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Writer: Skottie Young / Artist: Kyle Strahm / Image
Upon gazing on the furry blue gremlin with a solitary twig adorned on top their head, my first immediate thought was “Oh, I love them so much.” With a mischievous look in their eyes, a design that is both Skittermander-adjacent and also blue-Elmo-esqu, and accompaniment by an equally quirky companions, I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy Twig. And by the second page, where a combination slime/slug/squid thing name Splat sardonically replies to Twig about not being their alarm, that feeling was immediately confirmed.
Twig from Skottie Young (whose last series The Me You Love in the Dark was distinctively very much darker in nature) and Kyle Strahm, follows the adventures of the titular entity as they go about their lives. Strahm’s character design is simple and exceedingly effective, hitting all of the perfect elements to create an entity that I intrinsically want to root for. Young leverages that instinct and couples a playful cadence in Twig’s dialog. As Twig shows up to their new job as a messenger, the story begins in proper.
The vibrant world is bursting with character, and the world is very literally alive as trees, branches, and mountains converse with Twig as they descend into the Belly mines and receive their charge, a mysterious red jewel. The set pieces are fantastic, and the energy is radiant. Between the eye-catching pages and the fun dialog, there’s a lot to enjoy. However, Twig’s narrative during the first issue is just a tad bit flat. While there are a lot of interesting things to parse, nothing much particularly happened during Twig #1. This is an unusual complaint given that most try to pack as much stuff in as possible. However, the final page does hint at a grander myth arc and more serious energy, so we’ll see how things play out.
Still, I think even though it’s a bit of an uneventful start, the aesthetic alone should sell you on Twig #1. Young and Strahm play off each other wonderfully, and the end result is a strong start to a world that can stand proudly next to its nominal predecessors/influences of Bone and The Dark Crystal.
8.4 “Placeling” out of 10
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The post ‘Twig #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Writer: Skottie Young / Artist: Kyle Strahm / Image
Upon gazing on the furry blue gremlin with a solitary twig adorned on top their head, my first immediate thought was “Oh, I love them so much.” With a mischievous look in their eyes, a design that is both Skittermander-adjacent and also blue-Elmo-esqu, and accompaniment by an equally quirky companions, I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy Twig. And by the second page, where a combination slime/slug/squid thing name Splat sardonically replies to Twig about not being their alarm, that feeling was immediately confirmed.
Twig from Skottie Young (whose last series The Me You Love in the Dark was distinctively very much darker in nature) and Kyle Strahm, follows the adventures of the titular entity as they go about their lives. Strahm’s character design is simple and exceedingly effective, hitting all of the perfect elements to create an entity that I intrinsically want to root for. Young leverages that instinct and couples a playful cadence in Twig’s dialog. As Twig shows up to their new job as a messenger, the story begins in proper.
The vibrant world is bursting with character, and the world is very literally alive as trees, branches, and mountains converse with Twig as they descend into the Belly mines and receive their charge, a mysterious red jewel. The set pieces are fantastic, and the energy is radiant. Between the eye-catching pages and the fun dialog, there’s a lot to enjoy. However, Twig’s narrative during the first issue is just a tad bit flat. While there are a lot of interesting things to parse, nothing much particularly happened during Twig #1. This is an unusual complaint given that most try to pack as much stuff in as possible. However, the final page does hint at a grander myth arc and more serious energy, so we’ll see how things play out.
Still, I think even though it’s a bit of an uneventful start, the aesthetic alone should sell you on Twig #1. Young and Strahm play off each other wonderfully, and the end result is a strong start to a world that can stand proudly next to its nominal predecessors/influences of Bone and The Dark Crystal.
8.4 “Placeling” out of 10
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From creator Roberto Patino, DMZ comes to the small screen and is an adaptation of the DC Comics book. The series focuses on Alma, played by Rosario Dawson, a medic who became separated from her son during an evacuation of New York City at the height of the Second American Civil War. Nearly 20 years later, there are 300,000 people still in what is now considered a completely isolated demilitarized zone (DMZ) between two nations.
The series captures so much of today’s political climate, especially in relation to immigrant groups. In DMZ, everyone who could leave New York City left – white and rich people – making this series an exploration of which citizens the United States is willing to leave behind.
BGN had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion at Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California with Robert Patino, directors Ava Duvernay and Ernest Dickerson, and the star of the series Rosario Dawson. They spoke about how the pandemic changed the trajectory of the show, the timeliness of the story, and what it actually took to get the series off the ground.
Patino spoke of how the pandemic changed a lot for the show. The first episode was shot just before everything shut down. He recalls being on the phone with Ava Duvernay when the news of George Floyd’s murder happened. Patino said: “That precipitated a whole new layer to certain lines in the show, and a certain responsibility that we were taking on for the show. It was scary. It was affirming, and we all really committed fully. Ten months later, we got to see each other, and it was very strange because we couldn’t outright give each other hugs. It was very emotional for me to bring the story back and wrap it up.”
Were there any changes to the script due to the shutdown or any other events in 2020?
Patino: We reframed the story to be a four-episode limited series. Yes there were significant changes to the story that I had planned. It all forced me to distill what was going on in the show down to the very simple guiding light: a mother’s love for her son. That core vector, at least for me, seemed to parse out and make sense of what mattered as we were stuck in our homes and going outside slowly.
The DMZ mini-series differs quite a bit from the comic book. What inspired you to make those changes, and how is DMZ a reflection of the current climate in the United States of America?
Patino: The DMZ graphic novel is one of my favorites but is also very male – very testosterone-driven. I felt that it could use updating. You have to go to bat for the sense of accountability to the subject matter and to the audience. As an artist putting work out there, I was mindful of every line being something I could fully defend and stand behind proudly.
Your portrayal of Alma, a mother desperate to reunite with her son, really pulls at the heartstrings. How did you prepare for your role?
Rosario Dawson: I am a mom. The lineage of women in my family is important. I think it’s what also made the idea of introducing femininity in this retelling of DMZ that much more palpable and poignant. I play full-on mama bear but on steroids. You know, people say “unconditional love” but I don’t think they really mean unconditional. That is the guiding star for Alma, and it was heartbreaking and challenging to live that truth. The circumstances, the situations, the realities she encounters about the dynamics that she’s in, and the power tripping – it all tests that resolve of what it means to be a mama bear.
Do you see yourself in Alma?
Dawson: Yes, Alma is a New Yorker. She is a woman of service. I recognize no matter what you think you have or don’t have, there’s always something you can give. There’s always some type of collaboration that can be done. That spirit is very much in Alma.
So often, she really has nothing but her wits and her heart to guide her. But she’s strong, not because she’s aggressive and fighting. She’s strong because she’s resilient and tenacious. Those are the types of people I grew up around, and that’s what I wanted to embody in this story. I wanted to show people a different kind of strength and a different way forward.
Ava, you first signed on as a producer through your production company ARRAY. You directed the pilot, and then tapped legendary Ernest Dickerson for the following three episodes. Why was he the perfect director?
Ava Duvernay: Tapped? More like begged! The thing about Ernest Dickerson is he is a legend in our industry. He used to be a cinematographer and then became a director. He has directed or shot some of your favorite films. We needed someone who could take big ideas and make them beautiful.
Ernest Dickerson: It was great because I was already doing a world-building show, Raised by Wolves. So, all of a sudden, here comes this other show to extend and expand on what was already started.
The set designer did an outstanding job creating a dystopian New York City in Atlanta. How did you all collaborate with the set designer to make your vision of DMZ come to life?
Did the look of the dystopian bring in the fashion for the show, or did the fashion come first?
Duvernay: When you make a movie, you have to think about what the characters would wear. As we did this, we thought about it being New York City, 20 years from now and there’s been a war. What would the fashion be like? Nothing new, the colors can’t pop too much, and everything’s a little bit muted. It was a challenge to put those things together. When you’re watching a movie, you’re just popping it on. But sometimes it takes us years to make what you’ve watched. Someone had to write it, executives get involved, and sometimes we have to fight for what we write. Then we have to fight to get the money, get a location, get the actors, then we have to rehearse, and bring in the cameras. There’s so much to make one scene that you watch in two minutes. So, that’s why when we get a chance to present it and talk to an audience about it, it’s a real thrill because we do it all for you. Thank you.
DMZ is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Writer: Mairghread Scott / Artist: Fabiana Mascolo / Boom! Studios
There is a lot going on in the Magic: The Gathering universe, and Boom! Studios has been producing lots of quality comic content that shows off the colorful cast of characters (pun very much intentional unfortunately). It’s been lots of fun following the main line series and the occasional one-shot, which brings me to the latest comic: The Hidden Planeswalker, focusing on none other than the iconic Liliana Vess.
The opening page of Magic: The Hidden Planeswalker #1 evokes stained glass. Mascolo’s line work alongside Segela’s color make for a visually striking spread as Scott perfectly captures the snarks and quips always alluded to in the character’s flavor texts in the cards. The comic aligns quite nicely with the recent expansion Strixhaven (that also recently received a D&D companion book as well), and the opening sequence has the ‘Bride of Death’ do what she does best: necromantic magic and intimidation. The backstory is incorporated seamlessly and efficiently, allowing us to reach the main thrust of the story as Ral Zarek and Kaya from the mainline come to solicit Liliana’s help.
From there, the story teases some developments of the larger scope villain of Marit Lage (a name that I still recognize from Ice Age and am always happy to see floating around), and the more immediate threat of Tezzeret. Liliana jumps at the call, surprising her recruiters, but I suppose that’s what happens when the fate of the Multiverse is at stake.
The back half of The Hidden Planeswalker #1 gives Liliana plenty of time to flex her incredible magical prowess, while furthering texturing the narrative with fun allusions to prior events. It all culminates in an exciting duel of magics. Mascolo does such a wonderful job depicting the different types of magic and planeswalking in the world, and Scott’s storytelling is compact and effective at keeping the reader engaged.
For any fans of the extended universe that Boom! Studios is cultivating and fans of Liliana Vess, this is a must read. For anyone, this might just pique your curiosity into the universe, but the mainline probably will act as a better starting point. Still, as someone who mostly follows Magic: The Gathering in passing, I have greatly appreciated having these comics to keep the spark of interest alive and well.
8.9 “Vendettas” out of 10
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*HEAVY Spoilers be Crashing Through the Multiverse*
Moon Knight: Birth of the Scarlet Scarab
Before discussing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we gotta talk some Moon Knight. Episode 6 is in the books and we need to talk that diversity and inclusion talk! We’ve already covered the big spoiler-free, mid-season reasons you should get down with Moon Knight but the spoiler shackles are off and we’re goin off! The series season? finale wrapped up and gave us more than most fans would’ve ever expected, especially our Marvel fans that identify as women and little girls across the planet.
I could dive into Marc and Stevens trip to the afterlife, tear inducing balancing act and, or resurrection. I could go off about the Beast Wars savagery that Ammit was on when she beat the brakes off Khonshu. But naaa we here to talk about the Scarlet Scarab baby!
Layla El-Faouly has been popping up all throughout this series, flexing her next level hand to hand combat game, saving Marc/Steven every now and then, being baffled at what’s going on with her husband then BOOM. Episode 6 we see her finally give into the request to become an avatar, but she doesn’t become Khonshu’s next envoy like it’s been hinted at all season. Instead, she agrees to being Tawaret’s. Sporting Archangel type metal wings, gold swords and a sick ass costume, the Scarlet Scarab is born!
In an instant, Moon Knight goes from an extremely diverse show with brown folx all over the place to crushing the inclusion game by introducing the world to the first Egyptian female superhero and allowing people in the show to fan girl out on our behalf! The moment the Scarlet Scarab saves that girl from being crushed by the car with her bare hands, then gets ready to jump back into the Arthur Harrow ass beaten action, we see a young lady on the sideline ask her if she’s an Egyptian superhero. The reaction that goes down after discovering her home also has someone to call their own in this superhero world was absolutely priceless and worth the Moon Knight watch for that moment alone.
Doctor Strange: America Chavez’s Coming of Age Story
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not the movie it is marketed as. It’s not even the Doctor Strange movie I wanted to see, but it was the movie that was needed for this pivotal moment in the MCU. After Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse introduced us to the land of layered universes and Loki expanded on that groundwork in the MCU, we were ready for a full length feature. That seems to ultimately be the reason Doctor Strange is more of a direct follow up to WandaVision and Spider-Man No Way Home than a wildy extended episode of What If…?
I said it at the top and I’ll say it again, the spoilers will be coming at you rapidly and Thorkell relentlessly, so unless you prefer to bask in the spoil, please direct your attention elsewhere until you’ve seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
This movie is being packaged as a good Stephen vs. an evil Stephen so powerful that the good doctor needs to recruit Wanda to win, kind of a movie.
Instead, this movie is Scarlet Witch meets Nightmare on Elm Street, and it was awesome. As each act continues to unfold, and Wanda gets more and more desperate, the horror elements continue to ramp up and look more like a Freddy or Jason chase film with spells, creatures, and heroes.
America Chavez is the hunted and, ultimately, the thread that ties the entire movie together. The opening scene sets the stage as Chavez and Strange are chased down by a demon chases from another universe before they could obtain the book that they needed to defeat the person hunting the young hero. Guess what? It’s Wanda. She’s the evil magical monster mob boss sending mystical goons after the kid to steal her powers. What powers you say? The power to traverse the multiverse of course!
This movie becomes a direct follow-up to the mayhem and trauma that resulted from Wanda having to shoot a hole through the head of her husband and live with the fact that she enslaved an entire American town. That pain and loss of family manifested in her Chavez hunting ways because stealing America’s powers would allow her to find a universe where her children are still alive and love her.
Easier said than done when the girl you’re hunting falls into the protection of the Master of the Mystical Arts and Sorcerer Supreme. Strange and Wong spend a pretty hilarious afternoon getting to know America Chavez, and it’s there that the heart of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness lies. America is dealing with perhaps the heaviest version of loss; one that was caused by her own hand. A child shouldn’t have to fathom what it’s like to lose not one parent but two. They shouldn’t have to relive the memory of using their powers for the first time and opening a portal to an undisclosed universe that their parents got sucked into and most likely died in. But America Chavez shoulders that burden and the actress who plays her, Xochitl Gomez, does a dam good job of showcasing a range of emotions in this superhero movie about family, grief, and growth.
Before we wrap up, I gotta give a *hood nod* to Marvel for leaning into the diversity they invested in. After the whole whitewashing of America Chavez casting, they didn’t let the fans’ anger and backlash stop them from making her a badass Boricua with a decent character maturation arc, that is proud of her Spanish speaking heritage.
Speaking of Spanish, this may not seem like a big deal to you, but the fact that we not only saw America Chavez and her family speaking Spanish on another planet, but the opening scene features Chavez and an alternate universe Strange speaking Spanish back and forth for a bit. Wong drops a line or two, and he and Chavez clown Stephen 616 for not knowing the language. That was a really dope moment that no one should take for granted. There was definitely some intentional as well as natural inclusion throughout Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but that bonding moment between Wong and America takes the cake for me!
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