Hi gang. As most of you are aware I've been keeping up with the IC as it's posted and also collating my thoughts on each post in a mix between reaction and review. I'll carry on with it and post a new one every so often when I get a reasonably sized batch.

[@HenryJonesJr]
[hider=Nomad, Post 1]Lovely early characterisation of Steve and Rogue, and the blossoming Father Figure to Outlaw Teen relationship is one that’s worked for me before and will undoubtedly work for me again. Some of it feels a little rushed, like there are pieces of context and historical references I’m not getting, but since this is a soft reboot maybe I shouldn’t begrudge you for my own bad habits. The end also feels cut short, like maybe the post should have ended with the characters referring to Xavier’s before fading out, or carried on past their initial arrival. As it is it feels a little guillotined. Still, Steve is great, Rogue is great, and it gives the story a clear direction with the mutant angle.[/hider]
[hider=Nomad, Post 2]Really getting a crystal clear picture of Rogue and the path she’s walked in this one; she’s guarded, bitter, and thick with abandonment issues. Sadly it’s also fairly clear she’s allowing these scars to get the better of her and there are outstanding self-esteem issues that push her around a self-fulfilling cycle. It’s some great characterisation, but I am also hoping we’ll get this same level of introspection on Steve, especially as the Nomad angle is a massive shift for him as a character and he must be feeling some regret or remorse. Pacing feels a little off again as well, but that may be a side effect of Rogue’s character in that she won’t allow herself the adjustment period, and perhaps doesn’t believe she deserves a haven like Xavier’s school. Either way, the discussion is very short and overall the school feels like a cameo bit rather than a vital story stopping point.[/hider]


[@webboysurf]
[hider=Iron Man, Post 1]Tony is a decent Tony. You’re hitting a lot of classic character traits but there isn’t massive amounts of depth of character here, although it’s literally the first post and I’m probably being overly critical. I like the backdoor plot point and the avenue of this subtle digital subterfuge but I also struggle to sit well with the single email as the lynchpin that got Midas caught. Would you send an email for what is apparently such a dire threat? If Midas could erase the email before it ever arrived, how did SHIELD intercept it? And if SHIELD intercepting it was a possibility, did Midas think they WOULDN’T inform Tony, the designer and engineer of the suits and their software? It’s the debut and clearly a vehicle to get the plot ball rolling and push the characters where they need to go but it feels a bit inelegant. I do want to know more about Midas and his plans and the potential for the suits to be hijacked though, so from a storytelling perspective you’ve done exactly what you need to do.[/hider]

[@Byrd Man]
[hider=Green Lantern, Post 1]I like Jessica, and a classic ‘this is hardly fair! For you!’ one liner always goes down well. It’s nice to see a GL ‘on the beat’ so to speak as well. "Synchronicity" made me glance sideways, I will admit. Is Boodikka Boudica? Or is that synchronicity in action? The follow up about Jessica is a nice little ghost story, although I think you meant separated FROM the ring, not BY the ring? Otherwise that’s one violent piece of jewelry. Some classic MIA-presumed-dead foreshadowing as well. Is Cromica Iran/Iraq/Pakistan/Afghanistan/InsertNextCountryTheUSInvadesHere? Do I need to start saying AGLAB instead of ACAB? Joking aside I like the parallels to real life politics, writing is always a vehicle for opinion and we’d do well to embrace it more often. In any case, SPACE WESTERN GO! Good briefing scene, nice exposition, sets the tone of things to come with a nod and a wink and a pulling my pants down and slapping me on the bum. And I want to see Thaal go yellow. Who ever thought he’d be a good guy? He has a [i]mustache[/i]. [i]And his name is Sinestro[/i]. And more Jessica in a true desert stranding situation. Lovely all around. Congrats, you made this nihilistic anticap anar-socialist care about space cops.[/hider]
[hider=Green Lantern, Post 2]Jessica lives ! Excellent. I love the idea of ‘water’ being such a foreign concept they mistake it for a name. Or they’re just speaking 2 different languages and the soldiers just don’t understand her. The space western themes carry on and carry on well, being a peculiar but workable mix of parody and played straight. Back to Sinestro, nice Guy reference. Doing a good job of building the Lanterns as a truly galaxy-wide operation with thousands of agents all out on patrol or assignment. I’m enjoying the political minefield that an organisation like the Green Lanterns has to wade through to remain a respectable authority. Sinestro has some good reasons to be angry and maybe some poor choices of outlets and actions - it’s clear to see the potential of why he would turn. And the foreshadowing from the reaction of the Rannian Premier starts a good foundation.[/hider]

[@Inkarnate]
[hider=Supergirl, Post 1]Nice set up. I genuinely don’t know who this guy is but he’s confident, menacing, powerful, and means business, so all around this is a lovely short’n’sweet intro post for (presumably) this arc’s main adversary. I look forward to seeing more of him and learning who he is and what he’s about. The cynic in me thinks back to the last time we were Absolute-ing together and I found your villains entertaining but Kara herself rather dry, however. But I shouldn’t/won’t/can’t pass judgement until I actually see Kara, so I’m looking forward to that.[/hider]
[hider=Supergirl, Post 2]Okay so now I’ve seen Kara and she’s clearly more confident and on-her-feet now with a few seasons under the belt and the characterisation is more concrete. It’s nice seeing her a bit more mature and in a more traditional ‘superhero’ position. Interesting plotpoint with the mutant experiments, especially if it ties into Superboy’s story. I am looking forward to a bit more depth explored to Kara, though.[/hider]

[@ComradeMaxx]
[hider=Superboy, Post 1]A rough start for me on this one with a lot of different characters very quickly introduced and chattering amongst each other, and I’m reading at 3am and I am tired, but I found it tricky to follow and wasn’t actually entirely sure what was going on until the fight started. And then the fight was amazing and there was some great storytelling involved and it enthralled me and now we have like a Pinocchio kinda thing with Superboy and this clone angle and like are these guys a villain protag if they’re developing a weapon to defeat supergirl because that’s intriguing and mr harper is clearly getting attached to things he shouldn’t be and there’s the psychologically implanted command which is very neat and I’m sure is going to play a big part in future events and has been introduced nicely here without being in your face about it. All in all slow start but man that was decent.[/hider]

[@IceHeart]
[Hider=Mantra, Post 1]I’m [i]really [/i]not digging this very 1950’s feeling of what a woman’s life entails and I [i]hope [/i]it’s an intentional character flaw that will get ironed out as part of the ongoing development in the story, but that doesn’t make it any easier to read right now. Especially since it’s not a “woman’s world”, but a man’s world that demands a woman behave this way or be shunned, and probably treated second-class-at-best anyway. Anyway: I like the inhabiting-a-body concept and there are some hints to major past events that we may or may not learn more about (cross my fingers for the former) and there’s a hint of the duality of the two psyches with the mother instinct overriding Lukasz’ desire to train. It could go a lot of ways and I’m optimistic about the amount of italicized “[i]woman[/i]” being used coming down.[/hider]  
[hider=Mantra, Post 2]I’m gonna come out and say outright that I am not comfortable with the way you write a female protag. She’s hyper-sexualised for a start; then you made her a secretary??? “Apparently” adept like it’s a surprise? The outrage of workplace sexual harassment not coming from the act's existence but from the fact that Lukasz isn’t the one [i]committing [/i]the act? I had hoped there would be some sense of this being a character flaw but if it is you’re certainly not filtering it through the right lens, as nothing in your writing appears to condemn any of what troubles me. If this continues then I’m really going to struggle with your whole character. The second half of your post is a much better read even if still marred by poor sentence structure and the odd typo. Proofreading your work would probably go a long way, and really think about your use of grammar to mix up your rhythm and create a natural ebb and flow to your prose.[/hider]

[@HenryJonesJr]
[hider=TMNT, Post 1]It’s incredible seeing someone even play the turtles in a game like this for a start, so you have that going for you right from the get go. Then the 4 of them have a delightful back-and-forth and some clear dynamics, positive and negative, which hooks me into how these guys are going to get along with each other in the face of greater foes. Also Raph is giving me Knuckles vibes and I can’t wait for the potential betrayal-redemption arc. I’m a disgusting amount of slut for Jameson so love that cameo. Terror Turtles? Fucking gold. A lot of plots being introduced, and I don’t know much about TMNT other than the turtles themselves, Splinter, Shredder, and the love of pizza, so it’ll be fun to see the wider scope of the characters and their allies. Some villain introduction and foreshadowing. A shame about the lack of cowabunga. I feel like TMNT could have played a lot sillier than this, for better and for worse, and you’ve done really well to make giant radioactive ninja turtles not seem completely tonally dissonant among some of the more grizzled and gritty entries in the roster.[/hider]

[@Simple Unicycle]
[hider=Vic Sage, Post 1]It’s my favourite. Of all the posts I’ve read so far, this is my favourite. The first person perspective is somehow natural despite being nestled amongst the more traditional 3rd of the other characters, the action is fast and impactful, Vic’s character is immediately apparent without being exaggerated or ham-fisted. It’s a pleasure to read, and the song you picked was an incredible companion to the piece. Christ, I can’t wait to read more of this.[/hider]
[hider=Vic Sage, Post 2]Another strong entry with more strong characterisation and some great character interaction between Vic and Roscoe, and more great music, and overall this whole RP is going to be me flipping back and forth between Vic and the Night Shift. Look, this is great, okay? It’s a little episodic right now without much greater scope direction to go on, and I’m looking forward to seeing some grander plans and a more overarching, cohesive plot, but so far it’s cool seeing pre-Question Vic getting tips off hobo’s and beating up bodega burglars.[/hider]

[@Master Bruce]
[hider=Bruce Wayne, Post 1]Alfred’s journal entry is a delightfully mournful introduction to the story, and shows the impact of the Wayne Killings from an angle we don’t often get to see, without overly-flogging an extremely tired horse. The follow-up bait and switch into Batman conspiracy theory is incredible as well. I like the board setting, showing a Wayne Enterprises that’s still balanced between helping the city and helping their own profits, and I love old-man-Bruce being a miserable old bastard. The confrontation between Isley and Wayne is brilliantly executed, and Bruce’s cutting final words clearly demonstrate that the Bat is alive and well at least in spirit, even if his body can’t keep up anymore. The new Batman is great as well, enough there to show us he’s serious about his mission but very little of his game given away - just his creed and his objective, and a little tease of his capabilities. An extremely strong start and I’m very keen on seeing more of Bruce and more of his rogue successor.[/hider]

[@Byrd Man]
[hider=The Night Shift, Post 1]I love the immediacy of the supernatural element used to set the tone for the ongoing story. The Architect is clearly powerful and alien and sinister, but not necessarily a man of bad morals or an outright villain. It’s a clear jumping-off-point and a nice cold open to the main plot thread. Okay, this might be my new favourite? Sorry Vic, but a rag-tag bunch of misfit ‘detectives’ solving supernatural crimes? Sure, just tickle my pickle while you’re checking every single one of my boxes why don’t you and we’ll split the bill at the end of the evening. Meeting the team was just the right balance of introduction vs exposition, learning a little about each new member as we circle around the gang and then slap bang into the plot hook. I am charmed and everything else can wait while you write more of these guys.[/hider]
[hider=The Night Shift, Post 2]Sister Justine is great, with a welcomed bit of spotlight to delve a little deeper into her character, but still managing to give away tiny little nuggets about some of the others at the same time - and there’s a lot of low, subtle humour in her interactions with Tork. Who is, by the way, a wonderful vehicle for the audience to understand and get to know the Night Shift squad without dumping exposition walls on us. A lovely little execution of the surrogate. The whole post is a fantastic demonstration of the characters in action and everyone is clearly all business right now, and we’re really getting into the supernatural of it as well. I adore it, through and through. Witches have have a bit of a resurgence in recent media and I hope we get to see some of the true horror an actual Witch is capable of and indeed willing to commit. Every important cast member has been introduced now and we’ve seen everyone’s hat, so I’m now eager to get deeper introspection on each member of the squad. And some more lovely low-key humour with the coffee. Night Shift are heading for my MVPs of the season already. Vic’s going to have to work hard to keep up ![/hider]

[@Bounce]
[hider=Wildfire, Post 1]An action-packed intro to the character and entertaining and fast paced, but unfortunately as this is just set up for setting and location we don’t get a lot of Wildfire’s character just yet. There’s a lot to be inferred from circumstance though, with the sense of an outlaw on the run and stranded in unknown space far from home...the fish-out-of-water vibes are strong and it’s clear there will be power level experimentation with the new energy he’s absorbed and a big adjustment period to come. I’m looking forward to seeing what lead to the current situation he’s found himself in.[/hider]

[@Retired]
[hider=Captain America, Post 1]I immediately like Frank. You’ve done very well at making him human but still a military man through and through. It’ll be interesting to watch him as Cap and see how his path diverges from the Castle we already know. Will he experience tragedy? Will he react the same? It’s a bold concept in play here and I’m really eager to see the character put in that role and I hope it doesn’t end up being inconsequential, or a pallete-swap for Steve. The flashback sequence is a nice preamble intro and we get some nice introspection from Castle himself about his new rank and role. Not much is given away here about future events or overarching plot though, but that’s not strictly necessary in debut posts. It’s nice enough to just get a sense of the character first. Looking forward to more.[/hider]

[@Sep]
[hider=Thor, Post 1]Historical cold opens are very popular this go around. Still it’s cool to see the progenitor of Asgard and sheds a little light on Odin, an otherwise fairly flat character. The rest is pretty good. Foreshadowing, some exposition, some nice insight on Thor - I like the internal struggle between his duties to Asgard and his nature as a warrior - and we get to see how he behaves with both his friends and his subjects. And there’s a clear set up for future threat with plenty of mystery to keep us hooked. The writing feels a bit stilted sometimes and I found some of the syntax difficult to read, but nothing actively bad, just maybe some tidying up to be done to make the flow feel a bit neater, tighten it up a bit. Otherwise, solid start.[/hider]

If anyone [i]doesn't[/i] want their reviews public in future, or in present, let me know ASAP and I will make a note in my tracker and/or edit this post.