MB’s own round of praise made mine feel inadequate, so with an emphatic and affectionate fuck you I’m aping his format and will be forgoing all brevity going forward. I haven’t forgotten Scarlet Witch, Superman, Hellblazer or Iron Fist (or the new Emma Frost) it’s just midnight and I’m tired and I’ll write those in the morning if you all behave and sTOP POSTING BEFORE I HAVE TIME TO FINISH THESE
Emma Frost #2 was another great entry. Your prose is so evocative, Emma’s interiority is incredibly raw and such a joy to read. I’m so intrigued by the story you’re weaving in the opening flashbacks. Her rage is such a poignant, oppressive presence that it serves to contrast with present day Emma’s scenes in Krakoa all the more effectively — not to mention that I’m dying to know what “her” deal is and I need answers immediately please (the mystery is one of my favourite parts of your posts and I’m so excited to see more gradually revealed). The bulk of the post, Emma and Storm’s discussion, was a really fun exploration of their relationship in the way each approached it. So much history in their words without ever explicitly talking about it, aside from Storm’s reaction to Emma’s chosen name for the gala, which is yet another extremely effective way of hinting at this wider, lived-in mutant world you’re constructing. Emma feels fully formed in your hands and I’m loving it. I’m excited to get to a point where Ollie and Emma can cross over, since — if your flashback scenes are any indication — I feel like they have much more in common than either of them would think.
The Hulk is a huge blind spot for me despite having had Immortal Hulk in my Comixology account since before Amazon nuked Comixology from orbit, so I’m talking as a first time reader of a Hulk-focused story here: man, what a first post. From the opening with Father Monroe, Bruce is an engaging lead. Introducing him as a tortured soul seeking comfort — or is it confirmation of his worst fears? — before jumping back in time to show us how he got there is a great choice. The dynamics you set up between Bruce, Betty and General Ross in the flashback to that fateful day are so interesting, particularly the General’s with the former two, especially with Betty. It paints a more nuanced picture of him than I expected, and I’m excited to see how it develops as shit continues to hit the fan. Something that stood out to me is Bruce’s exchange with the boy he tried to save; with my limited knowledge of Bruce’s character, the boy’s desire to die felt tragically prescient. And as for the elephant in the room: I was not expecting where the post lead at all. I can only guess it’s intended as both a literal and metaphorical telegraph of the hell you’ve got in store for my (newly) favourite irradiated CADMUS scientist.
Fuck you buddy, where do you get off with your nearly 5000 word posts and effortless re-imaginings of classic rogues into a grounded organised crime context and compelling flashbacks giving insight into Bruce’s earliest days via outsider’s perspective. In recent years I’ve found myself losing more and more interest in Batman as a character, despite my best efforts to the contrary — outside of 2022’s The Batman, which briefly relit the spark, I’ve struggled to reconnect with the character. All this to say that while Bruce is, for all intents and purposes, still an enigma in your first two posts, man if I’m not interested in Batman again. What shines the most in these is probably the most important character in a Batman story outside of the Dark Knight himself: Gotham. Its seedy underworld feels rich with history, a mammoth organism with its own traditions and customs and celebrities poised to eat Bruce alive. I loved #1’s insight not only into the mob’s rubric, but also a younger Bruce’s quickly evolving resolve. #2’s depiction of the Batman dropping in on an arms deal evoked the Arkham games in the best way, while providing further insight into the machinations of Gotham’s crime orgs + the way Bruce has seemingly evolved over the years, no longer the rookie Malone, but now a bonafide urban myth. You said it in your generous comments about GA #1, but now it’s my turn: I’m very, very excited to interact with this less experienced but no less batty Bruce.
Honestly man I don’t know what I can say that MB didn’t already say in his own post. Your Moon Knight is a personal highlight for me. I catch myself refreshing your character sheet thread daily, not in the hopes of sneaking a peek before your posts are ready, but just to reassure myself that more is really on the way. I dunno man, it’s Moon Knight. It’s the way you weave this heavy sense of unreality through every moment in the asylum of Marc’s mind, the way it manifests in his loved ones, his unspoken regrets and burned bridges. The way the confusion and heartbreaks of the art therapy scene give way to hardened determination as Marc decides to fight back against whatever it is that’s happening to him. It’s got everything I want in a Moon Knight story. I’m truly loving seeing this fresh take on the Lemire and Smallwood run unfold. A damn good salve for the monthly wait for new issues of the MacKay run.
You didn’t let that cold keep you down. Sif #2 really put into perspective for me just how similar Wonder Woman and Thor’s Year One fish out of water stories could be, and how much this amalgamation of characters and concepts makes sense. Sif’s attempt at navigating the strange unfamiliarity of modern day Midgard was heaps of fun to read, her interactions with the hapless bystander and khaki-clothed warriors oozed with character, really strong characterisation in fact — Diana feels right at home as a displaced Asgardian embarking on a modern day odyssey. On the Bill-shaped end of things, I’m intrigued to see you working in Apokoliptian elements into your story already, and I’m super keen to see how Bill fits into it all. Maybe a romance with a certain thunder god’s ex? #3 likewise was an incredibly fun bit of characterisation, from Sif’s naive nonchalance over gunfire unwittingly resulting in Jackie’s injury to her mounting disappointment over Helen being an apparent fraud. Also fuck you for posting again when I specifically asked you not to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MB’s own round of praise made mine feel inadequate, so with an emphatic and affectionate fuck you I’m aping his format and will be forgoing all brevity going forward. I haven’t forgotten Scarlet Witch, Superman, Hellblazer or Iron Fist (or the new Emma Frost) it’s just midnight and I’m tired and I’ll write those in the morning if you all behave and sTOP POSTING BEFORE I HAVE TIME TO FINISH THESE
Emma Frost #2 was another great entry. Your prose is so evocative, Emma’s interiority is incredibly raw and such a joy to read. I’m so intrigued by the story you’re weaving in the opening flashbacks. Her rage is such a poignant, oppressive presence that it serves to contrast with present day Emma’s scenes in Krakoa all the more effectively — not to mention that I’m dying to know what “her” deal is and I need answers immediately please (the mystery is one of my favourite parts of your posts and I’m so excited to see more gradually revealed). The bulk of the post, Emma and Storm’s discussion, was a really fun exploration of their relationship in the way each approached it. So much history in their words without ever explicitly talking about it, aside from Storm’s reaction to Emma’s chosen name for the gala, which is yet another extremely effective way of hinting at this wider, lived-in mutant world you’re constructing. Emma feels fully formed in your hands and I’m loving it. I’m excited to get to a point where Ollie and Emma can cross over, since — if your flashback scenes are any indication — I feel like they have much more in common than either of them would think.
You are actually too kind and now I am just having expectations to live up to.
I am thrilled you are enjoying it though and keen for the mysteries to be revealed - I can again only hope the big reveals live up! It is just a bit of a nerdy dream of mine to take this character and give her a story in a game with so many other talented writers. Seconded that I can't wait for the eventual crossover with Ollie, I think they will have curiosity about each other for sure and Emma will appreciate Ollie's grounded nature.
*Also your feedback is always so well thought out for everyone and I appreciate the time you spend to read and analyse posts like this and share the love!
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Mister Negative usually ends up playing a key role in Cindy's storyline for me. That and a slight lean towards Asian American influences so I'd want to know exactly what that country is. I'd want to get my facts straight if I present stuff.