#to what is essentially a 25 issue run

[dee-is-for-lots-of-things]

An Unnecessarily Comprehensive Sandman Reading Order

Having now read EVERY comic that I could find based on, using characters from, or tying in with @neil-gaiman‘s Sandman series, I thought I should provide what is, as far as i can tell, the definitive list of everything Sandman, in roughly the order of publication, and also what I thought of them. Warning: there’s a lot of it (over 580 issues in two and a half months).

Sandman (1989) #1-28 [Neil Gaiman] (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

Obviously we start at the beginning (I hear it’s a very good place to start) with the first 3 main arcs of Sandman plus some single issue stories. This is where the series really leans into the horror side of “dark fantasy,” and I for one love it. Idk, there’s not really much to say here. This is a Sandman blog, we all love this series here, or at least like it enough to talk about it. Go reread this stuff. It’s fuckin good.

The Books of Magic (1990) #1-4 [Neil Gaiman] (x)

The original Books of Magic series is essentially a guided tour of the DC universe’s magic side. Each issue focuses on a specific part of the universe, most of which are callbacks to comics that, I promise, you do not need to have read. The main three reasons to include this is: a) it’s fun, b) Tim as a character gets his own series which becomes part of the Sandman Universe relaunch, and c) it’s a nice place to learn a bunch of DC magic stuff which might show up later without having to drag yourself through the wiki and or read a thousand other comics. Then again this list is over 570 comics long, so maybe that second part’s not much of an issue here.

Sandman (1989) #29-31, Special #1, #32-50 [Neil Gaiman] (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

This begins with the Distant Mirrors collection (rather than placing them in the Fables & Reflections TP) and runs all the way to the end of Brief Lives and the Ramadan issue (essentially the end of Distant Mirrors, albeit two years later). Brief Lives and A Game of You are still my favourite Sandman collections, the best examples of what I call “human Sandman,” focused on dreamers and their lives and all that, and “Endless Sandman,” focused on the affairs of Dream and his funky family.

Death: The High Cost of Living #1-3 [Neil Gaiman]

The first Death spinoff! It’s based on the one-day-as-a-human thing she does, it’s a lot of fun, and other side characters from Sandman make an appearance! Look, we all know these are good. I don’t have as much to say about them as I do about the obscure comics from the early 2000s that it feels like only I read.

The Children’s Crusade: The Children’s Crusade #1, Black Orchid Annual #1, Animal Man Annual #1, Swamp Thing Annual #7, Doom Patrol Annual #2, Arcana (The Books of Magic) Annual #1, The Children’s Crusade #2 [Neil Gaiman, Nick Foreman, Jamie Delano, Nancy A. Collins, Rachel Pollack, John Ney Rieber, Alisa Kwitney] (x)

This is a crossover between all the big Vertigo titles, focused on the children of each series. Don’t worry about what’s actually going on in the individual series the annuals are from, but the overall plot (by Neil Gaiman) focuses on what the Dead Boy Detectives (Charles and Edwin from Sandman #25) have been up to since escaping Death. They get more very good spinoff content later on, and apparently they’re getting a tv show soon which should be fun.

Death Talks About Life [Neil Gaiman] (x)

This is the short AIDS educational comic. John Constantine has a banana. I like it, I think it deserves a place in this list. Apparently Neil Gaiman almost got arrested for it which is some king shit honestly.

The Spectre (1992) #19-22 [John Ostrander]

This is a very meh arc of a Spectre series that I have not read anything else of. But Lucien is in it briefly so I did read this bit. And in my opinion? Completionism was not worth this boring comic.

Sandman (1989) #51-75 [Neil Gaiman] (x) (x) (x)

The big finale! Worlds’ End and The Wake bookend the massive 12 issue The Kindly Ones arc, so I think keeping all of them together makes a certain amount of sense.

The Books of Magic (1994) #1-20 [John Ney Rieber] (x)

The start of the proper Books of Magic ongoing series (this series being one of my favourite things I’ve read for this) expands nicely on what we know about Tim from the Neil Gaiman miniseries. A lot of plotlines also get picked up from the Children’s Crusade event, and stuff from there is explained and expanded upon. Look, I love this series so much and I think that, while what the Sandman Universe reboot did with it was entertaining, this is still much better.

Sandman: Midnight Theatre [Neil Gaiman, Matt Wagner]

This explores the golden age Sandman, Westley Dodds, and also gives a look at Dream in captivity. The actual Sandman content isn’t a huge part of it, mostly focusing on character that are presumably a part of Vertigo’s Sandman Mystery Theatre series of which this is technically a spinoff. Still, it’s enjoyable, the art is nice, and we get a nice look at the Order of Ancient Mysteries that we don’t really see in Sandman.

Death: The Time of Your Life #1-3 [Neil Gaiman]

Death spinoff 2! This one focuses completely on Hazel and Foxglove after A Game of You and The High Cost of Living, and is less about Death herself (although this isn’t the Death spinoff with the least Death in it. We’ll get there).

The Books of Magic (1994) #21-32, Annual #1, #33-38 [John Ney Rieber] (x)

More of a transitionary period in the series, Molly gets sent off on her own subplot while Tim wanders aimlessly around America for a bit. The America stuff can get confusing and disjointed and doesn’t quite fit into a compelling coherent narrative, but Molly’s plotline more than makes up for it

The Dreaming (1996) #1-16 [Terry LaBan, Peter Hogan, Alisa Kwitney, Bryan Talbot, Jeff Nicholson] (x)

While the best bits of this series are yet to come, there are some good stories in this first, more loosely connected section. That being said, the first 3-issue arc in particular isn’t exactly a perfect example of what the strengths of this series will be, and really it’s just treading water waiting for a writer to come along with a good overall vision for the series. Don’t worry, that’ll come.

The Books of Faerie #1-3 [Bronwyn Carlton]

This seems like a fairly standard telling of an origin story, but it actually ends up providing insights into Tim’s actual true parentage which was left entirely up in the air in the issue of Books of Magic that this picks up from. Which is nice, because I was kinda confused.

The Dreaming (1996) #17-25 [Caitlin R Kiernan, Al Davison, Peter Hogan]

This is really where this series starts to show what it’s gonna be good at. The arc that begins in #17 is the first to be written by Caitlin R. Kiernan, and introduces characters, concepts, and themes which will become very important when they eventually take over writing the series, as well as just being really fucking good.

Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1 [Neil Gaiman, Caitlin R Kiernan, John Ney Rieber]

These winter specials are always something of a mixed bag. For what’s relevant here, Neil Gaiman offers a Desire-based story which is confusing and vague and has little to do with Sandman aside from featuring an Endless, the Books of Magic segment is just a short and inconsequential adventure for Tim, and Caitlin R Kiernan clealy shines when they provide a Cain and Abel short which is both a fair bit of fun and establishes concepts and themes which will become very relevant for some of their later writing.

The Books of Magic (1994) Annual #2, #39-50 [John Ney Rieber]

It’s time for a big ol’ finale for the John Ney Rieber run on this series! A whole bunch of characters return! Excitement! Action! Magic! Chocolate! A surprise twist involving a character from very early on in Sandman! What more could you want, really?

Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold #1-3 [Alisa Kwitney]

This is essentially a series of historical stories that loosely connect to one character who is somewhat linked to Destiny. It’s good, even if the stuff about a huge plague in the 21st century is a weird read now, and the individual issues are also pretty long. Don’t go in expecting a spinoff starring Destiny or providing insights into how all his shit works. The story is rather built around him, like a lot of Sandman around Dream, or the next-but-one item on this list around Death, and if you take it with that in mind you’ll enjoy it more than if you expect something it’s not.

The Dreaming (1996) #26, Special #1, #27-34 [Caitlin R Kiernan, Len Wein, Peter Hogan]

The Many Mansions arc, beginning with #27, is the first section of The Dreaming that’s felt like it’s really shaken up the status quo, and has taken big risks with the characters in service of the story. One of the main strengths of the series, in my opinion, is the fact that it allows what were simple running jokes, exaggerated horror hosts, or side characters to Dream’s angst a time to shine, both in the sense that they get the spotlight, but also that they are allowed to change, grow, and don’t end up in the same role as the series continues.

The Girl Who Would Be Death #1-4 [Caitlin R Kiernan]

This is a spinoff of The Dreaming and ties in with characters that Caitlin R Kiernan has already established, as well as establishing a few more, rather than being a sequel to Gaiman’s previous Death series. As with much of their writing in this universe, it’s got a brilliant atmosphere and fascinating characters. Also, it’s now canon that Death was at least one lesbian’s gay awakening which I think is the most realistic thing that’s ever been shown in any Sandman comic.

Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #2 [Neil Gaiman, Peter Gross, Caitlin R Kiernan]

The Sandman segment in this one is much stronger in my opinion, pulling on threads that are hinted at and explaining things from Sandman to give a good look at Death as an actual character. The Books of Magic story is the same sort of thing as the previous years, just a nice inconsequential short story with Tim. Again, though, Kiernan’s The Dreaming story is the best of the ones that I bothered to read, setting up things for the future and also providing some down-time to acknowledge the way that the status quo has shifted.

Sandman Presents: Lucifer: The Morningstar Option #1-3 [Mike Carey]

The beginning of another major spinoff line! This one’s fun, and also the start of the Sandman Presents collection of miniseries that came out from 1999-2004. Its plot also sets up the events of Mike Carey’s subsequent Lucifer series, so read this is you want the start of that to make any sense at all.

The Books of Magic (1994) #51-56, Annual #3, #57-63 [Peter Gross, Peter Hogan] (x) (x)

Idrk what to say here, I’ve already talked at length about how much I love this series. The exploration of private school culture is interesting even if it doesn’t last, and the multiversal implications of the Other are also very fun. That being said, sometimes the Peter Gross run does feel like it’s repeating what happened earlier (awful things happen to Tim’s dad, Tim gives away his magic, an imposter Tim takes his place, idk).

Sandman Presents: Love Street #1-3 [Peter Hogan]

I have no idea if this miniseries contradicts any of John Constantine’s established backstory from Hellblazer but personally, I really enjoyed this one. It finds a way to involve itself in the Sandman universe that justifies its Sandman Presents title, even if the fact that it’s a Hellblazer book could have been more clear. It’s also good to see more of the dreaming during Dream’s absence, and show what the dreams themselves actually did then.

The Books of Faerie: Molly’s Story #1-4 [John Ney Rieber]

IF you can get past the fact that this series has the ugliest art out of any comic I’ve read, the story here is really neat and it’s always nice to see Molly back, and any exploration of Faerie is usually enjoyable. Just, give yourself a second to get used to the art. Molly really doesn’t look like herself.

The Dreaming (1996) #35-43 [Caitlin R Kiernan] (x)

The culmination of Echo’s story has a big ol’ pile of transgenderism, and despite what certain other sandman blogs will tell you, the ending of Fox and Hounds is not just a repeat of The Wake and really, I don’t know how one might come to that conclusion. For one thing, it’s not the end, nor is it as grand in scope, and for another, it scratches my brain in a particular way because, on a more meta level, the ending grapples with how the concept for The Dreaming differs from the concept of Sandman, and how that difference impacts the story and the characters.

The Books of Magic (1994) #64-67 [Peter Gross]

While I know that part of the whole point of this series is that Tim can’t really settle down anywhere for long, this little home he makes in these issues is by far my favourite and I wish it had lasted longer than the Peter Gross run on the series. Also, this is where I started my “hey Tim... you ain’t cis” crusade and I need everyone to know that this child is very very queer.

Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #3 [Neil Gaiman, Caitlin R Kiernan, Peter Gross]

Another weird Desire story that I’m not too fond of from Neil, and Kiernan’s Dreaming segment is nice enough, but my favourite is the absolute pure fluff of the Books of Magic part, which crosses over with Sandman again and also seems designed to make me ship Mary and Joh as hard as humanly possible and, believe me, I do.

The Books of Magic (1994) #68-75 [Peter Gross] (x) (x)

Another big finale, and this one actually represents more of an end of an era than #50 did. Gross ties it back in with the very beginning and resolves a bunch of loose plot threads, as well as giving cameos to a bunch of characters from the John Ney Rieber issues so that The Names of Magic can transition to a different sort of story. It’s just a shame that we have to ditch the entire recurring cast again. Ah well.

The Dreaming (1996) #44-49 [Caitlin R Kiernan]

This is just the Trinket arc which resolves, or at least brings back, most of the loose ends to do with faerie, with Cluracan and the Nemesis and Nuala returning, and also brings back everyone’s favourite transphobic witch.

Sandman Presents: Petrefax #1-4 [Mike Carey]

Look, word of warning, there are a lot of slurs used here by a writer who evidently does not know that’s a slur for romani people. Gritting my teeth and putting that aside, when this series actually gives Petrefax something to do that’s relevant to his skills it’s quite fun. But that only happens a couple of times in the whole series, a significant proportion of it is just fantasy worldbuilding I really don’t care about, and also did I mention they keep saying a slur? Because they do.

Lucifer (2000) #1-13 [Mike Carey]

I wasn’t immediately a fan of this series, but once it starts building out its recurring cast and gets into the characters a bit more, this is really fun. I was 100% sold by #4.

The Dreaming (1996) #50-60 [Caitlin R Kiernan, Bill Willingham] (x) (x)

Another series draws to a close, and while the last arc could have maybe done with another issue just to give it a little more time to flesh things out and provide a satisfying conclusion for every character, this series is so good, if you don’t mind it the fact that it all basically gets erased from contuniuty by the time of the Sandman Universe publishing line (I guess due to the New 52 or some other DC relaunch, or at least that’s the excuse that I expect they used) I would absolutely recommend it as a followup to Sandman, especially if you don’t want the shift to modern comic styles that the other option leaves you with.

The Names of Magic #1-5 [Dylan Horrocks]

Since Books of Magic #75 ended with Tim proclaiming that he finally knew who he was, was free from his destiny, and wasn’t going to be looking for someone to lead him, and now he was meeting his future on his own terms, having his first move be “ask for help” and then have him shoved in the direction of school by a bunch of more established adult characters seems kinda antithetical the the whole point of that last series. Still, this sets up the next series neatly and isn’t too annoying to get through.

Sandman Presents: Merv Pumpkinhead, Agent of DREAM [Bill Willingham] (x)

This book is one long extended James Bond joke. I do not care about James Bond. What’s going on? Why should I care? Why did the woman have sex with a pumpkin man? Help.

Lucifer (2000) #14-32 [Mike Carey]

Ahhh, now we get to the good shit. The Lucifer series reaches its first Big Event Where A Bunch Of Shit Goes Down in the Paradiso, Purgatorio, and Inferno arcs. I don’t know enough theology to tell you if most of this comes from Jewish or Christian teachings but it’s interesting and probably at least slightly heretical so I’m down.

The Little Endless Storybook [Jill Thompson]

This is cute. No other reason needs to be provided. Read it, it’s cute. (Also if you can find a copy I imagine it is a much better experience if you have a physical copy)

Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives #1-4 [Ed Brubaker]

If slightly frustrating with its actual detective side, this is a fun series that explores the boys and how their ghost powers actually work, and I look forward to what the next writer decides to do with them (and apparently they’re getting a show!! fuck yeah) (also uhhhh more like gayboy detectives amiright gamerz?)

Hunter: The Age of Magic #1-11 [Dylan Horrocks] (x)

It seems the little nosedive Tim’s story took in Names of Magic was only a short one, because right out of the gate Age of Magic is fantastic. The timeskip is slightly disconcerting, but it means we can skip all the “Tim learns magic” “Tim fucks another girl” “Tim discovers things” stages of his schooling and just have him finish and leave as quickly as possible, after using the setting to establish all that it needs to, and Tim can be free to do his own thing rather than being stuck in a “misadventures at the magic school“ style story.

Sandman Presents: The Corinthian #1-3 [Darko Macan]

This one’s mostly atmosphere, but it’s good atmosphere. It’s nice to see a little of the original Corinthian (rather than the rebooted version from The Dreaming) and how exactly he went bad, and what he was doing while Morpheus was imprisoned. Apparently elements of this (with the Corinthian’s experience in WW1) will be involved in the show, which is good because I can point at the screen and go “ooh! ooh! I know this one!” while my dad’s trying to watch, which is always fun.

Sandman Presents: The Thessaliad #1-4 [Bill Willingham]

I really wish I could like the Thessaly spinoffs. I love the character (despite her being claimed by TERFs apparently) and I wish we got more of her history, more of her being ruthless and cold and calculating, I’d especially love it if we explored how her normal life functions and how she does magic, but no, instead we get comedy hijinks with Fetch, the most annoying character to be introduced so far. Also the art is by Shawn McManus who is by far my least favourite Sandman artist and the only thing I actively dislike about A Game of You.

Lucifer: Nirvana [Mike Carey]

This is one of those fancy graphic novels with painted art and so on, but all that achieves is making it harder for me to focus on the story really. Tethys the Raven shows up which is neat. At least The Dreaming is still canon at this point.

Hunter: The Age of Magic #12-25 [Dylan Horrocks] (x) (x)

Big wrap-up of everything established from Names onwards, and a good end to the series, even if bringing back Molly again starts to get slightly tiresome (just let her live her life away from Tim. She’d be fine).

Sandman Presents: The Furies [Mike Carey]

Some of the Sandman Presents stories are spinoffs, or stories that happen to be set in the universe, but this really does feel like somewhere between a sequel and an epilogue to The Kindly Ones, giving Lyta more resolution than she got in the few pages she showed up in during The Wake. The “fancy graphic novel” problems I mentioned with Nirvana do make it a bit annoying to read, but it’s a good and interesting look at a character who got slightly left behind by the story once she’d succeeded in killing Dream off.

Hellblazer: Lady Constantine #1-4 [Andy Diggle]

I’m sure there’s parallels and references that I don’t get because I’ve only read the first few dozen Hellblazer comics, but this was really fun! Johanna is such a fun character and I loved her dynamic with her kid even if I knew they were gonna snuff it the minute they showed up.

Lucifer (2000) #33-40 [Mike Carey]

The Naglfar arc is my favourite sort of comic arc: every recurring character thrown together on a mission and forced to get along. Also, shit goes down with god and while I’m not gonna pretend to know what the precedent is for all this in the Tanakh or in the christian Bible, I’m enjoying whatever is happening immensely.

Sandman Presents: Bast #1-3 [Caitlin R Kiernan]

This is Caitlin R Kiernan’s last offering to Sandman, and it’s also one of their best. The exploration of Bast as a character and how the death of gods actually works is really good, honestly just read it, I’m not sure what else to say except it’s a shame this is the last comic of theirs in this universe.

Death: At Death’s Door [Jill Thompson] (x)

This one’s just a fun look behind the scenes of Season of Mists with Death, Delirium, and Despair dealing with all the dead that have just turned up. The style is so fun, I love the vibes, and also anything that gives Delirium a lot to do is an instant favourite.

Sandman: Endless Nights [Neil Gaiman]

The first of Neil’s followups, and while some of the more abstract or disconnected stories like Desire and Despair’s feel like they’re just there to fill space and give a chapter to every Endless, the (small) through-line of Delirium’s grief is really nicely done, and, again, this captures the consequences of and provides a followup to the ending of Sandman in more depth than The Wake did

Lucifer (2000) #41-49 [Mike Carey]

This part of the series splits its time, mostly focusing on Elaine and Mona’s fates, along with the rest of the supporting cast, while Lucifer does important overall plot things with the angels. I’m not complaining, though, this series has such a good cast of characters and I’d happily read a spinoff with any of them.

Sandman Presents: Thessaly: Witch For Hire #1-4 [Bill Willingham]

Reaching the end of the Sandman Presents series and this is how the original line of spinoffs ends. Not with a bang, but with an aimless and annoying whimper that really isn’t doing any of the things I want this character to be (except murderous. I do enjoy when she kills people). But I think Bill Willingham is somewhat allergic to writing a story with a dark tone that isn’t filled with constant jokes. Like, yes, having comic relief is important in every story lest it become grimdark edgy nonsense, but I would rather see Thessaly at her most fucked up and evil without a ghost trapped in a mirror doing a Funny Bit every other page. Maybe that’s just me, though.

Lucifer (2000) #50-61 [Mike Carey]

Reaching the endgame of the series, and almost every element that was set up gets involved in the last few dozen issues. Not sure what to say, this shit’s just really fucking good. Go read it!

Dead Boy Detectives (2005) [Jill Thompson]

If your detective story ends with the detectives putting together the clues to solve the mystery and publicly confronting the villain and then the villain explains that actually it was all innocent misunderstandings and they’re not guilty at all, I think maybe you shouldn’t be writing detective stories. Also all the crossdressing jokes got old very fast. This is by far the worst of all of these, and there’s some bad shit on this list at points.

Lucifer (2000) #62-75 [Mike Carey] (x)

The gert massive finale of this fantastic series really doesn’t disappoint. Characters get their arcs resolved in a mostly satisfactory manner, it does what DC did a few decades earlier in Crisis On Infinite Earths with resolving a multiverse in a much neater and less confusing way, and we learn that the god of the DC/Vertigo universe looks like the stereotype of a tory civil servant from the 1970s.

Madame Xanadu (2008) #6 [Matt Wagner]

The way Death is used in this is really interesting. For one thing, according to Death the whole “i give you a __” ritual is just set dressing for the intent which summons the Endless, so either Burgess did something really wrong or Death can tell when it’s a trap and tell when someone just wants a chat (and Dream is too stupid to tell and was also understandably destracted in 1916).

The Brave and the Bold (2007) #1-12 [Mark Waid]

The "Lords of Luck” arc, if kinda confusing, is interesting and brings in the Destiny elements in a cool way, even if the way they write Supergirl is sometimes uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gross. The “Book of Destiny” arc, by contrast, is just a series of tangentially linked stories and some of the most generic superhero comic stuff I’ve ever read, and the Book itself is only an afterthought in #12. Also, they gave Destiny the fancy Desire font instead of the harsh bold italics. Come on guys.

Action Comics (1938) #894 [Paul Cornell]

Another standalone Death issue within a broader series I have no interest in reading. She’s fun here too, and I always enjoy someone making Lex Luthor have a little bit of an existential crisis. This also seems to be the first significant appearance of Death outside Vertigo since the imprint began, as TBATB is for Destiny and Metal is for Dream.

Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1-4 [Neil Gaiman]

The story that Neil Gaiman accidentally trolled a bunch of academics in a tiny afterward to this story is very funny to me. I read the comic version rather than prose, I’m sure the prose is also very good because (shocking) Neil Gaiman happens to be a good writer.

House of Mystery Halloween Annual #1 [Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham]

Not much here innit just a fun merv story. If I wasn’t going for 100% I would not have even brought this up.

Dead Boy Detectives (2014) #1-12 [Toby Litt, Mark Buckingham] (x)

This is THE Dead Boy Detectives series, it’s the best by far because, amazingly, if you let your detective characters do detective work, the story is more engaging! Also, the series introduces a fantastic supporting cast, and actually delves into Charles and Edwin’s characters and all their masses of trauma from, y’know, being murdered. Also got me excited about the tv show they’re apparently making. Please let it be like this series and not like the shitearse Jill Thompson one. Please.

Sandman: Overture #1-6 [Neil Gaiman]

I have no idea why the reading list on the back of my copy lists this before Preludes and Nocturnes. Like yeah it’s a prequel technically, but if you hadn’t read Sandman before, reading it first would be a very bad idea since it hinges on lore from the series and also spoils the ending if you didn’t know what happened. If you have actually read Sandman though, yeah it’s fucking good idk what to say. It slaps.

Lucifer (2016) #1-19 [Holly Black, Richard Kadrey]

Honestly, I would have enjoyed this regardless of the writing because it has my favourite artist from my favourite Marvel series, Loki: Agent of Asgard (go read it. do it.), but the writing is also fantastic. It’s the perfect example of a followup that on the whole respects the original series, the themes established, and where the characters were left, before bringing things back into the fold in a realistic way to do something new with them, instead of just resetting continuity so that you don’t have to deal with somebody else’s recurring cast, *ahem*, the entire Sandman Universe reboot you do good things but you could leave some of this in canon, *ahem*. (Speaking of The Dreaming, the inclusion of Matthew makes this the first concrete confirmation that the 1996 series isn’t canon any more, which did make me a bit sad). Well worth a read if you’re a fan of the original!

Dark Nights: Metal #1-6 [Scott Snyder] (x)

It’s your usual boring comic book crossover event. Dream shows up and it sort of sets up the Sandman Universe series, but mostly this is about the usual multiverse bollocks that DC always does. "Batmanium” did make me laugh, though.

Sandman Universe #1 [Neil Gaiman, Simon Spurrier, Kate Howard, Nalo Hopkinson, Dan Watters] (x)

Plenty of setup here, but since I have no idea where any of it’s going I think I’ll just... Let my reviews of the series themselves do the work here instead.

The Dreaming (2018) #1-12 [Simon Spurrier] (x)

The issues with the start of this series are a lot more complicated than just “bad writer” or “incorrect characterisation”. In some cases the old characters are spot on, and the new characters are all fantastic, but something about the way Merv and Lucien develop in the first few issues feels a little forced. This series could have absolutely benefited from what the original Dreaming had - short story arcs focusing on specific parts of or people in the Dreaming that slowly, slowly come together to form a larger whole - and just slowed down the breakdown of Lucien and whatever they were going for with Merv enough that we get a good sense of where it comes from. Instead (probably more due to editorial rushing and a need to get the Big Threat of the first arc in the picture by the end of #2 to appease convention in modern comic storytelling, than the intentions of the writer), the political commentary and character progressions end up a bit hurried and I’m left with a feeling of “Yes logically I get how we got here, but like... how did we get here?”.

All of that being said, once it manages to get into the swing of things, this series is honestly a worthy successor to the original, even if I’m still annoyed about it replacing the original continuity entirely. The way that other Sandman characters are slowly brought in is really nicely done, and the development of the central mystery is intriguing and develops at a perfect rate to give answers, but also keep my interest going.

House of Whispers #1-12 [Nalo Hopkinson, Dan Watters]

Now this feels like Sandman. I love the characters, both human and godly, and the Ananse storyline makes me fall victim to my greatest weakness once again: stories that are about stories, that acknowledge that they’re stories, that twist the narrative of the tale it’s spinning and in doing so acknowledge the consequences of the characters existing in a world defined by narrative conflict. That’s my shit! Also I think it’s really cool that a comic published by one of the big two comic companies has a nonbinary character that uses neopronouns who also defines zirself as queer. Ze are iconic.

Lucifer (2018) #1-13 [Dan Watters]

The style and tone of this is very different to the other two Lucifer comics, and it exists outside of the continuity established by them (hence Lucifer having no scar, Remiel and Duma still ruling hell, Mazikeen’s dialogue takes a while to get used to, etc). Instead of being about the end of the universe and Lucifer’s attempts to get out from Yahweh’s rule while also saving the world surrounded by a huge supporting cast of characters we sympathise with instead of him, this series makes Lucifer pathetic in the best way. It’s much more introspective, and focuses on Lucifer, his ex-lover Sycorax, and their son Caliban, and how their relationships evolve. Also, the art is by far the best out of any of these Sandman Unvierse comics.

Books of Magic (2018) #1-13  [Kat Howard]

Again, a very different take on the same character. I’m not sure I like this one as much as Lucifer though. The focus is on the Cold Flame and Rose from the original Neil Gaiman series, although some elements from the Rieber/Gross series make it through, in particular some interesting things are being done with Tim’s dad. This is fun enough, and I’m interested to see where it goes, but I still much prefer the style of the original.

The Sandman Universe Presents: Hellblazer [Simon Spurrier] 

This one-shot spins out of the 1990 Books of Magic miniseries, and explores what the fuck was actually going on in that potential future they showed. I’m sure it also ties into various bits of Hellblazer but, as already mentioned, I haven’t read more than a couple dozen issues of that series yet and it still made sense.

The Dreaming (2018) #13-20 [Simon Spurrier] (x)

The finale to this series is so good! Like I said earlier, the way that the mystery is slowly revealed works so well, and bringing all the threads together slowly is so satisfying when a writer can do it well. Also, the things it does with Lucien as the narrator in a meta sense is very fun.

House of Whispers #13-22 [Nalo Hopkinson, Dan Watters]

The way that this series builds its characters and worlds is so good, the balance between the human and godly characters especially. I’m also a big fan of how weird-looking the Corinthian is, I think some artists forget to draw him like a nightmare who’s slightly out of sync with reality in a “he looks creepy as fuck sometimes” kinda way.

Lucifer (2018) #14-24 [Dan Watters]

Word of warning: you will need to find the 3rd TPB collection if you want to read the actual conclusion of the Wild Hunt arc, because #19 was never published and the next collection was #20-24. I think it had something to do with covid, idk. Putting that aside, the art here is great and I love the way Lucifer works in this series. Probably the best of the initial four Sandman Universe lines.

Books of Magic (2018) #14-23 [Kat Howard, David Barnett]

The second half is much better than the first (as it seems is the case with a lot of these) , and the finale arc pulls in a few other Sandman related characters which are all fun (even if they don’t always make sense entirely). It’s still nowhere near as good as the original Rieber/Gross series, but it’s fun in its own way.

John Constantine: Hellblazer (2020) #1-12 [Simon Spurrier] (x)

I have not read enough Hellblazer to compare it to what came before, but this is an absolutely fantastic series. The tone is brilliantly managed, the supporting cast is endearing, John’s arc is engaging, and the series knows when to be funny, when to be brutal, when to be horrific, when to be tragic, when to be political, and when to force me to look at a drawing of Boris Fucking Johnson.

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #1-12 [G. Willow Wilson] (x)

This is the most Sandman-feeling SU series, and I mean that in a good way. We get a good amount of seeing Daniel in action, the cast of new characters are all fun, and it feels like a good followup to The Dreaming without stepping on its toes - it uses the new characters as a natural part of the universe, and utilises the plotlines left hanging in a good way. My only real problem with it is a problem I have with a lot of comic series that only run for a dozen issues - the wrapup is a bit rushed to fit it all into one issue, we don’t really get time for the characters to settle into their endings before it’s over.

Locke & Key/Sandman #1-2 [Joe Hill]

The first three-quarters of this are very fun, but it does get a bit boring once they go to hell. Lucifer feels out of character, and I do not have any idea what the normal Locke & Key series is about, so there’s no way for me to be invested in these characters. The stuff that actually takes place in the Dreaming itself is fun, though, and I like the look into Fawney Rig during Sandman #1. Also, it’s always very funny to see a series have to write itself around continuity and go “hey hang on, why don’t the various dreams go rescue Dream?” While we don’t get a satisfactory answer to that, it’s not really what they were focusing on anyway so I have no reason to get angry about it like some people might.

Nightmare Country #1-? [James Tynion IV]

This series is only four issues in at the moment so I can’t say anything conclusive, but it’s got some great creepy shit in it (some of it reminds me of Caitlin R Kiernan’s work with the Corinthian in the original Dreaming) and I was convinced enough by it to pre-order the next two issues, which I look forward to reading!

---

I’m probably meant to put a conclusion paragraph here but my English teacher would probably agree when I say I’m kinda crap at them. The best long series to spring from Sandman are Lucifer and Books of Magic, Caitlin R Kiernan was the best writer on The Dreaming, and Waking Hours is probably the best of the Sandman Universe books but you’re absolutely in safe hands with any of them. The Sandman Presents comics are good for the most part, but the quality varies wildly. Every time there’s a non-Vertigo series which involves Sandman characters it’s probably not worth it. Don’t bother with the Dead Boy Detectives graphic novel, read the Litt/Buckingham series instead. And most importantly, don’t tell me that I forgot that one 2008 (?) House of Mystery series. I did indeed forget it, but to be fair I didn’t know it existed until I saw a copy in the library the other day and I cannot be bothered reading it now.

#sandman #the sandman #sandman netflix #comicc #books of magic #dead boy detectives #the dreaming #nightmare country #sandman universe #hellblazer #house of whispers #lucifer #lily liveblogs #dream of the endless #death of the endless #the dreaming waking hours #vertigo #dc #lily dot tee ex tee

[end-otw-racism]

Upcoming Deadline for Candidate Q&A!

[Alt text: Image of a two-toned brown owl typing at a laptop in a cartoony style, image credit @sciencebluefeelings ]

The deadline to submit questions for the Candidate Q&A is this Sunday!

In order to qualify, questions must be received by 11:59 pm UTC on June 25 (what time is that where I live?). Every candidate running for the OTW Board will answer each question, and their answers will be posted to the OTW Elections Blog in July.

This is a great opportunity for those that want to get involved with our cause to make OTW's efforts to address racism and racist harassment a topic of discussion in this election. By submitting questions on how the candidates plan to address racism during their term we can get a feel for the candidates’ stances on this issue, which will be essential when voting. We encourage everyone to take some time and submit questions on this topic. And anyone can submit questions! You don't have to be an OTW member to get involved. All you have to do is load up the Elections form, select "Candidate Q&A" from the drop-down menu, and send those questions in.

Note that some restrictions may apply! Specifically these:

Questions can be a maximum of 50 words long.

Questions must not be repeats of questions from the Platforms. This is to allow candidates to spend their time answering new questions.

Similar questions will be grouped together so candidates don’t have to repeat themselves. Elections volunteers will decide which questions are similar enough to group.

If you have a follow-up to a Platform question, please specifically mention that it is a follow-up so it isn’t treated as a repeat.

Tip: You can find these rules on the 2023 Election Candidates Announcement as well as links to each candidate's platform.

What's next? June 30th is the last day you can become a member and still vote in the upcoming election. Find out more at the OTW's Election Timeline 2023.

[Alt Text: Image of a two-toned owl in flight with a text bubble that reads “Fandom Against Racism” in a cartoony style. image credit @sciencebluefeelings]

-- The Fandom Against Racism Team (& making their debut, our new owl friend!*)

*If you'd like to help us name our new owl friend (pronouns they/them), drop us a suggestion and we'll pick the one that suits them best!

#end otw racism #vote to end otw racism #VoteToEndOTWRacism #EndOTWRacism #ao3 #otw #archive of our own #organization for transformative works

[nonpracticingintellectual]

Formula 1 2026 Engine Regulation Changes - TEXT BLOCK

I wrote up this explanation of each of the engine regulation changes for my WIFE and it's good enough I wanted to share it here.

Formula 1 2026 Engine Regulation Changes:

1: **New fuel must be 100% carbon free fuel, part of the FIA's plan for "net zero carbon" F1 racing by 2030.** ARAMCO is leading the research into the new carbon-neutral fuel. The goal is to be able to reuse municipal waste, food waste, or even gas pulled from the atmosphere to fuel cars. As of now it's being tested only in Formula racing, but the goal is to slowly release this fuel for road use as well across the world. Right now the F1 cars run on E10 (90% gasoline, 10% renewable ethanol). F1 and the FIA are the best people to lead this project because they know that full electric cars are not attainable for most people in the world and so replacing fuel with a carbon-neutral fuel (carbon is pulled from the environment to make the fuel, and the same amount is emitted by the engine. This essentially maintains the carbon equilibrium.) Formula 2 and Formula 3 are already running on a fuel mix comprised with 55% of this new biofuel. F1 is really driving sustainable practices. They are the first motorsport to use FSC (Forest Sustainability Council) certified tires, McLaren is releasing their new carbon fiber recycling (first industrial scale use), all of F1's DHL delivery trucks for European races run on 100% biofuel as of last year, all 10 teams have received the FIA's 3-star environmental accreditation.

2: **Increased electric power in the cars** - as of right now its 75% engine/25% electric power. The goal is 50%/50% by increasing the MGU-K unit from 120 kW to a 350 kW generator - this is what Verstappen is worried about as there isn’t an equivalent increase in battery size meaning the current ~30 second max boost from the electric motors will be reduced to ~10 seconds with the larger motor and same battery size. Drivers will have to downshift during straights to charge the battery more often, hopefully leading to closer racing as people won’t be able to just fly off using the electric motors.

3: **No more MGU-H** (this will help people like Stake or other small teams) - this was primarily driven by the fact that we have 2 new engine producers in 2026: Audi and Honda are joining the field and will need time to develop engines to catch up with teams like Ferrari and Red Bull. The issue is the MGU-H almost completely solved turbo lag (if you notice in your car, the turbo doesnt spool up until a certain RPM, the MGU-H spools the turbo from the time of acceleration, allowing for all waste exhaust to be used for charging the battery instead of wasting some spooling the turbo). This may lead to the return of Schumacher level throttle control to keep the turbo spooled during cornering. It’s going to be a learning curve for the racers who have only ever raced with an anti-lag system like the MGU-H.

4: **Reduced fuel allowance** - cars burn through around 100 kg of fuel per race, in 2026 this will be limited to 70 kg. The new engines ARE more efficient so it should equal out to the same power for less fuel.

The FIA is also pushing teams towards focusing less on raw engine power and more on aerodynamics and drag reduction to improve engine efficiency. Essentially, this is a test bed for the future of all high end racing by developing incredibly efficient powerful engines with a smaller form factor and better

#formula 1 #f1 2026 #f1 #formula1 #ferrari #mercedes #stake #formula racing #formula 1 racing #f1 racing

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #25

Batgirl (2000) #10 Words: Kelley Puckett Pictures: Scott & Campanella

With a new status quo established, the book takes a break from serialized business and goes back to stand alone episodic stories for a bit, like as with issue #2 from way back when. And as with issue #2, the focus is on "street level" stories emphasizing the humanity of the characters involved, the sort of smaller stories that would get lost in the over-the-top action and larger-than-life supervillains of typical superhero comics.

I don't have too much to say about this story specifically. It's kind of a sad bit about a guy named Kenny with extreme inferiority issues and a mean violent streak who gets fired from a job he didn't think he deserved in the first place, doesn't think he will ever find anything else, and decides to take out the new boss who let him go in a murder suicide.

Despite Cass's attempted intervention he succeeds at the murder part, but fails at the suicide part when it turns out he's metahuman and literally bullet proof. His whole life convinced of and consumed by his own inadequacy only to find out too late just how special he really was.

Like with Mr. Merc in issue one, Kenny's not a good guy, not a good person. But the story takes pains to humanize him. It invites you to empathize with him. Sort of a 'bad people are still people' motif that runs through a lot of Cass's early stories and ties into her relationship with her father, but also to her own feelings of guilt and inadequacy. The issue never directly draws a connection between Kenny and Cass, but there's a really strong parallel there even so, too strong for me to believe it's just a coincidence.

Cass also has a job that she loves, that she commits everything to, but that she doesn't feel she actually deserves. She's also sure at any moment her boss might realize just how unsuited she really is and fire her, bringing down her entire life around her, shutting her off from the only future she can see for herself. What would Cass do then? Would she give up? Would she lash out, like Kenny did? It's not even hypothetical, we just got out of an arc where Cass lost her job and essentially committed herself to suicide-by-Shiva to get it back.

So if there's that much in common between Cass and Kenny, then has Cass also been unwittingly denying herself a bigger life and a better future this entire time, just like Kenny had? One she hasn't been able to see because she's been to focused on keeping a job and a life that deep down she doesn't even believe she deserves? And if so, will she realize in time to do something about it, or like Kenny will it be too late?

....

Ok, so I guess I had more to say about this particular story than I thought.

Other than that, I think it's also worth taking a look at how the storytelling style has changed now that Cass can talk - or more to the point how it hasn't. Even though Cass can talk now, even through she does have an internal monologue expressed in words, we don't actually see it in this issue. There are narration blocks, but they're entirely from Kenny's perspective. Cass has word bubbles when she talks to Babs, but when she's on her own she's as silent as she ever was, and her emotional state and though processes are conveyed through the art, through her poses and expressions, just like before.

Like in this bit where she tries to knock Kenny out and he just no-sells it with an 'ow', and she looks at her fist in confusion before winding up to hit him /extra/ hard, her cape wrapping around her in the pose to convey just how much extra force she's packing into the second hit.

I also like how Cass and Babs start and end the book with Babs trying to get Cass to ease off on training and try to engage on some normal life activities, and both times Cass passes in favor of more training. The first time, you get the feeling that she's training so much for the joy of having her abilities back, and there is a random fight against some street toughs where you get the sense that she's kind of playing with them...

(I love how the belt of big boxy pouches acts like a skirt to add an extra feeling of motion and specificity to the silhouette)

But then at the end when Cass is doubling down on training you can tell it's because she failed, that she feels she should have saved that woman, that she could have if she were better.

...

So anyway, it's nice to see that even though Cass is talking now, the core artistic concepts that were basically the reason she was mute in the first place - to get her stories away away from the reliance on narration, to let the artwork do more of the heavy lifting in both narrative and characterization - that's all still here. At least with her current creative team. At least for now.

#Cassandra Cain #Batgirl #Sception reads Cassandra Cain

[batmanego]

COLE CASH READING LIST

cole's backstory is kind of a nightmare to wade through as he has been subject to so many retcons and reboots and general fuckery, but here is a list of issues i consider to be essential in understanding his character and/or key points in his backstory, with some explanation/extrapolation added.

bolded is essentials, italicized is personal favorites. links included.

wildc.a.t.s: covert action teams: this is the og comic. not too cole-centric, but there are some important bits and pieces. wildcats trilogy and grifter (1995) are included for chronological reasons.

issue 1, issue 5, issue 8, wildcats trilogy 1, wildcats trilogy 2, wildcats trilogy 3, issue 20, grifter (1995) issue 1, issue 25, issue 31, issue 32, issue 50

grifter (1996): cole solo series. has some important things related to his past and his psyche. i really like this series. it should be noted that (SPOILERS!) cole's dad being alive is literally never acknowledged in any other cole media ever, so it's fair to say that that is not canon and jacob is still extremely dead.

issue 1, issue 2, issue 3, issue 4, issue 5. i think the rest of the comic is pretty good too but you don't have to read it.

wildcats (1999): i really, genuinely recommend reading this entire series. it is an excellent examination of the horrors of war and what it means to be a good person. it is also a buddy cop comedy about three guys trying desperately to run a company. it is very, very good, and i couldn't bring myself to narrow it down.

issue 1 is here. start with that and then read the whole comic. please also read the annual, because Holy God.

team 7 (1994): this miniseries is very short, and the whole thing is pretty essential to cole's character.

start here.

team 7: dead reckoning: see above.

start here.

point blank: takes place after/during wildcats 1999. again, a short miniseries essential to cole's character.

start here.

wildcats 3.0: god, i hate wildcats 3.0. there's some relevant cole stuff, though. tw for rape in regards to everything that wax (blue suit spooky eyes guy) has going on in issue 8.

issue 1, issue 2, issue 3, issue 4, issue 5, issue 8, issue 9

wildcats (2006): lots could be said about grant morrison and jim lee's failed one-issue venture into wildcats, but i actually think the single issue they put out is really good when it comes to characterizing cole. it is not canon even a little bit, though.

read it here.

wildcats (2008), more commonly known as wildcats: worlds end: it's... okay. it's an apocalypse narrative. we get some fun tidbits about cole and he does one important thing.

issue 1, issue 18

grifter (2011): kind of a weird take on the classic daemonite thing, but the discussion between cole and his brother is important, so i'm putting it here.

issue 3, issue 8

batman: urban legends: i think his stories in this are cute, if a little apocryphal (saying max is his older brother? for shame!). also, it is an anthology series, so you'll have to skim to find his stories.

issue 1, issue 2, issue 3, issue 4, issue 5

#comic recommendations #cole cash #ferris reading list #dc #wildstorm #wildcats #tadaaaaa

[echoesdaffodil]

What can you read/watch to pass the time while you wait for Dead Boy Detectives?

Just because I feel like it

- Sandman: Seasons of Mist or Sandman #25 (if you just want to read the issue featuring them)

First appearance, gives the basic information and what both characters have been through.

- Sandman presents: Dead Boy Detectives

I'm reading it right now, Tedious art I must say but typical for 2001. The story is fun so far. Typical murder mystery with the twist that they are ghosts and therefore approach things differently.

- Dead Boy Detectives (2014)

I read it in preparation for the show in December. Explains the character of Crystal (who becomes essential for the series) and the art itself is absolutely banging. The story is a bit confusing and it leads to a relatively open ending, it seems as if they canceled it halfway through. Still a good series.

- The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives

Eh. Good series. I have it all in single issues and with B covers. But it makes more sense to read it after the (2014) run. The ghosts and the geographical system are a bit whack. Art is also very basic. Story is solid but also heartbreaking.

- Doom Patrol Show: Dead Patrol

Shows a bit how the two characters can be in life action. I don't know how much sense that makes if you haven't seen the series in general, but it should work as a standalone.

What I haven't read yet/or it was too long ago and therefore can't give any information on

- Children Crusade 1-2

- Free Country: A Tale of The Children‘s Crusade 1-2

- Swamp Thing Annual #7

- Doom Patrol Annual #2

- Death: At Death's Door

#sandman #dead boy detectives show #dead boy detectives #edwin paine #edwin payne #charles rowland

[michaeljoncarter]

do you have any recommendations for dick and jason (together or separate, both is fine) comics for someone who’s just starting to read them? i have some knowledge of the characters and batfam and i’ve read several batman comics, but i never really got into the robins-after-they-were-robins comis so i’d like to start with dick and jason…thank you so much :)

okay, this was meant to be a sort of joint answer to this & another ask that was someone interested in getting into comics for the first time asking for recs, but then i accidentally deleted it :'') so just. pretend all the references in here to being a first time comic reader make sense in response to this question (and sorry to whoever sent that other ask!!!)

i'm probably not the best person to ask if you're looking for more up to date stuff, since i lost interest in the bats when i got to the new 52, and it's been… a while since i actually read either of their comics. so i'm just all around not the one to be answering a bat-ask with any sort of authority, but! jason & dick were two of the first characters i read when i was first getting into comics, too, so i can say with some level of confidence that they're a pretty good place to start, and i think i can maybe provide a bit of perspective that way by steering you toward the things i found easy & away from the things that were difficult as a newer reader?

so basically, this is going to be an extremely biased rec list where the most important thing is essentially just whether or not i had a good time reading it when i was like 17 that i'm writing while hopped up on cold medicine. so i don't know. it might (??) be a little helpful for brand new people, but hardcore fans might wanna just... keep scrolling & not click to see the details on this one lol

for jason, there are, sadly (?), way fewer comics to have to sort through

i can't tell if you only wanted post-robin comics or not, but just in case, jason's robin run was from Batman #408 - 429. if you're just starting out, this might be a bit… boring in the middle. the most (arguably only) important issues are #408 - 411, #416 for our first post-crisis jason & dick interaction, and #424 - 429. the Batman: The Cult miniseries is also set during his robin era, and is probably one of my all-time favorite comics, so that's definitely worth a look, too

post-resurrection, the first thing jason technically appears in is Batman: Hush (Batman #608-619). i don't know if this will be seen as a horrendous take because i've never really been able to get a read on what the general consensus on this arc is, but i think it's… fine? kinda boring. as someone who was just getting into comics for the first time when i read it, it just lost me. too much going on, too many characters i didn't know or care about yet. granted, i'm kinda dumb with zero attention span, so you may well have a very different experience... but i just think it's worth mentioning. jason's only there from #617 - 618, so if it ends up being the same sort of trial for you that it was for my impatient ass, you can just skip it and come back later when you're more familiar with batman comics as a whole (like i did)

and with that: THE BIG ONE

Batman: Under the Hood runs from Batman #635 - 641, then a pause for unrelated issues of bruce running around gotham (strongly recommend skipping these), then picks back up with Batman #645 - 650 and Batman Annual #25. Batman Villains: Secret Files and Origins (2005) also happened somewhere in here. it was published right after Batman #640, i think. it doesn't actually matter because jason doesn't even show up, but he DOES have a little character page. i just think it's Neat, and i never see it getting mentioned anywhere else. so here you go. a mention

also while this arc was going on, geoff johns went rogue and dropped Teen Titans (2003) #29 to kickstart jason's character assassination before they'd even finished establishing his character to begin with. this issue is one of those things where discussion of it usually ends with the internet equivalent of someone throwing a chair, flipping a table, or trying to burn a house down, so… all i can really say is i, personally, hate everything about it and as far as i'm concerned, it's non-canon. never happened. i don't know who that man is, but the things he does in this issue are, for whatever reason, pretty important to the history of jason todd as a character, so it's still a necessary read

now, from here, i'm gonna need you to BUCKLE UP because you are about to be exposed to some weapons grade comic book nonsense. Brothers in Blood (Nightwing #118 - 124) was the first we really saw of jason after his comeback arc ended. it's where he and dick interact for the first time after his death, and it is absolutely cuckoo bananas insane. if you've never heard anything about this storyline before, i am BEGGING you to not look anything about it up before you read it. go into this blind. it's so much more than just a story. it's an experience. this is unironically one of my favorite arcs of all time. going into this with zero prior knowledge as someone brand new to comics as a medium & still very unfamiliar with all their eccentricities is still to this day one of my FAVORITE comic book reading experiences ever. some truly groundbreaking stuff here

the next time (as far as i'm aware) that we get dick & jason interacting, it's very briefly in Outsiders (2003) #44 - 46

the only other jason book i really remember enjoying was another of the classics, the Red Hood: Lost Days miniseries that explores the time between his resurrection and reappearance. this one is a favorite, too, but for the right reasons this time lol

as for dick, there's… a lot

i'm gonna try to whittle it down to just the all-time faves, but if you're up for tackling whole series, pretty much all of The New Teen Titans (and all its variations/retitles) are at the top of the list. it's a lot of issues, yes, but it's very self-contained and imo a very easy read, which is important when you're new

i can never quite put my finger on what, exactly, it is, but there's something about some comics that just makes them hard to read--bad composition or pacing issues or something. especially as a newer reader, i had a hard time understanding wtf was happening in a lot of books, but New Teen Titans is one of those books that just flows. your eye naturally knows exactly which panel to find next, characters are distinct & easy to tell apart even in crowded scenes, and you're never confused about who's saying what. the number of issues can be intimidating, but it's a really, really good place to start for new readers, including and especially if you're interested in nightwing. here's a full reading order, if you're interested in giving it a go!

it's almost impossible for me to cherrypick a few "most important" issues for dick because there's an important character moment nearly every other issue, but if i absolutely had to pick just a couple: The Judas Contract, (along with being arguably the most iconic arc) is where he stops being robin & takes on the identity of nightwing for the first time. it starts way back with deathstroke's introduction in The New Teen Titans (1980) #2, but doesn't really kick off proper until The New Teen Titans (1980) #39, and then just after this, the book was renamed to Tales of the Teen Titans, the arc continued in Tales of the Teen Titans #42 - 44, and then wrapped up in Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #3

later, on the dick & jason front, in The New Titans #55, we get a bit of jason action with dick finding out about his death in this issue & going to confront bruce about it (it does not go well), and then Batman: Year 3 (Batman #436 - 439) is an arc that is both a sort of re-exploration of dick's origin and about dick & bruce dealing with the aftermath of jason's death

Titans (1999) is always high on the list for me, but it's hard to really think of any specific issues for dick specifically, so here's just a general rec. maybe something to come back to a little later, since there are a lot of characters involved, and you're sort of expected to be at least a little familiar with them beforehand

i'm doing some truly extreme time skipping here, and i'm sure more devout dick fans will (validly) have Thoughts about this (i'm gonna link some better rec lists from more competent people, dw), but outside of The New Titans, i have no strong feelings about, like, anything that dick grayson did throughout the entirety of the 90s. sorry! my recommendation is to skip straight to the mid-2000s. Outsiders (2003) is one of my all-time faves in general and definitely one of my favorite takes on dick

Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day is the thing that kicks off the Outsiders era, then Titans/Outsiders Secret Files (2003), and then starts Outsiders (2003). the first ~25 or so issues are full of the highest quality dick content

and, horrifying quite a few people, i'm sure, i am going to recommend jumping directly to devin grayson's run in Nightwing (1996). and then, insult to injury, i am ONLY going to recommend devin grayson's run

i'm sure a few people just closed the tab in a fit of rage, but just to preemptively defend myself here, this isn't necessarily a glowing endorsement of her take on dick (though i do like her run just fine & think she gets way more flack than she deserves, which is something i'm absolutely not interested in arguing about lol). it's just that i remember trying to read Nightwing (1996) as a newer reader, and i remember giving up on it multiple times because it just wasn't fun until someone finally recommended that i start with grayson. this is obviously a very subjective thing, but i think a big part of what made those early issues so difficult was just how much was going on around them

earlier issues crossover and tie-in and reference all these events that were happening elsewhere in the universe and just generally expect the reader to be able to roll with the punches a lot more, which is fantastic & exactly what you want when you've been reading comics for a while, but for someone still trying to get a feel for all of this, it just made things kinda frustrating and confusing and could be a pretty big turnoff. grayson's run is much more self-contained and easy to follow without needing that much prior knowledge (without going too far & ending up feeling detached & unrelated to the world around it). big disclaimer/warning that the portrayal of romani people here is… Not Good. to put it mildly

it starts with Nightwing (1996) #71 and runs with no crossovers all the way until War Games begins with Nightwing (1996) #96. i cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone read War Games, so… maybe (maybe.) just skim the tie-in issues and come back later if/when you're more invested in batman comics. otherwise, it might turn you off altogether, and that's… barely an exaggeration. it's pretty much exactly what happened to me when i stared my getting-into-comics-books journey with Nightwing (1996) very early on and made the mistake of actually trying to read it when i reached it. it may not be as bad in retrospect, but i'm biased and i hate it and i don't care. fuck War Games

Nightwing (1996) #101 - 106 are Nightwing: Year One, which retells dick's early days as nightwing & includes a revamped first meeting with jason. mixed opinions on this one all around, from what i understand, but here it is. after this, grayson's run ends right before Brothers in Blood starts in #118, and i can't really say much for the title past that point, as it was incredibly obvious nothing would ever top that masterpiece, and i decided to stop there

and i cannot, in good conscience, recommend anything past this point to a new reader. or anyone, really, but especially not a new reader. from this point on, things are messy, especially for jason. the only thing i really enjoy about post-Final Crisis batfam is damian's existence, and even that comes with its own set of asterisks because everything about this era was… something. it's not all bad, but i remember naively wandering into morrison's Batman & Robin as someone still new to all this, and all it did was make me question whether or not i should just call it quits & give up on comics as a medium right then and there lol

don't let that scare you away from those comics altogether, just don't be frustrated if you do give them a go & find yourself not understanding wtf is going on. no one knows wtf is going on half the time, especially where morrison is concerned. it's fine

and with that, i have talked WAY too much, so to close, let me offer you a few way more extensive recs from a few way more qualified people:

here's a general batfam reading guide

some dick recs: one, two, three

and jason recs: one, two, three

this post is sort of a big, rambling mess, but... hope it manages to help somehow! and for anyone else who manages to actually make it this far, feel free to add on if you think of anything else that might be helpful

#ask #anonymous #long post #comic recs #LORD this is such a mess #i have sick brain and it shows anon(s) i'm sorry #hopefully you can get... anything from this lol #and hopefully everyone else can forgive me for the things im saying while under the influence of all this dayquil

[xenonmoon]

now listen there

if you're putting it in those terms then no one there is real, including you. Because you're comic book characters and you're real only from the inside perspective of the imagined world of your story

But it's an all of us or none of us situation here

Jake is right

for the wrong reasons but he's right

but of course this is just what Marc "being sane is shutting them out and doing shit all by myself" Spector is convinced by the ableism he slowly internalised over the years

well

for example he couldn't just exist in 1 comic among the Secret Avengers without any other of the team mistrusting him for his mental health history or outright calling him nasty names

That's... that's a weird choice of villains? Yeah sure they're iconic and what featured in Jake's version of the story but why them and not Morpheus? He sounds to me a more obvious pick and would've made WAY more sense in this context of not-sure-what-is-real situation

Jake's pov really resembles a Morpheus story tbh something like Resurrection War. Ok, there were SGS and Black Spectre in there too but it was Morpheus the main drive of all things

Has Morpheus even been mentioned?

I'm puzzled because he demonstrated a fairly good knowledge of facts and characters from the early era pre-solo run (wwbn, hulk magazine backs and other specials) to the point of mentioning obscure characters like Lupinar

... ok I might need to check on something, time for elevator music:

The Midnight Man (Anton) first appeared in issue #3 of the original run and returned in #9-#10 (not mentioned in the dialogue but it was featured in Jake's story)

Stained Glass Scarlet first appeared in issue #14, returned in #26 and featured in the 5-part story Scarlet Redemption during Marc Spector: Moon Knight (#25 to #30 iirc), and was featured on the cover of the second volume of the Epic Collection

Morpheus first appeared in #14, returned in #22-#23, then in #3 of Fist of Khonshu and his last appearance to this point is in Resurrection War (1998)

Black Spectre first appeared in #25 of the original run, then returned in Resurrection War and the 2006 run for issues from #15 to #19

There is also Black Spectre II who appeared just the run before, #6 of the 2014

And this is the publication dates of the first two Moon Knight Epic Collection volumes:

... I think Jeff Lemire only read the first volume of the Epic Collection.

Issue #1 came out in April 2016 and I don't know exactly what the timings are for comics but I think the volume 2 came out waaaaay after he already planned all the general plot of the books and probably the first issues?

So he read everything that came before Moon Knight #10 of the og run (that explains his very specific knowledge of some of the oldies) and thus knows about the Midnight Man

SGS didn't appear yet but it was on the cover of the then-upcoming or just-came-out book and had a past high-profile appearance in MS:MK. But in this run is, after all, mentioned here and there and never actually used as character so it tracks for him being aware of her existence and her being an iconic villain but not really knowing her enough to write her character in a meaningful way

Black Spectre was brought up in the previous run with Trent, so Mr. Lemire is definitely aware it exists and it used to be an iconic villain (probably from 2006 too?), so he namedropped him

Morpheus? There was a callback to his issues in the 2014 but it was a very easily missable one (you could think it was a reference to something happened "off screen"), for the rest- cricket noises since 1998, and then again it didn't made an appearance since 1985. So it kinda fell into oblivion by then

It was the most obvious choice for the story, too bad the material that seems to have been used as a source accidentally missed him

(he still could've caught up with the Essential collection from the early 2000s, unless it was already out of print or he thought it was enough for his story)

#moon knight #moon knight comics #moon knight 2016 #lemire #smallwood #bellaire #torres #francavilla #stokoe #xenon reacts #totally not me going full pepe silvia on this #q tag #Youtube

[horoscopeguidance]

Lunar Eclipse in Libra 2024: Impact on Relationships and Partnerships 

The Lunar Eclipse in Libra at 5 degrees and 7 minutes occurs on 25 March 2024, and it is our quest to find harmony and peace, making this potentially a very uplifting moment. It is a time of potent energy and intense emotions, making it an ideal moment to address any unresolved conflicts and strive for resolution. This lunation brings a powerful opportunity to rebalance partnerships, careers, and personal values. Discover how this celestial event can influence your life and guide you towards greater harmony.

This eclipse affects people with personal planets and points at 0 to 10 degrees of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) most significantly. A crisis of sorts (which can be a crisis of consciousness) or sudden awareness of a lack in our lives, provides us with a golden opportunity to explore our emotional needs within the context of the house polarity where the eclipse occurs in our natal charts. 

The natal houses in which the Lunar Ecipse occurs are related to areas or issues that will be energetically activated. Our task is to plant something positive and avoid problems in these areas. You should look at your birth chart to see which houses the signs Libra and Aries are in. For example, if this Full Moon falls in your 1st and 7th houses, it will be a great time to promote both initiatives and shared projects in society, as these will be in tune with the energetic frequency of the lunation, but you will be challenged to avoid both individualistic (1st house) and dependent attitudes in your relationships (7th house), and to find the point of balance between your individual needs and what others expect of you. 

It’s the third eclipse in a set of six occurring along the Aries-Libra axis from 20 April 2023 to 29 March 2025. The first one was a Total Solar Eclipse in late Aries. While we’ve been focusing on building our independence and working on assertiveness since April 2023, this March eclipse in Libra prompts us to consider healthy relating and how it affects the process.

Libra, as a zodiac sign, is deeply driven by the desire for harmony and equilibrium in all aspects of life. Being an air sign, it seeks to attain this balance and serenity through effective communication and intellectual understanding.

The Lunar Eclipse in Libra encourages us to reach out to individuals with whom we might have disagreements and engage in friendly and rational discussions with them. While finding complete agreement might not always be possible, the act of engaging in constructive debates can foster an atmosphere of harmony and mutual respect.

Although Libra is often perceived as a passive energy, it is essential to recognize that it is actually a cardinal sign, which means it possesses a strong leadership and action-oriented nature. The Lunar Eclipse in Libra reminds us that we have the power to take initiative and proactively work towards establishing peace and equilibrium in our relationships and surroundings.

With the Moon full and bright in the sky, symbolic “illumination” occurs in our own lives. However, these new feelings and revelations are emotional ones, as there is a sense of emotions bursting forth into our consciousness. It’s time to express ourselves, and to let things out of our systems. Of course, we might want to exercise some care while doing so, knowing that what is coming out of us is new and not particularly rational as yet.

This eclipse is about awakening to the need to enjoy and appreciate our partners or significant others in our lives and to connect with our desire for companionship. Emotions, feelings, and revelations in the weeks following this eclipse are pivotal–they lead to resolutions.

During this Eclipse, emotions may run high, and conflicts may come to the surface. It is a time for deep introspection, reflection, and finding ways to bring balance and resolution to any discord. The Eclipse serves as a reminder that obtaining peace and harmony requires effort and positive action. We cannot expect tranquillity to simply manifest effortlessly; rather, we must actively work towards it. Through hard work, open communication, and a willingness to find common ground, we can create a sense of peace and understanding even in the face of differences. Me must take advantage of its transformative energy to build stronger connections, heal relationships, and promote a more peaceful world around us.

In astrology, a Lunar Eclipse offers us a unique opportunity to delve into the shadow aspects of the zodiac sign opposite to the Eclipse. With the Libra Lunar Eclipse, we are invited to explore the darker facets of Aries - a sign that can sometimes exhibit traits such as selfishness, aggression, impulsiveness, and domineering behaviour.

During this powerful Lunar Eclipse, take a moment to reflect on your own recent actions and behaviours. Have you noticed moments of selfishness in your interactions with others? Have you handled certain situations with undue aggression when a gentler approach might have been more beneficial?

Perhaps there have been instances where you acted impulsively and later regretted your decisions. This Full Moon Lunar Eclipse urges us to be introspective and honest with ourselves as we confront any Aries shadow traits that might be present in our lives.

It's important to approach this self-reflection with compassion and understanding. Forgive yourself for any past actions that align with Aries' darker tendencies, but also use this cosmic energy to learn and grow from these experiences.

Embracing the transformative energy of the Lunar Eclipse allows us to recognise these shadow aspects within ourselves and work towards healing and self-improvement. By acknowledging these traits, we can strive to embody the more positive and balanced qualities of Aries, such as courage, determination, and leadership.

Embrace your shadow side, learn from it, and emerge stronger and more aligned with your true self. Remember that the journey towards self-discovery and acceptance is an ongoing process, and each Lunar Eclipse brings us a chance to shine a light on different aspects of our being.

In conclusion, this eclipse serves as a prompt, nudge, or push to make improvements in Aries- and Libra-ruled areas of life in our charts. It’s a time to resolve matters, strike a balance, take a lesson, and move on, but take some time with this–eclipses can temporarily hide a part of our lives for us to focus on another. Ultimately, we should be striving for a balance.

How the Libra Lunar Eclipse Affects Each Zodiac Sign

Each Sun sign will feel the effects of the Libra Lunar Eclipse slightly differently. All signs will be experiencing a sense of completion or ending in some way, but the specifics will vary according to which solar house the Lunar Eclipse falls in for each zodiac sign.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for an Aries

This Lunar Eclipse is all about relaxation for you, dear Aries, as the universe encourages you to lean into the softer side of life. The harmony you’re celebrating is likely to stem from a love relationship or other close interpersonal connection. If you’re currently in a relationship, romantic gestures, small or large, will go much further than they usually would, so you may want to pick up a card and flowers for your beloved. If you’re really looking to impress that special someone, you’ll need to show your sentimental side, especially if it’s been a while since you allowed yourself to gush about how much you care for your partner. You’re working on being the best partner you can be, Aries, and it’s truly paying off, so keep on keeping on and keep on striving for that special connection. 

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Taurus 

Focusing on your health and wellness should be a priority as the universe encourages you to implement a consistent eating, sleeping, and exercise schedule. Forge harmony between your mental health and your physical health. Work on having these two parts of your wellbeing work together – if you are getting enough physical exercise, your mental health will improve, and better mental health leads to more motivation to get physically well. Seek a balance and congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come.

Also, as the Libra Full Moon shines an abundance of romantic light upon us all, you and your partner could find yourselves in the midst of personal disorder and chaos. Fortunately, this lunar event will give you an advantage when it comes to pulling your act together, helping you and your sweetie get back on track simultaneously.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Gemini

Creative harmony is the focus of this Lunar Eclipse, and that will come when you start to trust your head as well as your heart. Don’t fall for the falsehood that logic and intellect have no place in creativity or that it is all heart-led – get your emotions and your intellect working together to maximise your creative spark. Luckily, these sentiments do well in your relationship, as you and your partner are cosmically encouraged to cheer each other on. Use this energy as an excuse to share ideas and positive reinforcement with your sweetie, solidifying your bond through mutual respect and support. You may also feel called to rekindle the friendship that acts as the foundation of your relationship, making it important that you look for ways to blow off some steam and have fun.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for Cancer

The Libra Lunar Eclipse is about harmony in the home; this may mean it’s time to redecorate, in order to achieve a physically harmonious atmosphere – or it may focus more on emotional harmony between family members. Don’t stifle discussion and debate at home, because harmony is much more likely to come when people are able to speak their minds. Also, romance starts at home this lunation, dear Cancer, making it the perfect time for seductive scents, soft music, and a candlelit dinner at your place. Yes, you and your sweetie will find comfort in each other’s arms as you hide away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Sharing a space will feel so good right now that you and your beloved could end up discussing the possibility of cohabitation, if you’re not already there. 

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Leo

You can use your words to create harmony and balance during this Lunar Eclipse, as it blesses your communication zone. Learn the impact of what you say and discover how to be a more effective, more intuitive communicator. You can certainly command an audience, but now it’s time to work on creating an emotional connection via the content of what you say. The vibes of the eclipse are also great for building your confidence up through personal education and learning, so don’t feel guilty if you’d rather keep your nose in a book for the time being.

You can tell a lot about a relationship based on how well two people communicate, and with this Lunar Eclipse in Libra activating the sector of your chart that governs conversation, you can bet it will be a major theme for you right now. That’s right, dear Leo, it’s time to liven up the discussions you have with your partner, especially if things have felt a little quiet lately.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Virgo

Get ready to unleash your sensual side, dear Virgo, as the Lunar Eclipse in Libra pushes you to indulge in the finer things life has to offer. These vibes are all about embracing decadence, creating a Valentine’s Day type of atmosphere and the perfect opportunity to spurge with your significant other. Don’t hold back when it comes to pulling out all the stops for your special date night, but feel free to request that your sweetie contribute their fair share, especially if the bill is a heavy one.

Seek harmony between your finances and your values during this Lunar Eclipse, Virgo. The best way to do this is to ensure that what you do for a living, to create your income, matches up with your values and with your authentic self. Work on clearing blocks to abundance, Virgo, and on creating a healthy emotional relationship with money.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Libra

You’re one of the more laid-back members of the zodiac, dear Libra, valuing harmony over conflict, with a casual tendency to people-please. With the Lunar Eclipse in your own sign, it’s time to seek harmony in your own identity and the way you express it. This is the time to step out of the pigeonhole or box others have put you in and to stand up for who you truly are. Shine your true colours and let the world see what you have to offer. You can present yourself with confidence now – we’re waiting.

On a more personal level, while you’re almost always happy to follow the suggestions your loved one has to offer, this lunar event will inspire you to take charge! For this reason, you should consider taking your better half out for a night they won’t forget! Your significant other will be shocked (yet delighted) by your initiative, which is sure to heat things up between the sheets.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Scorpio 

During the Libra Lunar Eclipse, the focus is on spiritual harmony for you, Scorpio. That means coming to terms with your spiritual gifts and trying to develop them further. Listen to messages in your dreams or from your higher self, Scorpio – these may arrive via synchronicity or unusual coincidences. It’s all about getting comfortable with your spiritual self.

For better or worse, you and your significant other will feel inspired to come clean about how you really feel, which could make or break your relationship. Whether you’re bracing yourself to confess a secret, communicate dissatisfaction, or profess your undying love, it’ll be important that you stay cool and grounded during these exchanges. Luckily, when all is said and done, you and your partner should come out of this celestial event feeling stronger and as though you see each other truthfully.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Sagittarius

Mixing your love and social lives will be an important goal right now, darling archer, as the Lunar Eclipse encourages you to celebrate all of your most valued relationships. Use this cosmic climate as an opportunity to arrange a night out with your besties and the object of your affection, especially if you don’t mix these worlds often. Amplify the love by extending an invitation to special one’s friends, or consider co-hosting a party together. Merging your social circles won’t just solidify your bond, but it can also help you form new connections with the people who love and support your sweetheart just as much as you do. Just make sure to break free before it gets too late so you two can have some special one-on-one time as well.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Capricorn

This Libra Lunar Eclipse activates your career zone, Capricorn, which means that for you, the peace and harmony it offers comes in terms of career security. You should feel more confident now about your professional potential. Don’t be afraid to aim high and to switch your path, Capricorn, if you feel that you resonate more with an entirely different career route.

On a personal level, it’s time to analyse your boundaries right now, dear Capricorn, as the Libra Lunar Eclipse encourages you to set healthy limits in your relationship. While this cosmic homework won’t feel super-romantic at first, it can actually help you lay the groundwork for a long-lasting relationship that’s stronger than ever before. Check in with your partner about scheduling time independent of each other each month so that you both can continue to work on your individual selves while the relationship continues to move forward. 

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for an Aquarius

For you, Aquarius, peace and harmony in this Lunar Eclipse come from understanding that it’s OK to change your mind. An outdated opinion of yours needs to go, and that creates quite a mindset shift within you – this is a good thing! Being mature enough to move forwards in this way brings you peace of mind and a better understanding of yourself.

Of all the signs in the zodiac, you’ll be the most spiritually impacted by this lunation, making it a great time to get serious about your love life. A philosophical energy will take hold of you, Aquarius, giving you a unique perspective when it comes to matters of the heart. Selene’s guiding light can direct you toward what your soul truly desires, giving you answers on how to move ahead in your relationship.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra for a Pisces 

The Lunar Eclipse in Libra activates a very sensitive part of your chart, Pisces. This cosmic climate will inspire you to consider the future of your relationship, which can lead to major life changes, commitments, or fallouts over the next six months. making it an ideal day for unplugging and disappearing into your significant other. Luckily, melting into your partner will feel like second nature as the universe encourages you to escape from the real world, if only for a few hours.

Moreover, it encourages you to offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged you. In this way, you will regain peace of mind, Pisces, rather than allowing this person and their wrongdoing towards you to dominate your life. Forgiveness is an act of compassion not only towards another person but also towards oneself.

#astrology #zodiacsigns #horoscope #astrology blog #astrology tumblr #astrologer #lunar eclipse in libra #full moon in libra #@followers

[lilydvoratrelundar]

do you have thor reading recs/guides/particular run or era to recommmend to get to know and appreciate the characters?

OOOH YES THANK YOU FOR ASKING

some thor fans and loki fans may disagree with what im gonna say here BUT. i think the run which best encapsulates why i love the character and the universe, as well as having essentially a very long guided tour through some of the most significant points of the thor sub-universe within the larger MU, is jason aaron's huge thor run from 2012 to 2019 (along with everything else happening in the thor universe at that time, covered by al ewing, kieron gillen, and marguerite bennett in a few also very good spinoffs).

this is the series where the God Butcher comes from, where Jane Foster becomes Thor, where loki is canon genderfluid in Agent of Asgard, where thor fights capitalism, and much more. it's not perfect, especially in terms of characterisation when some characters get thrown between their own miniseries and the main run, but it really encapsulates what I love about thor in his comics, and it's the run that, over the course of collecting the five huge paperback collections u can get it in, made me fall in love with this sub-section of the MU

proper reading order under the cut, plus brief explanations of crossover tie-ins and so on. it looks complicated but it's basically just cos marvel loves to re-start with a new #1 every so often to keep sales up, and because i think you should read the accompanying spinoffs. if you don't want to read the excess spinoffs (although agent of asgard is VERY good) just stick to things with 'thor' in the name.

Thor: God of Thunder (2012) #1-17

Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014) #1-5

Thor: God of Thunder (2012) #18-24

then the Original Sin event happens, the Watcher dies and a bunch of secrets are revealed...

Original Sin (2014) #5.1-5.5 (essentially a loki & thor miniseries tie-in, relevant to both series)

and THEN when Original Sin continues, Nick Fury (evil now, don't ask) whispers something into Thor's ear, and Thor drops his hammer on the moon and cannot pick it up! oh no.

Thor: God of Thunder (2012) #25

because the marvel universe never stops having big events, an event called AXIS happens immediately after, and results in a bunch of 'heroes' and 'villains' being 'inverted' - the 'villains' becomes 'heroes' and vice versa. both thor and loki are involved in this, covered in:

Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014) #6-11

and if you're wondering what happened to Angela after that Original Sin tie-in:

Angela: Asgard's Assassin #1-6

Thor (2014) #1-8 and Annual #1

THEN Secret Wars happens, basically 8 month timeskip and the multiverse is ending and another earth is about to crash into the main earth. don't worry about it.

Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014) #12-17

Secret Wars continues, the multiverse died and a new 'Battleworld' is created. basically it's a patchwork of all previous universes held together by Doctor Doom (don't worry about it). Marvel cancelled every single book and everything to turned into battleworld tie-ins:

Thors (2015) #1-4

1602 Witch Hunter Angela (2015) #1-4

... and then everything goes back to normal.

Mighty Thor (2015) #1-6

Angela: Queen of Hel (2015) #1-7

Mighty Thor (2015) #7-14

Unworthy Thor (2016) #1-5

Mighty Thor (2015) #15-22

Generations: Unworthhy Thor & Mighty Thor #1

Mighty Thor (2015) #23, #700-706 (they reverted to legacy numbering, don't worry, you didn't miss 677 issues of the series)

Mighty Thor: At the Gates of Valhalla #1

Thor (2018) #1-11

and then The War of the Realms begins, the big thor-centric crossover which ends the run. the issues of that main series and the concurrent thor series should be read in release order which looks like this:

War of the Realms #1

War of the Realms #2

Thor #12

War of the Realms #3

War of the Realms #4

Thor #13

War of the Realms #5

War of the Realms #6

Thor #14-16

and a concluding epilogue miniseries:

King Thor (2019) #1-4

#marvel #thor #lily dot tee ex tee #alternatively: the new 'immortal thor' series that's started is REALLY GOOD and al ewing really understands thor as a character #it's more of an unorthodox look at his universe (as you'd expect from the writer of Immortal Hulk) #but it's phenomenal so far (as you'd expect from the writer of Immortal Hulk)

[swiftthecardinal]

how the rudies and graffiti souls and stuff work

Okay, so if you've read my JSRR posts you're almost certainly wondering what kind of chaos my spooky bois even are. So, that's what i'm gonna explain here. Rudies and graffiti souls. So, let's get started!

Rudies: What you usually think of when it comes to these streetdevils

Rudies are basically humans altered by graffiti souls. Rebellious, agile, strong and bulletproof. Usually, they just wanna have fun and don't mean harm but tend to like causing some mayhem when they feel like it, and are often mistaken for ordinary humans when not on the move. However, humans and rudies are very different. Instead of just being a single soul in one body, it's a two in one deal. A human spirit and a graffiti soul in there at the same time. Basically, the human does all the thinking and piloting of the body, while the graffiti soul changes their body and chills out as a weird voice inside of their head.

Usually, they don't really like humans, and typically flat-out ignore them while skating around or avoid them. In order to make them think you're cool, you have to prove it, like with DJ Professor K. They're also very territorial, usually with the tag battles and graffiting over others' turf, but if two rudies come face to face an actual fight can break out, however highly rare. Other times, they decide to be comparably chill with one another and partake in non-violent hijinks in order to determine each others' position in the tagging order.

Though, rudies do appear very similar to humans, there is differences aside from being unkillable with non-magic stuff and able to jump crazy distances. For example, they appear to totally lack pupils which results them in having quite a dead and soulless gaze sometimes, but since they otherwise have fairly normal expressions, it isn't too uncanny. They also shine blue when they're excited in some way due to an influx of netrium, and netrium tends to be much more visible than electricity and since rudies use netrium instead of electricity, thus the blue shine appears from their eyes though this is not to be confused with eyeshine.

They also have hypermobile joints, capable of squeezing through essentially anything they can get their head through. In humans, this would cause a lot of issues, but for rudies they're sturdy enough also due to the graffiti souls they still don't really get any sprains or sore joints, since it's how they're meant to be and long term stuff won't really affect them due to their lifespans.

Their teeth are quite flat in the front and basically look how they look ingame, until they smile wide enough or snarl, since they have incredibly sharp back teeth which are exclusively used for intimidation or to show mischevious intentions, and are usually stylised with a mouth full of pointy teeth when they're showing them off, instead of how they'd realistically look. This is very prominent with Yoyo, since he tends to wear a wide, mischevious gremlin grin most of the time.

Rudies are very active little pests, not being able to go a moment without moving around in at least some way, usually via dancing. If they're forced to stay still, they will at least stim somehow and very slightly shake and vibrate. The only time where they're not really moving is when they're asleep. This is mostly due to the sheer amount of netrium (essentially just graffiti power) coursing through them at most times.

However, rudies can very much die. This usually happens due to heart failure from their hearts constantly beating quickly from their sheer levels of activity being too much for them to take. Their hearts are one of few things that can't be changed by the graffiti soul that amps them up so much in basically every other way. They only tend to get to around 25. Yeah... Combo doesn't have much time left as a rudie. However, a rudie dying isn't the end of their run, as we'll see with...

Graffiti Souls: Spooky scary spirit delinquents

Graffiti souls are basically what happens when a rudie dies. Sparky, multicolored and mischevious. Essentially, a human soul that was formerly in a rudie stuck to the mortal realm via netrium. Just hangs around, causes as much chaos as it can with it's nonphysical body and chills out with the rudies quite frequently.

They actually need plenty of netrium to keep them from dissipating into nothingness like other souls outside of a body, and that's exactly what they use rudies for. They cling to rudies and rest there in order to basically leech off of their excessive amounts of netrium, so the rudie can chill out without being really energetic while the graffiti souls don't simply cease to exist.

They can choose who they want to see them and who they don't, so they can sneak around and do whatever they please and as a result rudies just seem to randomly stare at and talk to nothingness, sometimes even getting annoyed by it and try to catch nothing. That's not air, that's a graffiti soul, it just doesn't want you to see it.

Graffiti souls themselves also appear different to each person, though they can't change how they appear themselves. Most of the time, they're your usual Jet Set Radio logo-ish creatures, in fact, the graffiti soul is what the Jet Set Radio logo was based upon in this universe, but still very varied with all kinds of colors and shapes.

They're instrumental to creating a rudie, in fact, the only other way to create a rudie aside from the naughty way. You have to give consent for a graffiti soul to turn you into a rudie, like how a vampire can't come into your house unless invited in. They usually move around quietly and observe at first, making themselves visible to whoever they wanna rudie-ify specifically as to not shock them too hard when they ultimately offer to do so.

A rudie's graffiti soul is basically their guide and mentor, teaching them how to rudie, helping them navigate back to their turf if they ever get lost and being for them in general when times are tough. Once a graffiti soul has began haunting a teenage human or young rudie, they can't separate until the rudie has went unconscious, in which time the graffiti soul can go off and do their own thing until their rudie wakes up. This also means if you get an annoying graffiti soul, you're stuck with that thing.

Welp, that's all I have to say today.

So yeah, that is my crazy wackass rudie and graffiti soul stuff. I'll make a part 2 detailing the more obscure and completely non-canon spooky creatures of JSRR, for example graffiti angels and postrudies. So yeah, that's it for this absurdly long textpost, Imaginator Swift out. Hope ya enjoyed.

#jet set radio #jsr #sega #text post #alternate universe #au lore #jet set radio redux #jet set radio retro #jet set radio milennium #jet set radio overclock #long post #long reads #please read this pleaase i spent so much time writing this :((((

[valley-of-the-lost]

Scene breakdown: Ep 25

Honestly, my favorite scene from the mortal world arc is a small, short moment between Shangque and Jieli in episode 25.

This drama managed to get me invested in their relationship more than I usually would a side couple, so I was paying particular attention to its development, but this scene made me raise my eyebrows a little (in a good way). I think its a testament to the drama’s character building, so let’s look at it.

The scene opens with Jieli overseeing preparations for the double wedding between Xiao Lanhua and Xiao Run, and Dongfang Qingcang and Xie Wanqing. Shangque is helping by hanging decorations under her direction. After watching Jieli organizing the event from atop his ladder, Shangque climbs down and asks what essentially all the bells and whistles are for (or beans and saddle in this case. Jieli explains that they’re to fulfill the mortal marriage customs since the double wedding is happening in the mortal world.

This prompts Shangque to share a particular marriage custom of the dragons:

“...there is also a custom for us dragons to get married. A man will scrape the hardest dragon scale and give it to his wife.”

At this stage of their relationship, where the drama has basically confirmed through their interactions that they’re both interested in each other, this is Shangque dropping hints to Jieli that he’d like to marry her and not just him dropping a bit of interesting worldbuilding.

But what’s also interesting is that Shangque chose to share this specific marriage custom of the dragons with Jieli.

Shangque has trauma from being exploited as a dragon orphan. Specifically, by people who want to take advantage of his body. Not in a sexual way, but in an organ harvester type way. They betrayed his trust to strip him of his scales and bones. This also confirms that dragon scales and bones are valuable resources in the world of Love Between Fairy and Devil.

This isn’t just Shangque confiding in Jieli his trauma (which he did earlier in the drama when they traded backstories), this is a very deep, intimate personal trust he’s offering her. Not only is he sharing with her a way to get a dragon to willingly give up one of its valuable scales, he’s also subtextually offering Jieli one of his own. A dragon scale, and his trust that she won’t twist the knife in his past scars by exploiting him like people have before.

I also have a headcanonish interpretation that Shangque is also testing Jieli’s response to this information. Because Jieli has a deep-seated fear of intimacy (possibly even abandonment issues too) and fear of financial insecurity due to her poor childhood also as an orphan. She openly states she values money over bonds with other people (not true, this is a deflection tactic to protect herself from getting close to other people, but her actions betray she does care), and she is not only willing to resort to stealing to improve her financial situation but she is very knowledgeable about treasures and their magic functions.

All this to say, even without Shangque dropping the implication that his body parts are valuable when they were telling each other about their childhoods, Jieli should be VERY aware of the fact. And her reaction would reflect that if she was planning to exploit Shangque similar to those in his childhood. But instead she says this:

“A dragon scale? That is too cruel.”

Jieli doesn’t react to the potential value of a dragon scale. Instead, she prioritizes the wellbeing of the dragon (Shangque) by focusing on the pain the gesture would cause and calling it “cruel”. The monetary value of the scale doesn’t even come up. In my opinion, if Shangque was testing her here, she passed.

Shangque then shares with her the cultural symbolism of a dragon gifting his wife one of his scales:

“Without the protection of the dragon scale, it’s like exposing the most fragile part to the person he loves. It means he will listen to her, and be bullied by her, or be cheated by her.”

This is a love confession covered by the thinnest veil of plausible deniability I’ve ever seen. Shangque is basically saying “I am willing to do a custom that echos the trauma of my past for you because I love you and trust you with my vulnerabilities. I will be loyal to you even if you use me too.”

And Jieli knows what he’s saying, because they have the Moment where they look at each other for a long time and the music swells up in the background to signal that this is a Touching Moment.

But as I said before, Jieli has a fear of intimacy. As touching as this is, Shangque just dropped a load of intimacy on Jieli that she was not emotionally prepared to deal with, so she gets scared and goes into defense mode. In this case, she removes herself from the situation by saying she has to check on the preparations elsewhere and tries to deflect by saying “I don’t have time to listen to your weird custom of the dragons”.

A fucking lie, because when Shangque brought it up at the beginning she TURNED TO HIM (you can see it in the second screenshot), an action the usually signals interest in the topic, before Shangque went into detail.

Since this is the mortal world arc, and our main and secondary couples are hitting snags in their relationships, this interaction is basically Shangque and Jieli are still stumbling a little but they’re on the right track.

By that I mean, in a previous scene they had an argument where Shangque admitted he was having trouble understanding Jieli’s behaviors that were born from her childhood financial insecurity. In this scene he is showing he understands that Jieli has been let down by a lot of people (like him) and is offering her his unwavering love and loyalty.

But even though he’s on the right track, he cut a bit too close to home too soon and ended up putting Jieli on the back foot because such a sudden raw, open confession triggered her fear of intimacy and sent her into crisis mode. So she pushed him away as per her defense mechanism.

Shangque does eventually understand, as shown when he tries to give her his entire life savings, but if I go through meticulously breaking down their relationship scene by scene episode by episode I will break tumblr.

All this to say I love them and they both need therapy only slightly less than other characters in the drama.

#voice of the lost #love between fairy and devil #cang lan jue #shangque #jieli

[clay-cuttlefish]

Forging ahead with 52. #19 to #38. It's so much.

#19

The Evil Skeets plot is great. According to the omnibus it was a very late change away from a generic broken-time story, and I can kinda see that with how some of the earlier evil Skeets behavior doesn't seem super purposeful, but it all works for me.

#20

Mostly spaceguy plot that I don't care much about. The fight's cool at least.

I have no idea what fan speculation was like at the time but the idea of Supernova Jason Todd conspiracy theories is extremely funny so I support the intentional red herrings here.

#21

I keep changing my mind on which storylines I like more as I go. How could I not love Natasha?

#22

Dr. Magnus is back! I wish him being bipolar was handled more sensitively, the whole "oh the medicine keeps me from going ~crazy~" thing is :/, but I'm willing to read it charitably as his own perspective because I like him. He's a psychotic DC character who's heroic and not spooky or magical, just a guy who really doesn't want to have another depersonalization episode and has some internalized sanism about it, it could be so much worse.

#23

I like that Vic's more jaded to the horrors he can't stop than Renee is. He's had a lot of time to get used to the idea he can't save everyone - back in his own book he would've thrown himself in harm's way just like she wants to, but he's gotten better at not starting fights he can't win.

Hate to give Geoff Johns credit for anything but "What the hell are you doing?" "Seeing if it's contagious." is really good.

#24

"We were both guilty of ignoring Ted" Pretty sure Booster nearly died because he dropped everything to help but okay.

Osiris is just a kid...

Introducing a First Nations hero just to kill him off and give his stuff to a white dude sucks.

#25

Alan's out of the spaceguy zone and doing his own thing.

Almost halfway and the threads are still only starting to link up.

#26

I cannot get enough of Vic and Renee being friends with the Black Marvels. It's very sweet!

Tot my friend Tot :)

This is just a nice moment for them.

#27

I'm very into how Evil Skeets is drawn. He manages to be expressive despite having no moving features, it's a good trick.

Ohhh no it's now. I thought I had another issue, but no, this is the turning point.

#28

THE QUESTIONS!!! Love how they're heckling Kate together.

Kate is so cool.

Oh right, the spaceguys are still here.

#29

The way the mad science island handles mental illness generally sucks, but it's almost hitting at something interesting with Will being forced off his medication for the sake of "creativity".

#30

Get out of here Bruce.

I am going to cry!

#31

I don't even dislike the spaceguys really, but cmon, more of Ralph or Nat would've been better.

Ralph's still a detective even at his lowest! Strong foreshadowing.

#32

Uh oh, Ralph.

#33

Ohhh Charlie.

Him hallucinating Myra? Only able to admit he loved her at the very end?? It takes me out!

Almost all of his dialogue is straight from the O'Neil run. Rucka describes rereading the entire run just to write this issue because he had to get this right, and it shows.

There's a reason I consider O'Neil and Rucka the essential Question writers, and all the other takes to be interesting sidenotes.

#34

The kids aren't doing so well.

aaaaaaaa

#35

Hands you a picture of Nat. Hands you a picture of Nat. Hands you a picture of Nat.

Lex is the best villain in 52 and it isn't even close to a competition.

#36

AAAAAAA

Fuck dude! Nothing coherent to say here! Look at them!

#37

Wild emotional roller coaster for me as I go from Renee agony to cheering about Booster. My first read of this was a Time.

It's such a fun mystery. I can confirm it works if you know nothing about comics and are just along for the ride, and it comes together so well on the reread.

Mayor Ollie!

#38

AAAAAAA

"I'm afraid of who I'll become without you..." How am I meant to be normal about this!

I had to read this in two pieces because it made me need to get up and pace. It has done this every time I have read it. I am physically incapable of being normal about this.

Head in my hands. Comics are good and worth reading actually.

#clayposts #clayreads #the question #vic sage #renee montoya

[dankovskaya]

hiiiiii this is such a silly question but as the premiere kory enjoyer do u have recommended kory readings? i've only read her in some of her team comics (like ntt and outsiders etc) but i was wondering if she had any standout issues. i trust ur opinion most of all

HI ELLAAAA. I know this isn't exactly what you asked for but just for future reference @/princesskoriandr made the definitive Kory reading list right here.

I'm linking this because you are not going to like my answer to this which is that upwards of 90% of the Kory writing worth reading and taking at all seriously happened in NTT 😭 Like I hate to say it but even with all the issues of racism and misogyny irt her character as written by Wolfman, you're basically always losing SOME degree of nuance or interiority (or just overall interest in exploring her as a character) with essentially any other writer.

It's also been too long since I read any of it for me to remember individual issue numbers off of the top of my head 💀 BUT on a quick skim of that reading list (and assuming you've read at least the very beginning of NTT), I will recommend:

NTT v1: #16, #22-25 + Annual 1 (this arc introduces Komand'r and just expands their lore + that of Tamaran, the greater Vega system, etc), #26 (this is like the aftermath + when Dick and Kory officially start dating I believe)

Tales of the NTT v1 #4 (BIIIIIIG Kory backstory lore dump. Very important.)

NTT v2: #6 (This is the beginning of an arc I don't really remember and don't really care about. Just scroll through the issue until you see Kory wearing the "WE LOVE GAR" shirt and then read everything she says bc I love that scene LMAO), #13-19 (this is the dreaded Kory political marriage arc where Dick loses his nasty mind and he is hella racist to her basically the whole time but you do learn a lot about Tamaran and Kory's family etc. Funnily enough this segues directly into tiny Jason's temporary stint on the team cause everyone was having a mental breakdown.), #22-23 (extension + conclusion of that arc), #39 (literally just koryraven yuri. literally.)

Teen Titans Spotlight: #1-2 (Kory has a journey of self discovery after stumbling upon Apartheid South Africa. You could not make this shit up.), #19 (this is an event tie in but it's also like 100% A Day In The Life of Kory <3)

I'm going to recommend from New Titans very sparingly and with caveats as this is when they started running out of ideas and eventually did a backflip into the garbage disposal but: #71 (Titans Hunt arc is not fucking important but I recommend the first issue purely for reflections on dickkory), #97-109 (I KNOW this is big but bear with me. This is dickkory falling apart to marriage to falling apart again era + koryraven yuri part 2. Literally just skim everything until you see Kory. The actual wedding issue is #100 and after Demon Raven crashes it Kory gets like, possessed/impregnated by a piece of her soul or something and you see the psychological repercussions of that in the background of the succeeding issues until she blasts off in 108, and then 109 is KYNASF'RR. The issue that singlehandedly justifies the existence of New Titans for me. If nothing else read that one. You can keep reading/skimming until #114 if you want but not super necessary it gets. Weird. Basically Kory and Dick just mutually separately realize their relationship is inhibiting their growth as people 😭 #114 is their official breakup issue. Or it would be if Kory didn't stand him up when they were supposed to talk about it on account of not really wanting to see him LMAO.), and #127-130 is one of those arcs that is just confusing to read if you haven't been following everything going on with all the characters involved Lmfao BUT it's another Kory/Tamaran arc and the one where Tamaran goes the way of Alderaan so. Relevant. Raven is still inside Kory also during this time LMAO.

I would NOT recommend reading Titans 99 for any character other than Garth Lmfao BUT #47-50 of that book is an arc centered on her that's like... passable.

She's in Teen Titans v3 as a mentor character but I find that book horribly fucking boring so I haven't read most of it but the popular panels of her tending a garden of Tamaranean plants is from #7

Convergence: New Teen Titans #1&2 is good and also basically functions as a recap of why dickkory did not work out even though in this universe ironically it does. Lmfao

Other than that.... yeah. She's in Outsiders and Titans v2 but the sad fact of the matter is that if Kory isn't on the lineup of a team book, she's relegated to essentially a cameo character, and if shes on a team book that isn't from the NTT era, she's unavoidably going to be mischaracterized, sidelined, flattened, possibly character assassinated, or just generally not prioritized for storylines and character development or treated as a nuanced and multidimensional character.

#This is basically the speedrun version of her relevant/focused appearances. In my humble opinion. #Like I'm sure I've missed some random one off issues and annuals etc but basically. Everything important from #the only comic book era that respected her at all😭 #AKA. HOW TO GET THROUGH NTT WITHOUT KILLING YOURSELF 👍 #dc #kory #ask

[unma]

So, wanna hear about that Zwei Gregor solo I talked about? Well, too bad, because I only have a couple of screenshots because I was too busy having fun.

However. Guess what Floor 4 boss I rolled. Just guess. Guess.

That's right. Raging Bull. Raging Bull. On the 000 Id that sucks ass at clashing with ego-tier skills.

If this was Dieci Hong Lu I would probably have been fine, but this was a Zwei Gregor with his only non-base EGO being Lantern. And corrosion was not a viable play because the corrosion skill is positive too.

Oh, but guess what. Zwei Gregor sucks at clashing against this abnormality, and it has skills that drain SP, so corrosion is forced anyway.

(I did not in fact return to the boss within the hour)

Anyway, 2 days later I come back and remember that Zwei Gregor is a tank. I mean, I knew that, but I wasn't truly playing like one. I had Grey Coat, the Blood Pack, Lantern and Lantern Don on the bench. I could out-heal any damage in the early battle and out-shield any damage later on.

This battle was how I learnt that burn eats through shield before it hits hp. Meaning. With enough shield. I was immune to burn.

believe it or not, an ideal start to this fight was having a wall of S1s, at least for the first 2 turns. Even with this stalling method, I still barely did enough damage to fight back, and eventually I would corrode and lose clashes with Lantern.

But do you know what really screwed me over here? You want to know?

Burn, mainly, but it was only made worse by Talisman Sinclair. Let me explain: Lantern is gluttony. By the time I corrode, I have 5+ skill slots. Most of the time only 1 slot is filled by panic. Which leads to 4 glut resonance. Which leads to 8 talisman. Which leads to 8 rupture whenever I get hit. Which leads to dying as quickly as possible because the rupture damage brings me into range of burn killing me. So I essentially had to get lucky during my first corrosion.

Anyway after half an hour I staggered the bull for the first time. Unfortunately, I also got staggered.

This is fine, actually. Ignore the burn. It's a non-issue.

Now, here's the battle 13 minutes later.

yes. That is max burn on Gregor. You are seeing that correctly.

Anyway, with all my stalling, the bull kept getting attack power down whenever it went through its whole loop. Which meant, eventually, I get to clash properly.

And after 25 turns, the bull is finally dead. 25 turns. Several hours over 2 days.

The only thing that compares to this is having to solo bugged Centipede with Dieci Hong Lu.

Anyway, here's a highlight of the last bits of the run

Gregor drops to 2hp. Which he does. Every focused encounter. Without fail. And then he heals to full from one Lantern cast. Which is beautiful, lol. I don't even have coin.

Then I get Sunshower, which is even more useful here because Gregor can actually activate it without EGO (his S1 is so good, man)

And then the final boss. Who would it be? MFE? Fae Lantern? I was praying for anything but the latter (it basically fucks over any solo run where you don't have access to bleed), and answer my prayers Limbus did.

Clam was probably the easiest thing ever, given that poison also ate shield before hp, meaning that playing proper I was practically immune.

This battle was fun (asides from the fact that even at max sp I was having issues with clashing sometimes. 5% my ass.), and ten minutes later Clam was dead with no issues.

Anyway, here's the details from the run.

MVP bench id is Lantern Don. Also Talisman Sinclair was always funny outside of Bull. Ooh, more damage. Who cares if I get hit when I generate 100+ shield every turn?

Anyway Zwei Gregor is fun and he gets to be the second id I've soloed MD3H with. I was going to do Lantern don instead, but I had no non-base ego on her so I decided that wasn't a good idea.

Though, with her electric screaming ego from the battle pass, I'll probably do one this week.

#limbus company #zwei gregor #mirror dungeon soloes #if y'all wanna hear about the Dieci Hong Lu incident I'll let you know #it was funny in retrospect but I have never hated rng more #long post

[hikomichi64]

(Spoiler Free) Some Quick Thoughts On Dragon's Dogma 2

[Pic is from the official DD2 Twitter Account https://twitter.com/DragonsDogma/status/1741640475705033071?t=Pfr3vQbpXjitF0OUGwjI3Q&s=19]

Having finally beaten the game and taken the time to mark down my thoughts I would like to share some of the with you all.

First of all, this game is essentially 2 Dragon's 2 Dogma meaning that almost none of the issues of the first game have been improved while almost all positive aspects have been expanded upon.

I'll start with the Negatives since I like saving the Good for last.

Pawn AI is still unhelpful in a pinch and even with the correct specialisations, equipment and skill selections they still end up being nothing more than distractions for bosses or meat sacks for said bosses.

Without going into spoiler territory the main-plot/story of the game is clearly rushed and underdeveloped.

The Bottom Half of the Map is Under-Used and also Underdeveloped, like writing a long essay for a test at High School but noticing that you are running out of time so you rush the latter parts.

The Spawn Frequency of Enemies is too high at times and can also make the post-game extremely exhausting.

Lastly, Visual Clarity is a Glaring Issue (that most AAA games have). You will be climbing a monster trying to reach for its weak point just for the frames to drop massively due to the number of magic effects cluttering the battlefield making the poor invisible cameraman have a stroke and for his camera to go all over the place making something as easy as climbing up a confusing ordeal.

Now on the other the Positives.

The OST is incredible, it breathes life into the world of the game making every inch of every settlement or forrest or wherever feel distinguishable and one of a kind.

Exploration is rewarding and a massive step-up from both its predecessor and its peers. Relying on the lay if the map and your party knowledge from beyond the rift makes the overworld feel alive without it feeling intimidating as there are no endless markers and GTA-style gps routes.

The Art Direction is laser focused and jaw dropping cooperating perfectly with the OST to elevate the over quality of the Open World.

The Pacing of the game, how fast you reach new villages or cities or the quest rewards and when said quests are made available to you work good with the Action part of this Action RPG making my ~50 hour play through feel like 25 hours -and I mean that as a compliment.

Finally, my favourite improvement definitely is the Voice Work. Every and I do mean every actor brings their A-Game to the table and it shows. Both the directing and the individual actor's skillset shine brightly together.

Overall the game has some rough edges but the pros DEFINITELY outshine the cons. Having played the original when it came out on the PS3 as well as on the port PS4 I can safely say that I was left satisfied and my itch was scratched. Seeing the devs stick to their guns a decade after the first game is a sight to behold and I can only look with glee to the future for what else lies in store for this franchise.

#playstation #gaming #playstation 5 #dragons dogma #dragons dogma 2 #review #thoughts