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https://blacknerdproblems.com/x-men-red-1-review/

Writer: Al Ewing / Artist: Stefano Caselli / Marvel Comics

Round of applause to Al Ewing for skyrocketing out the post-Hickman era gate with much style and grace. X-Men: Red #1 contains a balanced mix of dope action, well written dialogue, impressive visuals, and a nicely paced storyline. Off the rip, Ewing is doing our girl Storm justice in the way that she represents herself and handles the position she was destined for. Far too often does Storm baffle writers because of her Omega level powers, on top of artists being unable to properly draw and color the hair texture, skin tone, and overall badass royalty of Ororo.

Not the case here. She is fierce when needed (which is constantly, with the number of challenges she receives from those who think she’s soft) and level headed always. From the Circle Perilous to the Great Ring of Arakko, and everywhere in between, Storm is presented with every ounce of dignity she has earned as The voice of Sol and Regent of Planet Arakko. 

She also looks incredible in every..single..panel! Stefano Caselli is doin the lawd’s work and there’s nary a criticism to be found in this man’s work. From Marauders and S.W.O.R.D. to Inferno and Red, Caselli is blessing the world with gorgeous works of art spanning the depths of space, the illustrious terrains of Earth, and now the untapped potential of Mars. 

X-Men: Red #1 centers around a vote, a decision. We never actually see the decision get made, but we are able to marvel at Al Ewing’s usage of the Hickman data page, that he is absolutely running with! The breakdown of the 9 votes for war or peace, with a little bio on each council member is just a thing of beauty. Juicy, funny, and insightful. These pages really provide that added layer of insight you crave while diving into this entirely new culture and planet of mutants. 

There are so many intriguing storylines that are set up in X-Men: Red #1, but that classic X-Men theme of a web, group mentality, and interconnectivity kept coming back for me. Vulcan on a maniacal rampage and being recruited to finally serve a purpose again; exciting and worrisome, considering who’s giving him the job. Cable and Thunderbird got me feeling X-Men TAS nostalgic in their interactions. I love the way Magneto finds solace, while also finding the most unexpected companion one could anticipate in a remote place on Arakko. Watching them become fast friends as their truths come tumbling out was a welcome vulnerable moment. 

Sidebar: Here at BNP, we have this running joke that mutants never fight 1v1, and why would they? It’s squad over everything for mutants. It’s kind of their thing, you know? Being a marginalized group and having to band together for safety, survival, and community. Sound familiar?

Adding Sunspot into that dynamic created the perfect amount of chaos before the cliffhanger was dropped on us, undoubtedly sending readers into a frenzy. It all comes together quite smoothly and a new X-Team is birthed right before our eyes. If I wasn’t already hype for this series, I certainly would be after that final panel!

9 Failed Dreams of Something Perfect out of 10

Enjoying all things X-Men? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.

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The post ‘X-Men: Red #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/persona-4-arena-ultimax-read-novels-throw-hands/

Hi, I’m back to spam you with more Persona content. Welcome back to my lair. We’ve got heaps of Sojiro’s curry. Listen, if you are a heavy Persona fan like moi, then you might know about the sauce that is Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. If you ain’t know, you’re in for one of the most amazing crossovers in Persona history. Imagine old school street fighter but instead of hadouken everybody got external myths popping out from their body to deck your opponent in the face. Yes, yes this is the Persona game that you can rage out with your friends. The Persona game you can settle beef with. This game is for the fans of the Kirijo mink who couldn’t get enough from the shadows and now wants blood on the blade. 

I haven’t played this since it dropped on the PS3 almost a decade ago. Playing it now opened my eyes to interesting things like: “Is it me or was there romantic tension between robots that were supposedly sisters?” And wait “these descriptions are actually funny, y’all don’t be roasting each other like this on the regular?” Persona 4 Arena Ultimax brings the spiciness of Persona 3, and the adoring friendship of Persona 4 into a fighting game with an in-depth story line just like the RPGs that came before them. A general critique that I have with a lot of mainstream fighting games is that their story modes be “cute” at best.  

These Hands Come with a Story

Unless the game came with content beforehand, like fighting games based off anime/manga as an example, it would be like five lines then hands. I be like damn, y’all ready to make each other bleed over like four sentences? That’s wild. But Persona 4 Arena, if anything, is the opposite of that. The story mode is a novel to say the least. There’s pros and cons to that being that one, if you’re not big on reading an essay before battles it might be a bit off putting while going through story mode. This could have been improved by having the characters talk through their thoughts and scene descriptions. But if you’re into extended narration or really into the characters of the franchise, homie you’re gonna be here for everything.

From the scene descriptors, the play of events, the cameos, the comedy, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax gon’ give it to you; you just might get a little tired reaching there if you’re not emotionally prepared for it.

I love Persona 4 Arena‘s usage of the hype-man, the comedic alternative fighter names, and beautiful colors during the battle. First time I played Persona 4 Arena was on the PS3, the controls were standard for a side scroller. It didn’t get too confusing, but the movement felt a bit stinted. Felt like I had to try a bit harder to move close, but the Switch version made it a bit worse. If you’re a close combat fighter like me, it might get annoying when it takes more effort to move closer, whether by joystick or buttons.

Sometimes I would use Kanji-kun because I want to pull up to the scene with a chair. You know how annoying it is to have to double tap like six times just to get close enough to wap someone in the face with a school chair? Unheard of! Just let me dash and wap, dash and wap!

These Hands Travel Mid-Range Distances 

If you’re a long-range/mid-range fighter, this game is great for you because Persona attacks project more than the fighter’s weapon. The attacks are flashy and because of movement issues some characters take more effort to parry than others. The battles are pretty quick, since the game feels like an arcade style side scroller. The fighting style of each character varies according to their personality. Teddie and the different prop weapons to Akihiko “These Hands or Nothing” Sanada. I am a Yukiko/Chie fan for Yukiko’s mid-range flame fan combo and Chie’s quick kick close-combat dream.

Overall if you’re looking for a quick rage, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fun ride. It brings an in-depth fun story-line filled with quips and heart from the viewpoint of each playable character. It’s fan-play to the max and most importantly you can wap people with a chair. Step into the arena with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax now available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam! 

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The post ‘Persona 4 Arena Ultimax:’ Read Novels, Throw Hands appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/6-times-lucius-fox-was-batmans-best-kept-secret/

Superman might be the strongest superhero in the DC universe (he actually isn’t), but Batman is by far the most loved by DC fandom. The character’s lore and background are interesting, to say the least. The character himself is truly great and unique in many ways — and certainly very different from other mainstream heroes. That’s part of what makes Batman so great; unlike most DC superheroes, Batman is human and has no superpowers. Nothing but his training, wits, and iron will. Well, all of those things AND Lucius Fox.

According to comic book history, Lucius Fox is a supporting character appearing in Batman comics. He acts as Bruce Wayne’s business manager and apparently unknowingly runs the business interests that supply Batman’s endless supply of Batarangs, other equipment, and financials. However, as we’ve seen in Cristopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy starring Morgan Freeman, Fox’s genius didn’t take long to put the pieces together and discover Bruce’s real identity.

Lucius is actually the unsung hero of Batman lore. He is one of the most vital yet underrated characters that play a crucial role in allowing Batman to do what he does best — fight crime. Besides being the Bat’s armorer and weapons supplier (and perhaps even a father figure at certain points) it’s evident that the genius of Lucius Fox is the greatest weapon in Batman’s arsenal. Here are six times Lucius Fox was Batman’s best-kept secret:

Fox Keeps The Wheels Running

After the death of Bruce’s parents, but before Bruce officially became Batman, Fox climbed the corporate ladder. He held a few key roles in the company during his rise to the top of Wayne Enterprises. After he found out about Bruce’s nighttime “extracurriculars”, his in-depth knowledge of corporate policy helped him create a loophole so the company could officially support Batman’s anti-crime campaign.

This partnership was made public, and it served as a clever way of dispelling potential theories about Bruce Wayne being Batman. However, as the company’s CEO, Lucius also demonstrated enormous commitment to the Wayne legacy. This is also depicted in The Dark Knight trilogy.

Fox Is A Tactical Genius

For those who aren’t really acquainted with Batman comics, you might be surprised to know that Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s butler, had a very successful career as a member of Britain’s MI5 intelligence agency. On the other hand, Lucious Fox served as a member of the Office of Strategic Services, which later evolved into the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

This tactical expertise allows him to craft better gear and equipment for the Bat. He also has some knowledge of working in highly-dangerous field operations. Additionally, Batman needed someone who knew who he was and wasn’t afraid of getting involved in vigilantism.

Batman’s Master Tailor

Everything about Fox screams ingenuity, as he used both his intellect and the vast resources that Wayne Enterprises provided him to create better suits for the Caped Crusader. One of those suits even had a retractable cape, a “second skin” that monitors Batman’s vitals, and even boasts some minor medical repair capabilities. That certainly comes in handy for someone who subjects themselves to the rigorous amount of punishment that Batman endures each and every night.

If the wearer breaks his arm during combat, the suit hardens around that area, providing support for the bone, and administers a shot of painkillers. Lucius’ greatest creation, the Batsuit Version 8.03, actually debuted in 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight as a technological marvel. The suit was composed of a titanium-dipped tri-weave fiber mech around the proprietary WayneTech Smart MR-fluid that is incredibly flexible but hardens in response to impact. Apparently, Tony Stark still has a lot to learn.

Continuity Changes — Lucius Doesn’t

The character was rebooted several times throughout the series. Despite the number of changes introduced in Batman’s life, Lucius Fox and Alfred Pennyworth always hold the same roles. Sure, certain aspects might change, like Lucius’ family. However, Fox is always Batman’s partner and a technological genius, no matter the Earth or the continuity.

On Earth 3, for example, Fox is a genius crime lord who works alongside Owlman — Batman’s evil counterpart. Besides this, the New 52 continuity follows some of the old trends associated with Fox but brings plenty of new elements to the character.

Lucius’ Children

Lucius has been depicted with various children throughout the years and continuities, and some of them even became superheroes. For example, Lucius has four children in the New 52 continuity: Tiffany, Tamara, Lucas, and Timothy “Jace” Fox. Lucas became the second Batwing, while Jace became Batman.

Not What He Appears To Be

The latest issue of Batman: Detective Comics #1037, a backup story titled 3 Minutes, reveals the real reason why Lucius Fox joined Batman’s crusade, and it wasn’t for the sake of Bruce Wayne himself. During the story, Fox voices his concerns about Batman involving Dick Grayson’s Robin in crime-fighting, putting him in harm’s way at a very young age.

Alfred assures Fox that Batman knows what he’s doing and would give his life to protect Robin. Lucius still voices his concerns, stating that he never stayed for Bruce but to prevent others from becoming collateral damage in Batman’s crusade. This certainly sheds new light on the relationship Fox has with Batman, especially considering that both his sons become Batman (Batwing is the Batman of Africa).

In conclusion, Batman probably wouldn’t be what he is without Lucius Fox. Sure, with the resources and determination, Bruce has no measurable limit, and he could easily source his equipment elsewhere. But how would Wayne Enterprise justify their sponsorship of the Caped Crusader without Fox? Ultimately, the character is somewhat of a distant but cool-to-be-around fatherly figure and another compliment to Bruce’s steadfast nature and an opposite to Alfred’s quiet but caring role.

Lucius Fox is a shrewd and very skilled businessman, who enjoys a warm, and depending on what day it is, a shaky relationship with the Bat. But as the new continuity revealed, he’s neither a friend nor a foe but the Bat’s ally responsible for keeping the gears turning.

http://geekbabyclothes.com/best-baby-toothbrushes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-baby-toothbrushes

Keep your baby’s teeth and gums fresh and clean while instilling lifelong habits with our list of the best baby toothbrushes!

From a baby’s first tooth to a mouth full of toddler teeth, it’s important to keep their teeth healthy from the very beginning. It’s also imperative to get those brushing habits built early, for a lifetime of good teeth. With all the options out there, it may be hard to know what all the differences are and which are the best. Well, we’re here to help! A top concern is, of course, safety. So, you’ll be happy to know that all the toothbrushes listed below are BPA-free and safe for your little ones.

Before we continue, why not check out our list of the best baby toys for 0 to 6 months, or if your little one is older, try our list of the best baby toys for 6 to 12 months!

All set? Great, time to get brushing!

Infant Toothbrushes

Infant brushes are known for their little extra perks, whether it be soft bristles, anti-choke guard, or even a teether on the opposite end. When it comes to future brushing habits, it’s crucial to make sure you get the most out of these early stages. For more info about what to expect, go here.

Baby Finger Toothbrushes

Baby finger toothbrushes are the go-to for the best baby toothbrushes. It’s hard to know exactly what’s going on in there when trying to brush an infant’s mouth. However, finger toothbrushes are safe and effective and let you know exactly where and what you’re brushing.

V-Shaped and U-Shaped Baby Toothbrushes

Beyond standard shaped toothbrushes, a few different kinds have emerged in the market. The V-shaped brushes help ensure that the top and the sides of the teeth get just as much attention. Further, the U-shaped design uses the same concept but with brushing both the top and bottom at the same time.

Toothbrush Sets

What’s better than buying a well-rounded toothbrush? Buying toothbrushes in sets, either to accommodate the baby’s growing mouth and newly emerging teeth or to have enough in a pack to be able to lose one or two without stressing. That’s where these come in.

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