’s like one very long issue.
DC Comics Bombshells- If you only read one DC comic, I’d suggest this one. It’s an alternate universe where the female heroes of the DCU all came first, as a team of super powered heroes fighting in WWII. Most of DC’s biggest female characters have significant roles, and the comic also introduces you to a bunch of slightly less well known female characters. There’s like 3 men, and almost all of the heroes are confirmed wlw, so it’s a gift, and should be treasured. The series ended earlier this summer, and is now being continued in the sequel, Bombshells United. They’re both digital first comics, which means new issues are released digitally on Fridays, and collected into print editions every third Wednesday.
The Legend of Wonder Woman- This is totally outside of main dcu continuity, and it’s a retelling of Diana’s origins as Wonder Woman in WWII.
Trinity (2017)- Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman team up. Other characters guest star, which helps introduce you to the wider DCU. It’s fun and the art is cute.
Wonder Woman (2016)- If you enjoyed the movie, definitely read this. It has 2 storylines running simultaneously for the first 25 issues, one retelling Wonder Woman’s origins, and one set in the present, in which Diana realizes parts of her life have been lies, and sets out to discover the truth. The first few issues might be a little confusing because of this, but more because it’s intended to leave you questioning things, not because it depends on an in depth knowledge of continuity. What’s really brilliant about Greg Rucka’s run on this comic (the first 25 issues) is that WW has the least consistent history of pretty much any character, and Rucka dismissed pretty much all of the inconsistency, and streamlined Diana’s backstory. Also, Diana, Etta, and Steve are the dream team. This has been released in 4 tpbs so far, which organize the book by story arcs, instead of the original release order, which ran multiple arcs on alternating weeks.
Zatanna (2010)- this is pre-n52, but honestly all you need to know about previous continuity is that Zatanna exists. It’s one of maybe 2 solo runs she’s ever gotten, and it’s only 16 issues. It’s fun, easy to read, and Zatanna is so great, and deserves a rebirth solo.
MARVEL
Marvel is in the middle of a reboot right now, and I’m not really sure where they’re going. They’ve been on this cool initiative where a lot of classic heroes are phased out and younger, more diverse heroes take on their titles. But they’ve convinced themselves that nobody likes it and that it’s destroying sales, so they’re doing something weird right now that is very unclear. The entire universe hard rebooted about 2 years ago, following a very confusing event called Secret Wars, which was the culmination of about 3 years of ongoing plots in Avengers, New Avengers, and Fantastic Four. I’m mostly recommending ongoing runs because the hard reboot makes it pretty easy to jump on with any book. Again, for marvel comics, just find the characters you like, and read their current books!
A-Force (2016)- Gone too soon. This is the first ever women-only Avengers lineup, and it pulls heroines from all over the MU. The first couple of issues talk about secret wars (and there was an a-force mini-series during secret wars, that’s really good, but involves some knowledge of the surrounding events), but it’s navigable. It’s a really good team, and a fun comic!
Alias- It’s kind of iconic, and it’s really worth reading. This is Jessica Drew’s very first appearance in the MU, so no prior knowledge necessary. The Purple Man story that the Netflix show used draws on this comic, without replicating it. It’s a dark comic, but super good.
All New X-Factor (2014)- It’s all new, but with old X-Men characters. Character backstory doesn’t matter here, because this is a group of people who’s not really talking about their past if they can avoid it, but pretty much any relevant backstory is contextualized for new readers. This is fun, up until there are multiple crossover events that slow down the plot, but even those are still readable, without reading the main crossover event. It’s interesting, the art is cool, and all the characters are dweebs with superpowers.
America (2017)- America Chavez is such a good character, and this is a really great comic! It’s only 5 issues in, so very easy to catch up. It explains any backstory you might need, and is really witty, and pop-culture savvy.
Astonishing X-Men (2004)- This is the first comic I ever read, and functions really well as an X-Men comic for people who haven’t read X-Men comics before. It’s about 10 years old, and eventually it hits the year or so when there was an X-Men crossover event every 6 weeks, but the first 25-30 issues (the Whedon/Cassaday run) are really good, and will make you love Kitty Pryde forever.
Avengers Assemble- The very best intro to marvel comic. Skip the first 9 issues (written by Bendis) because they are bad, and start when Kelly Sue Deconnick takes over. This has a rotating cast of Avengers, including those in the MCU and those not, and is such a good read. It introduced me to my very favorite character (Jessica Drew), and gives every character depth.
Black Panther (2016)- Get pumped for this movie and read the comic! Ta-Nahesi Coates is such a good writer, and this is a really strong, textured story, that really works on every level. I’ve not read any previous BP comics, and I had no trouble with continuity.
Champions (2016)- This is Ms. Marvel’s team of teen superheroes, coming out of Civil War II, last summer’s marvel crossover disaster. It’s really good and engages with social justice issues in ways that feel about as effective as comic books can be.
Defenders (2017)- It’s literally just the cast of the Netflix Defenders teaming up, for actually the first time ever as a team of 4. It’s still on the first arc, but I’m enjoying it thus far.
Hulk (2016)- So, so, so good! Jennifer Walters (formerly known as She Hulk) takes over the Hulk mantle following her cousin Bruce’s murder in CWII. It’s all about trauma and PTSD and how Bruce’s death and Jen’s own debilitating injury in CWII changed her, and her ability to control her hulk. I wish everybody was reading this, and I think this is probably my favorite ongoing comic from any publisher.
Ms. Marvel (2014) and Ms. Marvel (2015)- This is the thing to read! Kamala was created in this comic, so you can just jump right in! It’s fun and well-written and the art is consistently good, and this is so worth reading!
New Mutants (1983)- This comic is like 30 years old but it’s the best and the New Mutants are my favorite superhero team in any universe. This is part of the X-Men franchise, and is the origin of a handful of characters who now show up all over the place. (Magik is on the main X-Men roster, Sunspot and Cannonball have been Avengers for a few years, Dani Moonstar is a Valkyrie who played an important role in some X-Men events). And there’s a New Mutants movie coming out next spring so might as well get prepared for that, right?
Silk (2015) and Silk (2015-7)- Cindy Moon is the hero we deserve! The first series covers her origins, then it was cancelled due to Secret Wars cancelling everything, then rebooted like a month later. The second series was also cancelled (rip), but follows Cindy as she infiltrates crime rings and tries to track down her missing family. Cindy is a new character, so a great starting point!
Spider Woman: Origin- All about Spider Woman! 5 issue miniseries, giving the character her definitive backstory.
Spider Woman: Agent of SWORD- Kinda backstory heavy (follow up to the Secret Invasion crossover event), but it’s totally possible to follow. Everything you need to know gets explained, but it’s basically Jessica Drew working as a secret agent for an organization that’s like the CIA but for aliens, and hunting down members of an alien race that kidnapped and impersonated her. This and Origins are kind of the essential Spider Woman reading, and I really recommend them both. Jess is the best, and her recently cancelled comic had one (1) good issue.
Storm (2014)- I didn’t recommend a lot of X-Men books because, imo, they’re the hardest Marvel books to start reading, but Storm’s solo is wonderful and incredible and you don’t need to know anything about X-Men to understand it!I
Indie
I don’t read a lot of indie comics, so I’m just going to list some titles I like and you can see what looks good! Indies are inherently easier to understand than marvel/dc books because, for the most part, indie comics stand on their own. But I assumed you were mostly hoping for superhero comics in your ask, but shoot me another ask correcting me if I’m wrong, and I can make you an indie rec list!
Faith
Lady Killer
Ody-C
Paper Girls
Pretty Deadly
Welcome Back
The Wicked and the Divine
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Did you enjoy Detective Comics #1027?
Anonymous said: Detective Comics 1027?
adudewholikescomicsandotherstuff said: Tec 1027?
Anonymous said: Thoughts on Detective Comics 1027 ?
My own cover of choice since the main one while also very good was a wrap-around, which doesn’t work quite as well for a 144-page beast like this (plus in place of that there’s a cool spooky Batman silhouette on the back). And I did enjoy it! Unfortunately it isn’t as much of a tier unto itself relative to its anniversary brethren of the last couple years (Batman’s 5th next to Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern’s one apiece, and the entirety of Marvels’ two) the way the creative lineup had me hoping, but it’s still got some great work and is a steal at $9.99 for what’s basically a modest trade.
Blowback by Peter Tomasi, Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Nathan Fairbairn, and Rob Leigh: That being said it does not start out on a great foot. I was actually willing to cut this a little slack - Walker’s artwork is gorgeous, and I’m willing to believe Batman would go into an internal poetic monologue on the nature of crimefighting in the midst of an escape - but Tomasi’s tendency for devolving into nonsensical stream-of-thought rambling grates here like never before, and the ending is a total non-sequitur. I just don’t understand how Tomasi has seemingly reached that sort of Miller/Adams rarefied air where he can turn in literally whatever he wants and get it printed.
The Master Class by Brian Bendis, David Marquez, Alejandro Sanchez, and Joshua Reed: Thankfully, immediately followed up by one of the better ones. I feel like this story is exactly what this site specifically wants out of its Batman comics - the Batfamily bickers and solves a mystery involving one of the rogues gallery doing something slightly silly, Bruce himself mostly just hangs back to let the kids do their thing and praise them at the end. Much as I’ve found his Superman work revelatory, I can’t deny that it’s Batman who’s produced Bendis’s best hit-miss ratio since coming to DC, even if it’s a very different kind of Batman than we would’ve expected from him. And naturally Marquez brings it, definitely one of DC’s best acquisitions of the last several years.
Many Happy Returns by Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky, and Aditya Bidikar: Okay this was not the version of Batman vs. Joker coming from the Sex Criminals team and the writer of the great Bat-Olsen Prank War of 2019 I imagined. It’s a straightforward story ending on a familiar thesis, but it’s the best execution of it we’ve ever seen, and while I was expecting it to look very good I was not expecting Zdarsky to walk away as the artistic MVP of an anthology with Mora and Burnham in it. And while I’m usually a philistine who doesn’t notice these sorts of things, Bidikar’s lettering here is also conspicuously great. They all have better things to do, but for real give this team a Batman ongoing, best story of the issue.
Rookie by Greg Rucka, Eduardo Risso, and Tom Napolitano: Followed by the worst! Not in terms of pure storytelling - it’s Rucka and Risso, of course it reads fine - but as a “yes, most cops suck, but if you try REALLY hard you can totally be a good cop, even in Gotham!” story in 2020. In 2015, 2016, and 2019 I was excited about Rucka’s returns to DC, but between this and Lois Lane #12 this is the year I never want to see him write a superhero comic again.
Ghost Story by James Tynion IV, Riley Rossmo, Ivan Plascencia, and Andworld Design: Finally Tynion gets to write in the era he’s I think really wanted all along, and Rossmo’s a surprisingly good fit for it. A tight, nifty little high-concept romp that touches on the big concerns you expect with an anniversary issue without getting too self-serious about it.
Fore by Kelly Sue DeConnick, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Arif Prianto, and Troy Peteri: A standout! One of those ‘addressing a bunch of modern Batman criticisms head-on’ stories while keeping terse enough to let Romita Jr. on one of his better days do his thing; surprisingly this is the only “Batman as a scary badass of few words fighting street crime” story in here, and this team’s really good at that.
Odyssey by Marv Wolfman, Emanuela Luppachino, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jordie Bellaire, and Carlos Mangual: ...huh? I guess this qualifies as a history-of-Gotham/detective story, but even for a veteran like Wolfman with nothing to prove I can’t grasp why you’d get offered a big anniversary story and turn in...this. And Luppachino and Sienkiewicz are two great tastes who don’t taste great together.
Detective #26 by Grant Morrison, Chris Burnham, Nathan Fairbairn, and Steve Wands: I’ll admit the point of this one sailed over me beyond the clear message of “there were pulp heroes and then Batman happened” on first reading even if I enjoyed it, but thanks to @khancrackers I got it - much as Batman was the amalgamation of many influences the guy here had all the ingredients, but he could only think to become the latest iteration on an already rapidly-curdling idea. There were plenty like that, 26 issues worth in that book alone, but it was #27 where the spark lit and something unique was born. In Morrison’s own words elsewhere, “You’ve GOT something. You SHINE.” Which itself makes this an interesting companion to his Batman epic, which has fistfulls of ‘lesser’ iterations of the basic idea, but they become heroes because they’re inspired by Batman himself. It would be the best story of any Batman anniversary issue that didn’t include Many Happy Returns, and is still an interesting final word on the character as a spiritual prologue to Morrison’s 7 years with him. Oh, and Burnham fucking rules, obviously.
Legacy by Tom King, Walter Simonson, Laura Martin, and John Workman: It sure is a Tom King Batman comic. Which isn’t a criticism! But it sure is what it is and not much more. I guess he felt he needed it to be a sequel to something Simonson had done before (while also tying into his own run a bit), and worked with what he had. And speaking of whom, while I haven’t seen much else of his contemporary material I think this is where I’ve realized Walter Simonson’s work is turning into a caricature of itself in much the same way as Frank Miller, but in a much more generally palatable way.
As Always by Scott Snyder, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Marcelo Maiolo, and Tom Napolitano: I was surprised by how much I loved it and I kind of want this to be Snyder’s final Batman story? It’s a perfect full circle in multiple ways, as it’s not only a Batman/Gordon story mirroring Detective Comics #27 itself, but Snyder’s own first Batman work, even as it shows how much his vision of Batman has changed since Black Mirror. A perfect ‘last’ story for the collection, the next two glorified advertisements notwithstanding.
Generations: Fractured by Dan Jurgens, Kevin Nowlan, Hi-Fi, and Andworld Design: A nothingburger, but a hilarious one because a couple days after Jim Lee’s statement this is basically hollering “hey kids, have you heard of 5G?!” Still gorgeous with Nowlan onboard.
A Gift by Mariko Tamaki, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Tom Tapolitano: Of course pretty as hell with Mora and those Bonvillain colors, but as an actual story it feels perfunctory, some standard Batman ‘once my very important dad said...’ lecturing across a throwaway action sequence with a tease. I dunno if this is setting up Tamaki on Detective, or a future Tomasi story without him just writing it himself, but while it’s basically competent and therefore doesn’t end the book on a wet fart or anything, you can’t help but wish it could’ve been just a little better.
So 7 out of 12 good ones. That’s definitely not as positive a ratio as I’d gone in expecting or even walked away with the impression of, but that’s still 81 pages of good comics, and even the lesser stories mostly still have quality art. In summation, Rookie < Odyssey < Blowback < Generations: Fractured < A Gift < Ghost Story < Legacy < Fore < The Master Class < As Always < Detective #26 < Many Happy Returns, and the pinups by Garcia-Lopez, Campbell, Cheung, Bermejo, and Coipel are all as good as you’d expect.
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Quick Hits
It’s been a minute since I posted any original content but not to worry loyal readers, all is well. I may have been gone but I read a bunch of stuff, new(er) and older! So let’s do some quick hits!
Action Comics #1021
Published by DC Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by John Romita, Jr & Klaus Janson
This is the last part of the Year of the Villain crossover tie-in story which saw “Apex” Lex Luthor and his amped up Legion of Doom team up with Leviathan and invade Metropolis. I’m glad this arc is over because I found it to be a bit middling. As I have said, and will say again, I’m not reading the current Justice League run so I don’t have a real investment in the outcome of this story other than which pieces get moved forward in Action Comics. Young Justice and the Justice League guest star, and the whole thing feels a little talk-y for what should be a big slugfest. Leviathan shows what a badass he is and reminds you that his organization is a real threat to the DCU, and that you should check out the upcoming sequel mini-series. It was fun to see Conner Kent ( the 90’s clone Superboy) interact with Superman. John Romita, Jr’s art is “meh” this issue as it has been throughout this story. His depictions of Gorilla Grodd (Gorilla Man?) and Cheetah are almost painful to look at. I’m a big John Romita, Jr fan (and defender if need be). I love his run on Amazing Spider-Man with JMS, his work on Daredevil and I think he killed it on the DKR: The Last Crusade one shot that came out a few years back, but it feels like he is not dialed in on these last few issues of Action. There is one panel where the Red Cloud has Superman on his knees and is choking him out that is a homerun. Next issue the series is going to catch up with the Superman title timeline-wise and Supes will have to deal with the repercussions of going public with his secret ID. Bendis does a good job hooking you in to come back for more with the cliffhanger between the Red Cloud and the leader of the whisper mafia.
6 out of 10.
Batman Superman #7 & 8
Published by DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Nick Derington
I have not read the previous six issues of this series where Batman and Superman face off against the Batman Who Laughs’ Infected heroes. I read the preview of the first issue that ran in the back of most DC comics and thought that was a strong preview with a good hook, but still I did not pull the trigger on the series. Nick Derington’s art as guest artist for these two issues, is what did it for me.I enjoy his artwork and said to myself “What the hey, it’s only two issues, right?” Well, turns out that was a problem because at the end of the second issue I wanted more of this story. I feel like it wrapped up a bit too quickly. Perhaps I’ve become too conditioned to the six issue story arc format? In this story Superman, Batman and Ra’s Al Ghul team up to stop General Zod from resurrecting the citizens of the bottle city of Kandor using a Lazarus pit. Joshua Williamson does a good job with the characterization of Ra’s Al Ghul. The plot moves along briskly, at almost a pulp serial pace, with new locations and fight scenes abounding. Even though I have not read the previous 6 issues and certain issues of other series referenced here I never felt lost or like I was missing out. Nick Derington killed it. Clear action and storytelling done in his signature style. Anyone wanting to see more of his work should check out the Batman Universe mini-series or the first volume of the Gerard Way Doom Patrol series. If Derington returns to this series, I’ll be back as well.
8 out of 10.
Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda # 6 & 7
Published by Marvel Comics
Written by Jim Zub
Art by Scot Eaton (#6) & Lan Medina (#7)
Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda is a fun little series for those of you who may have been thinking about picking it up, but haven’t. The stories are told quickly, with each being only two issues long so far, and the team changing up each arc. I feel like this makes this title perpetually new reader friendly-ish, as long as you have a passing familiarity with the characters and the events of their respective titles, mainly Avengers. I’m not reading Avengers and reading this series is not a problem for me. The premise here is that when smaller problems pop up that aren’t “Avengers worthy” current Avengers chairman, the Black Panther, calls on the Agents of Wakanda to save the day. Gorilla Man, Broo, Mockingbird, Kazar, the Wasp, Man-Wolf and Okoye from the Dora Milaje are a few of the characters who have popped up so far. Issue #6 was wrapping up a two parter where the Agents of Wakanda reluctantly worked with Deadpool to stop some rogue SHIELD LMDs, including the Livewires! This was the first story arc in the series that I thought was a bit of a drag, even though some prior issues were a bit predictable. I blame this on the presence of Deadpool. A character who can become annoying quickly if not handled properly. Over all issue #6 was a nice capper on the story and sent me out on a quest to track down the Livewires’ mini series from 2005. Issue #7 is the start of a new story arc that finds the Agents on hand at Avengers Mountain dealing with attacking Fin Fang Fooms! How cool is that? It was a so-so issue but had a great cliffhanger, promising a cool follow up issue. Despite my being ho-hum on these specific issues, this series is a lot of fun. It features a lot of cool underused characters, solid stories and artwork. Jim Zub and team deliver a great meat and potatoes comic book that is deserving of a wider audience.
7 out of 10.
Butcher of Paris #3 & 4
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Art by Dean Kotz
In case you couldn’t tell, I took the pause provided by the quarantine to pull some comics I wanted to read and organize them alphabetically. This is another series I’ve been enjoying and am disappointed that the last issue won’t be released for who knows how long. For those interested this is the story of the hunt for a serial killer in Nazi occupied Paris. Previous issues had focused on the hunt for the killer while French authorties struggle to work under their Nazi inavders. Now that the occupation is over, new twists are introduced. The Nazi’s are being taken to task and our hero detective is accused of having aided the Germans! Meanwhile the killer is still at large. I feel like this comic is well researched both art and storywise. Strong plotting, smart dialogue and stylish art propel things along. The art is drawn with a slashy brush line, leaving open lines in the art and is colored with a limited palette making this book visually stand apart from your standard superhero comic. Everything about this comic, beyond the settings and characters obviously, feels very European to me, like it was previously published in album format overseas before being broken into standard comic size chunks for release in America. I mean this as a big compliment. If you’re enjoying any of the Hill House line of comics, a Euro comics fan, or looking for something without a member of the capes and tight brigade in it, allow me to recommend this to you. It’s a great mystery and I can’t wait to find out how things wrap up and the fates of our characters.
9 out of 10.
That’s the last of the new comics, on to the older stuff!
Nine Volt #1-4
Published by Marvel Comics
Written by Cliff Son and Anthony Chun
Art by Anthony Chun
Released in 1997 by the Top Cow branch of Image Comics, Nine Volt is the tale of a girl robot, an alien invader and a government agent working together to stop an alien invasion by a different race of aliens than the one on our team of heroes!
Back in the 90’s (like the Bojack Horseman credits song) I purchased the first issue of the series and that was it. More recently, I said to myself, you need more comic books, so I tracked this series down. I’m glad I did.
This was a fun time.
Re-reading the first issue of the series I can see why my younger self wouldn’t seek out the rest of the series. It’s basically all set up with not a lot of action, jumping from scene to scene with little explanation of who, what or why. A lot of the story is rooted in the reader having an understanding of the book’s influences and references, which I will say that I did not have at my disposal at the time. A lifetime of nerdery later, I’m better prepared for the world of Nine Volt.
First, the art by Anthony Chun is good, a little raw, but good. Definitely has an Arthur Adams element to it as well as a good dose of general 90’s comic book-y ness. It brings to mind the art of Dan Fraga on Kid Supreme ( a book I was obsessed with for some reason). A quick Google turns up that Anthony went on to work in animation, including stints on shows like Bob’s Burgers and Rick and Morty!
By issue #2 things are up and running. The good alien is being confronted by our girl robot character, Digit, an Impulse type character (young, raised in VR, a bit impetuous), and two governmental agencies are arguing over jurisdiction. All the FBI agents look the same, fun! After a brief dust up the alien, Ragnor, is soon working with Digit and the good guys. Meanwhile the bad aliens are taking control of a young, grunge-y looking preacher and his flock. The team assembles, led by a real Dirk Squarejaw type, Frank Holden from Defsci (Defensive Science? I dunno). A love story is started, it’s revealed that Digit is the daughter of the crazy professor that made her, Ragnor reveals the story of how the evil aliens decimated his home world. There’s a battle against the bad aliens where Digit, may or may not have heroically sacrificed herself . It’s a bit anticlimactic and some stof the plot lines mentioned advance a bit too quickly/tritely. That being typed, the creators pull this off nicely. It was very entertaining, if a little light.
If there was more to this series I would read it and it’s a shame there’s not more.
I’m ready for the Kickstarter reboot!
This, as stated earlier, was a lot of fun. It’s got an X-Files/Independence Day vibe to it, with all the aliens and secret government agency stuff. Plus a good dose of 90’s Image goodness. Despite Digit being prominently featured on the cover, she pretty much equally shares page time with all the other characters and is not treated as a cheesecake pin-up. The art, although raw and Image-y, doesn’t push style over storytelling.
It all adds up to a good read. A back issue bin gem!
7 out of 10! Recommended!
I read more but I can’t remember what, so that should say something about the quality of those books.
Until next time!
#comics#comic books#marvel#marvel comics#mcu#black panther#avengers#deadpool#action comics#batman#superman#dc comics#dcu#dc universe#butcher of paris#dark horse comics#nine volt#top cow#top cow productions#image comics#90s comics#back issues#comic art#comic book cover art#review#reviews#comics n such#john romita jr.#brian michael bendis#joshua williamson
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