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https://blacknerdproblems.com/this-one-may-be-hard-to-handle-commanders-in-crisis-1-review/
Writer: Steve Orlando / Artist: Davide Tinto / Image
“Crisis” is such a loaded term in comic book circles, and Steve Orlando knows that considering his long and storied tenure with DC Comics. The different Crisis events dating back to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths have always been world altering events, and then of course there have been series that evoke the same high stakes tension without being proper crisis series, Heroes in Crisis being the modern flagship for better or for worse.
All of this to say, when I saw Commanders in Crisis #1 and that this was an Image title, I paused for a second and wondered about the implications. Would there be a multiverse? How does such a grand scale event get approached with a blank slate of a universe? Why commanders?
And after the issue, I have the following answers respectively are: yes, pretty well although I have my critiques, and for a reason that is exceeding topical to the point where it cuts just a little too deep.
Orlando knows superheroes and knows how to make homages and callbacks like the best in the business, largely because he is one of the best in the business. With a cold open that’s reminiscent of Watchmen and a shout out to Killadelphia, Commanders in Crisis opens with a dead body before pivoting to some sort of US Senate hearing before pivoting to a shot of a government looking building where the new slate of superheroes are summarily introduced.
Tinto’s character design is absolutely impeccable, and the full spread that shows the Originator, Sawbones, Prizefighter, and Seer in action is truly a wondrous thing to behold. And part of Commanders in Crisis‘ charm is the fact that it has all of the personality of superheroes without any preconceived notions of these characters. We don’t have history, we only have what Orlando and Tinto demonstrate to us, and it’s kind of a cool world. It’s bright and colorful, and optimistic to the point of being almost saccharine, almost being the operative word here. It’s a little over the top, but that’s less a dig and more just a fact.
By the time I read the final act of the first issue and the big reveal happened, I found myself at odds with how I feel about the premise. Commanders in Crisis is very clearly a piece of work that feels inspired by 2020 and all of the preceding events in modern history that got us to 2020. And it’s admirable in that respect. It’s also a little audacious.
If you’re a fan of Steve Orlando’s body of work, you’ll enjoy this latest endeavor for sure. If you’re not a fan, I’d recommend giving the first issue a spin and see if you have the tolerance for it. It’s an interesting start to a 12 issue mini-series if nothing else.
8.0 “Pure Ideas” out of 10
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The post This One May be Hard to Handle: ‘Commanders in Crisis #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Writer: Steve Orlando / Artist: Davide Tinto / Image
“Crisis” is such a loaded term in comic book circles, and Steve Orlando knows that considering his long and storied tenure with DC Comics. The different Crisis events dating back to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths have always been world altering events, and then of course there have been series that evoke the same high stakes tension without being proper crisis series, Heroes in Crisis being the modern flagship for better or for worse.
All of this to say, when I saw Commanders in Crisis #1 and that this was an Image title, I paused for a second and wondered about the implications. Would there be a multiverse? How does such a grand scale event get approached with a blank slate of a universe? Why commanders?
And after the issue, I have the following answers respectively are: yes, pretty well although I have my critiques, and for a reason that is exceeding topical to the point where it cuts just a little too deep.
Orlando knows superheroes and knows how to make homages and callbacks like the best in the business, largely because he is one of the best in the business. With a cold open that’s reminiscent of Watchmen and a shout out to Killadelphia, Commanders in Crisis opens with a dead body before pivoting to some sort of US Senate hearing before pivoting to a shot of a government looking building where the new slate of superheroes are summarily introduced.
Tinto’s character design is absolutely impeccable, and the full spread that shows the Originator, Sawbones, Prizefighter, and Seer in action is truly a wondrous thing to behold. And part of Commanders in Crisis‘ charm is the fact that it has all of the personality of superheroes without any preconceived notions of these characters. We don’t have history, we only have what Orlando and Tinto demonstrate to us, and it’s kind of a cool world. It’s bright and colorful, and optimistic to the point of being almost saccharine, almost being the operative word here. It’s a little over the top, but that’s less a dig and more just a fact.
By the time I read the final act of the first issue and the big reveal happened, I found myself at odds with how I feel about the premise. Commanders in Crisis is very clearly a piece of work that feels inspired by 2020 and all of the preceding events in modern history that got us to 2020. And it’s admirable in that respect. It’s also a little audacious.
If you’re a fan of Steve Orlando’s body of work, you’ll enjoy this latest endeavor for sure. If you’re not a fan, I’d recommend giving the first issue a spin and see if you have the tolerance for it. It’s an interesting start to a 12 issue mini-series if nothing else.
8.0 “Pure Ideas” out of 10
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The post This One May be Hard to Handle: ‘Commanders in Crisis #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Tonight was supposed to be the night of the second debate of the 2020 presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, but we were mercifully spared another one of those when Donald Trump refused to participate remotely amid uncertainty over his COVID-19 status. Instead, ABC decided to go ahead with the planned town hall style of the debate with Biden alone, and of course, Trump (aided by NBC) took the opportunity to turn it into a competition—one that is not going well for him.
Everyone’s pretty unhappy with NBC in the first place for forcing the public to choose which candidate to watch and giving Trump yet another high profile platform to spew lies, the same kind of media circus nonsense that enabled Trump’s rise in the first place. In the end, it might wind up backfiring on Trump, though, with his ranting and raving sounding even more unhinged without someone else he’s supposed to be debating against—just calm needling from moderator Savannah Guthrie.
He was in rare form, from once again attacking the effectiveness of masks in combating the COVID-19 pandemic to defending spreading one ridiculous conspiracy theory via retweet and outright promoting his favorite one, QAnon—the anti-child sex trafficking conspiracy theory that actively undermines its own stated purpose.
“People with masks are catching it all the time,” Trump says six months into the pandemic.
He continues to cede to the Democrats an overwhelmingly popular political position.
— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) October 16, 2020
70%+ of the country believes in wearing masks and Trump just told a young woman that he’s still opposed.
This is unreal.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 16, 2020
On spreading the conspiracy that Obama had SEAL Team 6 killed.
TRUMP: “That was a retweet! People can decide for themselves!”
GUTHRIE: “You’re the president, you’re not someone’s crazy uncle.”
Wild. pic.twitter.com/ClPNgBYe2Z
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) October 16, 2020
Here’s video of Trump refusing to denounce QAnon at the NBC town hall pic.twitter.com/BmSHGYSlxO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2020
Guthrie: “But there is not a satanic pedophile cult.”
Trump: “I have no idea.”
Guthrie: “You don’t know that?”
Trump: “No I don’t know that. And neither do you know that.”— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 16, 2020
Meanwhile, Biden gave substantive policy answers.
.@JoeBiden on criminal justice reform:
-Fund initiatives w/ social workers, disability advocates, mental health & substance abuse experts
-Decriminalize marijuana
-Ensure formerly incarcerated individuals have housing upon reentry and eliminate barriers https://t.co/TcyJ2VVPMj pic.twitter.com/DNLtZnLrNz— Vote Save America (@votesaveamerica) October 16, 2020
.@JoeBiden‘s COVID-19 response plan includes:
-Enacting a universal mask mandate
-Funding faster development of treatments and vaccines
-Creating a national testing and tracing strategy
-Providing more Protective Personal EquipmentLearn more: https://t.co/TcyJ2WdqDR pic.twitter.com/ne8OfJxN4k
— Vote Save America (@votesaveamerica) October 16, 2020
He also demonstrated an ability to respond to criticism thoughtfully, and whether or not his response is good enough, it is worlds better than Trump’s complete inability to ever admit to being wrong about anything.
Biden Challenged on ‘You Ain’t Black’ Comment by Voter, Responds with Emotional Appeal to Earn His Votehttps://t.co/cvjsJP0sLj
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) October 16, 2020
This is huge. Never let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t criticize the nominee or front-runner. That’s how you get them to hear you and change toxic policies. https://t.co/wnnyJPga7Z
— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) October 16, 2020
The stark difference did not go unnoticed:
Biden discussing how to solve structural racial wealth inequities. Trump is defending QAnon.
— Person Woman Man Camera TV (@ClaraJeffery) October 16, 2020
Biden: “There’s a constitutional method to limit the appointment terms of Supreme Court justices short of court expansion”
*flips channel*
Trump: “The pedophile cult loves me, masks cause butt cancer, all of your bones are made of sadness”
— too ghoul for school (@jesseltaylor) October 16, 2020
Of course, there are those out there who think Biden’s very normalcy is inherently a negative, including Trump’s own campaign, addicted to the idea that spectacle is all that matters.
This Biden town hall is making a strong case that his presidency will be a ratings disaster — a lot of somewhat longwinded, detailed answers to policy questions.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 16, 2020
Well @JoeBiden @ABCPolitics townhall feels like I am watching an episode of Mister Rodgers Neighborhood. https://t.co/bC8fIZPxHR
— Mercedes Schlapp (@mercedesschlapp) October 16, 2020
Imagine thinking Mr. Rogers is someone you don’t want to be compared to.
There were also bad faith comparisons of how the two candidates, who behaved in wildly different ways, were handled by their respective moderators.
If the president has to denounce a dangerous conspiracy that he’s amplified on social media why doesn’t Joe Biden have to pretend Russian disinfo is real to make everything even steven https://t.co/PsqPAVm6ou
— Josh Raby (@JoshRaby) October 16, 2020
Reporters should interrupt politicians when they lie, so this is good. https://t.co/pKgGNFnE4f
— Battle Brennan (@Brennanator) October 16, 2020
It should go without saying that handling two unequal things unequally is not bias.
However, the most memorable moment of the night may have come from Guthrie chastising Trump for sharing a conspiracy theory he claimed not to even necessarily believe, telling him he’s the president, not someone’s crazy uncle, and … well …
Actually . . . https://t.co/tdmNIjBP4j
— Mary L Trump (@MaryLTrump) October 16, 2020
We can only hope that voters who tuned in will react the same way, because we cannot allow this kind of thing to go on any longer:
Approx. 1 hr ago the current occupant of the Oval Office told a crowd of hundreds of people that he ordered the summary execution of an american citizen on american soil, w/o trial, & the crowd applauded and cheered him.
(Source in his own video & words https://t.co/N97Gue5t2W)
— Damien P. Williams, MA, MSc, Werewolf, Revenant (@Wolven) October 15, 2020
(Photos by Olivier DOULIERY and Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
Studio: CloverWorks
Director: Tomohiko Ito
Inspired by: The Millionaire Detective by Yasutaka Tsutsui
Sleek, sexy, and absolutely outrageous, The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited continues this ride of crime-solving ridiculousness. Daisuke continues to dive into mischief and mayhem, tethered to the gruff, stern, power-bottom, Haru. Episode 3 is a hostages-on-a-train situation, where we get a closer look into Haru’s traumatic past. Episodes 5 and 6 seem to be the beginning of the overarching plot. The hidden gem here lies in episode 4, the lost dog episode.
Want to know what the REAL crime is? The fact that we are meant to be duped into thinking these two are straight. No. These are two queer, wholesome buddies who will hopefully one day realize that the reason their hearts beat so fast when they’re near each other is because they’re hopelessly in love with one another.
Episode 4 starts off with an annoyed Daisuke, strolling away from an exasperated and desperate Suzue who worries that she’s upset her relative. (Also, this dynamic is super fucking weird and annoying. It’s not cute and is one of the reasons I get taken out of this anime). He gets a ride from the butler to Haru, who wants to help some random kid find his lost puppy. Daisuke realizes he left his phone and wallet behind, which promptly after, shenanigans ensue.
They spend the night together, with Haru teaching Daisuke everyday things; how to grocery shop, how to cut vegetables, what alcohol to consume, and sharing with him the delicious secret recipes of the Katō family. This is the good shit I want in my anime. Handsome men bonding over the audacity of life. My favorite scene has got to be when they cook together, get drunk together, and Haru finds Daisuke in the bathtub the next day, after having slept there the entire night. What speaks to me about this very fun, filler episode, is that it enhances the relationship between our two main leads in a fun and wholesome way that does not raise any stakes. While this episode has a somewhat bittersweet ending for the initial case of the lost puppy, it leaves you feeling that there is a shift in the relationship between these two detectives. This shift will hopefully show us the beginnings of a foundation of respect and trust. This is necessary I think, as we head into what looks like the main plot of this first season.
Episodes 3-6 are decent enough if you watched the first two and liked them; however, episodes 5 and 6 have a slight turn in tone which I personally wasn’t a fan of. The amount of toxic misogyny I witnessed and the genuine discomfort I found myself feeling during these two episodes really took me out of enjoying this anime. I was quickly reminded that while it’s a fun little anime of two quirky cops, it is very much still copaganda. We witness multiple cops utilize underhanded, unethical, and if you’re a woman, downright terrifying methods in order to extract information. There is a whole scene where two cops essentially ambush a woman alone in a parking garage. Daisuke uses his expensive AI to take control of the hi-tech car said woman is driving in order to force her to end up at a specific location for him to frame her for manslaughter to bring her into the station. There is further coercion and manipulation that takes place, and it’s jarring. It reminds me that we are seeing more and more cultural shifts about how we as an audience as people in general want to move away from seeing cops as heroes, even in these dramatic and over-the-top pieces. This kind of nonsense will simply not be tolerated anymore.
Take a look for yourself on Funimation and tell me I’m wrong that this wouldn’t be better as a queer romance.
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