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Psst. Psst. Hoy! Mga Kababayan! Hello and welcome everyone to The Nerds of Color‘s newest audio/video podcast, ShoPowSho! My name is Kuya P AKA Patrick Michael Strange and I am honored to have The Nerds of Color be the home of my new show, ShoPowSho, wherein, we will be exploring my people / my kabayan […]
Writer: Justin Richards / Artist: Val Halvorson / Vault Comics
Content warning: domestic violence
It’s hard for me to believe it, but eight months ago I sat down to read Finger Guns #1, and I found myself endeared to Wes and Sadie after their introduction. Two teenagers who inexplicably found themselves with the power to manipulate emotions with a point of the finger, just trying to do the best they can. The magical realism premise was solid, and the story felt like it a lot of different directions it could go in. And in those intervening eight months, it kinda fell off my radar until a couple weeks ago when I saw that the series had been collected into a trade back, and lemme tell you, Richards and Halverson have apparently been doing a lot of incredible this year.
Given that it had been several months since I’ve read the first issue, I had forgotten that the first chapter ends with the reveal that Sadie’s father was abusive, and after seeing out how her story unfolds, it makes me appreciate how Richards structured the story even more. One of the memorable moments in the first chapter is Wes using his newly found powers on a stranger and its unintended consequences, and this moment acts as a brilliant moment of foreshadowing and thematic resonance.
Finger Guns is a story about teenagers reckoning with their emotions, and specifically, about teenagers with difficult home situations trying to find solace during a confusing time. Wes is still reeling from the death of his mother and Sadie is an actively bad situation and just wants to protect her own well being and her mother’s. And the arc is structured in such a brilliant way that it explores the different coping mechanisms and reactions. The duo have the ability to change emotions with a literal point of the finger, so of course they experiment and in the process learn that you can’t avoid your problems with blissful ignorance, but that you can’t lash out either.
The recurring thread through this collection is Sadie’s struggles with domestic violence and Wes’s attempts to be there for his new friend. And one of the things that I wasn’t expecting was how violent Finger Guns was capable of getting, but the violence was done with a specific purpose and intent.
Richards and Halverson depicts the realities of domestic abuse with a simple and direct approach, further pronounced by Esposito’s lettering. It makes the story difficult to read at times, but it makes it a poignant read and the way that it interfaces with the magical realism of the finger guns is incredibly fascinating. The heart of the story is poignant. The friendship that grows between the main characters is endearing, and the ending provides a much needed catharsis, and I was constantly impressed by how tight the story telling was.
This book covered an entire spectrum of the teenage experience, and encapsulates its high and lows in a very memorable way. It’s a book that will likely need to skew to slightly older readers given the mature topics that the book covers, but it’s a book that approaches the topic in an accessible way that gives an honest perspective. As I turned the last page, I found myself thinking that the story had reached an appropriate conclusion, but that I would instantly revisit the lives of Wes and Sadie, and I definitely think Finger Guns is gonna stick with me for a while.
9.1 “Gestures” out of 10
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The post ‘Finger Guns’ Captures The Highs & Lows of The Teenage Experience appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Hey, AFROnerdists! Let's just dive on in. Listen to a new installment of Afronerd Radio's Mid Week in Review, commonly heard on the BTalk 100 platform (download the app at your Google Play store pronto!) this Wednesday at 8pm eastern. The topics du jour are: more post COVID-19 woes-Sony Pictures announced layoffs in their marketing and distribution sectors; perhaps due to Netflix experiencing a healthy amount of viewership for anime on their platform, they are expanding their supply of Asian animated IPs through a quartet of deals in Korea and Japan; was superstar singer, Adele breaking character during an African sex tourism sketch really about SNL still being funny (or not) even to guest performers or some humor based on racial stereotypes are just off limits in this current PC culture?;
the very talented Oscar Isaac (Star Wars franchise, Ex Machina) appears to be tapped to portray Moon Knight in Marvel's upcoming Disney+ streaming series; and in more Moon Knight news, Marvel continues to honor their commitment to diversity and cultural sensitivity by enlisting Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab (Cairo 678, Clash) to assist in bringing the superhero (whose powers derive from the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu) to life; Dburt finally got around to viewing Netflix' Vampires vs The Bronx and was surprised that he actually liked what he saw, especially the historic horror film "garnishes"; and the streaming wars continue to compete for our eyeballs with the Netflix release of George Clooney's sci-fi trailer, The Midnight Sky:
And if time permits, more Star Trek: Discovery, Javicia Leslie (God Friended Me) as Batwoman and Idris Elba is The Concrete Cowboy talk!
Call in LIVE at 508-645-0100. AFTER CLICKING ON THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK, GO DIRECTLY TO AFRONERD RADIO!!!
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Tom Holland says that he’s in Atlanta. Zendaya touched down in Georgia. Holland shared that he HAS THE SCRIPT for the next Spider-Man movie, so I ask this one simple question: WHERE IS MY TITLE?
I’ll be completely honest with you all: it’s rough going out there trying to find new information in the world of cinematic superheroes. With the exception of The Boys and the never-ending cycle of who is getting randomly added to the Snyder Cut, the news is pretty much “We don’t know what’s happening with this production yet because there’s a pandemic.” I understand this, but I just need a little something so I can wildly theorize for the next few weeks. And you know what would fill that void? A title for the next Tom Holland Spider-Man movie.
I have my ideas. But I want some kind of confirmation because, right now, it’s just a lot of “well, let’s wait” and I’m tired.
(Warner Bros.)
So, in the meantime, I’m going to come up with some solutions that I think would make great titles and explain why. Sony/Marvel, I am available for any follow-up work you might need and will probably do it for free.
Now, let’s recall that “home” has been a part of all the Tom Holland Spider-Man film titles to date, and we’re off.
Spider-Man: Home Grown
For the most part, we haven’t really seen Peter Parker in New York. Sure, Homecoming had him return to the city from his Avengers fight in Germany, but it wasn’t the New York Spider-Man we’ve come to know throughout the years. If my theory about Doctor Strange putting Peter Parker in all different universes to keep him safe from Kraven the Hunter is correct, then I think “Home Grown” could work as a title because he could explore all different versions of the city (which would also feed into the Spider-Verse idea as well).
Spider-Man: Home Away From Home
The last we saw of Peter Parker, he was outed as Spider-Man and blamed for the death of Quentin Beck because of a lie. We don’t know where he’ll end up or what will happen to him, but I think it’s safe to say that Peter Parker will actually not be in New York City. So, I think a way this title could work is just Peter trying to make the most of it somewhere else.
I don’t necessarily think this is the BEST choice because we did just have a movie where Peter was off somewhere other than New York, but who is to say where they’re going to take the character now that he’s a fugitive?
Spider-Man: Homeward Bound
I feel deep in my soul that this movie is, mainly, going to be about setting the record straight and clearing Peter’s name. (Which is why a popular theory is that Matt Murdock could show up to be Peter’s lawyer.) But if the title is something like this, it could mean that Peter fighting to go home is the focal point of the movie. And I wouldn’t really be mad about that. Also he could have some cute talking animal companions.
Spider-Man: Homesick
Much in the same vein of Home Away From Home, I think that Homesick could work and be different in tone. It doesn’t necessarily imply that Peter Parker isn’t in New York. He could be in the city but cannot return to his old life for fear of being recognized or discovered. If I have learned anything from the Defenders, it’s that you can hide out in New York City for a while without being caught.
So this could work and have a commentary on the people in Peter’s life that are now in danger because of Beck (like Aunt May and MJ and even Happy, to an extent).
But then finally, my actual choice and the one I really want:
Spider-Man: Can’t Go Home Again
I’m obsessed with the idea of Peter having to hide away in different realms or universes because I feel like this is the movie that would bring in Kraven the Hunter. With Kraven determined to hunt him down, there isn’t anywhere safe for Peter to go. Not just in New York either, in the entire world. So taking him to a different universe and letting him hide there, he would feel like he couldn’t go home again.
This title is different than my idea for Homegrown because Can’t Go Home Again implies that Peter thinks he won’t ever be able to return to the life he knew or the people he loves. He’d be forever on the run because of something that Mysterio did and as much as I want my sweet boy to just live his life for once, I kind of wouldn’t be mad about watching this emotional turmoil.
________
Whatever the actual title is, I’ll take it. I’d love it. And I just want SOMETHING NEW TO THINK AND THEORIZE ABOUT PLEASE.
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
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