iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Thinking about Marvel Knights Spider-Man again. What a run.

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #3 by Millar and Dodson

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #9 by Millar and Dodson

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #10 by Millar and Dodson

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #12 by Millar and Dodson

041

Thinking about this page again

The Flash (1987) #36 by Messner-Loebs and LaRocque

But the middle of her arc is where it didn't quite work for me. Handwaving away Linda's postpartum depression by having her just go back to her usual self right after Kadabra's spell gets broken felt very rushed to me.

The Flash (2023) #9 by Spurrier and Perez

The Flash (2023) #9 by Spurrier and Deodato Jr

Her arc starts off really strong in the first six issues; I loved the insight we got into her perspective on things. And the payoff in issue 12 with the reveal that the Resident was the missing parts of her? Chef's kiss it made me believe in love again

The Flash (2023) #6 by Spurrier and Deodato Jr.

The Flash (2023) #12 by Spurrier and Perez

120

I hope we get more focus on Linda going forward in Spurrier's Flash. While he's definitely the best writer for her since Waid, the resolution to her part in the first arc felt a little bit underwhelming to me.

The Flash (2023) #1 by Spurrier and Deodato Jr.

230

What the hell is Wally wearing 😭😭 He does NOT have that shit on

(From Batgirl #71 by Gabrych and Mhan)
We see the roster of the Justice League Elite, including Cass as Kasumi, Green Arrow, the Flash, and... a bunch of characters I don't recognize because I haven't read that run lol.
Cass, narrating: "I had a real team, once. I wasn't 'Batgirl.' We saved the world."

They need to bring back this dynamic yesterday

(From Batgirl #67 by Gabrych and Garza)
Babs: "Cassandra. I know you don't want to talk. But we need to."
Cass: "Why?"
Babs: "Because, well, you're very special to me."
Cass: "Why?"
Babs: "Do you even have to ask?"
Cass: "Right now... yes."
Babs: "Because you're... you. You make me know change is real. You found something you believed in and followed it with all your heart. It's beautiful, really."

Cass: "But you worry."
Babs: "Yes. Yes, I do. I worry you'll get hurt... or worse. I mean, poor Steph..."
Cass: "Don't. Talk. About. Her."
Babs: "Dammit, Cassandra, don't shut me out."
Cass: "You did it to Batman."
Babs: "That's not... is that what this is about? Look, what happened between me and Bruce is... between us. You and I are something else. I care about you. And this isn't just an ex-librarian, ex-Batgirl thing. It's a friend thing. You gotta learn to read. You'll never take over for him if you don't."
Cass: "How'd you-?"
Babs: "Because I know you. Now, since we have a little time, I wonder if you'll indulge me..."

Loved how this story used Cass and Rose as parallels

(From Batgirl #64 by Gabrych and Garza)
Cass: "Which is about-- another ten minutes. Unless-- You save her. NOW."
She yanks the sword out of Rose Wilson, and Slade rushes to take her into his arms and run off to get medical attention for her.
Cass, internally: "She needs him. But he needs her more. Without her he's alone. She'll get better. And come for me. To finish the job-- her father started."

This arc was kinda mid tbh but I liked this moment

(From Batgirl #62 by Gabrych and Garza)
Cass: "Oh, Stephanie. I-I'm so sorry."
Steph: "For what? I screwed up. I paid the price. Simple. And you succeeded, so he gave you a city of your own."
Cass: "Bludhaven."
Steph: But you're not sure you can handle ti. You feel like you're failing. Like it's all going down the drain. It's do or die time."
Cass: "What do I... do?"

Steph: "Do what you do best. What you taught me to do. Fight. Fight. Fight for your life. Right up to the end."

She's a community hero ❤️

Shiva: "Tell me. How did you come to know my daughter?"
Bà Bao: "Hah! I don't know when it first began. One day your little girl showed up at our door just like a stray cat... Quiet, never saying much, but she liked my food so kept coming back! She reminds me of myself at that age. Always fighting, even just for a bowl of sup. She asked me to teach her my martial art of Vovinam. Such interest and not even Vietnamese! So I did, and in return she trains my grandsons in her many arts. You see, my boys lost their parents quite young, hm. They have learned much under her. This is what we do. This is how we get by in this city. This uncertain world. So, yes, you must be proud.

130

Slower paced than I expected but that's a good thing. Love that we finally got the time to explore some of the interpersonal dynamics among the team. This run continues to be the best book of the new Ultimate line by far

Cover of The Ultimates #7 by Camp and Frigeri

031

This issue was absolutely super, man.

Cover of Absolute Superman #2 by Aaron and Sandoval

PEAK. If Brombal and Miyazawa keep it up they're going to have to pay my therapy bills. The ending of this issue made me go insane

Cover of Batgirl (2024) #2 by Brombal and Miyazawa

070

Air @sleepywebhead.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Really weird how these two haven't appeared at all in Williamson's Superman so far. Like I get not wanting to use every supporting character, but ignoring the kids of the lead couple is... a choice.

040

Anyway read Spirit World by Alyssa Wong and Haining, it's peak and one of my fav recent stories with Cass

Cover of Spirit World #1 by Wong and Haining

130

Air @sleepywebhead.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

I don't expect this from the current Batgirl run but I think it'd be nice to get some stories where Cass connects with her Chinese heritage in the future.

(From "The Envoy: A Spirit World Story" in Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate by Wong and Haining)
Batgirl takes in the horrors of the Spirit World, an awestruck look on her face.

141

Air @sleepywebhead.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Thinking about the idea of Hunter going up against the Titans.

Zoom, aka Hunter Zolomon, in "Blitz Back" from The Flash #800 by Johns and Kollins

Donna Troy, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Nightwing jump through a portal from the JLU Watchtower to return to Earth, with Nightwing glancing back at an awkwardly waving Flash. From Titans (2023) #16 by Layman and Woods.

260

This run really was nothing but wasted potential

Amazing Spider-Man (2014) #15 by Slott & Camuncoli

Diabolical of Slott to have Peter's first meeting with MC2 Mayday be off-panel so they wouldn't have to address the elephant in the room.

Amazing Spider-Man (2014) #9 by Slott & Coipel

131

Outside of the recent JMD Clone Saga minis, I'm pretty sure these are the only references we've gotten to baby May in a Spider-Man book since 1998. Crazy how for most the part they just pretend it didn't happen but they're not interested in actually retconning it out either.

Marvel Knights: Spider-Man (2004) #9 by Millar & Dodson

Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #75 by Wells & Gleason

Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #93 by Wells & Gleason

Desperately need DC to bring back this dynamic

(From Batgirl #59)
Cass: "It felt good, didn't it?"
Tim: "What did?"
Cass: "Beating me."
Tim: "Uh, I didn't beat you. It was rigged, remember?"
Cass: "No. I meant... beating me. It's okay--"
Tim: "No. No. It's not okay. It is not okay to feel good about hurting someone else."
Cass: "Why not? If it's... justified."
Tim: "Violence is a tool--"
Cass: "Tool. You called me that. And you... meant it. You meant a lot of what you said."
Tim: "I... I'm sorry. But yes. I did."
Cass: "You might not want to be Batman-- to take over for him when he's... done. But I do. It's the only thing I've ever... wanted to be. Is that.. wrong?"

Tim: "No. That's not what I'm saying. Look, Batman's mission. His unrelenting devotion to protecting and saving innocent lives is a heroic ideal. But it's just that. An ideal. Something to live up to. Try to strive for. It's not reality. The reality is we all fall short of it, no matter how hard we try. Even him."
Cass: "But all we can do is... try."
Tim: "Yes. Exactly. But we can't try to force reality to conform to our ideal. That's where he went wrong in the gang war. He went too far and--"
Cass: "No. He didn't go far enough. If he'd just... taken control right away--"
Tim: "No way. He should've cooperated with the police. Shared his information with them. They're the law. Not him."
Cass: "Because of the law-- Penguin is still out there."
Tim" "Because of the law the rights of innocent civilians are protected."
Cass: "But-"
Tim: "Look, we could go on like this, forever. So, for right now, let's just agree to disagree, okay?"

081

Will always be insane to me how these characters are all supposed to be around the same age.

Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Bobby Drake, Warren Worthington III, and Hank McCoy

150

Kinda related but I also wish they would've let Donna be Wonder Woman for more than five seconds. Like why even bother with the idea if you're not actually going to commit to it for at least a little while?

Wonder Woman (2006) #1 by Heinberg and Dodson

3145

I don't think Dick becoming Batman should've been a permanent change like Wally becoming Flash or anything. But the stories we got out of him taking up the mantle were so good. I'll forever be bummed that Court of Owls got reworked into a Bruce story because of the reboot.

Batman Gates of Gotham by Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins

2151

Don't usually like Williamson but he popped off with this issue. What a beautiful love letter to The Flash.

From Speed Metal
Wally thinks about the people he loves, the people who have made him into the man he is today, as he races to escape from the Batman Who Laughs' army. All he needs is one more second!

Main story of Death Metal was a convoluted mess that I still can't be bothered to figure out but they cooked with these tie-ins. Especially Speed Metal; I think I ascended to a higher plane of existence while reading that issue.

From Last Stories of the DC Universe
The Titans, led by Donna Troy, charge towards the final battle against the Batman Who Laughs

From Dark Nights Death Metal Speed Metal
The three Flashes run together with the Mobius Chair in tow. Wally leads the charge, as he should

110

She and Peter would've become besties for sure

Peter and Jean teach a course about cloning, "So you've been cloned 101," to a class of students at Avengers Academy

Thinking about the timeline where Jean Grey didn't get killed off at the end of Morrison New X-Men and got to join Bendis New Avengers like he originally planned

240

Maybe I don't hate Iron Man anymore

I owe you an apology. I wasn't really familiar with your game

230

Reminds me of this. While he became much closer to the F4 and the Bendis era Avengers after this run, he's still a lone wolf at the end of the day. iirc in Spencer's ASM Jonah even directly calls out Peter for not being good at communicating with other heroes

Air @sleepywebhead.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Ngl I love it when Wally puts Bruce in his place

031

I wish they had gone the Daredevil route and kept Peter's identity public for at least a decade.

(From Amazing Spider-Man #533 by Straczynski and Garney)
"That is the question many people are wondering tonight: what consequences will follow in the wake of today's revelation--"

"--and what will the other heroes, faced with their own decisions in the wake of the Registration Act, make of his actions?"

Air @sleepywebhead.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Imagining a timeline where OMD never happened and we got an extended Back in Black era with PeterMJ as fugitives leading into a Spidey-centric version of Dark Reign...

(From Sensational Spider-Man (2006) Annual by Fraction and Larroca)
MJ: "Oh my God. Peter... Peter, this view-- it's-- thank you for this."
Peter: "There are, in fact, brief and fleeting moments when my life is totally awesome, yes."
MJ: "Man! Seriously, tiger, this is kind of the greatest view of the city, like ever. Up here we can be anybody we want."

Cover of Amazing Spider-Man #597 by Kelly and Checchetto

150

Air @sleepywebhead.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

I haven't read a single Iron Man run btw

Iron Man (Tony), ranked at 14 with 576 appearances read