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https://blacknerdproblems.com/black-widow-12-review-2/
Writer: Kelly Thompson / Artist: Elena Casagrande / Marvel Comics
When emotion overcomes me while reading a comic book, said book immediately skyrockets to one of my favorite current books status. Kelly Thompson has already solidified herself as one of the dopest Marvel writers in the game, but after this issue, she is one of the better comic book writers at soliciting emotions. The opening pages of Black Widow #12 remind us of everything that a parent can lose and forces us to feel for the woman with a black hole of misery left in her heart. Don’t get me started on her ability to get the kid hype on the action side of things! Then you add some excellent artists to bring her scripts and ideas to life, and we’ve got ourselves a problem on our hands! The best problem possible.
Tears and Fears
As I mentioned earlier, the opening pages of this book were absolutely draining. To see Natasha having the sweetest dreams about her long-lost boy, going into highly trained assassin mode when she thinks Bucky is an intruder, followed by her breakdown was disgustingly compelling.
I wanted to jump into the panel and bring her family back to her, but that would be bad news for everyone involved. You don’t have moments like that when reading your average comic, but an Eisner nominated book just might do the trick!
Gals, Galas and Firepower
I could go on for days about those 4 pages, but Black Widow and the squad have some boujee black market Met Gala type fuckery to stumble upon and disrupt. And dam does the team look good while stumbling into their investigation turned life or death situation! The espionage activity is fun, the villainous behavior happening on the low is interesting, and the fight sequences that go down will keep the action heads happy.
I really appreciate that Thompson doesn’t let her supporting characters get lost in the sauce. If you have Clint Barton on your squad, you leannnnn into the jokes and rep the sharpshooting skills he provides. Or you make fun of him during a fancy ballroom dance while he can hear you loud and clear on the comms. Lesser known characters with their own brand of humor should be allowed to flourish, and that’s exactly what Thompson does for Spider-Girl. Bucky is his solid self, Yelena never stops being a prickly, pragmatic murderer, and newcomer Lucy Nguyen is mixed in well here and there. All the while, Natasha glides across every page looking stunning in a gown or ass kicking fit. Did I mention that Elena Casagrande absolutely crushes every panel in this book? I’m her newest stan, and Black Widow continues to be one of the few books that don’t feature mutants that I look forward to each month. Another excellent issue and amazing cliffhanger to keep us hungry for more!
9 Living Blades out of 10
Reading Black Widow? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.
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The post Black Widow #12 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Writer: Kelly Thompson / Artist: Elena Casagrande / Marvel Comics
When emotion overcomes me while reading a comic book, said book immediately skyrockets to one of my favorite current books status. Kelly Thompson has already solidified herself as one of the dopest Marvel writers in the game, but after this issue, she is one of the better comic book writers at soliciting emotions. The opening pages of Black Widow #12 remind us of everything that a parent can lose and forces us to feel for the woman with a black hole of misery left in her heart. Don’t get me started on her ability to get the kid hype on the action side of things! Then you add some excellent artists to bring her scripts and ideas to life, and we’ve got ourselves a problem on our hands! The best problem possible.
Tears and Fears
As I mentioned earlier, the opening pages of this book were absolutely draining. To see Natasha having the sweetest dreams about her long-lost boy, going into highly trained assassin mode when she thinks Bucky is an intruder, followed by her breakdown was disgustingly compelling.
I wanted to jump into the panel and bring her family back to her, but that would be bad news for everyone involved. You don’t have moments like that when reading your average comic, but an Eisner nominated book just might do the trick!
Gals, Galas and Firepower
I could go on for days about those 4 pages, but Black Widow and the squad have some boujee black market Met Gala type fuckery to stumble upon and disrupt. And dam does the team look good while stumbling into their investigation turned life or death situation! The espionage activity is fun, the villainous behavior happening on the low is interesting, and the fight sequences that go down will keep the action heads happy.
I really appreciate that Thompson doesn’t let her supporting characters get lost in the sauce. If you have Clint Barton on your squad, you leannnnn into the jokes and rep the sharpshooting skills he provides. Or you make fun of him during a fancy ballroom dance while he can hear you loud and clear on the comms. Lesser known characters with their own brand of humor should be allowed to flourish, and that’s exactly what Thompson does for Spider-Girl. Bucky is his solid self, Yelena never stops being a prickly, pragmatic murderer, and newcomer Lucy Nguyen is mixed in well here and there. All the while, Natasha glides across every page looking stunning in a gown or ass kicking fit. Did I mention that Elena Casagrande absolutely crushes every panel in this book? I’m her newest stan, and Black Widow continues to be one of the few books that don’t feature mutants that I look forward to each month. Another excellent issue and amazing cliffhanger to keep us hungry for more!
9 Living Blades out of 10
Reading Black Widow? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.
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The post Black Widow #12 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
In an effort to shed its terrible reputation (consisting of misinformation, selling user data, and much more), founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook—the company, not the service itself—is renaming itself to Meta. In addition to the rename, the company is continuing to promote its VR and AR technology. For workspaces (ew) and to hang out … I guess? Who knows?
What we do know for sure is that this is the same company that …
- choose to let hateful content (linked to real hate crimes and genocide) slide for engagement numbers.
- divested from workgroups and programs that would tackle the harmful ways Meta’s products are harming societies globally.
- under employ translators (leading to violence and rising nationalism) even among the most spoken languages in the world (Spanish, Arabic, etc.).
- lie to investors and the public about the effect Instagram was having on children, especially young girls.
- has employees using back end information to stalk exes.
- allows misinformation ads from verified users on things as simple as targeting marginalized voters with incorrect information on which day to vote.
- (speaking of information) sell user data to operations and firms that work with politicians (Cambridge Analytica).
There is more, but do I need to continue?
While it’s easy to say this is because of the recent files shared by whistleblower Frances Haugen, I think this was inevitable. They’ve been desperate to rebrand since 2016 and especially after 2018. Because a majority of Congress couldn’t pass a basic media or computer literacy test (even if given advance notice), it’s likely nothing will be done.
It is up to other governing bodies of equal or greater power (like the European Union) to pass regulations, hopefully so sweeping Facebook won’t be able to apply it to a specific region. Also, hopefully, those laws apply to the platforms and not the company and prevent a loophole like a stupid name change from unraveling the legislation.
Oh, and there is one more thing we can do: make fun of how ludicrous this all is.
Laughing through our dystopian present
— Taylor Moore (@taylordotbiz) October 28, 2021
Who thought “meta” was a good idea, I just want to talk… pic.twitter.com/mQMBLeIilT
— Imani Barbarin, MAGC | Crutches&Spice ♿️ (@Imani_Barbarin) October 29, 2021
Let’s be real, they could’ve named it something unique and brand-friendly, and these jokes would’ve continued.
— Charlotte Avery (@mc_lotta) October 28, 2021
While the company will be renamed to Meta and the platform Facebook will stay named “Facebook,” the jokes about older family members (susceptible to radicalization) being confused or worried about the change continued anyways. Others confused (because the announcement was a mess) seemed concerned.
gonna confuse their elderly audience
— brielle (@tbydoja) October 28, 2021
Meta? LMAOOO the aunties are about to mass delete Facebook and call it devil worship. 💀😭 https://t.co/De6dagD38Y
— Daric C., M.A. (he/him/Él) (@DaricCott) October 28, 2021
Several trans individuals pointed out that, per Facebook’s own requirements, they would reciprocate by refusing to call the company Meta. That is, of course, until the paperwork is shown. (Even then, it is far easier for a company to change their name and have that respected than an actual human being.)
As a trans person, I plan to keep calling them Facebook until they prove their name change via legal documents https://t.co/wLJI0d7nR9
— Grave-son Ghoul (he/him) (@GraysonGoal) October 28, 2021
FB changed its name to Meta and media orgs immediately began calling it by its new name. Simple. Easy. No problem. So why do some of you throw a shit fit and maliciously use a person’s deadname when they don’t want to be called as such anymore?
— Brian J. French in flap-jaw space (@BJFrench3) October 28, 2021
Unintended consequences
Like Facebook as a platform, this rebranding is going to lead to some unwanted outcomes we can see from a mile away, which makes me wonder … was Zuck so pressed on this that he ignored these concerns, or does he surround himself with just “yes men”?
Also going to make it really hard to search for news articles about them. “Facebook” is a unique word, but “Meta” is going to get drowned in unrelated searches. https://t.co/eD7EQ4FY17
— Alex Brown 🐀 (they/them) (@QueenOfRats) October 28, 2021
Wait.
They thought, “Meta” was LESS creepy?
— James S.A. Corey (@JamesSACorey) October 28, 2021
I am also heated for this exact reason today. I can’t even say “that’s so meta” anymore bc zuck has to steal everything fun and turn it into something we all hate https://t.co/6bL7lLujDX
— rich auntie vibes (but spooky) (@alaw312) October 29, 2021
Even 4chan is taking this as an opportunity to say “shove it” despite much of their content ending up on Meta’s platforms anyways.
Anon has a plan to screw with Facebook’s new Meta name pic.twitter.com/DEvQ9C7yss
— 4chan Greentexts (@4chanGreentxts) October 29, 2021
Beyond this messy Facebook Meta
The name alone wasn’t the only thing dunked on, but the rest wasn’t really new, either. The video (we highlighted yesterday in Things We Saw Today) was very cringey because the Zuck continues to be the face of Facebo—I mean Meta. I’m not even talking about the reptilian jokes steeped in antisemitism, just how awkward he is.
it apparently means a lot to him pic.twitter.com/npLLHpdIiv
— Laryn ⚢ (@uniquelyboring) October 28, 2021
In all seriousness, please consider media literate candidates at every level of government when voting. Also, consider divesting from Meta properties if allowed (Instagram, What’s App, Messenger, etc.). I say “if allowed” because they have really built a whole monster that is still necessary for many businesses and connecting with those abroad.
(via Twitter, image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images and screenshots)
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The post Internet Dunks on Facebook for Prioritizing “Meta” Virtual Reality Rebranding Over Safety first appeared on The Mary Sue.Writer: Tate Brombal / Artist: Chris Shehan / Boom! Studios
The world of Something is Killing the Children from James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’edera was an elegantly constructed new horror comic that left quite the lasting impression. The adventures of Erica Slaughter’s hunt slowly provided a window into a much deeper lore and the haunting universe rightfully deserved to be expanded.
While it’s been a minute since I’ve talked about the series, the series remains one I keep tabs on, and the announcement of House of Slaughter got me very excited for a number of reasons. The world of Something is Killing the Children is enthralling, and any opportunity to expand on it is more than welcome. Hot off the mainline series’ prequel arc, House of Slaughter tantalized us with the back story of one Aaron Slaughter, and I’m thankful that the comic delivered.
House of Slaughter #1 opens with the Aaron Slaughter readers familiar with the franchise know and love and new readers will come to appreciate on a hunt. As the in-media res fades to bring us back fifteen years into the past, we follow a young Aaron doing his best as a trainee as opposed to the trainer.
Brombal does a fantastic job of making House of Slaughter approachable to all readers. He writes the younger Aaron in a way that makes him relatable even if the whole “training to be a monster killer” is not exactly a common experience. However, Brombal’s approach to high stake schoolyard antics works incredibly well, and this iteration of Aaron is endearing. Furthermore, this issue provides even more contextual information about the various systems at play in the universe. And once Jace, the other principle character, is introduced, we get to see a lot of intriguing character dynamics begin to play out. By the end of the first issue, you can’t helped but be primed for the other four. Brombal’s narrative and dialog fit perfectly tonally with the world that James Tynion IV has created while having its own distinctive tenderness and kindness about it.
Similarly, Shehan’s artwork perfectly mirrors the designs of Werther Dell’edera, keeping a similar but unique aesthetic that’s also a bit softer than the mainline series. Miquel Muerto’s colors help unify the universes, and visually the comic is stunning. The action is fun to parse, the set pieces are eerie, and the signature masks that are the definitive iconic images of the series remain menacing and captivating.
House of Slaughter #1 manages to walk the difficult line of being part of an existing universe while also telling its own unique story. Brombal and Shehan have distilled the foundational elements of Something is Killing the Children and used the building blocks to tell a brand new story that stands on its own. While this comic will be most appreciated by avid fans, this issue will serve as a gateway for newer ones as well who can easily become invested in Aaron’s story and want to see more of him. The creative team has constructed a familiar, yet novel sandbox and I look forward to seeing what happens in the coming issues.
9.3 “Hunts” out of 10
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Scam emails are a bit of an art form when done properly. Anyone can send you an email about some kind of new medicine or your bank account being locked (even if you don’t have an account at that bank), but it takes a true wordsmith to draft a letter about being a lost relative with a million zillion dollars and, of course, royalty from a far off land.
Like… outer space?!
— Dr Yuliya Yurchenko (@YPYurchenko) October 28, 2021
Kirstin Munro, an assistant professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, brought a new kind of scam email to Twitter’s attention, one with potential deadly assassin-like consequences if you don’t answer.
New kind of scammer email just dropped. pic.twitter.com/XqU6QAuJKH
— Kirstin Munro (@kmunroutrgv) October 28, 2021
Clearly, Khalifa Shamoon doesn’t realize what decade this is. We are long past the days of just deleting bizarre scam emails that automatically go to our spam folders. We’re millennials. We share that shit on Twitter and craft together humorous responses.
I’m not stuck in the room with Khalifa, Khalifa’s stuck in the room with me
Twitter is, apparently, full of assassins in training who are ready to go up against someone who’s got an, admittedly, kinda cool assassin name.
“Dear Khalifa,
Your first mistake was warning me, the second was telling me your name.
I’ll see you soon.
Game on.”— what? bobcats *are* scary (@AnarchoBob) October 28, 2021
My reply would be “you better not fucking miss”
— ART RAFFLE PINNEDReiko Ayanami⚛️ (@ReikomaniaVT) October 28, 2021
Or some are just familiar with Fire Emblem.
Dear Khalifa.
You get 25 turns. After that, I will comence my attack. pic.twitter.com/WsclWevwuA
— TakeshiHanataro (@TakeshiHanataro) October 28, 2021
Some, however, have the sense to propose a team-up of sorts – via bank routing numbers, of course.
“Most fascinating. You see, I too am a top assassin, and there has been an amount paid with your name on it. It seems someone is cleaning up loose ends. Please, send me your bank routing number, so we can track this to the source.”
— Helen Heinrich (she/they) (@HelenHeinrich1) October 28, 2021
Others couldn’t believe the audacity of the assassin sending an email. Whatever happened to stealth? At the very least, if you decide to turn your back on the organization and not kill the target, don’t announce it via Gmail!
Always go for a union assassin. They are trained well.
— Riyadh Elalami (@Riyadhelalami) October 28, 2021
Make my death quick and easy, please
Because we’re all a little tired, aren’t we? Especially with the way the past two years (oh my god, it’s almost 2022) have been going. For every “we engage in combat at dawn” response was one that awaited the sweet embrace of a, hopefully, badass death.
Lol saving this just in case I ever get that email
— ʚɞ (@lilfayelamb) October 29, 2021
“Dear Khalifa, I am $13000 in debt and work 55 hours a week. Please hurry with the planned assassination so I don’t have to worry about cooking dinner tomorrow as the oven is also broken. Thank you “
— Diamond Joe Quimby (@AngelGodiva) October 29, 2021
“Nah sis, just go ahead and end me. Make sure I don’t see it coming.
Kind regards.”
— The Konata Guy (@NightmareSnake) October 28, 2021
I know enemies to lovers fic when I see it
“Are you really bad the way I was told?”
I mean there has to be a reason why a warning email was sent first, right? Khalifa could’ve just gone for the kill but they’ve had a change of heart. Do they have to kill again? They’re probably tired of it. The endless violence. The bloodshed.
But there’s something they see in you, something that urges them to reach toward you.
I can change her. https://t.co/HKSb4HjQYO
— Yours Truly, Commander Shepard (@YTCShepard) October 29, 2021
It’s not a scam.
It’s love.
Enemies to lovers, 150k, assassination attempts, pinning, slow burn
— OlliePoppy (@OlliePopke) October 28, 2021
Assassin fic is not typically my jam but the scammers are def just pulling from AO3 now https://t.co/0SFaCyo6NQ
— Con-EEK! (@ConStar24) October 29, 2021
Ok who’s been feeding the scam bots Ao3 fic plots https://t.co/wrSQsdl8l2
— Edgar Allan Bitch (Saf) – Radioactively Ghost Pale (@edgar_a_bitch) October 28, 2021
Of course, having this change of heart comes at a price.
This kind of sounds like the start of a fantasy romance book
They send you a email, you two start talking. And they can’t help but fall in love with you, cuz there is something special about you…You two have crazy adventures and they try to keep you safe from the assassin guild— Ataucei (@ataucei) October 28, 2021
As long as we can bring my wife and find a good home for our cats, I’m game.
Just link me to your hefty assassin bank account, first. It’s not a scam, I promise.
(Image: Focus Features)
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The post “An Amount Has Been Paid to Assassinate You,” Says Scam Email That Reads Like an Enemies to Lovers Fanfic first appeared on The Mary Sue.