deerstalker

https://blacknerdproblems.com/you-will-never-escape-kingdom-hearts-4-announced/

Square Enix just celebrated the 20th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts (20 years!? Wow I feel old) and fans were foaming at the mouth for any bit of news of the future for the franchise. Square did not disappoint and gave the masses what they wanted.

That Hot Line Bling

Firstly, we are getting a conclusion to the phone game Kingdom Hearts Union χ. The series is known for having plenty of spinoff games but all of them are important to the overall story, and Union χ is no different. Serving as a prequel to the main conflict, the conclusion will show the fall out between main antagonist Xehanort and Keyblade Master Eraqus. Second, we are getting a brand-new phone game Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. Not much is known about this aside from the brief trailer we got showing off some combat and level design of Scala ad Caelum, the final level of KH3. There will be a beta for it “in select regions” I the fall.

What We Came Here For

And finally, what we all came here for, the announcement trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4. We find a slightly older Sora in the world of Quadratum which is basically modern-day Japan. It’s a bit strange to see Sora with somewhat realistic hair and proportional shoes, but I like the new look. We get introduced to a brand-new unnamed character and a bit of combat which all look great. It’s being dubbed the “Lost Master Arc,” so we can expect plenty more from our boy.

You can check out the trailer, the press release, and get hyped. Don’t expect the mainline game to show up for a few years now. But even so, it was a good day for Kingdom Hearts fans.

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The post You Will NEVER Escape! – ‘Kingdom Hearts 4’ Announced appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/justice-ketanji-brown-jackson-and-where-we-go-from-here/

We were always bound to see the reactions to the confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson that we have seen over the last few days.

Of course, Democrat senators like Elizabeth Warren and representatives like AOC would rightly laud Jackson’s historic appointment.

And of course, Republican members of Congress like Tom Cotton and Marsha Blackburn would lament a future in which, by their estimation, the country’s first Black female Supreme Court Justice would let criminals run wild while refusing to define what a “woman” is (even when science can’t quite answer that).

In all, the entire process was unsurprisingly, yet still somehow shockingly, rote.

Still, despite a few depressingly typical reactions from the right’s most vocal and histrionic members, there were some gratifying upsets in the confirmation process.

Take, for example, the “yes” votes by Republican senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski. In an era of hyper-partisan politics, these three voted for a nominee based on her clear qualifications and years of work as a district court judge, law clerk, and assistant federal public defender. They voted for Jackson in spite of the fact that they have Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as a rising star in their party, a star who quickly disparaged them for their votes. 

What’s interesting is that, in previous times, three confirmation votes from the opposing party would not be newsworthy. Look at the 1994 confirmation of Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the justice whom Justice Brown is replacing. 

There, one sees that Clinton nominee Breyer received an 87-9 confirmation vote. And no, dear reader, this was not some wild moment in time in which the president happened to be working with a nearly one-hundred percent Democratic Congress. Instead, Clinton was dealing with a legislative branch that, although split 53-47 in the Democrats’ favor, still had Republicans who worked to vote for the right Supreme Court Justice rather than against the president’s nominee. 

And don’t think that Republican senators voted for a Clinton nominee because they loved him so much. They hated his policies enough to have an historically protracted government shutdown the following year.

So, what changed? 

It could be that this is the payback for the razor-thin margins by which Trump’s nominees were confirmed. 

The appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, respectively, were all close calls, and each for different reasons. For Gorsuch, it was likely political payback for the previous Republican-majority Senate’s refusal to consider Obama appointee Merrick Garland for appointment. For Kavanaugh, it was largely due to sexual assault allegations levied against him by four different women, the most prominent of whom was Christine Blasey Ford. Finally, for Justice Barrett, concerns similar to those marring Gorsuch’s nomination during an election year loomed over her confirmation.

It could be that, in a post-Trump world, partisan politics have become an everyday part of ostensibly non-partisan appointments.

A United States Supreme Court Justice should not represent one party or the other.

Yes, justices and judges the world over can have more liberal or conservative interpretations of statutes and constitutions. That is an inevitable fact of life.

What should not be inevitable, however, is governmental gridlock due to concerns over the “other side” scoring a point. It’s a country, not a football game.

We should celebrate the appointment of America’s first Black woman justice. We should celebrate the fact that she is one of a few Black justices earning historic appointments to their states’ highest courts. We should be ecstatic for KBJ and all these other Black and Brown justices breaking persistent racial disparities in supreme courts on the state and national level. As this is a site that celebrates Black Excellence (especially Black female excellence), you know we damn happy about it.

But this positivity does not erase the hurdles ahead of us.

Commentators noting the increasing political gridlock have begun to wonder if Justice Jackson may become “the last Democratic justice” for the foreseeable future. Writing for New York Magazine, Jonathan Chait wonders if the steadily increasing correlations between a state’s presidential vote and senatorial elections will lead to a permanent Republican Senate majority, one that, should there be a Democratic president, would see Supreme Court nominations dead on arrival. 

So, what’s the solution?

If I’m being honest, reader, I’m not sure. 

It’s easy to say “get over partisan politics,” but that may be as simplistic advice as “get over your ex,” or, even, “get over your dead parents.” Americans hold their political beliefs strongly and close to their hearts — in fact, much more than other countries. It may be social media. It may be echo chamber stations like Fox and MSNBC. Who knows? Much smarter people than I have been asking this question in a much more in-depth way.

What is certain, however, is that we have a long road ahead of us.

With Mitch McConnell already promising (threatening?) that a newly-elected Republican Congress would not have a Supreme Court hearing until after the 2024 elections, we can already see that the partisan divide isn’t going anywhere soon. 

So, congrats to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. She is well qualified and the right woman for the job. Certain Republican senators balked at the idea of a former public defender becoming a justice, as if only prosecutors and those lobbying for corporate interests should interpret the Constitution. Those senators clearly need to read up on that Fiiif Amendment and remember that she is exactly the type of legal mind we need in order to more fully represent our nation’s legal ideals. 

But let’s remember that we need to figure out a way to get back to a time where ostensibly non-political entities like Supreme Court nominees were not subject to ridiculous political theater like what we saw for Justice Jackson.

We need to figure this out, or fringe, haranguing figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene will become the political norm. 

https://blackgirlnerds.com/mykelti-williamson-of-law-order-organized-crime-discusses-the-complexities-of-playing-a-kingpin/

Acclaimed actor and director Mykelti Williamson (Fences) first worked with producer Dick Wolf on Chicago P.D. as an actor and director and is now a part of the Law & Order tribe. Law & Order: Organized Crime takes on a fictional crime syndicate plaguing New York City, and Mykelti Williamson plays crime boss Preston Webb with some serious swagger. BGN spoke with Williamson on the phone last week about his compelling new role.

Does it feel good to be working with Dick Wolf again?

It does. I love the Dick Wolf world. One of my dear friends, Terry Miller, is over here producing. He came from Chicago P.D., then he came here to help get this show launched. I’m working with Chris Meloni [Detective Elliott Stabler] and Danielle Truitt [Sargent Ayana Bell], and I’m here I’m surrounded by giants and having a ball. I’m having a fantastic time being creative with other people who challenge each other, just to see who can elevate the show to the highest level while embracing it all and having fun. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Preston Webb is a nuanced character who the audience is torn to root for.  What’s your favorite aspect of playing this role? 

Preston’s relationships with powerful people like Congressman Kilbride [Ron Cephas Jones, This is Us] put him in a room of powerful opportunities. I get to live out Preston’s truth. No one is all good. No one is all bad. Good people sometimes do bad things, and bad people sometimes do good things. I want the audience to walk that fine line and ride on this journey with us. They can see themselves conflicted because they see characters who are genuinely and sincerely conflicted as good people who have made some really difficult decisions to temporarily delve into the world of organized crime until they can get out of it and build the next Walmart or Amazon. Preston is a man who’s unafraid and willing to do anything, and he will make the transition and would do well running a boardroom or running a corporation because he knows how to do it. 

But Preston’s past is messy. It’s possible that even if he makes it to that point of running his businesses legally, his past is the kind of past that never completely goes away. If he does legitimize all of his and his wife Cassandra’s efforts, their past may find them. Chickens always come home to roost. That’s an interesting dynamic that also makes him fun to play. But I would like to see the web of the character, for the sake of the audience, navigate and get to that place where he can make that transition and cross over. And then let’s see what happens. So we’re having a conversation about that today, on the heels of this interview.  I’m looking forward to figuring out how that’s going to happen.

How do you like filming in NYC?

I love working here. It’s the most famous city in the world. Everything is here, people from all walks of life, from all lifestyles. All cultures, all flavors keep it interesting. It’s exhilarating. 

You’re such a skilled actor. Do you face any challenges playing this role at this point in your career or is it easy for you to embody?

There’s constant navigation. I understand that the origin of the word “entertain” is to enter and hold captive. If you contain something, you hold it captive. For me as a responsible artist, I’m thinking, what do you program people with once you’ve held them captive? What is your responsibility to audiences? And for me, it’s not just a bad guy, a Black guy who’s going around shooting other Black guys and killing other Black people. It’s like, no, there are other layers to consider. So we’re navigating things that could potentially have social fallout all the time because ultimately all of us want to live in a better world. We don’t want to forget that our utmost responsibility is to not make the world a worse place than it has to be.

Are there Black writers in the writer’s room now? 

Yes, you’ve experienced some of the language of Kimberly A. Harrison and Eric Haywood. It does make a difference, and you can thank Dick Wolf for that.

Jennifer Beales plays your wife Cassandra in the series. What is your favorite part about the dynamic between Preston and Cassandra?

It’s that real love. At heart, these are good people, but they’ve made tough decisions to do bad things temporarily to get to a good breakthrough, to get to a good place. But is that possible? And those are the things that we’re navigating. But what I love about this relationship is that our two characters are madly in love with one another, but is what they’re expecting realistic? I just love it because they mean well, but they’re willing to sacrifice and do horrible things temporarily to make right later. They’re building churches; they’re building schools. They’re building mental health care facilities and clinics and communities. That’s the kind of work they want to do ultimately. They want to build the next Walmart, Amazon, and do it legitimately. That’s why they’re here for a year or so. The life of crime is beginning to weigh heavily on Preston and the audience will see more of that conflict. You’ll see how Preston and Nova [Nona Parker Johnson] come together to talk about their journey.

What right now is bringing you the most joy?

Doing good in the world. Just doing good in the world. No matter what I’m doing, anything, anytime I’m blessed, I know it’s not just for me — it is to be shared. I just follow my heart as my spirit is led because I’m a praying person. So my wife and all my daughters, we just are willing to sow into soil where it’s needed. For me probably the most exhilarating thing about life is that it’s not all about you.

Law & Order: Organized Crime airs Thursdays at 10:00 pm EST on NBC.

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.