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aqua-dan · 9 months
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World's Finest: Teen Titans #1 Review
Now that the first issue of the series has been out for a while and I'm less concerned about spoilers, I felt like now would be the time to say a few things about the start of the series and get some of my opinions out there. There's a lot to say, so I suppose I'll split it up into pros, cons, and general commentary.
Pros
On the positive side, it's genuinely nice to see the Fab 5 + Karen together in a group again! No matter how much time goes on and no matter how many interpersonal issues the group has, they're still my favorite team.
It's nice to see all the different little references to the original series -- from one of their fights being against the Separated Man to the picture of the Flips up on the wall of their base, it does feel pretty nostalgic to someone who is a big fan of Teen Titans vol. 1!
The art is overarchingly pretty nice (although I wish I could hit the colorist over the head and scream at them that Garth's eyes are purple! NOT BLUE!)
Despite my nostalgia for the original series, I am finding myself being more ok with the changed lineup than I originally thought I'd be. Now, this obviously messes with some Titans history that I'm reluctant to give up, but it is nice to see Karen highlighted especially! I also think the inclusion of Golden Eagle was nice! He's probably one of the lesser known Teen Titans, so even seeing him show up was surprisingly pleasant.
Despite the fact that I do also have a slight complaint about it, I do think it's nice that they are leaning into popular slang and what is "cool and hip with the teens." To be honest, I think it could even be dialed up a notch! Bring out your inner Bob Haney!!
The ending to the first issue was also interesting! I like that they are setting up the major conflict but keeping it vague for right now. I'm genuinely excited to see how that progresses!
Cons
On the more negative side, there is also a lot to say. Some of it might be nitpicking, but I feel it's worth putting out there anyways. My biggest issue with the series thus far is that it feels too self aware. I know it's only the first issue, and I know that I just praised the references to the original series in the "pros" section, but in many ways I can't help but feel that the series is superimposing later versions of these characters onto their younger selves despite the story-beats that would cause them to act that way not having happened yet.
Just for example's sake, I think the way Batman is acting is a decent showcase for this. Not to say that he entirely wasn't strict before a certain time, but the extremely controlling and closed off way he's acting is far more in-line with post Death in the Family characterization, and not the time period in which Teen Titans vol. 1 would take place.
Not all of the characterization in that regards is bad -- after all, those traits need a base to develop from -- but in some cases it really feels too aware of how these characters would later become. Because of that, a lot of the dialogue and interactions feel sort of hollow and don't allow for much natural or nuanced progression.
Besides that, this series has really made me confused on the DC comics timeline. With the constant mentions of social media, livestreaming, and modern slang, it reads like it should be something set in present time aka 2023. But considering how this is a flashback, shouldn't this be set in the time of, like... Myspace? Shouldn't the slang be ever so slightly dated, and social media NOT be such a ubiquitous thing? Maybe I'm wrong and the current DC timeline is actually taking place in the future, but still, the over-modern nature of the writing feels a little bit jarring to me.
Speaking of jarring, there are a few details that felt super weird throughout the issue. Roy's comment about Ollie "taking him in from the streets" is jarring since I guess that means they're sticking with the N52 backstory for Roy, which.... ugh. The other things I find jarring are honestly just nitpicks. Without going into it too much, there were just a lot of small details that make my brain go, "hey! That's not how that happened! That's not correct!" Regardless, I need to remember that this isn't a part of the old continuity, so changes can be made whether I like it or not.
General Commentary
All in all I don't think it's a bad start to the series. As it continues, I really hope that things start to feel more authentic so that the series is actually able to develop both its own identity and develop these characters further than they have been before without feeling redactive. I sort of miss the small, homegrown feel of the original series, and how going from smaller missions to world ending events was genuinely a big change for many of the Teen Titans. I'm hoping that there are some more small moments going forward that keep it from getting too big too fast.
I think it's too early to judge the series more heavily, so for now I'm just eagerly awaiting the next issue so we can see how it's going to hold up in the long run.
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cubistemoji · 9 months
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All of my comic recs from 2022 posted on WWAC and cobbled together in a single post- Jan 11
This was saved to my drafts in January and never posted, but here it is now because I stand by these recs!
Thieves by Lucie Bryon
Thieves is so, so pretty! I’ve been a fan of Lucie’s art for a while, and I was excited to see her use her talents for a full-length graphic novel. The limited color palette, off-white paper, and adorable art style create a dreamy, classy reading experience. It’s also a lovely story about partying, first love, the end of high school, and stealing stuff! Ella has a problem: it’s the day after a party at her crush’s house and her apartment is full of things that do not belong to her. Fortunately, Madeleine not only likes her back, she’s willing to help Ella secretly return all the stolen stuff to its rightful owners... and more. Ella, Madeleine and their friends all feel like such real, believable characters. I love how cheerful and extroverted Ella is and how well that contrasts with Madeleine’s more reserved nature. Thieves is funny, beautiful, and full of heart!
Love and Leashes by Winter
Love and Leashes is the only Webtoon I’ve read this year that made me laugh out loud at every single episode. Ji-u Jeong and Jihu Jeong, coworkers with similar names, enter an unusual arrangement in which Jihu, a submissive who’s been hiding his kinks from everyone around him his whole life, asks Ji-u to be his master. Ji-u, who’s cool and competent on the outside and shy on the inside, considers running away immediately, but instead decides to try this thing out for a bit and see if she likes it. Spoiler: she does! Despite the subject matter, the actual content of this Webtoon is fairly safe for work.
What really makes Love and Leashes stand out is the eccentric cast of characters surrounding the main couple, as well as the couple themselves. They care a lot about each other and prioritize clear communication, trying to figure out how to best make each other happy while not causing problems at work or with their friends and family. And boy, are their friends and family... a lot. Jihu has a group chat of fellow BDSM enthusiasts he met on a forum, Ji-u has a younger brother and work friends, Jihu’s high school friend owns a bar, and they all have so much going on. And whenever all of these people intersect, it is so, so funny. I don’t know how accurate the BDSM stuff is as depicted here, but the characters focus on consent, communication, and mutual enjoyment, and figuring out how to live in a way that makes them happiest.
I spent money on this comic! I can’t think of anything else I straight-up enjoyed, just had fun reading, as much as Love and Leashes this year. I’m going to tell my kids this was 50 Shades of Grey or however that meme goes.
Clown Corps by Joe Chouinard
If you’ve seen that Frasier meets Columbo comic going around on Twitter, you may not be surprised to learn the guy who drew it also does an ongoing webcomic about organized battle clowns. Clown Corps follows the adventures of reformed burglar turned reluctant clown college student Mary McBell and her clowning cohort as they work to stop a shadowy organization bent on destroying the entire Clown system. It’s hysterical, with great stylized action sequences, physical comedy and fourth-wall-bending humor, but also moments of surprising gravity as the characters grapple with the troubled pasts that brought them to clowning in the first place. The art improves quickly for a webcomic, and the characters are both silly and serious (one of the best fighters in the class can only kick ass when he’s asleep!) I caught up in a day and wished I could keep reading.
Pyramid Game by Dalgonyak
I am so obsessed with the Webtoon Pyramid Game right now it is unreal. I made a Youtube video about it. I drew fanart for it. It’s SO GOOD and NO ONE UNDERSTANDS.
Pyramid Game, by Dalgonyak, is a comic about gaslighting, gatekeeping, and girlbossing all at once. Suji is the new kid at an elite private school and it turns out her new class has a complicated hierarchical system of bullying, created by the richest and most powerful teenage girl in Korea specifically to get back at the nicest girl in the world who slighted her in some way the readers haven’t learned yet. It’s SO MUCH. It’s got some very messy homoerotic subtext (and text!) It’s got the most toxic friendships I’ve ever seen in a Webtoon. It’s got really appealing character designs and a fun and interesting protagonist who takes no bullshit from anyone ever and is going to beat the billionaire at her own game. Eventually. I believe in her!
I like Pyramid Game because I love this kind of mean girl drama; it’s got all the fun parts of a political intrigue story with none of the confusing world building to go with it. The bullying the girls take part in is creative, high-energy and visceral, but what really makes this comic so hard to put down is how keenly observed every character is, how real and complex and distinct they all feel, even the minor players in this game that act more like pawns for the leads to take turns pushing around. … Maybe I will write a full review about this comic someday.
Suji Seong could beat L in Death Note but Light Yagami could not survive a day in “The Happy Class” of Love High.
What Happens Next by Max Graves
I am at all times thinking about What Happens Next by Max Graves. It’s a pretty dark comic about what happens when some terminally online Tumblr tweens… have to deal with the aftermath of committing a gruesome murder, years after the fact. What I find really fascinating about this comic (besides the fact that I can never remember the title D:) is how accurately it portrays every detail of this hyperspecific internet community I remember so vividly from my own teenage years, and the kinds of people that participated in those spaces. It really captures… something. I don’t know. It does make me want to know What Happens Next.
Black and White: Tough Love at the Office by Sal Jiang
Do you think all yuri manga is too soft and sweet and schoolgirl-ish? You should check out Black and White by Sal Jiang, a workplace lesbian comic that I hesitate to call a romance, given how the two leads resolve their sexual tension by hatefucking in the conference room. Not appropriate for all ages, this yuri. The rivalry between Shirakawa and Kuroda crackles with chemistry, and Jiang draws the two of them fighting and having sex with a specificity that makes the whole thing feel grounded, rather than the ethereal above-it-all purity older yuri comics often have. I also like how they’re both good at their jobs and have good relationships with their coworkers, who see them as reliable and helpful and sweet. The contrast between their public personas and how they beat each other up in private makes Black and White impossible to put down.
Drip Drip by Paru Itagaki
I think Paru Itagaki should be allowed to draw whatever she wants forever. Drip Drip (which I discussed in a past Pubwatch) is incredibly weird, gross, and horny, much like her acclaimed longform series BEASTARS. But it’s also extremely interesting, and definitely a comic I will never forget reading. Drip Drip is about a woman so sensitive to germs that she gets a nosebleed every time she touches anything that isn’t 100% sterilized. She wants to find love and have sex, but every time she tries, her nosebleed scares men off and ruins the mood. When she finally finds a guy she thinks she can be with, it turns out he has dark secrets of his own. The single-volume story follows several of her attempts to rid herself of her curse, with a bonus unrelated one-shot about Santa Claus thrown in at the end.
Itagaki’s imagery and unusual choices of environments and locations make her comics very memorable: I haven’t reread this since October and I can still see the splash pages in my head like I’d read it yesterday. Itagaki and Tatsuki Fujimoto (of Chainsaw Man and Look Back fame) kind of occupy the same space in my head in their commitment to their singular, very specific vision. A kind of boldness I wish I were capable of.
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ahb-writes · 8 months
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Comics Review: ‘Batgirls’ #1
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Batgirls Vol. 1 by Becky Cloonan My rating: 3 of 5 stars Gotham is on fire. Again. (Still?) And fortunately or unfortunately, by this juncture, fewer and fewer people truly care whether anyone is around to douse the flames. Which could be a good thing for Team Batgirl, whose combined ranks of Gordon, Cain, and Brown might slip among the shadows a little bit easier. But nothing really goes as one hopes when crimefighting in a city on fire. In BATGIRLS v1, readers breeze into the chaos midstream: Team Batgirl fights off a street artist with a knack for mind control, encounters a trio of well-equipped militant extremists, defends against a prodigy hacker, and as often happens when dealing with teenage superheroes, the team, from time to time, must also combat its own stupidity. BATGIRLS v1 successfully executes what many recent iterations of Batgirl have done: blend new stories of familiar heroics for new readers. Barbara Gordon is the big sister with a mind for strategy and gadgetry. Cassandra Cain is a strong, silent, and efficient partner looking for comfort among close friends. And Stephanie Brown, who is especially chatty, hates villainy with a casual efficiency that would be terrifying if she weren't so exceedingly upbeat. Few comics fans who thrive on more parochial ("classic") narrative tales of any of these characters will fall in love with this new comic. But that's okay. For what BATGIRLS v1 hopes to achieve, the character relationships and plotting mostly hit the target. The book struggles to balance its quest to entertain as well as the necessity of narrative focus. Does the team settle on relocating its hideout after a bomb threat, does it pound the pavement in search of an upstart mind-control freak, does it crack down on a hyped-up group of well-armed militants, or does it track down a hacker who has infiltrated Oracle's network? Lots of entertaining stuff. But ultimately very poor focus. Some of these stories are relegated to C-level priority, despite being introduced as a big deal. For others, the reverse feels truer than not. For example, The Saints, sharp assassins bearing some sweet gear, enter the story early only to falter and feather into the background. Team Batgirl gets its butt kicked the first time around, but in the end, the headhunters are a piece of cake. Is this another casualty of Big Two comics promising more than it can deliver? Regardless, it's kind of a letdown. BATGIRLS v1 leans heavily on the antics and dynamics of its co-protagonists. Cass is generally mum, but she doesn't hesitate to voice her opinion when her emotions rise to the fore. Steph is written precisely like a modern teenager, which is to say, she somehow balances being incredibly productive while also being dreadfully annoying. The two girls would make for the center-point of a killer series, when they're older, about Batgirl Roommates. But for now, side stories and commentary involving oddball pajamas, burned pancakes, and pierced ears will have to do. Visually, the comic employs an effective art style that works well with these iterations of Cain and Gordon but doesn't always mesh with Brown's ebullience. The book's sharp, angular, fed-from-the-shadows visual design is inherently cryptic, and more than suitable to the storytelling atmospherics of a city lulled to sleep while still on fire. The art in this book really stands out, from the geometric silhouette of Cain's cape to the incredible color-mix of psychosis and psychedelia readers engage, once fear gas is introduced into the story. Perhaps if the book reduced its villain count and narrowed its narrative trajectory, then the art team's work would've been even more effective. BATGIRLS v1 thrives, but ebbs and flows considerably in the process. The character voices are distinct and the art delivers on all accounts. But the story problematically overloads when it should instead pick and choose its challenges.
Comics Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads
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thefandomentals · 2 years
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Yes there was some Otherworld Shenanigans and fun action...but we all know what we're here for.
@askmeaboutmyoctopustheory reacts to the biggest gay moment of the year in their review of Knights of X #4.
❤️💜
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dispatchdcu · 1 year
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Alien #4 Review
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson Artist: Julius Ohta Colorist: Yen Nitro Cover Artist: Björn Barends Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: StoryBabbler Steel Team is in over their heads. They were sent on a supposedly simple mission but there was just one complication after another. Alien Xenomorphs, Humans surviving in an irradiated world. And now they’ve been betrayed by those same humans and are…
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robkirbycomics · 1 year
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First review of Marry Me a Little is in (from the venerable Publisher’s Weekly), and it’s pretty sweet. 
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hell0mega · 4 months
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people are drawing Steamboat Willie Mickey doing all this crazy shit and whatnot, but you could always do that. you can do that now, with current Mickey, just fine. it's fanart and it's legally protected. hell you could take Disney-drawn Mickey and put a caption about unions or whatever on it and it would still be protected under free speech and sometimes even parody law.
what is special about public domain is that you can SELL him. you could take a screenshot and sell it on a tshirt. you can use him to advertise your plumbing business. people have already uploaded and monetized the original film.
you could always have Mickey say what you want, but now you can profit off it.
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kmbezner · 9 months
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ooooooh writing about comics i love writing about comics oooooh libraries how i love libraries
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byelacey · 1 year
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THE PYR REVIEW episode 01  Please enjoy a short history of the Great Pyrenees breed... a PYR-story, if you will :) 
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neveromininart · 1 month
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⚔ An immortal is dead and you're holding the murder weapon. ⚔
Sunset Phoenix is an action/mystery comic about an immortal kingpin and her criminal spy who were framed for the murder of a rival, and are trying to find the real killer before time runs out and the city succumbs to war.
Also I made it and worked hard on it and I think you should check it out because it's cool :)
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bombusbombus · 15 days
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Terrifying to share any opinions about comics as a person with memory issues. Sorry I forgot that thing he said in volume 6 issue 87. I'll forget again tomorrow.
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thelailasblog · 1 month
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mizgnomer · 4 months
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David Tennant Year in Review - 2023
David’s television, film, convention, charity, and other appearances from 2022, all in one convenient photoset - with extra special thanks to Georgia and her excellent Instagram posts
Please see my [ David Tennant Year In Review tag ] for prior year-end posts dating back to 2014
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ahb-writes · 15 days
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Comics Review: Trapped on Zarkass
Trapped on Zarkass by Yann, Didier Cassegrain
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action
offworld
scifi
terraforming
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Marcel Dorcel is a convicted criminal with three exes, a mind that's keen on identifying political subterfuge, and enough experience surviving the wilds of Zarkass that she makes for the best (worst) tour guide one could hope for. In her own words, "just because I'm ballsy doesn't mean I'm stupid." But then again, if one were not relying on Marcel to ford the wilds during the apparent crumbling of the local human outpost, then who?
TRAPPED ON ZARKASS is exquisitely colorful and richly indecent, what with its focus on an odd-couple pair who is absolutely terrible at doing precisely whatever it is they're supposed to be doing. Marcel is the guide and bodyguard; Louis Doisy is an entomologist sent undercover from the local human government. Louis is supposed to be investigating the wreckage of an unnamed adversary's ship, but as often happens in sci-fi exploits, the woman has her own agenda at hand. En totem, navigating jungle flora, all the while surviving encounters with giant spiders, carnivorous butterflies, and hostile populations of roach-people puts this duo on high alert from cover to cover.
One imagines the task of surviving a mysterious planet of hostile others would be equally exciting and terrifying, and TRAPPED ON ZARKASS delivers on both accounts. Is tracking down and investigating an intergalactic crash site on a wayward Earth colony worth the effort? After dropping into the luscious greenery, all bets are off.
Not to say the story makes it easy for these characters to have a good time. Marcel is crass and butch and doesn't really give a shit, but she's a felon who can't quit digging a deeper grave for herself. If she and her partner can pull off this mission, then she'll sleep in a real bed for the first time in 20 years. Louis is snotty and upper-class, but her ambition tends to outweigh any sense of danger lurking over the next cliff. A person with a secret agenda and with nothing to lose tends to harbor the most gall. Marcel and Louis hate each other from the outset, but if they're going to survive the bush and make it back to civilization before everything turns to crap, then they must swallow the irritation they have for one another, one thorny affront at a time.
TRAPPED ON ZARKASS is a beautiful book and demonstrates the best character art many contemporary European comics have to offer: angular but dimensional character designs that don't take up more space than they need to; brilliant and moody coloring; environmental designs and background artwork with layers of informational detail; compelling character expressions that never give away too much. Cassegrain has a style that offers comfort and order on one level (e.g., balanced page composition, smart character blocking) and desirable anarchy on another (e.g., designing messy and dangerous slums, ruins, battle sequences, caverns).
One finds it difficult to disassociate the comic's superlative design quality from its narrative spectacle. For example, it's one thing for readers to come across a lying and scheming indigenous queen and her chosen warrior, but it's another thing entirely to see the warrior stride into frame while mounting a massive cicada and wielding a war axe. It's one thing for readers to learn the local roach-people use the mucus of large lion-caterpillars to protect their skin, but it's another thing entirely to see the locals grieve the loss of their partner-beasts, then throw themselves to their death, glimpsing the emerald splendor of this far away planet for a final, sharp, and fleeting moment.
The book's flaws are niggling but not imperceptible. Notably, Marcel's attitude vacillates unpredictably between caustic foolery and optimistic thuggery. The woman knows more about the planet Zarkass and its dangers than anyone around, but constantly berates the locals and draws ire from her allies. Her insults are hilarious (e.g., "snotty vagsack," "holy ovum," "deadballs," "bloody vulva"), but the butch woman's intense love-hate relationship with the universe makes for seesaw storytelling. As for Louis, the woman is a good foil, but her apparent knack for having helpful visions of next-step adventuring feels too contrived to be effective. Louis is funny because she's absolutely the last person one would want to rough it with in the bush; but perhaps that's the point. Nevertheless, TRAPPED ON ZARKASS wrings from its pages a tale of otherworldly sci-fi in which suspiciously opportunistic people from very odd, awkward, and asynchronous points of origin strive for survival.
❯ ❯ Comics Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads
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horde-princess · 11 months
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wait i'm sorry because. the fact that nimona's own parents believed an evil monster had taken the place of their daughter. the whole town was terrified and handed her over to the Institution to be 'fixed' i.e. tortured and experimented on. the fact that all of this is then contrasted in a single panel with ballister's concern and love 😭😭😭😭
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while her parents left her in this place, ballister went back to save her from it, fearing it could get him killed. it took him a while but he came to see the monster in the girl and the girl in the monster and all of her together as just... a friend. how it's all a metaphor for growing up gay and trans with mental illness in a conservative christian community, and god you're just a child and all you want is for someone not to hate you. to see the real you that you've been told is evil and maybe even love you for who you are. do you guys ever get sick of me talking about this stuff because i really don't!!!!!!!!!!!
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dispatchdcu · 1 year
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Superman #2 Review
Superman #2 Review #DCEU #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #amazon #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #actioncomics #comicbooknews #previews #reviews #superman #clarkkent #krypton #fortressofsolitude
Writer: Joshua Williams Artist: Jamal Campbell Letterer: Ariana Maher Cover Artist: Jamal Campbell Publisher: DC Comics Reviewer: StoryBabbler Superman is back, and the Parasite has struck! Even after some time away, Superman comes face to face with his old foe, but he discovers the supervillain undergoing a new mutation that creates more Parasites. Now see the Man of Steel face the Night of the…
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