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secretgamergirl · 3 years

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Here’s me starting the rumor that Street Fighter 5 spent a good chunk of its development actually being Dark Stalkers 4

OK everybody, strap on your tinfoil hats, because I’m going to pullan idea partly out of my own butt but also back it up with some solid physical evidence. I put to you the following premise: In 2015 or so, Capcom had a team working on a version of Street Fighter 5 which never saw the light of day, seen here:

while another, smaller, less experienced team was working on finally releasing a 4th game in the long dormant Dark Stalkers series, which was to finally make the jump to 3D. For whatever combination of reasons, the plug was pulled on both these projects, with the more ambitious and presumably costly Street Fighter 5 being cancelled outright, and the mostly finished but supporting a basically dead IP Dark Stalkers 4 getting a hasty last minute retrofit to become the Street Fighter 5 we have today.

So what do I have to base this on? Well, the cancelled version of Street Fighter 5 is plenty well documented. It’s technically speculation on my part that they scrapped everything they had and picked up a partially completed game they had sitting around to retrofit instead, but well... the alternative is that after reaching the level of polish seen above, someone decided it was imperative that they scrap all those art assets and that engine and switch over to a visual style of uh... this:

Which to me feels decidedly less “stylistic choice” and more “hastily modeling characters and sketching out plot scenes at the 11th hour in a different engine designed to light stuff in a cartoonier style that doesn’t work here.”

More importantly though, this guy here, F.A.N.G?

He was originally designed as a new character for a scrapped Dark Stalkers game according to this, at least to go by this thread’s translation:

So, that just on its own makes a ton of sense. Cartoony design, really stylized proportions, weird poison hands gimmick. Doesn’t fit in at all with Street Fighter, but he’d make perfect sense in Dark Stalkers as some kind of like... plague doctor? Additional jiangshi type? So, he got recycled. Also his cartooniness works a whole lot better with the general visual presentation of the whole game.

But wait, there’s more. Because see as soon as Halloween rolled around, Street Fighter 5 came out with a new costume pack for everyone, which included a whole slew of Dark Stalkers homages... and by that I mean full on models of Dark Stalkers characters bearing new resemblance at all to the Street Fighter characters ostensibly wearing them as costumes.

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Well, really, it’s more of a mixed bag. But, Morrigan there is 100% Morrigan, nothing from Chun-Li, ditto Lilith-Juri (which is decidedly telling as the former has... complex gender things going on I don’t want to label with how sketchy I am on the exact backstory, and... flattening the chest and broadening the shoulders of Juri, specifically, is rather antithetical to how that particular character is treated. Also Khaibit is a deep lore cut who had never been a playable character but would have made sense to bring in as a new playable character if they were, you know, making a new game.

The other thing with these is that they, you know, don’t look like weird gross distorted lumps of clay, like all the normal characters do. They look like they were actually designed for this game’s lighting and palette and general visual style. Meanwhile new characters and new costumes (which for the record as a rule otherwise do NOT do this sort of full body and face model replacement) would otherwise take until the last couple of DLC seasons to stop looking so very very off.

A friend who plays way more fighting games than me says this would also explain a thing or two about the whole V-Trigger mechanic. Something about the uniformity of it feeling a bit Dark Stalkers-y or the way pre-existing moves are forced into it feeling odd for something organic to Street Fighter. I’m not fluent enough in Fighting Game to have fully followed.

What I do know though is that all of this would explain a whole lot of otherwise baffling things. Why did Capcom spend several years hyping up a new game that never materialized?

Why does Street Fighter 5 have this weird cartoony shading that doesn’t match the model detail?

Why was that prototype of a much nicer looking SF5 scrapped for this?

Why does the latest game in one of Capcom’s big tentpole series seem like it changed hands a lot mid-development?

Because for most of its development life it was gonna be Darkstalkers 4, that’s why! Probably. I mean again I’m just speculating here, but it all fits together weirdly well, right?

#street fighter v #dark stalkers #game dev #conspiracy theory

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zevwardenweek · 5 years

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ZevWarden Week 2019 April 14th - April 20th

folks said they were interested in another zevwarden week so i decided to host one! if it goes well i might do another one towards the end of the year to do some halloween and christmas stuff. but for this one! heres the rules then the prompts

my ask box is open if anyone has any questions!

rules

fics and art are allowed, you can do both or mix it up

nsfw is allowed but minors PLEASE do not create or interact with nsfw content, youll be blocked

this blog will reblog all fics and art!

i totally understand that people are busy and cant always do each prompt each day, dont worry! you dont actually have to be done in the week! ill probably reblog stuff for another week or two to give people the chance to be involved

do not write or draw anything involving rape/incest/pedophilia/etc. mentions of abuse will be tolerated as long as its not super detailed, since Zev was abused, but like. dont be a nasty freak (also if i find you do that shit i will not reblog your work, in fact i will report and block you <3)

post entries in the tag zevwarden week to have them reblogged here! you can also tag me if you want

prompts

day 1: April 14th: climate change how is Zevran adapting to the gloomy Fereldon weather? does your Warden help keep him warm? or how is your warden faring in Antiva? how do they beat the heat? write or draw one of the two reacting to the weather in the others homeland!

day 2: April 15th: wardens gift the warden is always giving their companions lots of thoughtful gifts, its time for Zev to return the favor! what kind of gift does he give your warden? how do they react?

day 3: April 16th: parents Zev mentions that he wouldnt mind being a parent, so heres a chance to indulge in that! how are Zev and your warden as parents? the child can be blood related, adopted, or even just a kid theyre helping find their actual parents. i recommend ages infant to young teen for optimal fluff

day 4: April 17th: magic mishap uh oh! somehow a spell has gone awry, casted by either Wynne, Morrigan, a mage warden, or an enemy mage. but now either Zev or your warden is facing the consequences! the spell can be anything you want- maybe one turned into an animal, perhaps one has been reverted to a younger age, its up to you!

day 5: April 18th: role reversal Zevran is now the gray warden and your warden is just a companion. did Duncan offer an escape from the Crows via becoming a gray warden? was your warden hired to kill him or did they join in a way related to their now slightly different backstory? write or draw any scene in this drastic alternate universe!

day 6: April 19th: masquerade Zevran and your Warden are at a masquerade ball! is it for a coronation? an assassination? is your warden good at dancing? what are they wearing and how do they react to each other all dressed up?

day 7: April 20th: alternate ending did your warden make the ultimate sacrifice? write or draw what theyd do post game if they hadnt! did your warden survive? what if they hadnt? or what if they chose a different thing to do afterwards? warden commander? nomad? go to antiva? how does Zevran react or join them?

#zevran #zevran x warden #zevwarden #zevwarden week #zevran arainai #dragon age #dragon age origins #dao #zevwarden week 2019 #zevranxwarden #dragon age warden

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pathofcoffee · 5 years

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Witchy Wishlist 2018

It’s that time of year! 1. Witchy playlists- I’d really like to expand on my music section, so if you have playlist for sabbots, Halloween, or just feeling extra witchy, I’d love to hear them!

2. Art! I’d love to get some witchy art, or just art in general.

3. Speaking of art, I’d love to make some witchy art buddies on Deviantart as well, since I just joined there. (https://www.deviantart.com/dmcoffee) Oh, and Artfight! (https://artfight.net/~ataleofcoffee)

4.Anything handmade. I really love handmade things. I can’t even describe to you how much joy I get from them. (Oh! and I’m a US. Resident.)

5. Anything Related to The Morrigan.

6. Or Pop culture. Big ones are Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, RWBY, Harry Potter, Pokemon, Digimon, and Little Witchcraft Academia.

7. Witchy Recipes. (Especially baking, I have sweet teeth)

8. Readings are always wonderful.

9. Surprise me!

10. You taking a moment to fix your favorite warm drink (Coffee, Hot Cocoa, Tea, or what have you) and list three things that make you smile. (And feel free to share them and tag me if you like!)

#Witchy wishlist #witchy wishlist 2018 #Coffee wishlist

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midyearflowers · 6 years

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oh hey i love doing these

rules: tag ten followers that you would like to get to know

tagged by: @bubbled-dreams thanks bro!

⭐ sign: the most hated one apparently, gemini

gender: void

height: like 5′4″ or something. im smol

sexuality: girls are pretty

what image do you have as a wallpaper: on my desktop just some random art i found and my phone has my kitties

where do you 👀 yourself in 10 years: hopefully alive and doing well. id be happy just being able to live by myself

if you could be anywhere else right now, where: im actually content with being at home right now since i havent been since thursday and im tired as hell

what was your coolest halloween costume: my lovely wife morrigan

whats your favorite 90s show: out of the list given upon googling “90s shows” im going with are you afraid of the dark. loved that spooky shit (tho its not longer spooky, its just bad acting lol)

last kiss: my cat as he tried to run away

have you ever been stood up: not that i recall. ive been ditched before like halfway through hanging out tho

have you been to las vegas: no, im kinda curious but at the same time its like mmmm how about not

favorite pair of shoes: my white heels

favorite fruit: peaches and mangoes

stupidest thing ive ever done: theres too many to pick so how about we go with my most recent Dumb where i didnt draw the pattern on the foam and instead used pins which hurt very much

favorite 📖: i love the artemis fowl series, i highly recommend reading it and then gushing about it with me

favorite gif: god going through my gif folder its so hard to pick one but the community gif is always a classic

tags, but only if you want to :) @im-a-monstah @yaevinnn @shadysocks4321 @modrynoreyn

#gwyn tinvaak #ask meme

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tipsycad147 · 3 years

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Which Halloween God – Goddess are you? Pick a Symbol!

By The Alchemist

Halloween is such a magical time for all Witches – regardless their spiritual path. It’s this time of the year when the Veil faints and we are able to cross the worlds and receive valuable wisdom and magical powers. Halloween is associated with the Real of the Dead. You can read here more about Halloween and what is all about. But there is one thing you already know for sure. As there is more than one God for Death, there could not be on Halloween God either. (See here some Gods associated with Halloween – Samhain).

Which Halloween God – Goddess are you?

We are all going to face Death. And Death is only the beginning for something new. The night comes only to give birth to the Sun again. This is the circle of life. But each one of us has a unique and personalised attitude towards death. This is not permanent and it can change. Do this test the next year. You will see what we mean!

Which symbol of ‘Death’ attracts you the most? Pick one!

Each symbol corresponds to one deity who is somehow associated with Death, the Rebirth and the Realm of the Dead. So let’s take a look.

1…you are Anubis

You picked the Sceptre of Anubis. The was sceptre is a symbol that appeared often in relics, art, and hieroglyphics associated with dominion and unquestionable power. Anubis is the great Gatekeeper of the Realm of the Dead, therefore a true Halloween God. He is good and fair. He is the one in change defining whether a soul is pure or not but also the one who can unblock all problems.

If you picked Anubis, then you respect the power of Death yet you actually believe it’s a doorway to another life. You try to be fair in this life and you know about karma. Use the power of Anubis to unblock your path in this life.

TIP! Anubis was one of the Gods witches love to call when protection was needed. Witches used to burn incenses like the ‘3 Wizards incense’ to conjure the forces of Anubis for spiritual protection and curse breaking.

2… you are Demeter – Ceres

You picked the symbol of harvest, the symbol of the Great Goddess of Earth, Demeter – Ceres. She is also the Goddess of fertility but she is associated with Death as well. The Harvest is just an inevitable part of what we call life.

If you picked Demeter, then you are a bit nostalgic about your younger years although as time progresses you make peace with what’s coming. The harvest is a bit scary for you and you are not convinced about the afterlife but you do make peace with it as it is part of the creation. Keep on smiling though, death is only another beginning and life… oh life is full of mysteries!

TIP! As Demeter was the Goddess also known as Mother Earth, Witches used incenses which were associated with the forests and the wilds to honor her. ‘Forest Blend’ is a blend, witches used – to conjure the forces of the forests and the Wilds.

3…you are Hades

You’ve picked the Bident, a two-pronged implement (similar to the Trident – the weapon of Poseidon), which is the weapon of Hades, God and Ruler of the Underworld. He is a wise and frankly – quite rich – ruler of the Realm of the Dead. Hades is not just another Halloween God. He is too powerful. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades picked the three kingdoms of this World. Hades, picked the Kingdom of Death. If we are talking about an Emperor of this Realm, Hades is the one! A handsome and powerful ruler.

If you picked Hades, then you probably already know that Death is just another – yet exciting realm. Hades symbolises our subconscious and our powerful psychic abilities. Hence you’ve already come across some spirits and probably you’ve already been guided by them. You know that Death is not the end yet you are not quite sure what there is beyond life. What you already know however is that Death is a rich realm where life continues.

TIP! Hades was considered one of the most Wealthy Gods ever. He is also called Pluto – from greek word πλούτος – which means prosperity. Maybe one who is associated with Him can use ‘Prosperity incense’ for Pluto’s blessings.

4… you are The Morrigan

You picked Perthro, the Rune which speaks of risks, the sacred feminine sexuality, death, birth and time’s mysteries. Everything the Morrigan symbolises. As we read in the Samhain Gods and Goddesses, The Morrigan, is a warrior goddess that is associated with death and is often represented by a trio of ravens. It is she who decides who shall leave the battlefield alive and who shall be carried away on their shields.

If you picked the Morrigan then life and death is truly an endless adventure for you and the more you search the more you discover amazing things and reasons to fight for. Life is an endless battle for Wisdom and you are a divine Warrior born in this world to search for the truth. The truth is out there dear reader. Thank you for having you in our team!

TIP! Labdanum is one of the most precious ingredients in Witchcraft since the beginning of time. The famous Labdanum resin is surrounded by an aura of mysticism through the ages and was well respected by alchemists, witches and priests of all times. It was believed that Labdanum can empower any magical ceremony and it was greatly associated with protection, empowerment and spiritual development. It was recommended to be added in all incenses that involved Divine work and the invocation of Celestial entities.

5… you are Yama

You’ve picked Danda, the wooden weapon of Yama, the God of Death in Hinduism. He is fierce yet fair and good. He directs the souls of the departed ones to a temporary purgatory where the soul is purified of sin by its suffering. A true Halloween God you might think. This is only a procedure where the soul needs to let go of darkness and s/he could move on to the higher realms.

If you picked Yama then you probably feel that you need to suffer for your sins – which apparently you bear as a heavy burden on your heart. However, you don’t have to. Yama, only reminds us that we need to forgive ourselves and start anew. His “scary” appearance is only meant to scare our sins off.

TIP! Witches used to cleanse their Aura and Karma so they could start anew! To aid them in this procedure, a cleansing incense like this was used.

6…you are Freya

You’ve picked Beorc, the Rune of Birch, a tree associated with Freya. Normally Freya is associated with fertility and abundance, but she is also known as a goddess of battle and war. Half of the man that died in battle would go to Valhalla, but the rest would join freya in Folkvangr as we read in the Gods of Samhain. Moreover, Freya, is a patroness of Witches and Divination.

If you picked Freya, then you truly believe in an exotic Realm of Death where your soul will freely hang out with dwarves, elves and other enlightened beings. Death is a beautiful doorway, a bit scary but exciting too. You are keen on contacting the spirits of the Dead. Therefore I would recommend you to try the Automatic Writing. You are close to your ancestors.

TIP! As said above, Freya was also goddess of fertility and marital success. Old Witches used the recipe “Queen of Heavens” as a libation to Goddess Freya. They prayed to conjure her blessings. Here is the ‘Queen of Heavens’ incense.

https://www.magicalrecipesonline.com/2017/10/which-halloween-god-goddess-are-you.html

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keldae · 6 years

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The “Get To Know You” Meme

Thanks for the tag, @jeswii! I think everyone I would tag has already been tagged, so... tag yourselves?

Name: Andrea

Gender: Female

Star sign: Saggitarius

Height: 5'4"

Sexuality: Heteromantic (bicurious?) demisexual

Have you ever had a crush on a teacher: No

Where do you see yourself in 10 years: Hopefully working in concept art or non-profit, maybe married/long-term committed, definitely with cats, maybe with a published book.

If you could be anywhere right now where would you be right now?: Ireland! Or Rome! Or Minas Tirith or Corellia. >.>

What is your coolest Halloween costume?: *eyeballs the closet of cosplays* I wear my Jedi the most over Halloween, but Morrigan’s possibly my favourite costume. I also had a couple of black bedsheets which I mangled into robes and a hood, and went around as Nazgul #4 for a couple of years in high school. :P

Favorite 90s show?: Uhhhhhhh..... I didn’t watch a lot of TV when I was growing up in the 90s?

Last kiss: April last year.

Have you ever been stood up: By friends a few times, yeah.

Favorite pair of shoes: Probably either my black-and-purple running shoes (disregarding the holes I’m wearing into them) or my Birkenstock sandals.

Favorite fruits: Raspberries, mangoes, white peaches!

Favorite Book: No fair! I have too many! Lord of the Rings is always going to be my first love, but I love the Stormlight Archives and Malazan Book of the Fallen. As far as stand-alone books go, maybe The Handmaid’s Tale?

Stupid thing: Dated this one neglectful self-absorbed mama’s boy for an entire year. Got sick of it and dumped him after he came up with Reason #987 to not get his driver’s licence and drive an hour to see me over the summer break. This was in university and he was older than me, btw. Unrelated, Mom and I are both pretty sure the dude’s so far in the closet he’s in Narnia.

Or... “Yeah, sure, extend your degree by a year and do an internship in a tough city in a different province away from your uni support network! It’ll be fiiiiiine!” (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.)

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the-ambrose-chronicles · 4 years

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The Ambrose Chronicles: A Dance With Death, follows a pair of twins, name Lamia and Sage Ambrose. Who lost their parents when they were six years old.

Lamia lives with her aunts in New York. While, Sage travels with their grandmother, Judith Ambrose, who's famous for her books about the Victorian Era.

The twins felt more like distant cousins, than siblings, due to only seeing eachother three times a year.

One evening, on Halloween, their grandmother brings them together for a "fun trip" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Not knowing about the plan, their grandmother made to bring back their parents.

When the goddess of death, Morrigan was summoned. She kills Judith and forces the children to run for their lives.

During the journey, the twins will meet other people, fight for their lives, and learn about their family's legacy and secrets.

The story will be available on Wattpad.

#wattpad #original story

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arkham-prisoner · 7 years

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‘This’ or ‘That’ Ask Meme

Technically I wasn’t tagged by anyone, but @the-queen-of-thedas technically “tagged” all of their followers and I never get around to do these things.

Coke or Pepsi: Not really a soda drinker. Probably Coke

Disney or Dreamworks: That’s tough I’ve always thought Disney was more fun but Dreamworks usually have better story writing and stringer characters imo

Coffee or tea: Neither. I occasionally will drink Green Tea

Books or movies: While I love a good book, Movies are my one true love

Windows or Mac: Windows? I’m not much of a computer guy so as long as it does what I need I’ll be happy

DC or Marvel: THAT’S MEAN!!! Overall I would choose Marvel

Xbox or PlayStation: SONY ALL THE WAY!!!!

Dragon Age or Mass Effect: I love them both but I played Mass Effect first and I’ve always had a stronger connection with ME

Night owl or early riser: Yes and No? I sleep when I’m tired and I’m awake when I’m not. It all depends on the day

Cards or chess: Cards, I’m not even sure if I’ve ever played Chess. I always enjoy learning a new card game

Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla

Lord of the rings elves or dragon age elves? No competition. LotR forever. LotR is one of the first fandoms I was introduced to

Cats or dogs: Dogs but lately I’ve liked cats more than ever. Not saying I originally hated cats I love them both.

Sweet or salty? If you’re talking about food? YES

Fluff or angst: Not much of a fanfiction reader. When it comes to fan art it depends on my mood

Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: HALLOWEEN!!!!!! I do love the winter Holidays but Halloween is the best day of the year

Vans or Converse: Neither I usually go with classy boots

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: Confession Time: I’ve only played Inquisition once so I have to go with Trevelyan

Paragon or Renegade: Paragade but drifting towards Paragon. Certain people just need to be punched, headbutted and stabbed in the gut with pure anger and hatred

Star Wars or Star Trek? Easiest question EVER! STAR WARS!!! The original film is the first movie I remember watching and I’ve never looked back

Pluto - Planet or No? VIVA LA PLUTO!!! FUCK YOU!!!

Fav. DA romance and why?: Morrigan. Watching her go from hating everything to being unsure of herself after realizing someone truly loves her warms my heart

Smoothies or Milkshake?: It depends on where it’s from and who makes it

Art or Writing?: I have no creative talent but I I’m better at paying attention to art because I almost never have the concentration to finish something I’m reading

Roses or lilies?: Not a flower person

Cooking or eating out?: I would burn water so Let’s get a Pizza

Favorite Moment in a Video Game? I wasn’t good at games when I was little so I would probably say: The day I finally beat the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I have never felt so good . it felt like completing a chapter of my life

My Question: Ashley Williams of Kaidan Alenko on Virmire?

I can’t think of anyone to tag so if you read this you must do this. Please?

#my honest answers #this or that

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totesmccoats · 7 years

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Mister Miracle #1

Mister Miracle is a masterpiece.

Which, is to be expected from Tom King and Mitch Gerads at this point in their shared and separate careers. What’s really impressive is how they keep raising the bar, and this first issue already has deeper characterization and a more intriguing plot than some entire runs.

We open on Scott Free having just slashed his wrists open, and waking up in a hospital after being found on the bathroom floor by his wife, Big Barda. Even before he’s released, we see that Scott isn’t just a superhero, he’s a celebrity, and everyone from the press to Superman start asking him why he did it. But through all the noise – including a painful visit from his brother, Orion – Scott notices things have been off since his suicide attempt. For one thing, Barda’s eyes are brown now, instead of blue. For another, Barda tells him that his friend Oberon – who he was just talking to – has been dead for a month, and that they pulled the plug on him. But worse is that Darkseid has finally found the anti-life equation.

Starting with a suicide is a stunt, to be sure, but one that King doesn’t make light of; and while we’re not sure what pushed Scott over the edge just yet, the book does an amazing job of establishing that things aren’t right in the world that he’s waken back up in. Besides all the plot details, there are formal elements of the story that clue the reader in. Things become cyclical, with panel layouts and dialogue repeating themselves. And there’s the art. Gerard uses filter effects on his art to give the impression that we’re seeing the story played out through a camera lens, with different parts of any spread in focus at any given time; or color effects like what you’d get from a bad VHS recording. One character’s eyes appear to be taped onto the page rather than drawn on. And then there are things that I just appreciate, like how Barda towers over Orion, or how cartoony Scott looks with his mask on compared to the more realistic style Gerard uses for every other character.

But if there’s one thing that convinces me completely that King is the right writer for this book, it’s the two panels he writes of Barda putting Orion in his place, throwing his angst back in his face and telling him that he knows nothing of the pain that her and Scott share. Its two panels that show a greater understanding of Kirby’s 4th World mythos than, again, most other entire series. The entire scene it’s in is wonderful, but those two panels are key.

If you missed out on The Vision, don’t make the same mistake twice, pick up Mister Miracle.

The Flash #28

Following his last fight with Thawn and the encounter with the Negative Speed Force, Barry has some new and destructive powers that he’s yet to get the hang of. He’s also more irritable than usual.

Barry’s got a black suit! This one’s not an alien symbiote, but it the Negative Speed Force looks to be having the same effect on Barry; increasing his powers at the cost of his emotional stability. He’s even doing the whole “if they knew what I really sacrificed for this city” shtick in his inner-monologue. I’m having fun! Also, the black and red lighting that accompany Flash’s new powers the perfect amount of edgelord for the story. Man, I am so glad that we’re past the point of edgy superheroes being cool and can have stories that acknowledge how bad those are while still establishing that such a sudden change in character actually is narratively engaging just on a character standpoint. Because, and what keeps this story from being a parody, is that the negative powers do seem to be acting as a metaphor for depression, exhausting Barry, making him anti-social, and visibly destroying things around him. It’s being played for pathos instead of cool, and it works way better because of it.

Secret Empire #8

First thing I want to say about this issue, I love the cover art.

Second thing, it’s basically an issue-long deus ex machina, but it’s also one of the better issues of this event so far. Though events that I’m guessing happened mostly in the tie-in books I didn’t read, Sam Wilson is Captain America again, leading the Underground in their last ditch effort to use their fragment of the cosmic cube to rewrite just enough of reality to give them a fighting chance. And their plan to bring down the shield and the darkforce just so happens to coincide with the other heroes’ own plans to bring the fight to Hydra.

Basically, if this were an anime or a Sonic the Hedgehog game, this is right about where the main theme would kick in. It’s an issue that reminds me that when Nick Spencer doesn’t trip over the half-tied shoelaces of his political analogies, he can actually write a pretty good superhero story.

Amazing Spider-Man #31

Because of the serial nature of comics, you could easily measure a writer’s worth by how exciting they make the inevitable slide back into the status quo. And if that’s what you’re going by, then Dan Slott has to be one of the best. And that’s not in small part because of how broadly he deviates from it. In this issue, Slott demolishes years’ worth of contributions he’s made to Spider-Man to bring him back to basics; literally even stripping him down at one point; and he manages to do this in a way that also reinforces the themes and core values of the character.

I’m not sure if the rumor that he’ll be stepping away from the book at issue #800 has been confirmed or debunked, but if it is true, he leaves behind one of the greatest (and the longest) runs of the character.

Ms. Marvel #21

Ms. Marvel helps the captured inhumans and mutants escape the neighborhood militia, but only barely. They escape to the mosque, but Discord and his goons aren’t far behind, and Kamala is too exhausted to continue fighting much longer.

The shoe doesn’t drop until the last act of the issue, but when it does, it’s a doozy. Wilson is an expert in making weaving political commentary into her stories in ways that compliment both the message and the metaphor being used to tell it. In this case, how easy it is for allies to betray a cause when an opposing ideology appeals to their own bitterness. If you’ve been on left-wing twitter recently, you know it’s something that PoC’s, women, and LGBTQIA+ folks are constantly guarded about; and this comic manages to highlight the issue in a way that’s sympathetic without letting any actual villains off the hook for endangering people.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #23

Squirrel Girl continues to be the best comic Marvel is putting out, using its recap page to skewer Secret Empire and event comics in general, and also Spider-Man, while affirming how much better a story it’s telling in its own little corner of the Marvel universe.

And that story is about how Doreen, Nancy, and the other contest winning programmers from Wakanda, K’un-L’un, and Latveria need to debug the programming in the 70 million year old alien computers that keep the Savage Land hospitable to dinosaurs before they all die out – again. But more importantly, Doreen wants to set Nancy up with the cute Latverian boy she’s crushing on, but all he can think about is Doom!

This issue squeezes a ridiculous amount of mileage from Latveria jokes, and every single one of them lands. Aside from some dinosaur puns, Latveria jokes are basically all this book is doing, but they are all so good. Who’da thunk a comic book dealing with characters living under an egomaniacal dictator could be so funny? Ryan North, that’s who.

The Wicked + The Divine #30

Dionysus waits in the underground for Morrigan to release Baphomet, enduring all of her abuse. But he can’t stay down there forever, as he’s a key part of Woden and the Norns’ plan to activate Ananke’s machine. Meanwhile, Baal and Ammy are still on the lookout for Sakhmet.

This issue, and probably this arc, will be pregnant with anticipation. In the backmatter, Gillen describes this arc as the two minutes before a set, and that feeling definitely comes across in this issue. The tension between Dio waiting underground and him needed to be present for Woden’s plan is palpable as the issue’s bumper-pages become a countdown clock.

There’s also a great couple pages where each panel shows a shot of some of the Pantheon’s Instagram accounts. Seeing the reflection of the phone in Woden’s helmet is one of those neat little details; while a Baal fanpage snapping a pic resembling the cover of The Dark Knight Returns might have taken me out of the book a little much.

Kill or Be Killed #11

Having discovered the demon in his father’s artwork, Dylan managed to convince himself that it was all in his head, renounced killing, got back on his meds, and started to catch up on his school work. He even reconnects with Kira, who invites him on a date to a Halloween party. Life’s looking up for him, and then he gets sick, like he did the first time after not killing for a while, and he finds out that the Russians are still on his trail.

This really is the “Spider-Man No More!” part of the story, down to a panel with him dramatically exiting an alley. He gives up the mask and things almost immediately improve. The cops stop looking for the vigilante, he catches up on the normal life he left behind, and even manages to pick things up with a newly interested Kira. But that makes for a boring story, so soon enough he gets pulled back in.

But as the beginning of the issue is quick to remind us, that was inevitable. Dylan still has to become the shotgun wielding badass we saw in medias res. The real genius of this brief period of happiness is to once more give Dylan something to lose when it all inevitably goes wrong again.

Redlands #1

Redlands, Florida 1977. The tree outside the local police station burns, nooses still hanging from its branches. The police inside barricade themselves in to defend against an enemy they thought they had hanged this morning, but is now clear they have no recourse against. A young girl approaches their door, and letting her in also lets in the evil they fought so hard to keep out.

The first issue of this series is the third act of a really good horror movie. The last fight against an unstoppable power. And the atmosphere is laid on thick from the first page. The burning tree, the nooses, the scared cops, there’s no need for exposition, we already know everything we need to understand that this night will be far shorter than the police barricaded inside want to believe.

This is also the book’s greatest weakness, too, however, as we have no sympathy for the cops. This issue essentially has no stakes. We want the cops to die, and their powerless to do anything but. Meanwhile, our protagonists, who don’t show up for most of the book, have nothing to lose, and because they haven’t been properly introduced, it’s hard to root for them yet.

But, just as a first issue to a new series, this is explosive; and the atmosphere goes a long way to telling you what this series will eventually be about, I think. Largely an issue-long cold open, I can’t wait to get the story started in the next one.

Comic Reviews for 8/9/17 Mister Miracle #1 Mister Miracle is a masterpiece. Which, is to be expected from Tom King and Mitch Gerads at this point in their shared and separate careers.

#dc comics #image #kill or be killed #marvel comics #mister miracle #ms. marvel #redlands #secret empire #spider-man #squirrel girl #the flash #the wicked + the divine

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