Mod Post : Off-Topic Tuesday

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In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like. Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.

The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.

Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter achieved a first yesterday, become the first aircraft in human history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. (I left the "human" qualifier in there as we all know the moon mice

Sportsball fans in Europe woke up to the announcement of a proposed new US-style "Super League" for soccer made up of six English teams, and three each from Spain and Italy (with space for three other teams) which has caused a great deal of consternation for reasons I am not entirely sure I follow.

If you were a fan of Lauren Shippen’s “The Bright Sessions” about a therapist who handles “atypical” cases (in more ways than one), but didn’t follow it on to the subscriber only site when they progressed the story on to it's first spin-off, "The AM Archives", it’s now being released for free through most webcatchers.

The ancient Roman equivalent of a stately home has been uncovered in Scarborough, definitely a first in the UK and possibly the first of it's kind to be found in all of Europe.

We lost actor Felix Silla at age 83. He was a the original Cousin Itt (in the 1960's "The Addams Family"), and Twiki in "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."

In a slightly surprising move "Doom Patrol" Season 3 has added two Vertigo characters who are not from the Doom Patrol universe (though they might have interacted in "The Children's Crusade" crossover), Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant (Georgia and David Tennant's son) have been cast as Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland, the Dead Boy Detectives, who first appeared in Neil Gaiman's Sandman run. The ghosts of two dead schoolkids (one from the present, one from the past) who set up a typically unsual detective agency. There's also a rumour that as well as Michelle Gomez' Madame Rouge, we might see the Brotherhood of Dada, which would be... quite something! :)

Comments

[iamrman]

Recent comics highlights for me have been sexy spy shenanigans with Grayson. I might be a filthy straight, but even I have to admire the booty.

I have beeen enjoying Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron as well (certainly more than his Avengers). I'm not too upset that Dario Agger is a massive Villain Sue, because I know he ends up getting his comeuppance in Immortal Hulk.

I a rapidly running out of mew things to read, so it is beginning to look like I will have to re-read some things. Not that it is a hardsip, I have plenty of good stuff worth reading again. Roger Stern's Avengers, classic New Mutants, Mark Gruenwald's Captain America, John Byrne's Post-Crisis Superman reboot and Wonder Woman by George Perez.

[tinygaylaura]

Some parts of New Mutants have aged like milk unfortunately but there's still good stuff in there as well

But

A lot that also makes you think "Wow the eighties was even more racist than I thought it was"

It's not quite as bad as the golden age but there's some stuff that isn't much better

[zachbeacon]

Grayson is one of those things that shouldn't work but somehow does.

[tripodeca113]

My brothers copy of Maxium Ride the movie arrived.....

Hooray the Playstation 3 store will not be destroyed for no reason. We pressured them into doing this. I say we unite as one, and continue this. Force them to lower the price of DLC.

They released more images of the Mass Effect remaster. Oddly, they seem to have changed it, so Liara is wearing her outfit from the third game in the first one. It looks weird.

Recently it was announced a new Avatar web show was happening, which could have meant a lot of things, but it turned out to be a dull panel show. Thankfully I guessed that would be the case, so I'm unaffected.

My copy of Venture Brothers season six arrived. So I was able to watch it, and seasons seven. Now it's over forever! Farwell to The Monarch, Dr Ms The Monarch, and Henchman 21. And of course Red Death.

Oh, look another reminder that Indiana Jones 5 is happening. Then you remember that Rise of Skywalker exists, as the inevitable result of modern filmmaking. It's going to have issues is what I'm saying.

There was a sale and I got the rest of Telltale's Walking Dead games. I justified it to myself, by saying I'm doing this out of a morbid sense of curiosity to see just how Telltale destroyed itself.
Incidently I was re-readign The Walking Dead, and it does flow a lot better if you read it in one big chunk. It's more palatable this way, and it's easier to pick up on the themes.

Started playing Life Is Strange: Before The Storm. I've finished the first episode. Some good stuff in it, but worryingly little main plot.
Also been playing Remember Me. It's an interesting future if nothing else.

In other news it seems that Power's has been removed from COmxology (I have left that misspelt as a form of protest). Drat, and the library only had the first three volumes. But I was able to find one of the collections relatively cheap.

[tinygaylaura]

PUT IT BACK COMIXOLOGY

[scorntx]

-It looks weird-
... that is weird. The whole point of Liara in ME1 is she's an inexperienced dork (who was stupid enough to go poking around ancient ruins on her own. The buddy system exists for a reason!)
Whereas the Liara of 2 and 3 is less of an inexperienced dork and the outfit reflects that.
... but I'mma guess it's for visual continuity or somesuch.
(Either that or something to do with the inventory system, maybe?)


-Then you remember Rise of Skywalker exists-
Remember who what now? Don't know what you're talkin' about.

[zachbeacon]

"Hooray the Playstation 3 store will not be destroyed for no reason. We pressured them into doing this. I say we unite as one, and continue this. Force them to lower the price of DLC."

I'd settle for not having always-online DRM in single player games.

"My copy of Venture Brothers season six arrived. So I was able to watch it, and seasons seven. Now it's over forever! Farwell to The Monarch, Dr Ms The Monarch, and Henchman 21. And of course Red Death."

I keep hoping we'll at least get a DC Comics mini to wrap things up.

[skjam]

Walter Mondale has passed away. He was vice-president under Jimmy Carter, and was the Democratic candidate up against Ronald Reagan's re-election. (I voted for him.) Mr. Mondale was quietly competent as a politician.

Over at my blog, I review the first professionally published novel by Lee Gold, long a fixture in the tabletop role-playing game community, having founded the APA Alarums and Excursions (still publishing!) http://www.skjam.com/2021/04/18/book-review-valhalla-absent-without-leave/

[lego_joker]

I've said before - to jeannettegray, I think - that he was the last presidential candidate to pay even lip-service to honesty. America reacted by drubbing him 49-to-1, and in doing so collectively gave up any right to an honest politician.

[malurette]

I've been back to work for a week now, working part-time and what do I do with my freed-up afternoons? Clean my house? read more books? watch more series? write fanfic? draw fanart? Nah man all I'm doing is knitting pride flag-inspired striped scarves.

[juniper6]

That sounds like a fine use of time to me.

[dewinged]

I'm still down about Helen McCrory's passing.

[tinygaylaura]

So upset to learn that she's no longer with us

[tinygaylaura]

I am now the proud owner of a Snorlax plush that is nearly as large as I am I'm going to block some roads with it and see if anyone comes and plays me some pipe music to make me move it

[zachbeacon]

Have you learned nothing from the Suez Canal?

[zachbeacon]

People have successfully bullied Sony into doing the right thing. Mostly; PSP owners are still out of luck

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/04/19/playstation-store-on-ps3-and-ps-vita-will-continue-operations/

I still think this would be a non-issue if the newer systems had proper backwards compatibility.

[janegray]

Excellent news!

[janegray]

My prayers have been answered: after 30 years, they finally made a non-sexualised affordable figure of Bulma! TWO, even!

I love Bulma, she is my favourite character in Dragon Ball. But 90% of her figures are practically softcore porn, and the good ones (such as a really cool one where she is riding her bike) are expensive.

Until a few months ago. Q Posket released one, and is going to release a second in Summer.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08M9SNXZV/?coliid=I2D97YSER54RPM&colid=TW455WEKO2AQ&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08XYLYFNZ/?coliid=I12I9JIJRAKJY8&colid=TW455WEKO2AQ&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

(Ideally, I would have much preferred a figure of Bulma as the 38+ year old woman she is in Super. But that ain't gonna happen...)

I'm undecided, which one should I pick? They are both really cute.

[thezmage]

Has anyone here played the miniatures game Marvel United by Cool Mini or Not? They've got a kickstarted for an X-men version and because this company makes so many kickstarter exclusives for every game they make if I don't get it now I'll be missing, like, half the game but I don't know if the game is any fun. The first time I backed a kickstarter from the company there were so many exclusives that I felt compelled to put it straight onto ebay rather than even try to play it, so maybe I won't end up keeping this one either

Became a fan of the podcast Mission: Rejected recently. Every episode begins with the lead of the Extraordinary Missions Force getting a mission briefing beginning with "Your mission, if you choose to accept it," with the revelation that he's just not going to accept this one, so the backups have to take it. While not as mean-spirited, it still follows the Archer model of the characters being much more competent than their personality quirks would lead you to believe.

Also listened to the Dark Ages podcast, about a museum in the fantasy world and their newest exhibit about the ancient dark lord and it's most interesting new addition: The revived dark lord himself. The voice actor for the dark lord is named Alan Moore, but I don't think it's that one.

Infinity Train season four just dopped. It's amazing, as always. Really wanna know what the deal is with that thing in the art gallery car

[tinygaylaura]

Watched Falcon and the Winter Soldier this week

I hope I'm not meant to feel sorry for John Walker because all I feel is that the Dora Milaje should have been allowed to just kill the little bastard

Always love seeing Julia Louis-Dreyfus in anything so happpy to see her appearing in the cast here

Am I right in thinking her character was Nick Fury's love interest who turned out to be evil

[thezmage]

I don't know, but I am hoping that she used to date Coulson before he left her for a younger woman with the same name.

[leahandillyana]

Polish catholic church is forbidding people from covid vaccination, arguing that producing vaccine in clone cells from abortion performed 50 years ago is immoral. This same church that had nothing to say about child sexual abuse by the clergy. These bastards are getting people killed.
My own infection is getting much worse. I can barely do anything but sleep. I cannot even apply for free days, because I cannot leave home, so I have to continue working.
On lighter note, if you liked Harry Potter in particular but the author's irl life sullied your enjoy mentioned of the series irrevocably, I recommend Welcome to demon school, Iruma-kun! (very HP style but with Japanese sensibilities), Little Witches Academia (when you are more interested in girls and less in saving the world), My Hero Academia (when the adventure school doesn’t have to be literally magical) and first three seasons of RWBY.

[janegray]

Isn't the Polish Catholic Church, like any Catholic Church, supposed to listen to the Pope?

'Cause I'm pretty sure Pope Francis' take on the vaccine is along the lines of "go get vaccinated, you fucking idiots!"

[mazway_75]

So been checking out John Byrne's website where he does "fanfic" of "X-Men Elsewhen," fully drawn and written pages picking up where he and Claremont's original run left off.

Not too bad mostly with intriguing turns on Wolverine rendered near mindless by an attack and a turn on "Jean wasn't Phoenix."

But his latest is wild as Magneto is met by the Magneto of a parallel world where Xavier died younger and Magneto recruited the original X-Men to be his Brotherhood wiping out the Avengers and FF but forced to flee to the "main" Marvel Universe when a pissed off Thor came after them.

They track down this world's Magneto to let him in a "truth" to join them. Confronting Xavier, Magneto relates what he know nows: Years before, Xavier had "downloaded" the memories of a dying 100-year old Holocaust survivor and then placed them in the mind of Magneto when the latter had been regressed into a child. They would have been hidden in the back of his mind as a "subtle influence for good" but when Erik the Red made Magneto an adult again, it messed things up so he believed the memories real.

In short, Magneto's turn from Doctor Doom like villain to more heroic was because of fake memories as he was never a Holocaust survivor.

Reading this, two thoughts:
1. This is exactly the sort of unneeded retcon Byrne would do and obviously taking advantage of this not being an official Marvel comic to try it.
2. I'm halfway amazed the X-Men writers haven't tried this themselves.

[thezmage]

It's both a disappointing neutering of what made Magneto good and a necessary retcon for the sliding time scale.

[scorntx]

Falcon & the Winter Soldier continues to be a solidly by-the-numbers MCU product, with no hidden twists or surprises whatsoever.
... that's not a complaint, mind. After two months of articles of mad speculation about every damn moment of WandaVision, a nice bit of no-thrills is pretty soothing.
... but Battlestar is still dead, and I'm still pissed!
(also someone make Russell shave. For goodness sake, make the man shave!)

Also, That Cameo.
... I already have opinions about how most of Nick Fury's supporting cast have been treated by the MCU (*glowers angrily in the direction of CA: The Winter Soldier*), and I'm guessing we're on course for yet another one being eeeeeevil.
*sigh*
Feeling like Gabe Jones and Dum-Dum dodged a bullet by being in First Avenger. No doubt if they'd showed up in the modern day, it'd probably turn out they shoot orphans or something...


Went for a Non-Essential Shop now the opportunity is available.
... turns out it's hard to go on a mad splurge after several months of shops being shut.
(also i might've chickened out on some splurge opportunities.)
I did find an old edition of one of the Darth Bane novels in a bookshop, which was neat.
It too was by-the-numbers. Not a bad book, perfectly readable, but for a story about one of the major figures of Star Wars, you'd expect a little more pizzazz mayhap?

[tinygaylaura]

If you mean the Contessa I mean the comics made her evil long before this so it's not the MCU making this up whole-cloth or anything here

[deh_tommy]

Does anyone know where one can watch Miraculous with English subtitles? Netflix only goes as far as Season 2 and their subtitles are ripped straight from the English dub, and the group I used to follow have stopped updating for a while now.

[delanna]

It occurred to me today that it's been three months where I haven't woken up with a deep sense of dread over what terrible things the US President is doing today. I appreciate that (lack of) feeling.

[tinygaylaura]

Republicans: Biden is boring compared to Trump!

Normal People who aren't Patrick Bateman Tribute Acts: I am so glad to wake up in a world where I don't have to worry that the president has dared North Korea to kill us all because they called him mean names on Twitter

[lissa_quon]

Not much going on - trying to get back into some form of productivity again. Right now I'm doing little stupid doodles of my Fallout OC and calling it progress.

I also need to revive the Patreon - figure out what to do with it - and also debate about unlocking my twitter. I had it locked during the peak of the crypto art shit cause I didn't have the energy for the concern/debate. I still don't but I also can't hide in a bunker if I want to sell artwork to anyone.

[skjam]

Chauvin has been found guilty on three charges. With luck, no riots tonight. But the sentencing is in a few weeks.

[beyondthefringe]

Thank fucking god. I mean, anything else would have been an outright travesty--something at which America specializes, unfortunately--but it's a relief that the jury was able to find Chauvin guilty of something that was literally caught on tape for the world to see.

Now if only we can get some serious, lasting, committed, extensive police reform and, y'know, STOP MURDERING PEOPLE and anyway...

(I don't actually have high hopes of him getting a seriously long sentence though, unless the judge decides to actually make an example.)

[beyondthefringe]

I just saw where rock legend Jim Steinman passed at the age of 73.
His work with Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, and many more, really shaped my musical tastes, and losing him hurts.

Back at it again with the derisive and dismissive "Sportsball"

[stubbleupdate]

David Squires in the Guardian gives a short summary of the European Super League.





OF course, the entire thing seems to have imploded and the leading figures have been sacked/resigned

[silverhammerman]

I've been listening to season one of Blowback, a podcast about the Iraq War. It's really interesting to me as someone who was a kid during the era and so not exactly plugged into things. It probably wouldn't be new information to anyone who's particularly well read about the conflict, but for someone like me it's a useful way to get an overview, both informative and brisk enough to keep the proceedings from being maddening. If you've ever listened to The Dollop, the American history comedy podcast, it's a little like a more focused and slightly more serious version of that.

I've been continuing my slogging through the Spawn archives for my little podcast and it's kind of cool to get to 1994 and start to see Spawn grow from Todd McFarlane's (wildly successful) indie comic to this larger media empire, even when the comics are a deeply mixed bag, because that journey is one that really fascinates me.

[deh_tommy]

Where can I find your podcast, might I ask? I’m a sucker for Spawn.