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thegayhimbo · 10 days

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Ranking The Stranger Things Tie-Ins:

Now that I've finished the reviews (for the time being), I wanted to do a ranking of all the tie-in comics, graphic novels, and books. Originally, I was just going to do a Top 5 Best and Worst List, but I figured it would be more fun to make a complete list of all the tie-ins while also giving my brief thoughts on each one (especially for those who don't want to read my lengthy reviews). Please note this is all in good fun and just my personal opinion, which can be subjected to change.

Also, this list will NOT include any of the show's episodes, video games, tabletop games, children's tie-in books, the Choose Your Own Adventure book, the Stranger Things Experience, or the stage play The First Shadow.

With that out of the way, let's begin in order from Worst to Best:

#26: Stranger Things Summer Special (See Review Here)

I never cared for Powell and Callahan as characters. They barely have anything to do with the show's main arc, they're NOT funny, and the "bumbling cop" trope is something I've grown tired of in recent years.

The premise of this short, where both of them are conveniently present at key events during season 3 in their lousy pursuit of being "good cops," all the while having constant near-misses with the Upside Down, the Flayed, and the Meat Flayer, is a repetitive joke that quickly grows old. That's not even getting into the huge continuity errors plaguing the short and creating a bunch of plot-holes. Completely unnecessary. Hard pass.

#25: Stranger Things The Bully (See Review Here)

This only ranks slightly higher than Summer Special because I like the artwork better, and it doesn't mess up the show's continuity like the previous comic did. However, that's all this really has going for it.

For whatever reason, they decided to make an entire graphic novel focusing on Troy and James (the bullies from season 1), and all I could think about while reading it is "This is a huge waste of time." I already didn't like Troy to begin with, this comic does NOTHING to improve my opinion of him, and considering that neither James nor Troy have appeared on the show since (and probably aren't coming back for season 5), I don't see what the point of this story was. This paragraph from my review sums it up best:

#24: Stranger Things x TMNT Crossover (See Review Here)

I'm sure there are fans who enjoyed this bizarre trip while embracing its absurdness and surrealism, but I am not one of them. I like TMNT and I like Stranger Things, but I draw the line at saying both properties exist in the same universe. That's not even getting into the haphazard attempts by the writers to make this comic canon with the show. Knowing the Duffer Brothers, that's likely not going to happen.

#23: Stranger Things Tales From Hawkins (See Review Here)

The idea of doing an anthology comic focusing on Hawkins residents was intriguing, but the end result was disappointing. They should have broadened their horizons regarding which characters to focus on, and not just set the stories exclusively in the first 2 seasons.

Murray's story (Issue #2) and the Pumpkin Patch Rivalry (Issue #4) are arguably the best ones. The rest are either forgettable or derivative.

#22: Stranger Things Six (See Review Here)

My first venture into Stranger Things comics. I've come a long way since then! :)

I remember looking forward to this particular comic to learn more about Hawkins Lab, Dr. Brenner, Project MKUltra, and the special kids............only to feel underwhelmed when I actually read it. I wanted to like Francine/Six, but I didn't find her interesting or compelling as a character, and the attempts to include other aspects of the show's lore (i.e. The Upside Down, Terry Ives, El and Kali, etc) felt shoehorned. Combined with the direction season 4 went, and it's a safe bet to say this comic is NOT canon (if it ever was).

#21: Stranger Things Suspicious Minds (See Review Here)

Suspicious Minds ranks slightly higher that Six for doing a better job fleshing out the experiments that were taking place at Hawkins Lab, as well as giving more details about Kali, Terry Ives, the test subjects, and El's biological father Andrew. It helps that Brenner is a threatening presence in this book, and that the narrative excels in maintaining suspense.

However, similar to Six, the events of season 4 render most of this book non-canon. That's not even getting into a major continuity error regarding El's date of birth that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Suspicious Minds serves as a cautionary reminder that if you're a creator and you've planned out a major twist for your show, then you either need to have a direct hands-on approach to how tie-ins are written and approved, or you need to be willing to share that twist with those you've hired to write tie-ins for the universe you're managing.

In any case, it is PAINFULLY CLEAR the Duffer Brothers didn't share information about Henry/One/Vecna with Gwenda Bond when she worte this book (or Paul Dichter for that matter when he helped oversee its development), and boy does it show in the final product. 😖

#20: Stranger Things Kamchatka (See Review Here)

Another example of a comic where the premise sounds intriguing, but they squander it on characters who aren't going to play a role on the show while also giving very little (and in some cases, contradictory) information about the show's lore.

While I liked the darker tone, the Cold War setting, and the spy thriller aspects, the characters didn't do much to impress me, and I was also frustrated by the lack of canon characters (Hopper, Dmitiri, Yuri, etc) who could have been in this comic and weren't. It's not bad, but it is mediocre when it didn't need to be.

#19: Stranger Things Into The Fire (See Review Here)

A sequel that improves on its predecessor (Stranger Things Six). While the comic likely isn't canon for the same reasons Six isn't, I appreciated the personal stakes this time around, I loved the creepy gothic aesthetic they did with Jamie/Nine's hallucinations, and it was nice to see Kali utilized in this story in a meaningful way. Here's hoping the Duffer Brothers wise up and bring Kali back for season 5 because she deserves so much better!

#18: Stranger Things Creature Feature (See Review Here)

One aspect of Season 4 that was disappointing was how little we got to see of the family dynamic with El and the Byers once they moved. It's hinted at, but not explored deeply. Creature Feature dives a little more into that, as well as El's struggles with PTSD, and gives a nice heartwarming scene between El, Jonathan, and Will towards the end that makes the short stand out.

However, the one-shot comic is sadly brief, and it may leave people frustrated about why they didn't go for a longer comic/graphic novel about El and the Byers adjusting to life in Lenora. I would've been interested in seeing that!

#17: Stranger Things The Game Master (See Review Here)

A one-shot comic where we get to see Steve and Nancy back together after the events of season 1 while also getting a surprisingly sweet interaction between Steve and Mike that isn't them griping with one another. I don't care much for Steve and Nancy's relationship, but I did like their attempts to help Mike feel better after El's apparent death. That was enough to elevate this short.

#16: Stranger Things Erica's Quest (See Review Here)

Not a fan of the artwork, but I was happy to witness the Scoop's Troop back together again. I also love how this short confirms Steve has played D&D before, which gives context to that scene in S4 when Dustin calls Steve asking him to be a substitute player in Eddie's D&D campaign.

#15: Stranger Things The Voyage (See Review Here)

Major improvement on Stranger Things Kamchatka. It's highly doubtful the show will include any mention of this comic (though if the Duffer Brothers decide to bring back the Russian arc for S5, I hope they incorporate Dr. Karine as the main antagonist), but the story is scary, suspenseful, and has the kind of gruesomeness you'd expect from an R-Rated horror film.

#14: Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (See Reviews Here)

Having grown up reading a lot of murder mysteries, I have a soft spot for the genre. Hearing that Hopper's backstory involved him tracking down a deranged serial killer in New York City back in the 70s while also dealing with a dangerous cult was enough to get me on board with this book.

This novel isn't perfect, but it makes up for its shortcomings in creative ways. Hopper's backstory with the NYPD is fascinating, the story's focus on issues related to poverty, crime, mental health, law enforcement, and societal woes works well (even if they drop the ball towards the end), Hopper's interactions with El in the present are a highlight, and the narrative is effective in keeping the reader invested.

#13: Stranger Things Erica The Great (See Review Here)

A light-hearted graphic novel that bridges Erica's arc between seasons 3 and 4 while expanding on her growth as a character and development as a D&D play. It was cool seeing Erica's friends get their day in the limelight (one of whom might be making an appearance in S5), and the story has enough funny moments to keep the reader entertained.

#12: Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus (See Review Here)

I know fan reaction towards this book was cold when it was first announced, and I'll admit parts of it were hard to read given we all know how Eddie's story ends. I'm not a fan of media that teases false hope to the audience, only to cruelly yank it away.

That being said, I will go to bat for this book: It's well-written, and does a good job expanding on Eddie's character and his relationships with others (Wayne, Al Munson, Jason, etc). I also appreciate the book's themes regarding "forced conformity," and its scathing criticisms towards individuals and institutions (school teachers, law enforcement, students, residents, etc) who scapegoat and punish people like Eddie for existing while allowing (or in some cases, enabling) truly vile people to get away with being vicious and cruel towards "acceptable targets."

Considering how certain individuals on Tumblr and varying social media platforms have been treating others for the past few months, this book couldn't have come during a more relevant time.

#11: Stranger Things Halloween Special (See Review Here)

A delightful Halloween comic taking place before season 1 which centers around the Party telling an urban legend about the Child Eater of Hawkins, which coincidentally has eerie parallels to Vecna. Creepy artwork, an unsettling atmosphere, and a fun twist at the end! :)

#10: Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors (See Review Here)

Same deal as the Halloween Special, except it takes place between Seasons 3 and 4, and features multiple horror stories told by Steve, Robin, Nancy, Max, Lucas, Erica, Dustin, and Mike while they're all trapped in the Video Store during a power outage. The stories are scary and reminiscent of horror anthologies like Tales from the Crypt and Goosebumps, and some of them even cheekily foreshadow certain events that occur in season 4.

#9: Stranger Things Runaway Max (See Reviews Here)

Like Flight of Icarus, this book is hard to read, albeit for a different reason: I don't enjoy stories with characters trapped in abusive situations, and this book does not pull its punches in depicting the utter hell Max suffered through living with both Neil and Billy.

That being said, I grew to have a new appreciation for Max's character because of this book, and I liked seeing her backstory, her perspective on the events of season 2, and her thoughts about the characters she interacts with. I loved seeing her relationship with Lucas develop, I liked her brief interactions with Steve, and there was a satisfying payoff in her standing up to Billy and finally regaining some control over her life. If you love Max's character, this book is for you!

#8: Stranger Things Winter Special (See Review Here)

The closest Stranger Things will ever have for a Christmas Special (not counting the endings of the first two season finales). So many little details (i.e. the way the Party explains different Christmas stories to El and how she visualizes them, the revelation about what happened to the demodog in Joyce's fridge, etc) that make this an enjoyable read.

#7: Stranger Things Lucas On The Line (See Review Here)

One thing I will say for the tie-ins is that I appreciate how they expand the perspectives of characters from the show. Such is the case with Lucas on the Line. It takes place between seasons 3 and 4, and explores Lucas's attempts to come to terms with his trauma, the growing rift between himself and Max, his attempts to balance his strained relationships with his friends and his desire to play basketball and break out of the "nerd" stereotype, and it gives a very brutal but effective portrait of what it's like for Lucas to be one of the few black kids in Hawkins constantly surrounded by people who are either outwardly racist or project their biases and prejudices in truly insidious ways.

There are two reasons I'm not ranking this novel as highly even though it's a fan-favorite: 1.) There are continuity errors that took me out of certain moments while reading it, and 2.) The third act (which is when S4 begins) does a clumsy job tying in with the rest of the book and its themes. I really wish the book had continued with Lucas's story up to the end of S4 instead of stopping halfway through.

#6: Stranger Things The Other Side (See Review Here)

I always wanted to know what was going on with Will in season 1 when he was taken to the Upside Down. This comic thankfully elaborates on that and doesn't disappoint. Will's journey to survive is both intense and terrifying, and the way the comic seamlessly connects itself with the events of season 1 is to be applauded.

I have no clue what the Duffer Brothers plan to reveal in season 5 about the Upside Down and why time froze in 1983 when Will was taken, but considering they talked with the writers and artists for this comic and gave their stamp of approval, I'm hopeful the events of The Other Side won't be retconned.

#5: Stranger Things Science Camp (See Review Here)

Who knew that when Dustin went to Science Camp, he walked right into a Friday the 13th movie? 😂

Don't want to spoil too much about this one, but I had a blast reading it. Dustin's perspective is always entertaining, the comic works as a brilliant introduction for Suzie, and the mystery plaguing the camp is genuinely interesting and has a good twist. High recommendation.

#4: Stranger Things Zombie Boys (See Review Here)

I'm still bitter that the character of Joey Kim never made an appearance on the show despite the camaraderie he had with the Party, as well as how he gave the boys some catharsis from all the shit they were put through in season 1.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the premise of the Party making a zombie movie, and I appreciated how it handled the characters' trauma without being patronizing. The artwork was also impressive and beautiful to look at. Here's hoping we get more comics and graphic novels like this in the future!

#3: Stranger Things Tomb Of Ybwen (See Review Here)

At its core, the comic manages to explore an aspect that wasn't given much coverage on the show: Will's reaction to Bob's death and his attempts to come to terms with it. All of which culminates in a quest Will undertakes when he finds a map from Bob that (allegedly) leads to an ancient Viking treasure buried in Hawkins.

I don't want to give too much away in terms of spoilers, but the story is both emotional, sad, and heartwarming, and it does an excellent job reinforcing the friendship between all 4 boys while also demonstrating the impact Bob had on Will's life.

#2: Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons (See Review Here)

Speaking as someone who's occasionally crafted various fantasy scenarios in my head to cope with the stresses of life, this comic was deeply relatable. The show never shied away from emphasizing the importance of D&D to these characters, and this comic expands on that by illustrating why they became interested in D&D in the first place, how they've used D&D to cope with living in Hawkins, how the events of the first 3 seasons factor into how they play D&D, and how the game evolved with them as they continued to get older. It's like the piece of media from your childhood that stays with you as an adult. Arguably the best comic in the series (so far).

#1: Stranger Things Rebel Robin (See Reviews Here)

My favorite book and tie-in of the series. Speaking as someone who's gay, this story spoke to me on a personal level, and there were a lot of parallels I was drawing between Robin's experiences in high school and my own: The fear of being outed and ostracized. The desire to break free and explore the world. Recognizing the injustices that exist in society and wishing you could do something about them. Getting a nasty dose of reality that people you thought you could trust aren't reliable, and may even be more awful than you anticipated. Been there, done that, still dealing with some aspects of it.

It's funny because even if you take out the plot elements relating to the Upside Down, you still get a great coming-of-age story, and one that speaks to many people, LGBT+ or otherwise.

That concludes the ranking and reviews for right now! Thank you again for those who've been reading them! :)

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tastytoecheese · 2 years

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I'm not crying....you are!

#stranger things #will byers #sobbing #this isn't fair #will byers supremacy #i love will byers #will byers deserves better #byler #bob newby #joyce byers #stranger things comics #ripping out my hair and going insane

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rottenaero · 10 months

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Trying a new style, and honestly I love it compared to my old one.

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #eddie munson x steve harrington #steve harrington x eddie munson #art #digital art #stranger things comics #crisisinverted17

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willbyerswithpowersblog · 1 year

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What the hell is the problem with the author of this comic? Why would they do this to me?

#this was such a cute scene and for WHAT #stranger things comics #will byers #byler

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ectonurites · 10 months

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Soooo I’ve been seeing this post go around and I do wanna just take something I wrote about in the tags and make an actual post about it to clear up an (understandable) misconception I think a lot of people have:

The upcoming Tales From Hawkins #3 centered on Robin…

(Variant covers for Stranger Things: Tales From Hawkins #3)

…is a single comic issue not a graphic novel.

This distinction matters here for two primary reasons:

Length: A standard comic issue is generally about 32 pages, as opposed to graphic novels which vary a lot in length but are much much longer. I haven’t read other issues in the Tales From Hawkins series so I’m not 100% sure the length of this issue specifically, but I do know people thinking this is going to be the length of a full graphic novel will be expecting a lot more than what there will actually be, so that’s just like, setting yourself up for disappointment.

Availability: While digital purchasing and/or pirating will of course be options, if you would like a physical copy of this story you will not find it at a regular book store any time soon, you will need to to go to a comic book store (here is a helpful tool: the comic shop locator) or if there are no comic stores near you/getting to one is not feasible for you, order from a comic store that delivers to other places (for example, Midtown comics or Things From Another World). Comic publishers used to have some single issues available at bookstores via the newsstand distribution model but that ceased existing during the 2010s. I think it’s highly likely that once the Tales From Hawkins series is over there will be a collected edition (much like the other Stranger Things comics have gotten) and THAT would be available at regular bookstores, but that would not be for a while.

And just for the context of how I know for a fact that this is a single issue and not a graphic novel:

Every month comic publishers put out solicitations (also known as ‘solicits’) which list what books are available for preorder. Usually solicits are about 3 months ahead of release, so in the case of Tales From Hawkins #3, it was part of Dark Horse’s August 2023 solicits which were released in May.

Anything that is a hardcover, trade paperback, graphic novel, etc is labelled as such—with the remaining listed books being single issues. Plus this specific site reporting these solicits has everything sorted by category so super clearly labelling what’s what, and if you scroll through the page you’ll see that Tales From Hawkins falls under the single issue category!

And also just like… graphic novels typically don’t get variant covers like this, that’s a comic issue thing. Graphic novels also typically aren’t given numbers like ‘#3 of 4’, they’re given numbers like ‘Volume 3’ if part of a multi-book series. And the list price is $3.99 USD which while standard for a single issue is like unheard of for a new graphic novel.

#ALSO QUICK ADD ON: midtown doesn't have it available right now because we're past the pre-order date but before the actual release date #so once it actually releases the backstock will likely be available to order from 👍 TFAW seems to still allow preorders tho so i added it #included the covers to encourage ppl to actually read this LMAO #stranger things #robin buckley #stranger things comics #stranger things tales from hawkins #tales from hawkins #also like absolutely no hate to op of that post if ur not highly aware of comic book stuff its an easy misconception to have

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anironnn · 2 years

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I love Max being a Will stan🤣🤣🤣

#max mayfield #will byers #lucas sinclair #stranger things #stranger things comics #byler #lumax

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kittenkatbar · 2 years

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mike wanting el to need him, el not needing him, will being there for mike when he feels unneeded; hmm sounds familiar

#byler #stranger things comics

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emblazons · 1 year

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NOT ME FINDING OUT THE WHOLE PARTY HELPED BUILD CASTLE BYERS + NANCY’S ELF OUTFIT WAS FOR MIKE’S BIRTHDAY 😭😭😭😭

Please I’m like 10 pages in and I’m already sobbing (x)

#byler #mike wheeler #will byers #nancy wheeler #st comics #I know it’s not official canon but this is all so good jsndkdkdnf I’m in tears #stranger things #stranger things comics

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bylerinsanity · 2 years

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mikes dnd character holds will the wise in his arms while telling him “we… we can’t do this without you” in the official stranger things comic NAHH THESE BIYCHES GAY 😭😭

#byler #stranger things comics

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the--neurodivergent--witch · 1 year

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Will the Wise appreciation post to bless you on this Will the Wise Wednesday

#will the wise #will the wise wednesday #will byers you will always be famous #wills wizard costume will always be iconic #will byers #dnd stranger things #stranger things comics #byler #dnd byler #Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons

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sporadicparadisewolf · 2 years

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It seems Mike is kissing Will's head. <3

#byler #stranger things comics

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thegayhimbo · 11 months

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Stranger Things Winter Special Review

Warning: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!

Synopsis: It’s the Winter of 1984, and El is celebrating Christmas with the Byers family and her friends for the first time....

Observations:

As far as one-shot, stand-alone comics go, this was enjoyable. The synopsis I gave speaks for itself: It’s about El celebrating Christmas over at Joyce’s house with her friends and family as they give her a cool present (the cover pretty much spoils what said present is), tell her about their favorite Christmas Specials, and help her get into the Christmas mood. The entire comic is basically a Christmas Special of Stranger Things, and I like that.

Something I found clever about the way the Christmas Specials are drawn in this comic when El’s friends are describing them to her is the way El imagines the stories in her head. Because El’s been isolated for almost all of her life (12 years at Hawkins Lab, and an entire year being cooped up in Hopper’s Cabin), she’s been limited in how many people she’s met. So when she’s imagining the Christmas Specials in her head, she substitutes the people (and creatures) she’s encountered in her life in place of the actual characters from those stories.

For example, when Mike is telling her about the origins of Santa Clause, she imagines Hopper as Santa, Joyce as Mrs. Clause, and her friends as elves:

Likewise, when Lucas tells her the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, she imagines the Demogorgon in the role of the Grinch:

Same thing with A Christmas Carol, except it's Dr. Brenner as Mr. Scrooge, and Scott Clarke as Bob Cratchit:

And then, of course, there's A Charlie Brown Christmas, where El imagines Dustin and Dart the demodog in the role of Charlie Brown and Snoopy:

The way this was handled by the writers and artists was brilliant.

I also appreciate how they subtly reference El’s time the previous year as a fugitive in the woods. There’s a scene when the Party finds an injured rabbit outside, and El, remembering how she had to eat a rabbit to survive at the time, decides to take the rabbit back to Joyce’s house to fix its leg:

It’s a little sappy, but it works in the context on the comic.

Other references I appreciated:

The call-back to the dog the Byers family had in season 1. They never clarified what happened to him on the show, but the implication was he passed away. This comic confirms that:

There’s also Hopper’s gift of Hungry Hungry Hippos, which I believe was referenced at one point during the show:

There’s another reference I’m glad they included: Remember in the season 2 finale when Steve and Dustin shove a dead demodog into Joyce’s fridge to preserve it “for scientific purposes?” The show doesn’t ever revisit that moment again, but this comic does:

Basically, it turned into sludge, and Joyce was not happy with Steve and Dustin when she found it in her fridge.

I don’t know if that’s officially canon on the show, but I consider it such because it fills in the plot-hole of having a bunch of dead demodogs all over Hawkins after the gate closed with no residents discovering them by accident. It also explains what happened to the Meat Flayer’s flesh-body after the Russian gate was destroyed in season 3:

That must have been a fun mess for Dr. Owens and his crew to clean up! 🤣

One last thing: This moment from Steve when he’s driving Dustin, Mike, and Lucas to the Byers house:

Sure, Steve. 😂

On the whole, this is a fun comic with plenty of neat call-backs, nice character moments, and a cheerful Christmas mood. Check it out if you get the chance! :)

#stranger things #stranger things comics #stranger things winter special #el hopper #jim hopper #joyce byers #steve harrington #jonathan byers #mike wheeler #will byers #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #demodogs #stranger things season 2 #tgh opinions #tgh reviews #demogorgons

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