Starfire’s brother knows ASL because of Sesame Street! In 1986!!

This is so cute and also! Representation matters in so many ways!!!

it’s funny because i still have a long queue for a week, & i set it up within three hours three weeks ago. can you believe how productive i can be when i just stop being distracted ??? 

3 hours = 3 weeks of queue ( one thread a day yeah )

so much free time

Types Of People (pt.6) Shades of Yellow

GOLDENROD -

watercolor paintings, will sit with you until 4 in the morning just talking about the meaning of life, old movies, always on time, learned to be mentally strong, freckles, has a perfume collection, piano music, dancing in the rain, busy hands, eats healthy, sunset is the favorite time of the day, photography, drawing on mirrors, knows not to judge people, candles, twinkling eyes, dealing with problems without using silly words, the clinking of teacups, hesitant smiles, gold jwellery, long winter coats, finds nostalgia in everything, watching the view from the terrace, vintage hand watches, late night phone calls, wearing at least 2 rings at any given time, always want to help you if u have problem, lava lamps.

YELLOW -

creating new problems for themselves, always has energy, do3s before they think, scattered mind, post it notes everywhere, doodles, trying to see good in everything, torn denim, big smiles, fluffy socks for sliding around the house like a ninja, peach slices, hates staying at home, makes a lot of smoothies, looking up at the clouds, no alcohol tolerance at all, takes you to concerts, friends with everyone, piggyback rides, goes to parties but leaves early, blogger life, sucks at maths, they've broken the law at least once, they always have what you want, fuzzy blankets, abandons projects quickly, tees & nasa shirts, playful punches, loves kids, wash off tattoos, talks in their sleep, not knowing how to say 'no'.

GREEN YELLOW -

walking on warm grass, white linen, watches butterflies, crunchy apples on walks, having a calm effect on everyone, ladybug landing on their hand, long car rides, pressing flowers in books, elaborate stories, swimming in the lake, not interested in the trends, falling in love with the nature, loves to climb trees, sharp eyes, has tons of cool socks, 'wreck this journal', climbing plants, skincare routine, the helping hand everyone needs, is known yet there is so much to know about them, bracelets, LOVES affection strangers knowing them from another life, loves dark chocolate, the feeling of sunlight touching the skin, iced teas, wants to draw & read more than they already do.

CANARY YELLOW -

small but fierce, tipsy on affection, not very ambitious, only has a few close friends, snoozing their alarm clock, fragile, chaotic softness, trips over their own feet, pastels & plants, the one to kiss u and straight up forget about it afterwards, is allergic to everything, catch and release fishing trips, not talking much but saying all the important things, loves small objects, demands you to love them and say that they're adorable, lying awake and wondering if someone misses them too, denim jackets, loving to scare people but a cinnamon roll, shy laughter, loyal, will always have your back, can be a bit mean sometimes, plays hard to get even though they may feel the same way, not in a gang but sometimes they act like they're.

AMBER -

dancing late into the night, floral scents, piles of books scattered all over their room, screaming at the top of their lungs, thrift stores, ordinary and sometimes extraordinary, loves honey, being honest, no regrets, owns a cat, short writing on scraps of paper, falling asleep during class, not depending on anyone, beaten up books filled with unshaved poetry, cheeseburger, sleek laptop covers, can seem cold but has a good heart, needs a lot of naps, probably drives too fast, has a soft spot for animals, overhears strangers conversations a lot, the smell of freshly baked cookies, remembering their dreams, collects comics, has tattoos, beautifully dangerous, love picnics, loud music, waking up early and staying in bed.

Phantom of the Opera/Sherlock Holmes Crossover Masterpost

@wheel-of-fish and @jennyfair7 requested a master post of all of the Sherlock Holmes and Phantom of the Opera crossovers that I know of, so after a few days of compiling, here it is! These books range from the (fairly) well known to the rather obsessively obscure, and include any books I know of where the Holmes and Phantom universes overlap. I’ve taken this as a chance to review the ones I’ve read, and I’ll hopefully be able to update this post with more info on the others once I finish them. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Note: this is only a list of crossovers published and available for purchase, and of which I am aware. If anyone else knows of more, please let me know!

The Angel of the Opera by Sam Siciliano

This is the first Phantom/Sherlock crossover I ever read. For me it’s a bit hit or miss. The author decided to forgo including Watson, and instead included a character named Doctor Henry Vernier, a cousin of Holmes’, as the narrator. I believe that Henry Vernier is most likely a reference to Doctor Verner, Holmes’ cousin who ended up buying Watson’s medical practice after the death of Mary Watson. Which is to say, it’s a book written by a person who seemingly remembered a single line from a single Sherlock Holmes story about Holmes having a physician cousin named Verner (presumably made into Vernier for the purposes of the book’s French setting, and to reflect Holmes’ French heritage), but still managed to confuse the Grasshopper and the Scorpion, and occasionally spell Erik as “Eric.” It makes some sense, though, as Siciliano is mostly a Sherlockian, with several other pastiches under his belt. For my money, he’s not my favorite interpreter of Holmes as a character, although it could be that his choice of narrators impacts how Holmes is portrayed. Although it does tend to fall into some Phantom-centric tropes that I don’t care for, overall The Angel of the Opera is long enough to flesh out the story more fully than some Holmes/Phantom crossovers manage, and in general the style feels consistent with what you would expect from a Holmes story. It absolutely pulled me in when I read it at a young age, and I’m hoping to have the chance to revisit it soon.

The Canary Trainer by Nicholas Meyer

The Canary Trainer is the second book (chronologically) in a trio of Holmes novels that take place during The Great Hiatus, the years between “The Final Problem” and “The Empty House,” during which time Holmes is assumed dead. The first book, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, involves Holmes meeting Sigmund Freud and undergoing psychotherapy to cope with his drug addiction. The Canary Trainer finds Holmes in France, taking a violinist position at the Opera House and coming face to face (so to speak) with Erik. Nicholas Meyer is perhaps best known for directing Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is a well-known Holmes pastiche (which I will admit I’ve never read). The Canary Trainer is a bit more obscure.

The Canary Trainer takes on a lot of cool concepts (a story that takes place during The Great Hiatus, perspective on Erik’s time as an architect and builder, etc.), but it also makes a lot of baffling choices, such as having Gaston Leroux show up as a character, and including Irene Adler only to under-utilize her as little more than a love interest for Holmes (her lukewarm friendship with Christine is one of the most disappointing parts of the book, in my opinion). It also barely allows Erik and Holmes to interact. Erik is such a profoundly sympathetic antagonist and Holmes is capable of such extreme empathy that it’s a shame to not let them engage with each other.

Rendezvous at the Populaire and I Will Find the Answer by Kate Workman

While most Holmes/Phantom crossovers focus on Leroux’s novel, Rendezvous at the Populaire, as its name suggests, pulls heavily from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. So heavily, in fact, that a major chunk of the dialogue and descriptions comes directly from lyrics, which can be distracting. Stylistically, Rendezvous at the Populaire reads differently than your typical Holmes pastiche, drawing from multiple points of view instead of one narrator. It can feel rather rough around the edges, but I ultimately found it a fun read. It’s nice to read a crossover that features Watson, and Holmes and Erik have a nice dynamic. This book prompted a sequel, I Will Find the Answer, in which Holmes, Watson, and Erik join forces to solve the Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. In the same way that Rendezvous at the Populaire draws primarily from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, I Will Find the Answer draws more heavily from Jekyll and Hyde than from Robert Louis Stevenson’s book. Workman’s style progresses nicely between books, making I Will Find the Answer a bit easier of a read, less reliant on song lyrics for its text. If she ever decides to publish her proposed third book featuring Holmes and Erik solving the Jack the Ripper murders, I’ll be interested to read it.

Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Opera Ghost by Steven Philip Jones and Aldin Baroza

This is two part comic is part of a series pitting Holmes against various gothic literary icons and monsters. It draws heavily from Leroux and Kay. The comic takes place after The Great Hiatus and the death of Mary Watson. The story had to be pretty heavily condensed to fit the two issue format, but it accomplishes a lot in a short space, hitting high points in the story. There is a subplot that heavily focuses on Watson mourning Mary’s death, which leads to a unique twist on the end of the story. The art style is cool and has a nice vintage black and white look. I would love to see this concept extended into a longer series, but as it stands it’s a nice, quick read. Due to its brevity it does get a little confusing at times, including a point where Mary appears to call Watson “James” instead of John (although it’s hard to fault the comics for a mistake Doyle himself occasionally made), but it’s a lot of fun and definitely worth checking out.

Angels of Music by Kim Newman

This is a crossover that breaks the mold! Instead of pitting Holmes against Erik, this book features Irene Adler (among other fictional woman, including Christine Daaé and some of Newman’s own characters from other books) working with Erik as a sort of spy. It’s Charlie’s Angels by way of The Phantom of the Opera, and I’m only a few pages into it, but I’m certainly excited to read more. In some ways Irene Adler is a more natural fit into Phantom than Holmes himself is, so I’m always interested to find crossovers that include her. I’ll likely update this post once I’ve finished the book.

The Phantom of the Opera Carmen by Regina Goncalves

I had to do a lot of digging to find any information about this book and I’m still not entirely sure what it’s about, but I wanted to include it for the sake of thoroughness. Hopefully I’ll be able to read it and provide an update later.

The Phantom of the Opera Carmen is one story in a series of educational books for young readers. The stories focus on a time traveler named Caius Zip who travels and learns about the connection between art and science. This story features Caius teaming up with Sherlock Holmes and H.G. Wells to solve the mystery of our favorite ghost while the opera house attempts to mount a production of Carmen. There also seems to be a story about Caius and Sherlock meeting some of the masters of Impressionism and learning about their art. How, if at all, this ties in with the Phantom plot isn’t clear. This book is on my list once I finish Angels of Music, so I hope to be able to report back later.

Sherlock Holmes contro il Fantasma dell’Opera by Antonella Mecenero

 Sherlock Holmes contro il Fantasma dell’Opera is an e-book short story/novella in which Sherlock Holmes once again takes a position as a violinist at the opera house in order to solve the mystery of the Phantom. I know very little about this book as it exclusively available in Italian, which I don’t read or speak. Special thanks to @letyourfantasiesunwind1981 for pointing out this story to me!

enya, have you read dc bombshells? it's the dc women (as many as marguerite bennett could fit in) but,,, kicking nazi ass in world war ii and also gay, and it definitely gives off the vibe of something you'd enjoy

Hey anon!!!

In all honesty for absolutely AGES I thought DC bombshells were just some pin up posters that DC released, because I only ever saw those designs on posters in Easons . I had no idea they were actual comics! I’ve been meaning to read them for absolutely and utterly ages (because yes DC ladies dressed in vintage clothing kicking nazi’s arses and being gay is right up my street, you know me far too well anon), along with Little Gotham, but I honestly have such trouble getting hold of comics. It’s a mixture of amazon shipping prices on amazon and nowhere local selling any. It’s homophobic. But because my birthday is coming up soon so I might buy some of them then!!!

(Although when I go to forbidden planet in Belfast with my grandparents I sometimes get comic books. Btw my nanny likes Black Canary, Nightwing and Batwoman’s character designs. My nanny is very cool)

margo green! yellow tag game

(credit to dolenphic)

GOLDENROD -

watercolor paintings, will sit with you until 4 in the morning just talking about the meaning of life, old movies, always on time, learned to be mentally strong, freckles, has a perfume collection, piano music, dancing in the rain, busy hands, eats healthy, sunset is the favorite time of the day, photography, drawing on mirrors, knows not to judge people, candles, twinkling eyes, dealing with problems without using silly words, the clinking of teacups, hesitant smiles, gold jewelry, long winter coats, finds nostalgia in everything, watching the view from the terrace, vintage hand watches, late night phone calls, wearing at least 2 rings at any given time, always want to help you if u have problem, lava lamps.

YELLOW -

creating new problems for themselves, always has energy, does before they think, scattered mind, post it notes everywhere, doodles, trying to see good in everything, torn denim, big smiles, fluffy socks for sliding around the house like a ninja, peach slices, hates staying at home, makes a lot of smoothies, looking up at the clouds, no alcohol tolerance at all, takes you to concerts, friends with everyone, piggyback rides, goes to parties but leaves early, blogger life, sucks at maths, they've broken the law at least once, they always have what you want, fuzzy blankets, abandons projects quickly, tees & nasa shirts, playful punches, loves kids, wash off tattoos, talks in their sleep, not knowing how to say 'no'.

GREEN YELLOW -

walking on warm grass, white linen, watches butterflies, crunchy apples on walks, having a calm effect on everyone, ladybug landing on their hand, long car rides, pressing flowers in books, elaborate stories, swimming in the lake, not interested in the trends, falling in love with the nature, loves to climb trees, sharp eyes, has tons of cool socks, 'wreck this journal', climbing plants, skincare routine, the helping hand everyone needs, is known yet there is so much to know about them, bracelets, LOVES affection, strangers knowing them from another life, loves dark chocolate, the feeling of sunlight touching the skin, iced teas, wants to draw & read more than they already do.

CANARY YELLOW -

small but fierce, tipsy on affection, not very ambitious, only has a few close friends, snoozing their alarm clock, fragile, chaotic softness, trips over their own feet, pastels & plants, the one to kiss u and straight up forget about it afterwards, is allergic to everything, catch and release fishing trips, not talking much but saying all the important things, loves small objects, demands you to love them and say that they're adorable, lying awake and wondering if someone misses them too, denim jackets, loving to scare people but a cinnamon roll, shy laughter, loyal, will always have your back, can be a bit mean sometimes, plays hard to get even though they may feel the same way, not in a gang but sometimes they act like they're.

AMBER -

dancing late into the night, floral scents, piles of books scattered all over their room, screaming at the top of their lungs, thrift stores, ordinary and sometimes extraordinary, loves honey, being honest, no regrets, owns a cat, short writing on scraps of paper, falling asleep during class, not depending on anyone, beaten up books filled with unshaved poetry, cheeseburger, sleek laptop covers, can seem cold but has a good heart, needs a lot of naps, probably drives too fast, has a soft spot for animals, overhears strangers conversations a lot, the smell of freshly baked cookies, remembering their dreams, collects comics, has tattoos, beautifully dangerous, love picnics, loud music, waking up early and staying in bed.

Rate jl!! How good was it outta ten

Ok I’m really bad at this but I’d say 8/10!

So here’s my humble opinion…. No major spoilers.

Bad things about the movie - 

At the final act (?), things happenned too fast. It could’ve been much slower. It felt rushed. The villain seemed threatening at the beggining, but was beaten too easily, which is not actually a big deal to me, since I don’t really care about that kind of villain (I prefer watching human villains like Luthor or [Redacted], I want to know more about each hero instead of just seeing them fight the monster. And that happened - it’s my next point!

Good things -

Between Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman, nobody steals the show. Why? Because they’re all amazing and interesting!!! And they felt so real!!! I love all of them. Batman, he’s so Batman. Affleck truly is the best Batman. No, not the best, he is THE Batman. Wonder Woman continues to be the badass we had seen on the previous movies. She is wonderful. I don’t even have to explain, you already know how great she is.The Flash!!! I love his caracterization. Not a perfect Barry Allen, maybe, but he was so good and I felt in love with him anyway. I love how they showed his different perception of the world, how it’s hard for him to keep up with other people, since everyone else is too slow for him. I need more of him.Cyborg. That’s my boy!! I was afraid he maybe would get less attention than other characters, but that didn’t happen. He had as much screen time as the others. He’s great. I like that they showed his sad, dramatic side, his agony. His technology is so cool!!! I can’t wait to see more of him.Aquaman. He’s so cool. I think he didn’t do as much as the other League members, but he’s fascinating. Mera had more lines than I expected (I thought it would be just a small cameo). I’m sorry I can’t really think of something rational to say about them…… They’re both so beautiful and hot that’s all I can think about lmao.@ All the people who were saying it was a bad idea to introduce a lot of characters at once, before having their solo movies: You were so wrong!!! The movie was pretty good at introducing each of them. And I like that we didn’t get solo movies for Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman before the JL movie, because that just makes me more excited to see more of these characters.It’s a fun and entertaining movie. But still has some depth. It’s not as great as Batman v Superman. Maybe better than Wonder Woman? I’m not sure. But it’s definitely worth watching. 

Now, some spoilers under the cut (don’t read it if you want to be surprised by the post credit scenes):

I was hoping to see a cameo of Black Canary or Constantine, but there were no cameos at all. Not that I noticed, at least. It was cool to see an ancient alien Green Lantern tho.

Batman was the one who wanted Superman back and suggested that they try to ressurect him. I thought he was just gonna wake up naturally lol

The first post credit scene was so fun! Nice reference to that famous vintage comic. Flash challenges Superman to a race. 

The second post credit scene… FINALLY LEX APPEARED!!!!! AND SLADE FUCKING WILSON!!!!!!!! Slade’s appearance really surprised me. 

Any potential for foreign vintage geek culture, like early anime or retro European comics?

You bet there is! Of all the movies this year, I am the most pumped about the upcoming adaptation of the Valérian comics. I keep on going back to this, but people who think the adventure scifi of the past was all good vs. evil were way off: Valérian was all about how most conflicts were due to misunderstandings, an inability to live and let live. It was very Star Trek in that way.

I love the Germanscience fiction novel series Perry Rhodan, maybe the longest running novel series inthe world. It’s fascinating because every German science fiction fan has readit, and may even have gotten into scifi because of it, but few people admit toliking it except as a guilty pleasure. How many people have read this series and decided to do something romantic with their lives, like becoming a scientist or wildlife photojournalist?

And from what I can read of the series, it’s absolutelygreat and lots of fun. Perry Rhodan has a much cooler, Mr. Spock-like aliensidekick, and his love interest is his sidekick’s sexy sister. So imagine if CaptainKirk’s true love was Mr. Spock’s sister, who happened to be Gwen Stacey (oh…um…spoilers).

For a long time, I’ve championed French writer J.H. Rosny as one of the foundational figures of early science fiction. In France, Rosny and his brother are considered crucial figures for the adventure and science fiction genre - up there with Jules Verne - but they’re unknown in the English speaking world, except maybe as the guys who wrote the stone age adventure novel, Quest for Fire. 

The Rosny brothers did amazing stuff: Xipehuz is a science fiction series about an invasion of earth during Babylonian times by totally incomprehensible, non-anthropomorphized aliens who’s motives we never understand and who we never truly communicate with. Because our heroes are pre-scientific, they have no frame of reference, so they never really quite grasp what’s going on. An extraordinary book.

J.H. Rosny wrote Quest for Fire, but he wrote a novel set at the end of time, the Death of the Earth. The last few paragraphs, where the last living thing on earth shuts its eyes on a dead earth forever, may be the most moving passage in all of scifi. It also features evil minerals coming to life, which, together with the silicon based life in the Xipehuz, seems to be one of Rosny’s great fears and recurring menaces. 

(If I say “them” and “he” interchangeably, it’s because it’s not clear, even to many scholars, when it’s J.H. Rosny writing alone, or when it was the brothers together.)

As for anime...as a red-blooded,whiskey drinking, meat-eating American, I was never able to understand anime,with its spiky haired, femmy, androgynous heroes, schoolgirls, and talkinganimal sidekicks. However, a crucial part of being an adult is realizing noteverything is made for you, and to let other people do their own thing and like what they like. Maybe I feel this way because I haven’t encountered the right one. 

In that same vein, I’m not in the habit of begrudging anybody their taste, but I don’t entirely understand Steven Universe’s appeal. I watched an episode where he’s charmed with a Juno-style cheeseburger backpack, and it always struck me as basically being Justice Society of America, if they made Johnny Thunder the central character. I was always pleased when Johnny Thunder was replaced in the pages of the JSA with a cooler, more hardboiled character, Black Canary. I don’t hate it, I just don’t understand the appeal. 

A lurker on the chandelier 👀

Superman #11, 1941

There’s so much to unpack here.

This is why he needs the cape. 👀

The Brave and the Bold #91, 1970

The Titans learning ASL for Joey is something that’s so special to me. 🥰

Brothers in arms AND in gratuitous nudity 👀

World’s Finest Comics #251

Did this page need to be this gay? 👀

Yes, Dick. This is completely platonic stuff to say about a friend. Not

The New Titans #71

DC in 2023: We refuse to confirm Booster Gold as an LGBT+ character. Sorry fandom, but he’s straight.

DC in 1987:

Chef Vic is my favorite 😁

His little apron 🥰

This panel is so special to me. This is such a progressive sentiment for 1979, especially on the cusp of Reagan-era nationalism and ultra capitalism (not to mention the way Superman has been used as a nationalist symbol). Every culture deserves respect! The American Way is not inherently best! Superheroes stand for all people, not just those like them!

Justice League of America #166, 1979