Uncategorized

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason/ Artist: Sergio Davila, Vicente Cifuentes / DC Comics

Minor Spoilers for Teen Titans #15

This Super Sons of Tomorrow crossover has been exhilarating as it has been unrelenting. Last week in Teen Titans #15, Tomasi and Gleason gleefully showed Tim Drake’s transformation from the Batman of Tomorrow to Savior, and his personal crusade against Jon Kent will likely be the highlight of your pull list’s this week.

The continuity lock out that existed in Superman #37 served its purpose in setting the stage, and unburdened by the buildup, everything escalates beautifully. The Teen Titans race against time to find the Supers Sons in their new Fortress of Attitude before Savior finds his way there. And when they breach the doors, Jon and Damian give one hell of a grand entrance.

In an issue full of inter- and intra-team conflict and a timeline constantly in flux, Davila and Cifuentes really sell the emotive expressions of the increasingly large cast of characters. The tiniest details, whether the small curl of a smile, enlarged eyes, or gritted teeth, create a guttural reaction and you could still see what was happening in the story even if you removed the stellar dialog from Tomasi and Gleason.

The two writers need to be commended for creating one of the most believable young superhero dynamics I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Jon and Damian aren’t just Super Sons, they’re kids trying to make sense of the world and are brave enough to look past themselves and keep each other safe. They fight like brothers. They banter like the best of them. They remind you of that one childhood rival that became your dearest friend because they pushed you to the limit.

And counterpoint to that comradery and the comradery between the Teen Titans and Titans of Tomorrow, we have Tim Drake as Savior. That scrawled S on his belt a tantalizing question. He truly believes what he is doing is right and has such flare following through, he is one of the finest antagonist a miniseries could ask for.

The penultimate issue of the Super Sons of Tomorrow event weaves together all of the disparate elements that led up to it. Much like Tim Drake, it has evolved into something else entirely than what its start seemed to indicate and has this reviewer more hyped than ever for the finale.

9.2 “Dramatic Entrances” out of 10

Reading Superman? Find BNP’s coverage of the Man of Steel here.

Are you following Black Nerd Problems on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Google+?

The post Superman #38 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

So…2017 was a hell of a year. Both eventful and in some respects…hellish. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some high points. We had a series of favorites, so check out the other posts if you’re interested in the other genres.

SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA

There are two types of people in this world: those that have discovered this godly perfection and those that are suffering.

Tired of your shōnen protagonist winning their battles through bad writing and sheer luck rather than relying on skills they’ve honed for years? Sick of girls and women in these series constantly shoved to the background with shallow story arcs and laughable skill sets? My g, do you like food?!

Rarely has there been anime outside of the classic canon (e.g. Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z) that I have not only watched consistently, but hooked as many of my friends on as possible because it’s so good. Main character Yukihira Soma is just the right amount of stubborn and knowledgable to feel relatable, and every single member of the supporting cast is lovable with their own quirks and cooking styles. Because the story is grounded in reality the stakes actually feel much higher than your run-of-the-mill fighting narrative. I’m talking whole ass plot twists that aren’t some sudden magical BS but still leave you with your jaw agape. Also, the food shots? Gorgeous. The smallest catch is there’s equal opportunity fanservice, but we’re all mature here, right? – Lauren

BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT BEYOND

For me, there’s no feeling that matches the buzz I get when I blindly take a chance on an anime and find out it’s straight flames. There aren’t any standards placed on it and I get to just sit back and escape into a completely new world. My latest venture into a fictional universe came through Blood Blockade Battlefront.

The series is in its second season as it follows the adventures of a secret organization full of monster hunters in a city that’s three years removed from a cataclysmic shift that brought Otherworld entities to the surface. Every character gets their moment to shine as the action is incredibly entertaining and rewatchable. Oh, and the soundtrack is awesome with jazzy, R&B undertones. – Keith

MY HERO ACADEMIA

Listen. Do you know how many “high school tournaments where the protagonist has to prove themselves” story arcs I’ve seen in all my time watching anime? Do you know how hard it is to get hyped when a series does the ‘if you want to succeed, here is a series of tasks that will push you to the limit’ slow burn reveal at the start of the season? My Hero Academia‘s sophomore season had all of the framework of your classic shōnen series and then some, but damnit if it wasn’t the most fun I had watching any show in quite some time.

The show is quirky (pun very much intended) and vibrant. The premise is one that is instantly familiar, but My Hero Academia separates itself with its unique character designs and the fascinating journey of Izuku Midoriya, hero name: Deku. The animation is fluid and gorgeous, the fight sequences are clever and kinetic, the music always gets me hype. It’s a love letter to superheroes. It’s a love letter to the fans of superheroes. It walks a delicate line between silly and serious, and it’s a series that truly goes beyond, PLUS ULTRA. – Mikkel

BLACKOUT 2022 (anime short)

If you knew how much I liked Blade Runner 2049, you’d understand that I’d seek out anything and everything having to do with that universe that I could get my hands on. And that’s how I found Blackout 2022.

It’s an anime short directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, who I hear is a pretty big deal. It follows Iggy and Trixie, two replicants that cause the infamous blackout that restructured the entire landscape of the Blade Runner universe. It’s only mentioned in exposition in the actual film, so watching this short provided some much needed context.

It’s so well done it left me wanting to order the series the second it ended. It’s beautifully shot and perfectly captures the look and feel of this world. Neon signs? Dark alleys? Existential themes? All of the above and so much more.

And have I talked about Iggy? He’s a black replicant with freeform dreads. And he’s got that silky smooth Kevin Michael Richardson-esque voice. He also kicks ass. Need I say more?

Take. My. Money. – Morgan

Are you following Black Nerd Problems on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Google+?

The post BNP Staff Favorites for 2017: Anime appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

BBC Radio 4 has posted all six episodes of their adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys, and they’re available to listen to for free for the next 20-something days (depending on the individual episode’s air date and the location where you’re listening). The first episode premiered on Christmas, with one new episode airing per day for the next five days after that, so now they’re all ready to listen to!

Anansi Boys follows Fat Charlie Nancy after he discovers that not only is his father the trickster god Anansi, but he has a brother he’s never met before. “A gentle boy whose dad made him feel small,” the summary reads, “Fat Charlie Nancy is now overwhelmed by the discovery of a brother he never knew he had (not to mention the fact that his dad is the Spider God Anansi). As Spider (not so much feckless as absent on the day they handed out feck) tramples carelessly across Charlie’s life, Charlie begins to discover in himself a growing fire.”

The original novel debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list, and later won both the Locus Award and the British Fantasy Society Award. Dirk Maggs adapted it for radio.

Adjoa Andoh, who voices Birdwoman in the adaptation, also spoke about growing up with the Anansi stories thanks to her father. “[Anansi] can be foolish, he can be prideful, he can be super skillful and persuasive; generally, he gets his comeuppance,” she explained. “In the West Indies, he was Brer Anansi, so Brother Anansi. That’s what I grew up with. There was Brer Rabbit, there was Brer Anansi, there’s a Brer Spider. (Put Brer on any animal you like, actually.) And in Ghana, there’d be stories of him tricking people into getting him the palm wine, climbing the trees for them … Yeah, he’s a fun character for kids, because he’s naughty.”

Ever since you all helped me get hooked on podcasts with your wonderful recommendations, I’ve also been getting into radio adaptations of books. While I’m only three episodes into Anansi Boys, I’ve been adoring the voice work so far.

The voice cast for the radio adaptation includes Lenny Henry (who narrated the 2005 audio book) as Anansi, Jacob Anderson as Charlie, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Spider, as well as Earl Cameron, Tanya Moodie, Adjoa Andoh, Joseph Marcell, Sheila Atim, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Cecilia Noble, Angela Wynter, Ariyon Bakare, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Danielle Vitalis, Ronke Adekoluejo, Clifford Samuel, and Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong. You can see the full list of who plays who here.

(Image: BBC Radio 4)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Throughout the past 12 months, we’ve talked about how 2017 was a great year for games. It is arguably the greatest start in video game history. I don’t really have to go over […]

The post The Most Shocking, Surprising, and Awesome Gaming Moments of 2017 appeared first on Geek.com.