#this isn't a cameo either i have no idea how this came into existence but i've been fucking jumping around and laughing like a kid for an h

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in case you need further proof re: penn & teller’s shithead basketball

#penn & teller's shithead basketball #vid #of all time #i did not have anything to do with this video someone just tweeted it at me out of the blue #this isn't a cameo either i have no idea how this came into existence but i've been fucking jumping around and laughing like a kid for an h

[soleminisanction]

I’d pay real money to see your analysis on steph and cass’s relationship 😭 you’re the only mfker on this site doing Stephanie’s character any justice w your amazing character analysis despite being the resident Stephanie Hater TM I owe you my life

Ha, thank you. It is very confusing that my feelings about Steph so often seem to boil down to, "I hate you because you deserve to be written better, goddammit!"

That said, I'm not totally sure I'm qualified to talk about Steph and Cass's relationship in its full extent because I haven't read their "foundational text" -- which is to say, Cass's Batgirl run. I've read pieces of it, but never the storylines where they hang out, and I can't deny that the knowledge of Steph's presence is a big part of what's made me avoid what I know, objectively, to be a fantastic series.

From what I have seen of their relationship, in family crossovers and Steph's Batgirl and their modern appearances (everything Cass has been in except for Batgirls, and about half of that series, but not a consecutive run of issues) plus general fandom osmosis... my personal feeling is that I'm not a fan.

For one, I can never see their modern cutesiness as anything less than full-on queerbaiting. Steph reads as fully straight to me, and when I say that, I don't mean, "hrr drr she's never shown romantic interest in girls before" because that's bullshit. What I mean is that, of all the femme-aligned Bat-people in the franchise, Steph is both by far the most gender conforming and the most male-oriented (of the modern age; obviously Betty and Kathy Kane are a different story). When they shave her head for Future State or the Earth-3 Mary Sue Batwoman, it doesn't look like her, it looks like she's trying to be Cassie Sandsmark. And her motivations are very often tied up in men, whether that man is her father, her boyfriend, or Batman. Since she came back from the dead and they threw out all the complicated character nuance that led to War Games, they really haven't given her much more than that to work with, and it's not like those motivations were ever fully separate from men either.

So to me, the more their modern comic appearances try to push this idea that Stephanie is the most importantest person in Cass's life, the more it feels like they're writing poor Cass to be in love with her straight friend, who in turn is either (generous interpretation) clueless to her affections or (ungenerous interpretation) stringing her along because the attention feeds Steph's ego.

And that perception isn't helped by the fact that I feel like their relationship, as it's written in canon, is extremely one-sided. Like, Steph dies, and Cass spirals, mourning her and hallucinating her presence. Cass gets written into books like Spirit World all by herself and Steph still gets mentions and shout-outs as an important person in her life. People draw art with Cass owning Steph's merch, and she spent so much time in Batgirls talking about how strong and special and important Stephanie is.

Meanwhile, Stephanie spent her time in Batgirls talking about how being a Batgirl made her feel special and awesome. Cass gives her the Batgirl costume at the start of her run of the same name and then disappears and is never seen or mentioned again. She doesn't show up nearly as much on her own, but the last time she did (in Robins) I'm pretty sure Cass wasn't mentioned once, not even as like a flash-in-the-pan cameo during her "Spoiler, leader of the Teen Titans" fantasy sequence.

Pair all that up with the fact that Steph really doesn't get stories of her own and instead turns up in other people's adventures at random, often with Cass at her side as a glorified cameo and... yeah, it all just feels very one-sided to me, like the relationship exists for the same reason the writers forced Tim and Steph back together in 2016. They don't know what to do with Steph if she's not somebody's Designated Love Interest, and since she can't be that to Tim anymore they've shifted to baiting a relationship they'll never actually pull the trigger on with Cass.

It just kinda sucks. Steph should get her own stories. And Cass shouldn't be reduced to her fucking Kato.

#dc comics asks #stephanie brown critical #stephcass critical #batman #batgirl #batgirls #dc comics

[irontragedyreview]

It's been a while since I've expressed any opinion about recent chapters, just a post about the AFO vs All Might fight and now the Todoroki family.

I still don't regret what I said, AFO's fight against all the heroes took too long and became boring. In my opinion, it was an unnecessary to give other characters screen time, because yes, I understand that supposedly the idea is that AFO comes out more vulnerable from here, but there came a point where every chapter was the same, AFO was gaining ground and a hero came with a greater power and stopped it, to then repeat the formula. This doesn't mean that all the characters that fought are useless, that the battle would have focused on characters like Tokoyami and Jirou is perfect, because they're part of class 1A, the problem was the Shiketsu heroes' who at this point were so abandoned at the plot level that presenting them only lengthened the fight that could have been cut before. It isn't throwing hate for those who like Inasa, Cami or Shindo but these characters were so abandoned that a simple cameo in some other random fight would be enough. So yeah, the AFo fight went on too long and I feel like it delayed other issues that haven't even begun to close yet.

I feel like we've come to the temporary end of Todoroki plot. Personally I'm conflicted about this plot, on one hand, I think that this chapter is a good closure to move on to another fight, which in this case will be Toga and Ochako, but and this is where my annoyance comes from, I don't see a good way out for the Todoroki conflict or at least a satisfactory way out. The conflict that the Todoroki plot presents to us is linked to the main theme about how rotten the society of heroes is, Touya is a victim of that society, because Endeavor planned his family around the idea of ​​creating the child who would overcome All Might to calm his ego. But in turn, the Todoroki conflict never ceased to be a strictly family one, throughout the manga Dabi has been referred by his family as a personal problem, Shoto has referred to him as the "sin of his family" (if I remember correctly), Touya's plot is designed so that he never loses that level of intimacy of being linked to Endeavor not so much as a hero but as a father and the other members of the family. Is this why I say that there is no true closure or at least a satisfactory one on this conflict because Touya was saved? what next from here?

Shoto's role, which isn't bad but isn't the best either. This is linked to the previous point and is the role that Shoto played through his family plot. Shoto and Touya are the opposite of each other, Shoto is the child or rather the perfect weapon that Endeavor always looked for and Touya became the defective child when his quirk turned harmful against himself. Even the feelings towards Endeavor are different, Touya loved his father, he sought his approval and acceptance to the point of causing himself physical harm, because in his mind (thanks to Endeavor), his only purpose was to be the one to surpass All Might and his father's love was conditioned on that requirement, his entire existence from his birth to his training was marked by that purpose, but Touya loved his father and wanted to please him. On the contrary, Shoto hated his father for the training and the way he was towards him, his mother and siblings, Shoto, no matter how much interaction with Endeavor, never considered being complacent or seeking his approval, to the point that he refused to use part of his quirk because he believed it was part of Endeavor and not him. All of this leaves you with a character build that is extremely interesting but not fully used. Shoto grows and advances in his plot but even when he takes centrality in his family's conflict he seems relegated at one point because Touya himself doesn't see Shoto as an individual but as a complement or accessory to use to hurt Endevor, most of their fights always bring up Endevor and while I understand that he's the main link between them, in a way this sometimes detracts from Shoto as a character in his plot. So far the Todoroki plot was two-part, the first with Shoto and Touya in an individual fight but that would not be closed until Endeavor, the determining factor of the entire Todoroki plot appeared, whether we like it or not. That is why while I like how Shoto was handled, I still feel that there is a certain bittersweet taste that he can't take over his role in this plot. Of course as I said before, I don't think it's the end of the arc but I'm not sure how it will continue from here.

It seems that Toga and Ochako's showdown has arrived. I think this matchup will be one of the most interesting because something that is incredible about Ochako's character is her emotional intelligence, Ochako knows how to read people and their emotions and it is because of that that I have hope and high expectations about the fight. We have seen throughout the manga how Ochako is able to understand other characters, how she empathizes with them and how her mentality changes from her desire to be a hero to helping her parents to be a hero who wants others happy, who wants to save and wonders who saves the heroes. Ochako, in addition to being an emotionally very intelligent person, also has a weakness and that is that she sees her own feelings as a burden, she's willing to carry the burden of others but not to share hers, even refusing feelings as simple as a crush. Ochako sees her feelings as obstacles and represses them, but not only on a romantic level but even her thoughts about Toga fell into this category. Horikoshi did a great job in the conversation between Uraraka and Izuku, because he raised very interesting things of both characters and brought a crucial moment to see how both see the perspective of saving the villains. At the end of war arc we have Midoriya's words "you looked like you needed saving", these words are framed in a background with the destroyed city, this is important because they mark how Midoriya can't let go of the idea of ​​saving Tomura even contemplating the destruction. This is brought up again in the conversation where Ochako says that she looks at the city to remind herself of what her job is. Does this mean a regression of Ochako as a character? Ofc not and I will fight anyone who wants to use this against her, this phrase fits Ochako like a glove because her character is based on being practical and putting her feelings aside, she will put her own feelings aside if they seem like an obstacle, that why this talk is very valuable not only because Ochako gives Izuku the opportunity to open up and find mutual comfort in their ways of thinking, but because Ochako goes a step further and admits that she didn't understand Toga, that she talked to her but didn't consider her point of view and beliefs were. All of this is very interesting and if Horikoshi handles it well, it could lead to one of the most interesting fights and discussions in the entire manga between Ochako and Toga, for which I'm going to be cheering for these two and waiting for the next vol Ochako gets her own cover.

My last point would be Tomura and Izuku, logically I think Horikoshi will leave their confrontation for last, maybe after Ochako and Toga we could return to them but at the same time I feel that there is still a lot to tell, All Might vs AFO, we still don't know what happened to Spinner, Kurogiri and the others must have their moment and other details that need to be closed so I'm not sure when we can see them or what Horikoshi's plan is for both characters.

#midoriya izuku #tomura shigaraki #tenko shimura #uraraka ochako #toga himiko #shoto torodoki #enji todoroki #endeavor #touya todoroki #Dabi #Bnha meta #bnha spoilers

[mansouthere]

Okay so. I agree, and imma explain why.

Before you get on my case, I wanna let you know I love Ant Man and his presence in the MCU. When 2012 Avengers came out I posted all over Facebook about how ant man should be the next character added and everything, I think he's great and I've loved the comics since I was 11. But we don't need Ant Man 3.

What would Ant Man 3 be about?

The biggest chance would be the inclusion of Stinger/Stature (Cassie Lang)

Now, does anyone, truely, want another young science smart character? Because what would Cassie really be able to stand along side Shuri and Peter and be just as interesting even though she isn't as smart, we've seen her abilities used before and the character she is technically a replacement of, Scott Lang, is along side her.

I'm sick of every character having to be science smart otherwise they're treated as dumb or just ignorant. And Cassie Lang would have nothing to add as a science smart character. Because if they make her too intelligent then she will seem too similar to Shuri and it wouldn't be believable.

Now, perhaps we could put a twist on this? Instead of being science smart (like in the comics) she instead uses the ability to shrink and grow to create art? For example. She could go into her back garden, shrink and draw something no one has ever really seen from that view. Or be a photographer who uses ants and her smaller size to capture the world in a different way.

(and before any of you get pissed because 'ShEs SMarT iN tHe COMicS!' well so was Scott but no one cared about that and Sam was a super soldier but no one cared about that.)

Now for another issue which is already present in the other two Ant Man films, the concept of a new gen character when the existing character is a factor in the story. Scott, as a super hero, never really comes into his own. Scott is strange because unlike every other character in the MCU (other than Hope but I will get to that) is not the first person to carry that mantel. He is not the first Ant Man, he will never be considered 'The Ant Man' Hank Pym will always be that. Doesn't mean Scott is not interesting as a character or can't carry a story, look at Miles Morales he's never going to be 'The Spider Man', that belongs to Peter Parker but he is great.

Now what does this mean? Well, in the comics this happens when writers want to end a characters arc but still keep the abilities and recognisably with the title of the super hero. But the MCU is different, before Ant Man this had never happened before. There was no first Black Widow, or Iron Man, there is only Natasha and Tony, for example. And even in cases where there are, now, other examples Steve for Sam or Janet for Hope. Steve or Janet, as the first incarnation of that mantle are either: minor characters or taken out of the action, and had their arc finished. Hank is such an overpowering character in his own concept that it is impossible for Scott not to be overshadowed by him. Steve, in a way, cannot overshadow Sam because Steve has come to the end of his story, he's done. Hank, while being done as Ant Man, still had character development needed and is critical to the progressing story.

So why is this a problem for the inclusion of Stature? Well. Would you say Scott, or Hank, have come to the end of their arcs? I wouldn't really either of them have. A lot of Hanks backstory and actions as the Ant Man have no yet really been used or shown, which leads to a lot of gaps in our understanding as him. And for Scott, as I previously mentioned, I don't really think he's come into his own. And I think we see the start of that at the end of Ant Man and the Wasp, because at the end of the day he is half of a package. Which is also the impression given in Endgame, he is only half of himself without Hope. And even if you believed Scott had come to the end of his Arc, would you say Hopes has? Probably not. And it's already been established that they are partners. So for Hope to complete her arc she would need Scott along side her to complete that, just like he needs her alongside him to complete his.

What would Cassie add? Nothing.

She would add nothing but stretch thin the ideas of what interesting things they can do with their abilities and take spot light away from three characters who have yet to complete their arcs. She would have no new abilities, and tbh she isn't that interesting a character in the comics.

Maybe an introduction of another Ant Man, most likely being Eric O'Grady.

Now, most of the points stated about Cassie apply here as well. There is no need for another character with the ability to grow and shrink when we have four already who all would be easy to write another story about. Hope, Scott, Janet or Hank all have gaps or space to grow. While Eric is pretty cool as a character I think, we have kinda covered his growth with Scott as they do kinda share a similar characteristics. Eric just lacks something to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Or perhaps we would see a Prequal about the 1980s adventures of Hank and Janet.

This is the idea I could probably get on board with the most. Because I think Hank and Janet in the comics are so interesting, I think that they would need modernising and obviously we couldn't have the abuse subplot as they are still a couple in current day. But I think it would be interesting to see superheros before superheros were a thing. Janet is cannonically a mutant in the comics so maybe include a bit of that to explain a connection to the X men? Nothing massive but a few drops here and there would be cool.

But, even though I like this idea the most it is kinda a dead stone. We know the outcome to their story. We know Janet goes subatomic, we know Hank drives off his daughter and becomes a bit of a recluse. So how much story is there with the set up the MCU gave them?

I mean, imma always be a bit disappointed that they chose to write a Scott lang movie over a Hank Pym movie because tbh Hank is waaaaay more interesting and has a lot more storylines to choose from. I think people forget how little Lang was in the comics before the film came out.

But we could also see another low stakes comedy/action summer film to break up the other Marvel films.

Which probably wouldn't have many issues a previously mentioned, give hope and Scott the chance to shine as a duo and really come into their own. But ... They could probably do that in the next avengers film or as a cameo in another film. It's kinda a wasted slot for a new hero with abilities we have never seen before.

What I'm trying to say is:

If I see another post about Cassie Lang being a great inclusion imma scream because we don't need three (kinda five) hero's with the same ability it will get boring.

And the only kinda ant man 3 imma accept is a Hank Pym focused film.

#mcu #antman #ant man #antman3 #scott lang #hope van dyne #mavel #mavel cinematic universe