Downtown Khazan: Ice Cold Utopia

[bruceleegreyhulk]

[big_adventure]

Man... I do not care for how redraw One Punch Man is going at the moment.

The dynamics at play now are so toothless compared to the original.

I kind of enjoyed the spoilers:

"bad(ish) guy monologues and Saitama basically ignores him, followed by bad guy charging and getting KTFO" thing - it's basically the meta of the series now. I really enjoyed Saitama's under-the-breath "I kind of feel like just destroying the planet sometimes" moment.

end of spoilers The only bad thing will be when they reveal that he's just the Sentry on loan from Marvel. :-)

[bruceleegreyhulk]

[Nik Hasta]

Seven Deadly Sins - Four Knights of the Apocalypse:

Given that his bread and butter is fairly simple battle manga, Nakaba is quite deft at doing this sort of... unsettling mood where the emotionality of the characters is really quite fraught and sharp. Chion is such a little shit, I look forward to him being awful later in the series.

When The Day Comes:

Is a nice little Korean webtoon which is about teenagers grappling with their feelings and being sad. It seems to be moving toward its conclusion and I'm honestly a little ambivalent as to how I want it to close. The story has done a lot of work capturing the kind of "relationship of happenstance," that both bonds but undermines the principle couple so there's a lot of nuance going on.

It's a fun and sincere little story, worth a look if you want some chill (if slightly melancholy) vibes.

[Beadle]

So… I watched Moon Knight.

spoilers:

I’m torn. In one sense it’s kinda fun and interesting. But the Disneyfication of it means the Steven Grant persona is a clumsy dork and completely incompetent, we’ve had a ridiculous OTT semi-comical car chase scene, and Khonshu is the obligatory MCU voice of snarkiness. I was really hoping that Disney would let Moon Knight stray a little further into the batshit darkness. On one hand they’re really playing up the multiple personality thing (well, so far he has two), but so far it’s the generic blackout no-memory-of-what’s-happening trope thing. Plus they’ve messed with comics canon, because Steven Grant (who’s a rich American in the comics) has been merged with Jake Lockley (London cabbie) to come up with Steven Grant, Londoner and shambolic gift shop worker at the British Museum. They’re really pushing the Egyptology side of it though, which is good. But Khonshu is… what he is. God of Snark. I’ll see it through, and it has potential to go somewhere, but we’ll see. I just wish it had a little more in common with the Hellstrom series tonally. They actually stepped out of Disneyfied air for that one, whereas Moon Knight just feels a bit too comedic so far.

end of spoilers

[Sharpandpointies]

So… I watched Moon Knight.

spoilers:

I’m torn. In one sense it’s kinda fun and interesting. But the Disneyfication of it means the Steven Grant persona is a clumsy dork and completely incompetent, we’ve had a ridiculous OTT semi-comical car chase scene, and Khonshu is the obligatory MCU voice of snarkiness. I was really hoping that Disney would let Moon Knight stray a little further into the batshit darkness. On one hand they’re really playing up the multiple personality thing (well, so far he has two), but so far it’s the generic blackout no-memory-of-what’s-happening trope thing. Plus they’ve messed with comics canon, because Steven Grant (who’s a rich American in the comics) has been merged with Jake Lockley (London cabbie) to come up with Steven Grant, Londoner and shambolic gift shop worker at the British Museum. They’re really pushing the Egyptology side of it though, which is good. But Khonshu is… what he is. God of Snark. I’ll see it through, and it has potential to go somewhere, but we’ll see. I just wish it had a little more in common with the Hellstrom series tonally. They actually stepped out of Disneyfied air for that one, whereas Moon Knight just feels a bit too comedic so far.

end of spoilers

I'm totally off Disney right now...they have a Helstrom series? *checks* Ah, it's on Hulu. That explains why it's different. Maybe I'll check that one out. Need to get Hulu first, though.

Glad to hear Moon Knight is at least watchable. There has been some complaining on Tumblr, with some Cass fans commiserating (ie "Your character isn't the same, we can commiserate").

When The Day Comes:

Is a nice little Korean webtoon which is about teenagers grappling with their feelings and being sad. It seems to be moving toward its conclusion and I'm honestly a little ambivalent as to how I want it to close. The story has done a lot of work capturing the kind of "relationship of happenstance," that both bonds but undermines the principle couple so there's a lot of nuance going on.

It's a fun and sincere little story, worth a look if you want some chill (if slightly melancholy) vibes.

I'm getting more into the Korean stuff these days, but in a...um, somewhat different direction from this. Still, would be cool to look at it and I'll check it out.

[Sharpandpointies]

Gunnerkrieg Court continues to keep me locked into reading it, even after years and years (and years). There are some things I don't like about it (the current 'antagonist', as an example), but the writer CLEARLY plays the long game so I'm still invested in seeing where they go with the story.

...in other news, after months of physio and exercising, of going different directions with treatment often leading to dead ends, I woke up this morning free of pain in my back for the first time in about two years.

It's not fixed, there will likely always be damage, but I'm feeling positive about it. That's a change.

[Nik Hasta]

So… I watched Moon Knight.

spoilers:

I was really hoping that Disney would let Moon Knight stray a little further into the batshit darkness.

end of spoilers

Oh Beadle, Disney won't let that happen with any property because it all has to fall within the same contained universe and broad tone. There can be no big variation or powerfully different tones because that would make something feel outside the established brands.

See my immense frustration at the lost potential of WandaVision for a similar feeling.

While I don't think DC has done much of anything good with their stuff, it at least feels like it could be something wildly different from film to film.

[Nik Hasta]

Gunnerkrieg Court continues to keep me locked into reading it, even after years and years (and years). There are some things I don't like about it (the current 'antagonist', as an example), but the writer CLEARLY plays the long game so I'm still invested in seeing where they go with the story.

I have to say, I've been a little surprised that the current arc has gone in this direction.

Current antagonist is... narratively interesting but I don't find them particularly engaging as a character. Siddell tends to zig when I expect him to zag, his handling of Tony, Reynard and, arguably, the entire apparatus of the Court itself, has all gone in a much different direction than I would have anticipated.

Like you, I'm perhaps a bit unsure on what we're doing now but it's been a pretty excellent comic for a long long time and I'm happy to see where we end up.

...in other news, after months of physio and exercising, of going different directions with treatment often leading to dead ends, I woke up this morning free of pain in my back for the first time in about two years.

It's not fixed, there will likely always be damage, but I'm feeling positive about it. That's a change.

Excellent news, long life to your spine.

[Dark Soul # 7]

Seven Deadly Sins - Four Knights of the Apocalypse:

Given that his bread and butter is fairly simple battle manga, Nakaba is quite deft at doing this sort of... unsettling mood where the emotionality of the characters is really quite fraught and sharp. Chion is such a little shit, I look forward to him being awful later in the series.

There is something frustrating about knowing that Chion is clearly an evil little punk but nobody is reacting to it since from the other characters' perspective he's being rather subtle about it. At least Anne seems to have noticed something's wrong with him.

I also like how this chapter properly shows how poorly the situation can go for Percy if he's without his friends. He goes from kinda BS OP to scared ineffectual kid in no time.

[Sharpandpointies]

I have to say, I've been a little surprised that the current arc has gone in this direction.

Current antagonist is... narratively interesting but I don't find them particularly engaging as a character. Siddell tends to zig when I expect him to zag, his handling of Tony, Reynard and, arguably, the entire apparatus of the Court itself, has all gone in a much different direction than I would have anticipated.

Like you, I'm perhaps a bit unsure on what we're doing now but it's been a pretty excellent comic for a long long time and I'm happy to see where we end up.

Absolutely.

Loup is...dull, and has all of the depth of a dinner plate, but at least the current chapter is showing some interesting things with regards to him (okay, that's not true, the current discussion with him IN it is interesting).

Let's see where this takes us! ^_^

Excellent news, long life to your spine.

Longer life, anyway! ^_^

As another recommend, I will again name Frieren: Journey's End. A slow, casual walk through a world that is currently pulling itself back together after the classic defeat of the Demon Lord, this manga features a look into the life of the 'elf mage' archetype character who was in the 'hero's group' that defeated the Demon Lord. It's a bit of a different glimpse, though; Frieren, being stupidly long-lived, is experiencing losing (and has lost) her comrades due to age, and is watching the world becoming something that knows about her and her friends only as legends. There is no great antagonist to deal with, there is no huge struggle or war to be fought; instead, it's a whimsical, nostalgic, sometimes gloomy, sometimes amusing wander through this world with Frieren and her chosen companions, all pulled together by some pretty gorgeous art.

Eighty-seven chapters so far that I have found.

[Sharpandpointies]

Just poking through a manga named 'Out' (not likely to read it), and I came across this gem.

[Character 1] Usually people on both sides of a blade are at least a little scared.

[Character 2] Wait, you use knives all the time. Are you saying they actually scare you?

[C1] Hell, yeah, they do. Once you whip them out, there's no putting them away without using them. And since blades are so much deadlier than bats, I constantly have to keep cool and be prepared for the worst.

That's...I like that. I might have to start reading this after all.

[Nik Hasta]

Just poking through a manga named 'Out' (not likely to read it), and I came across this gem.

[Character 1] Usually people on both sides of a blade are at least a little scared.

[Character 2] Wait, you use knives all the time. Are you saying they actually scare you?

[C1] Hell, yeah, they do. Once you whip them out, there's no putting them away without using them. And since blades are so much deadlier than bats, I constantly have to keep cool and be prepared for the worst.

That's...I like that. I might have to start reading this after all.

Out is... I don't know if I'd go as far as good. Definitely rolls around in a lot of excess and violence but it's definitely a firm deconstruction of the "noble juvenile delinquent," trope.

All the cast are horribly damaged, cruel and bloodthirsty, even the ones you like at first. It's big on that whole, futility and horror of actual violence thing.

It's okay, it keeps threatening to be a bit cleverer than it actually is. I don't know if I like it exactly but it's compelling at least.

[Sharpandpointies]

Out is... I don't know if I'd go as far as good. Definitely rolls around in a lot of excess and violence but it's definitely a firm deconstruction of the "noble juvenile delinquent," trope.

All the cast are horribly damaged, cruel and bloodthirsty, even the ones you like at first. It's big on that whole, futility and horror of actual violence thing.

It's okay, it keeps threatening to be a bit cleverer than it actually is. I don't know if I like it exactly but it's compelling at least.

...I may skip on it. Sounds somewhat interesting, and I like the comments I referenced, but ~200 chapters of this so far doesn't sound like something I want to devour, especially since there's stuff out there I'm actually enjoying reading.

[Nik Hasta]

...I may skip on it. Sounds somewhat interesting, and I like the comments I referenced, but ~200 chapters of this so far doesn't sound like something I want to devour, especially since there's stuff out there I'm actually enjoying reading.

Yeah, as a larger warming, I've generally got no issue with gore and suchlike but there are some specifically really unpleasant bits of violence and torture that are quite unsettling in there.

It really escalates, like a lot. Definitely starts in fun if more gritty delinquent fist fights and goes to a bunch of places.

If you're not down for that, you're not gonna have a great time with it.