deerstalker

https://blacknerdproblems.com/magic-master-of-metal-1-review/

Writer: Mairghread Scott / Artist: French Carlomango, Jorge Coelho, Jacques Salomon, Francesco Segala / Boom! Studios

One of the first long pieces of fiction I ever read was the novelization of Magic: The Gathering’s Ice Age. It centered around Jodah, Archmage Eternal, a character who didn’t make it into cardboard until many years later, but the point stands that I do owe a nontrivial part of my love of speculative fiction to Magic, and I’ve been digging the recent comic additions to the universe. As such, the latest Master of Metal one-shot definitely spoke to me.

Tezzeret, the planeswalker artificer from Esper, is mechanically and thematically one of my favorite characters. Ambitious and adept at both social and actual engineering, he is a brilliant antagonist who has met his foes directly and indirectly, and any sort of insight into his character is always welcome in my book.

Master of Metal is a collection of four, interconnected one-shots that showcase different aspects of the character. Mairghread Scott does a fantastic job of writing a perfectly sinister and charming tone for Tezzeret and puts him through a veritable gamut of situations. We get a little bit of backstory, a little bit of long-term scheming, a little tinkering, and a little bit of a lot of the future conflicts to come. It’s a fun read that covers a lot ground in the 40-pages, maybe to the point where I would have enjoyed having it to be a two-parter to give it a little room to breathe, but regardless, Scott captured what makes the character and the universe so interesting.

Big props need to allocated to Francesco Segala, who helped unified the coloring of the three artists. All of the illustrations from Carlomango, Coelho, and Salomon were visually delightful, but it was Segala who helped ensure a standardized style that welded the story together. Like with the other Magic comic, the artists have a lot of fascinating set pieces to work with, and they make use of the different fantasy elements in the sandbox.

Master of Metal manages to walk a fine line of being an independent story that also has clear ties to the mainline universe. It is a fun and welcome read and makes for a great villainous story that vest our interest in the world. If you like the character, you can pick this up and enjoy getting some glimpses into Tezzeret being Tezzeret, and if you like the world, you’ll be very happy with all the different elements and callbacks in play. Magic comics continue to fill a neat little niche in my week to week reading, and I hope if you have a passing interest, you support the multiverse.

8.8 “Simulacrums” out of 10

Enjoying Magic? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.

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The post ‘Magic: Master of Metal #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

http://geekbabyclothes.com/best-toddler-ride-on-toys/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-toddler-ride-on-toys

Looking for cool, unique toys? Check out our list of the best toddler ride-ons!

In case you hadn’t noticed, toddlers are constantly moving. They never stop. So give them access to toys that let them drive, scoot, ride, and otherwise get their zoomies out through play with ride-on toys! Now, I’m sure you’ve seen some of the ho-hum ride-on options available in every store. But did you know that there are some crazy cool ride-ons available? I mean, a ride-on AT-AT from Star Wars?! A “Mini-Farthing” version of a Penny Farthing bike (all the rage in the 1870s)? Marvel, DC Comics, and Disney? Plus, replicas of real world vehicles? There are so many options to geek out over!

Check out the list below, where we round up 16 of the coolest, most unique ride-ons toys for toddlers!

Pop Culture

Replicas

Unique

The post Best Toddler Ride-On Toys appeared first on Geek Baby Clothes.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/the-summit-of-the-gods-review/

summit

(n) – the highest point of a hill or mountain

(v) – to reach the summit of (a hill or mountain)

What does it take to reach the top? What does it take to be the best? What part of you drives you to attempt what many think is impossible? What cost are you willing to pay? Is it worth it?

The Summit of the Gods (originally Le Sommet des Dieux) is the animated adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Jiro Taniguchi (itself, based on a 1998 novel by Baku Yumemakura) that details the intertwined stories of Makoto Fukamachi and Habu Joji as they attempt to answer the above questions and also the entire history of climbing as a whole.

The movie opens up with a short introduction to George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, who were actual climbers who attempted to summit Mt. Everest in 1924 but mysteriously vanished. As the film goes on to explain, the first documented ascent didn’t happen until 1953; however, rumors in the climbing community say that Mallory’s lost camera could contain proof that Mallory was indeed the first to achieve the ascent. And while the camera kicks off the story as Makoto Fukamachi is offered a chance to purchase the supposed legendary item only to see it reacquired by its owner, the reclusive climber Habu Joji who then fades into a back alley.

And thus starts the two tales proper. One of the investigative journalist has a passive interest in climbing that becomes an outright obsession, and the other is an ambitious climber whose entire life has been devoted to the mountains. The Summit of the Gods combines two of my favorite types of stories: sports anime and stylized documentary. While The Summit of the Gods is not based on true events, it does contain a breadth of knowledge about climbing and provides a brilliant character study of its dual protagonists.

Right off the jump, the first thing you’ll notice is that The Summit of the Gods is beautifully animated and scored. Director and co-writer Patrick Imbert did a wonderful job of guiding the team to create an enthralling experience. The gorgeous set pieces of various mountains are absolutely breathtaking, and the music truly captures the majesty and emotions of the climbers, in both success and failure. As we bounce between the present of 1994 and the preceding decade of Habu Joji’s climbing career, we are treated to a visually enthralling feature. Fukamachi’s old school brick laptop and ancient browsers help solidify it as a brilliant period piece, and Joji’s different climbing efforts take us to a variety of mountains.

One thing I appreciate is that The Summit of the Gods tells the viewer enough to appreciate what is going on but never goes overboard with the exposition. We get lots of exposition about the nature of climbing sports but not a lot of explanation of the mechanics of climbing per se. Terminology and jargon like specific knots or what exactly a bivouac are thrown around casually, but it makes sense given that both of the protagonists are well versed in the climbing and wouldn’t spend time explaining the apparent. It leads an authenticity to the work, and I’m sure actual climbers will be able to appreciate their sport getting such a spotlight.

The vocal performances of the cast were stellar in both French and English, although given that this is a Netflix production, the subtitles for the English dub are comically incorrect. This complaint is true of any dub on the platform, but it’s one I won’t hold against the film. With a ninety-minute runtime, the movie progresses at a reasonable speed although there are occasions where the pace drags ever so slightly as it gets a little meditative. For the most part though, switching gears between the journalist looking for the truth and the climber making daring attempts and pushing past his limits is exceedingly entertaining and makes for a very satisfactory moment when the two characters inevitably meet. 

Don’t let The Summit of the Gods slip under your radar. It is a moving story that captures the grandeur of climbing and holds a deep reverence for history and nature and one that will captivate you.

The post ‘The Summit of the Gods’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/a-fresh-transcript-the-sex-life-of-college-girls/

Girl, No Don’t Do That

The Sex Life of College Girls reads a little too strong for some folks, okay? I sat there and thought, okay did the writing team go to a college campus with a recorder then proceeded to copy and paste the conversation transcript into the script? Because I’ve embarrassingly seen these girls before. The Sex Life of College Girls is a ride that touches the problems of sexism, racism, homophobia, and more. Each episode is filled with eye opening twists that gets viewers invested in these classic characters that will have you grinning and cringing at the screen.

My favorite part about this series is that our ensemble represents the wide array of experiences as to why people go to specific universities. Many go for extra-curricular activities like Bela and Whitney, some have an Alma mater/investment history like Leighton and some folks, like Kimberly, realize that they are white as hell and need to get away want new experiences. Each character has a unique starting point and background that heightens the risks of their decisions. Yet because of that fact, I had many questions as to why folks were so impulsive. The Sex Life of College Girls takes you on the days of “Good Ol’ Youth” and the dangers of that reality.

The Life and Struggles of the Public Eye

First on the agenda, I got some questions about Whitney. She gets herself into some spicy situations and truthfully, she gave me the first “oop” of this whole show. What’s powerful about Whitney is that she is centered and knows herself more than the rest of the ladies. But if there’s anything I’ve learned about Whitney is that self-awareness does not necessarily block you from questionable decisions. Whitney’s journey explores authoritative relationships in an honest and terrifying way. There is this “don’t embarrass me” energy that’s prevalent in families that can get folks to victim blame and not analyze the stakes properly. And with that in mind, I want folks to keep that energy in mind as they see how Whitney goes about her time in Essex.

I Eat Bribery Checks like Corn Flakes

Is this how everyone sees folks from New York? Leighton is the rich friend “with secrets”. And to be honest out of the four of our girls, she confused me the most. Her personal growth felt inevitable but is flawed because her character becomes “redeemable through the crutch of marginalized people.” I recognize how being exposed and learning from people can help someone be more empathetic, but there were no real stakes to prove that Leighton grew. Overall, I think we learn a lot about Leighton through consequences, but not necessarily through the evidence of a series of actions like her roommates went through. Some of Leighton’s actions seemed abrupt but also predictable. I almost liked Leighton by the end of the season, but I’m still unsure of her overall intentions and goals as opposed to the other ladies.

The Exploration of a Pure Heart

Kimberly is culturally sheltered. She’s white, and she knows it. You know those memes that talk about how there are two types of people that can go away to college after living a sheltered life. You either try your best to remain responsible, take the lessons you need, or you end up like Kimberly. Throughout the season, we observe her transformation. But when it comes to major periods of growth, at times that means a series of tribulations are afoot. Kimberly’s extended periods of bliss are not reflected on completely and result in impulsive decisions that can hurt you. Kimberly’s journey is best described as “learning how to maneuver your ignorance”. She recognizes her problems but doesn’t have the experience on how to solve them and gets easily caught up in flashes of attention. By the end of the season, I question on whether Kimberly’s reactions were growth or coping.

Essentia at Heart

Bela has to be one of my favorite characters because truly we all got that one friend that be thirsty. Not all of them be BELA THIRSTY but, honestly the most parched of our friends be the most entertaining. Bela manifests the chaos okay. And truly if there is anything I appreciate about her is that she really turns that “go getter” attitude on its head. As a Black woman who also took some time to tell her parents what she majored in, I empathize with people of color who feel like their parents think their dreams are risky.

When we talk about work ethic, Bela proves she studies the game. Her comedy knowledge is up on par, but she faces problems many women face while trying to grow in their respective careers. Bela’s troubles are nuanced and uncomfortable, which is what makes her character relatable. People approach their discomfort differently, and her storyline shows two ways people would approach this issue. But what I appreciate the most is that it does not shame the decision, instead it begins potential methods of resolution while still in the thick of the issue.

Classes Retaught

Overall, The Sex Life of College Girls is something you can learn from; it’s fun, funny and flirtatious. The show gives sitcom-drama vibes. The characters are recognizable and concrete and have so much more to offer. The Sex Life of College Girls succeeds in bringing real situations to the table and presenting various outcomes. It presents tribulations as multi-dimensional and places importance on support from peers. I most appreciate the show in its outright flip of stereotypes and mistakes. The Sex Life of College Girls is filled with plenty “Girl, what are you doing?” and twists for your shady popcorn munching.

Cover image via Slash Film

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The post A Fresh Transcript: ‘The Sex Life of College Girls’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.