Dandesun

They fucking did it. Did I get emotional when Landy handed the cup to EJ? Yes, yes I did. It all made me emotional but that's nothing compared to my sister who is just beside herself after waiting 21 years to see her boys back on top.

There are so many X characters to focus on. Storm, for one, has been as integral to the X-men as Wolverine. She's been the leader since the 70s. She fucking rules over Mars currently (Arakko for the current-comics minded) and there are a slew of storylines they could use to focus on her. Storm is wildly important and popular. Do not try to do the fucking Dark Phoenix storyline again. Especially since they pretty much did it with Wanda in Multiverse of Madness. You know why there are such strong feelings about Wanda there? Because we got to know her through the course of many movies and her own miniseries to delve deeply into her character and what she has been going through. You know, that thing they never bothered to do with Jean before going Dark Phoenix with her. (Never not salty.) With the X-men, it should be 'how can we tell the story of mutants in the MCU' and not 'how can we get Wolverine in here asap?' I'm beyond fine with a break from the Canucklehead.

I mean, they were made by a FAIRY Godmother. The fae in such tales were not to be trifled with and could very definitely make slippers of glass that could fit to one pair of feet only and ever.

I would agree with Jay from pReview'd that I'm more a King of New Jersey fan than the Prince. THAT BEING SAID, I love, love, love that Brown Jovi exists in the MCU. To be honest, the little nods they give to music here and there have always been delightful. Luis' grandmother's jukebox being full of nothing but Morrisey for example.

I'd love to see them get an actual short, hairy Canadian to play Wolverine for a change but that's just me. Although given where Logan is at these days comic-wise it would make a lot of sense for him to be played by a man who is well known to make a wide variety of sexes and gender spectrum thirsty af. Although, truthfully, I could stand a break from Wolverine though I don't expect them to actually do that when they get around to bringing the X-Men into the MCU.

"original fairy tale" is kind of like "original myth" there are so many versions from different regions that were often passed down verbally before ever getting written down and then having different tellers of tale put a spin of their own on it that it's difficult to say what's original. Yes, there are version where the sisters cut off parts of their feet in order to fit the shoe. Apparently there wasn't anything specified that the foot had to naturally fit without alterations of any kind. The foot thing in Cinderella is a lot like the pea thing in Princess and the Pea where it's like 'okay this arbitrary thing is a thing that denotes a particular desirable 'otherness'' -- especially where women in fairy tales are concerned, you know? I'm trying to remember how common it is that Cinderella does have the other slipper in various versions of the tale. It's all well and good to have dainty feet but having the other slipper, made of glass, in a time where glass was most likely for the wealthy and certainly not glass footwear... and presumably, Cinderella lived in a different part of the kingdom than where that cobbler had elves making his shoes every night (don't recall them making them out of glass either) so having the other one in her actual possession is very much proof that she's the One the prince is searching for.

That was... something. I really hope Burky is okay and Nichushkin is killing it during the playoff. I love the depth this team has. I'm not counting the Bolts out yet but even the first two losses to the Rangers last round weren't this brutal. The Avs put a fucking clinic on tonight. #FindAWay

My sister has been an Avs fan since the 90s. All through the rivalry with the Red Wings. She's seven years younger than me so there she is in high school and then fresh out just loving this team. And she never stopped. She's been living with me for the past 8 years and the Avs have remained a staple. Now, for me, it's fun to root against my brother's team. It's not as fun to root against my sister's team. So I've been absorbed into the Avs fandom. We went to see them about five years ago when they SUCKED. We were on the glass and watched them lose to the Flames at home and it was just... hoo boy. Dark times. But since then I've been watching Sakic rebuild this team... I was watching when Makar made his debut... I've watched that top line develop into something deadly and the defense turn into something amazing. Is one of our cats named Burky? (He's our beautiful dumb boy and we love him. Hockey version and feline version.) So even though I came to the party in later years I still feel like I've earned the right to be a fan since I've gone through some shitty shitty years of watching this team be terrible. And then watching them start to gel and become dangerous and then this past season... they've developed real grit. The 'Find A Way' slogan this year is real, they have and I believe in them. I love these guys.

Given that Kamala Khan was created as a direct result of a Pakistani-American editor at Marvel sharing anecdotes of how she grew up in America, yes, the premise was trying to tell a super hero story while also conveying the experience as a child of immigrants from what they considered to be an authentic place. The people who created the character lived those experiences and shared them through Kamala. So Kamala's relationship with her family, her friends, her mosque, her community, her school... are all a part of that. The comparisons of Kamala and Peter Parker are there for a reason, they are relatable characters that focused just as much on their personal foibles and overcoming them as much as fighting villains. Kamala doesn't have the tragedy Peter does but her determination to step up once she had the capacity to do so in a big way, and her perseverance when she failed, are aspirational.

So, the age difference between Kamala and Aamir is mentioned in comics but I don't know if it will come up in the show. Basically, her parents had Aamir and were told it was unlikely they'd be able to have another child. But several years later... they had Kamala. Her father explained why they named her Kamala as part of that and it was also a part of their protectiveness of her. While the comics have the relationship between Kamala and Aamir a little more strained it is also shown that they love each other so his attempt to talk their parents down regarding AvengersCon was a really nice touch. I do think they really upped the Mom issues, though. Comic Mom did say things like 'how could you betray me like this' after Kamala snuck out to the party but I don't remember her saying flat out that she didn't trust Kamala before Kamala did anything. But obviously they're portraying an inter-generational situation here with the grandmother's bracelet and the mom talking about dealing with someone who didn't live in reality her whole life so... okay. That's what they're building. Got it. I also have to say I really loved how they did the texting graphics when Bruno was walking home. The starlight on her bedroom wall, the graphic on the street, the neons in the window, the signs as the camera panned up the building. I really loved all of that. I also keep wondering of the Edison Electrics are just an Easter Egg or a clue... but that's something I can wait and see on.

Steve Rogers was an outright detriment when Erskine took him on as his project. Zero athletic ability, low self esteem and had already broken the law several times as he kept trying to enlist. Steve never had a problem disobeying authority figures so Kamala's being a teenager trying to figure out who she is and defying her parents in doing so is not a problem. It's basically part of her origin story. The thing is, as a comic book reader, I know that a significant part of Kamala becoming the new Ms Marvel (on page) is figuring out how to be herself while figuring out her powers and her parents do loom large in that. She's rebelling a bit but she loves them and they are good people who have tried to instill good values in her so I'm looking forward to seeing that develop. Bruno is from the comics and predates Encanto by several years. I think some of the differences between show and book were very interesting. Aside from the whole Inhumans thing in the first place (eyeroll) I do think that Kamala wanting to go to AvengersCon was a definite means of highlighting her nerd status and fangirl over the Avengers in the first place. In the comics, she very much did sneak out to a party that her parents forbade her going to and she was caught sneaking back in but while she was out that's when her powers manifested and she did save Zoe's life. So the powers and the life saving moment -- as well as the problem with said powers and not understanding them and how they work -- matched up fairly well. I feel like this goes hand in hand with the comics. I can't stress how much I've loved Ms Marvel's book. Her introductory book was stellar. And the art was unique with lots of little Easter eggs in the details. (Like her Dad reading the paper and the headlines about a cricket team losing and blaming their fans for it.) Also, I LOVE that they have the winged sloth in Kamala's bedroom in the series. Anyway, I've been looking forward to this one ever since it was announced and I really enjoyed episode one. Can't wait for more.

Avs are in the Finals!! AVS ARE IN THE FINALS!!!

I love that Starr Manning: Adventure Biologist remains a thing in this community. Also, you know Starr is fully prepared for quicksand despite it not being as much of an issue as TV shows I watched growing up would have you believe. There is a big part of me that would wonder what Starr would think of unknowingly hooking up with Max' kid given how much of a pain in the ass Max was in her tender years. Blair would be all 'look, I get it, Holden men have charm coming out of their ears' while both Todd and Max would be entirely against their child being involved with the child of their enemy. But in all seriousness, this is just yet another casualty in the forever need to tie Marty to Todd. Cole and Starr should never have been and the fact that they shared a half sibling and it was never talked about left out the real issue. Mannings vs Holdens with star-crossed Adventure Biologist and Charming Rogue? That had soap goodness written all over it.

If Disney/Marvel couldn't get hippo ear wiggles right they should just pack it all in and call it. They had that shit down in 1955 (hey Jungle Cruise!) so the fact that Taweret was so engaging and ear wiggly... well done indeed.

Khonshu very specifically said to Harrow: Meet my friend, Jake Lockley. Jake is part of the comics but the show doesn't expect everyone to know that. They've been suggesting that third personality for quite some time, that it took until the very end to actually show and name him... really loved that.

Pulling for the Avs. They just swept Nashville and now move on to their most recent nemesis: the second round. We're either going up against the Wild or the Blues but, you know, the team is healthy (for a change) and the trade additions that were made I think were great. But let's see what happens!

Tea was a lot more enjoyable when the writers stopped treating her like she was always right. Girl was fucked. Up. That was the thing to lean into. Flo did but for way way way too long the writers did not.

Wanda being the villain doesn't bother me at all because she has very much been so in comics and this really leant itself to the Disassambled storyline. Granted, that storyline also had it's faults but it was centered around Wanda and her boys, her losing those boys and going full on reality warper nuts as a result. And that led to the Avengers going 'ummm... this is a problem' and various other groups being all 'she's crazy and uber powerful, you put her down, that's the only way to protect people' and all of that led to House of M which led to 'No More Mutants' where Wanda basically genocided mutants and was called the Decimation for a reason. And, to be fair, that's not even the first time Wanda was a villain in her comics run and I'm not talking about the early days of Magneto's Brotherhood. Basically, I found it reasonable given the narrative. Yes, she released Westview but then she took off and isolated herself and this was after she gave up replacement Vision AND Tommy and Billy so she's still grieving their losses while, at the same time, accepting these super powerful reality warping abilities and reading the Darkhold. What does she hear as she's astrally studying a book of overwhelming evil? Her boys calling her. Suffice to say, Wanda is still not operating on the most healthy and accepting levels and the Darkhold is really not helping. Case in point, 'the Darkhold corrupts everything and everyone it touches' which is said out loud and then Wanda releases the illusion and she's in a nasty ass wasteland of corruption and rot. She's already gone and it doesn't matter how many people try to reach her and reason with her. Strange even asks about the Wanda in these other universes... what about them? Which is the Chekov's question because that's what ultimately breaks her out... Tommy and Billy Don't. Want. Her. They want THEIR mother, who she is hurting in front of them. I did laugh a bit at the 'that's not me, I don't hurt people, I'm not a monster' part because I'm like 'Bitch, you've been murdering your way through this entire movie. Who are you even trying to kid?' Wanda's a great hero. She's also a great villain. Maybe I'm just used to comics being that way. She was a great villain in this movie and Charles' line about how just because people stray from the path doesn't mean you give up on them is... quintessential Charles, really. And hey, Krakoa era comics even found a way to redeem Wanda from the Decimation so I hope that we do see Wanda again. The multiverse stuff was fun. I really did love how they showed America's powers, even her punching the walls of the cell resulting in the star. I loved that they showed us the AmeriMom's and the pin on her jacket that all underscore parts about her. Strange... hoo boy has he ever got stuff to deal with, which is right. Mystic arts always bring the weird and this certainly did. I full on GASPED at the mid-credits scene. Clea? YES. Charlize Theron? YES. And talk about timing. Based on What If and this movie it's clear that there are no universes where Stephen and Christine are together and happy. I'm glad he told her that he loved her but it felt final and what better time to then bring Clea in? YES YES YES. It was weird as fuck and that's why I enjoyed it. The only thing I flat out hated was Captain Carter using Steve's line. NO NO NO. 'I can do this all day' is ALL STEVE and I do not accept pretenders using it. I also really liked the solarpunk aesthetic of the Illuminati-verse. Did anyone else notice that particular 'verse was very big on hats? Everyone in the streets was wearing a hat. So dapper.

The horniest? Hm… I mean, Aurora’s lady garden caught fire for Philip so fast they had to put her to sleep for most of the movie so they didn’t bone the next time they saw each other. Which, obviously, they would have.

The thing about toys, genderizing them and the Marvel/Disney thing is that... Disney was going very specifically for a boy market. They had girls covered with the Disney Princesses so Marvel toys exist to get boys to buy Marvel/Disney merch. They (Perlmutter) didn't care about cross over because as far as he was concerned they had the girls locked in with various Princess merch so there was no reason to push female Marvel characters -- villain or otherwise -- to get them to buy Lego sets. Never mind that Legos were initially sold as a non gender specific Build Whatever Your Imagination Comes Up With toy. Now they've got all sorts of themes and a lot of them are specifically geared towards girls. However, when you're selling a set from the movie the kids generally want those characters available which is why there was such a stink at the Age of Ultron set where, in the movie, Black Widow was riding the motorcycle but she wasn't in the set at all. Perlmutter getting ousted from having a say in regards to the movies was an excellent thing. As for merch, it's getting better but I still think Disney is totally fine with the concept that girls already buy the Princess merch so they don't need to go out of their way to get them to buy the Marvel stuff... despite the fact that Marvel stuff is wildly popular for all genders. Star Wars is very much the same.

Or Spanish in Highlander.

I would say that a diverse group of characters and the main characters being female is a HUGE part of it. It goes along with all of the comments about not being able to relate to girl stuff like getting a period or loving boy bands (despite the fact that a boy also loved that band... and the post credit scene with Dad.) There are people who have a really fucking hard time 'relating' to something that isn't defaulting to white and male never mind that the rest of us have had to deal with that pov character for the majority of our entertainment consuming lives if we're part of Western culture. There are complaints in these reviews about people wearing hijabs and turbans and HOW DARE THEY?! So, yes, I would say that the 'woke' complaint is regarding how this movie is about girls... and not even WHITE girls. Consternation!! Uproar!!

I guess everyone's forgotten about Brave. You know, where Merida drugged her mother and turned her into a bear in order to get out of the expectations put on her?

This is what fan fiction is for. It's for anyone who goes 'I wish I could see...' or 'Wouldn't it be cool if...' and that's kind of the beauty of it. It's the interactive part of fandom rather than just consuming. If people want to think about what Nebula, Gamora being 'raised' by Thanos was like (awful) then they can imagine it. It's really easy.

The power change is interesting but I'm looking at it in this trailer and going 'this looks similar to what happened to Monica in WandaVision' and I'm not all that angry about it simply because it seems to work with what they've laid down in the MCU at large. At least successfully... maybe this will be a way to introduce the concept of Inhumans better? I don't know. I doubt it even with the suggestion that might make an appearance. The situation around Kamala getting her powers was based on a really fucking awful thing that Black Bolt did in the mire of Inhumans vs X-Men and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to this day. And the Terrigen bomb wasn't even part of the I vs X shit... that was all part of Perlmutter's 'we're not going to write stories so Fox can make money so shit all over the X-men' nonsense. Argh! Anyway, the tone and mood of Kamala's story is all here and I am beyond down for it. Still I'm curious about the hows... like I said, it reminds me of Monica's eyes in WandaVision and there's a part of me wondering. Kamala is definitely going to be showing up in Marvels. They've got her idolizing Captain Marvel already and bringing Monica in somehow... yes. All the yeses! I am swimming in a pool of yessery and it's delightful. Can't wait.