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http://www.afronerd.com/2021/09/marvels-preemptive-suit-vs-heirs-of.html

Afronerd Radio can now be heard LIVE courtesy of Apple Music/Itunes

It's time for some action!  Welcome to the latest installment of Afronerd Radio's Mid Week in Review show, broadcasting this Wednesday at 8 p.m. eastern on BTalk 100.   Your "diabolical" AFROnerdist hosts will be addressing the following (mid) weekly issues: apparently as a preemptive measure, Marvel/Disney is suing the heirs of some of your favorite comic creators to maintain the rights to certain Avengers characters coming up on copyright termination;  and speaking of Disney....plus, that is-we give our impressions of the eighth episode of the streaming service's wildly popular What...If? series; as the oft-preempted Marvel film, Venom sequel gets closer to its release date (Oct. 1, 2021), theories are popping up that the story may focus on a "love affair" between the Eddie Brock character and his Alien parasite/symbiote.....ok..let's talk about it;  

Dburt, admittedly, will revisit an iconic movie scene that he deems as cool, even if the character is an antagonist or straightforward villain. Case in point, legendary actor, Denzel Washington's controversial (and Oscar Award-winning) portrayal of a corrupt undercover detective.  But the question remains, can Black villains be explored without fear of stereotyping:

 

    

J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5 sci-fi series returns (to the CW network) this time but is it a sequel or a reboot? Is the Netflix Squid Game the most violent series to hit the streaming platform?; How did Dburt (per usual) miss the original Cowboy Bebop anime series?  And how faithful can the Netflix live-action translation be to the original?

And lastly, if time permits, perhaps we will address the inane-notable actor, Will Smith's GQ magazine interview in which he discloses what many had already deduced years ago....he's purportedly in an open marriage and the dustup between Whoopi Goldberg and Bill Maher concerning the Black National Anthem being played before NFL games.  Maher doubles down on his belief that America should not revert to racial separatism.         

One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF

Call us LIVE at 508-645-0100. AFTER CLICKING ON THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK, GO DIRECTLY TO AFRONERD RADIO!!! 

Also, Afronerd Radio's podcast format can be heard via BTalk 100 Pandora, Spotify and,  IHeartRadio....more formats to follow!

https://nerdist.com/article/milky-way-giant-space-void-cavity-result-of-ancient-supernovae/

As astronomers continue to scan the Milky Way for answers to cosmic questions, the galaxy’s strangeness continues to unfold. Our home galaxy, for example, hosts everything from “yellow ball” star clusters to “snow clouds” consisting of oxygen. Now, new research reveals a giant void or “cavity” in the Milky Way. And it may be the gaping result of ancient stars exploding ten million years ago.

 Alyssa Goodman/Center for Astrophysics

SYFY WIRE reported on the recently announced Milky Way void. Although it may evoke the idea of a black hole, this cavity is actually a sphere (or “bubble”) of empty space. The cavity, as the astronomers outlined in a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, spans approximately 500 light-years across. And molecular clouds—which provide the material for nascent star formation—surround the region.

“Hundreds of stars are forming or exist already at the surface of this giant bubble,” Shmuel Bialy, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Astrophysics and study lead, said in a press release. “We have two theories—either one supernova went off at the core of this bubble and pushed gas outward forming what we now call the ‘Perseus-Taurus Supershell,’ or a series of supernovae occurring over millions of years created it over time,” Bialy added.

Bialy and his colleagues were able to spot the space void thanks to their analyzing a 3D map of the Supershell. Researchers made the map using a space-based observatory. It represents the first instance of a map of this kind in three dimensions. In the video above, we get a look at the 3D map of the Supershell and its molecular clouds. This video also demonstrates how people can use their phones to look at an augmented-reality version of the Supershell. (You can grab the QR codes for that here.)

“There are many different theories for how gas rearranges itself to form stars,” Catherine Zucker, the lead creator of the 3D map, said in the press release. “Astronomers have tested these theoretical ideas using simulations in the past, but this is the first time we can use real—not simulated—3D views to compare theory to observation, and evaluate which theories work best.”

Jasen Lux Chambers / Center for Astrophysics

The findings ultimately suggest that the molecular clouds that make up the Perseus-Taurus Supershell are not independent. On the contrary, a single shockwave from a supernova—i.e. an exploding star—likely formed both together. “This demonstrates that when a star dies, its supernova generates a chain of events that may ultimately lead to the birth of new stars,” Bialy added. Which, again, is just one of the many cosmic events occurring throughout the Milky Way all the time.

The post Giant Milky Way Void Could Be Result of Ancient Supernovae appeared first on Nerdist.

https://nerdist.com/article/venom-let-there-be-carnages-post-credits-scene-explained-marvel/

There are spoilers. And then there are spoilers, the kind that should come with literal sirens to warning people. Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘s post-credits scene definitely falls into the latter category. For a massively entertaining movie that never once takes itself seriously, it ends with one of the most consequential stingers in movie history: everyone’s favorite symbiote entered the world of the MCU to star opposite Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.

Sony

What Happened

Let There be Carnage ends with Venom and Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock on the run. They’re heading anywhere people need protecting. The movie’s only post-credits scene shows their nomadic existence has led to them living in cheap quarters in a Spanish-speaking country. (Likely near the US and the beach where they ended the film.) It’s clear they’ve been there for some time. They’re very familiar with the storyline of the Spanish soap opera currently airing. Their discussion about the show leads to Venom agreeing to give Eddie a small fraction of the incredible knowledge symbiotes have acquired while traveling the universe. Venom says it will blow Eddie’s mind.

As Eddie preps himself for the onslaught of cosmic knowledge the lights in his room start to dim and flicker. Then everything gets fuzzy as the walls and furniture begin to shake and shimmer. Initially it seems like this is all in Eddie’s mind, as though he can’t handle what Venom is showing him. But then a big, blinding blast of light, one resembling an atomic bomb explosion rather than a burst of sunlight, appears outside. It fills the room, and in a flash the two are no longer on the cheap bed of their meager room. They’ve transported to the comfy bed of a swanky resort where the TV is airing English-language broadcasts.

Sony

Venom, confused both about what has happened and the folded animal towel on their bed, tells Eddie he didn’t do this. Some other force has drawn them into this strange place. That’s when things go from interesting to world shattering. Multi-world shattering that is. J. Jonah Jameson, the bald-version of J.K. Simmons’ character from Spider-Man: Far From Home, is now on the TV hosting his Daily Bugle “news” talkshow. He’s complaining about the “Spider-Menace” who he says must be stopped.

That’s when Tom freaking Holland’s Peter Parker appears. He’s wearing his Spidey suit from Far From Home, but is completely unmasked. There’s no question that this is the MCU’s Spider-Man. Seeing Peter causes Venom to overtake Eddie. The giant monster finds Peter intoxicating and slurps the television screen showing Parker’s face. The scene then ends with the room’s actual guest walking out and asking Eddie what he’s doing there.

This is a different world entirely than the one Venom existed in. And it overwhelmingly appears to be the world of the MCU. Once you stop freaking out about that, there are a bunch of questions and possibilities to consider. Each with huge ramifications for both the MCU and Sony.

How Did this Happen?

Spider-Man: No Way Home is going to be a multiversal, multi-studio affair. One involving characters from older non-MCU Spidey movies. It will definitely star Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx. And almost certainly Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Willem Dafoe among others. The most likely answer for how Venom, one of Spider-Man’s most famous foes, will unexpectedly be transported into the world of Tom Holland’s character is the same way the others will. That burst of light might be the moment Doctor Strange’s spell, seen in the No Way Home trailer, goes horribly wrong. That fractured spell will shatter time and space, ultimately pulling Molina’s Doc Ock and other non-MCU Spider-Man characters into the franchise.

Marvel/Sony

That’s the most logical and most likely answer. But other potential explanations exist too. That explosion of light and accidental parallel world merging might have something to do with the Hulk’s Blip and/or Tony’s Iron Gauntlet Snap. Earth experiencing three infinity stone snaps in just five years might be too much for the universe to handle. This could also have something to do with the “Emergence” mentioned in Marvel’s Eternals trailer. That definitely has something to do with all those snaps.

Strange’s shattered spell also opens up to a dimension that looks like He Who Remains’ Citadel beyond time. He Who Remains’ death at the hands of Sylvie in Loki can’t be ruled out as the cause of all this multiverse and timeline convergence. That atomic burst of light might come at the exact moment Sylvie kills him. We already know that act has major implications for the MCU.

Marvel

However, the “how” isn’t nearly as important as what this means for both Disney and Sony.

Venom in the MCU

It would be genuinely stunning now if Tom Hardy’s Venom isn’t in Spider-Man: No Way Home. (Especially since Hardy wore a hat for the movie out in public.) That brings the film one step closer to a Sinister Six of baddies for the three Spider-Mans to fight. And seeing this live-action Venom on the same screen as any Peter Parker versus the version of the character we got in Spider-Man 3 will also be one of the all-time best movie upgrades.

Sony

Most importantly, it will make No Way Home complete. The film is drawing from across all Spider-Man related movies. And Venom is one of the most successful ever made—not including him would be a missed opportunity. So we’re going to get one of the coolest, most fun movie experiences ever. A film—where it seems Venom will want to eat Spider-Man!—decades in the making.

However, that doesn’t mean this multiverse crossover will last long.

Marvel

Sony’s Spider-Verse Plans

Whether or not Hardy stays in the MCU for more than one film is unclear. It’s certainly possible, even if that means we see Hardy as a parallel world Variant Venom in the future. But repeated appearances in the MCU are far from a guarantee. They might not even be likely. Just like with Spider-Man, Venom’s rights belong to Sony. And the studio is building its own live-action Spider-Verse. Jared Leto’s Morbius the Living Vampire is the next Spider character getting a standalone film. Considering the first Venom made over $850 million at the worldwide box office, it might not make sense for Sony to continue helping Marvel make billions with Sony’s most popular characters.

Having Eddie Brock show up in a single MCU film is still a great move by Sony though. While it will be incredible seeing Venom in the MCU fighting Holland’s Peter, that crossover is a much bigger boon for Sony than Disney. No Way Home is going to make all the money. That was true before this post-credits scene. But now both Venom films are essential watches for MCU fans who maybe didn’t care about them before.

This is such a big deal for Sony it wouldn’t surprise us if we someday learn Venom’s inclusion in the MCU was secretly one of the issues that caused the temporary rift that resulted in the studios not working together. Or if it was part of the solution to that problem.

Marvel/Sony

One day Sony will want Spider-Man to anchor its own Spider-Verse. And when that happens we might look back at Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘s post-credits scene as the moment that transition truly began. Because while Tom Hardy, Eddie Brock, and Venom are coming to the world of the MCU, they might be bringing Peter Parker back to theirs soon.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike, and also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE’s Post-Credits Scene Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

https://www.themarysue.com/mary-sue-book-club-october-2021-halloween/

Another month, another round of books for The Mary Sue Book Club! While second to September in my opinion (for reasons I laid out last time), October awesome as it is both officially-officially fall and the start of spooky season. For this reason, we made sure to include seasonally-themed picks that range from the macabre murders to the campy paranormal romances. Also included, on-brand, is an Ethiopian retelling of Charlotte Brontë classic Jane Eyre.

If you are one of the few that don’t find the silliness or terror involved in Halloween fun, fear not … there is a newly translated graphic novel about a mama bear and her cubs, a YA Chinese fantasy, and more here just for you.

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle

This paranormal romance/thriller (graphic novel) follows a new transfer student, Becca, after she is taken under the wing of the popular girls in her new elite school. She is startled and then intrigued when she finds the clique are werewolves that specifically prey on boys that take advantage of girls. What she sees as justice gets less and less clear as time passes. Further complicating the situation is Becca realizing she is in love with another member of the pack.

Squad releases Oct. 5.

My Monticello: Fiction by Lana Harper

Composed of six very different narratives made up of people fleeing a white supremacist militia in Charlottesville, this book explores shared histories and complicated inheritance—all while in the house of (IMO) the worst, most hypocritical founding father’s historic plantation. This book, and other works from Harper, received glowing praise from literary icons like Roxane Gay.

My Monticello releases Oct. 5.

GREEDY: Notes From a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much by Jen Winston

This collection of essays offers a comedic introspection on the author’s experience with sexism, biphobia, and self-love. After a celebration of bisexuals (out or not) for Bisexual Awareness Week, it’s always good to look further into the real stories that make these affirmations so important.

GREEDY: Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much releases Oct. 5.

Oksi by Mari Ahokoivu and translated by Silja-Maaria Aronpuro

Originally published in 2018 in Finnish, this newly translated graphic novel mixed science-fiction, fantasy, and Finnish mythology. The story follows a mother bear protecting her children and adopted creature, while the deities in the sky watch over them. A peek at these lush and emotive illustrations, has us very excited to read this book.

Oksi releases Oct. 12.

Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan

When two lost souls cross paths, they each see each other as a tool to reclaim the past and take new control of their futures. Altan goes after his inherited throne, and Ahn aims to understand her magical powers as well as learn more about her lost family. This dark fantasy pays homage to the Xianxia novels of the early 1900s.

Jade Fire Gold releases Oct. 12.

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

Among the survivors crowed unto the ark is pregnant and ostracized Iraxi. Like the others on the boat, she escaped the now flooded kingdom they came from. While the monsters beyond the boat and depleting resources worry many, Iraxi bears the added concern that her incoming child may not be fully human. The unsettling gothic, dystopian novella is perfect for fans of horror and/or science fiction.

Flowers for the Sea releases Oct. 19.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Described as an “Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre,” the paranormal fantasy novel follows an exorcist, Andromeda, hired to cleanse spaces of the Evil Eye. Desperate to develope clientele to hire her even without a license, Andromeda begins to work for the demanding, rich Magnus Rochester (who lives in a mansion in the middle of the desert). Despite mounting paranormal activities and deadly secrets, she begins to fall for Magnus.

Within These Wicked Walls releases Oct. 19.

She Kills Me: The True Stories of History’s Deadliest Women by Jennifer Wright

Perfect for fans of true crime and thrillers, She Kills Me shares 40 stories of women who committed homicide. Some did this out of fear and self-defense, while others took life for revenge and pleasure. Either way, women’s role in murder is under-discussed, as we are often seen as the victims and not the perpetrators of violence. This non-fiction book is not for the squeamish. After finishing this, maybe check out her 2017 book Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them

She Kills Me releases Oct. 26.

(featured image: Tordotcom, Greenwillow Books, and Atria Books.)

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The post The Mary Sue Book Club, October 2021: For Halloween Lovers (And the Haters) first appeared on The Mary Sue.