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When compared with both Goku and Vegeta, Gohan is a far superior father than either of Earth's mightiest heroes. Unlike Goku, who let his son go up against Cell or Vegeta who's physically assaulted his boy on multiple occasions, Gohan has treated his family with a lot more care than anyone else in Dragon Ball.

Heck, Piccolo treated Gohan better than Goku, and he left him in the wild for six months. Even so, there are a few instances where Gohan still has had the same parental guidance issues as his dad. So, we decided to take a look at five cases where Gohan was a good Dad and five where he wasn't.

10 Good Dad: Spending time with his daughter

Every dad in the world knows that having some Father/Daughter time is essential in having a healthy relationship. Gohan has spent a plethora of time with little Pan. He plays with her, watches over her, tries to make sure she doesn't get into trouble, ect. That's not to say that Goku hasn't done this with him and Goten, but we get to see Gohan spending time with his kid that isn't related to training for the next Big Bad to try their hands at taking over the universe or destroying the Earth.

9 Bad Dad: Playing with his daughter with Mr. Satan

There's nothing wrong with a little roughhousing with your kid, but with the degrees that Gohan can go to, we're surprised that child support hasn't been called.

Related: Dragon Ball: 10 Whis Quotes That Show Why We Love Him

On one occasion, We see Mr. Satan playing with his granddaughter. However, we then see Gohan joining in by transforming into the Great Saiyaman. The two grown men play fight, all the while tossing Pan in the air like she's a football. Thank goodness Grandma Chichi came in and saved her before they dropped her.

8 Good Dad: Using the Dragon to cure her

Every father wants to make sure their child will live a long and healthy life and gets scared when their little one gets sick. Gohan does this when poor little Pan has fallen ill. So, when Goku and the gang are trying to decide what to do with their two wishes from Shenron, Gohan comes to ask if he can use one of them to cure his child. Thankfully, Goku and the gang let Gohan use a wish, and Pan is restored to her adorable, fun-loving baby self. Despite a bad reputation given by fans, Goku can be a good father/grandfather in a few instances.

7 Bad Dad: Not Disciplining Pan

This was a bit of a difficult one to judge. On the one hand, Baby Pan is just too pure and innocent to say anything bad about. Sure, she may wander around, but she doesn't know any better. She is a baby, after all. On the other hand, she likes to wander around, play with swords, beat up Trunks, and fly around without a care in the world. While Gohan tries to discipline his daughter, he doesn't have the heart to do it. None of us like reprimanding our kids, but we still have to know when to give them some tough love.

6 Good Dad: Putting his Training aside to work

While Gohan is one of the strongest fighters in the universe, he pales in comparison to his father, Vegeta, and Piccolo. After Kid Buu is defeated, Gohan gives up on his training and decides to get a job to support his wife, Videl, and child.

While it's sad that Gohan doesn't at least put in an hour of training with Piccolo to keep his strength up, it's understandable given he has a family to raise. The earth has plenty of warriors, so it's nice that Gohan can spend his time with Videl and Pan. At least he doesn't just disappear to train, like his father did.

5 Bad Dad: Letting Pan hang out with Goku and Trunks

While Pan was adorable when she was a child, she started to become a pain when she grew into a teenager. Throughout GT, Pan would always sneak off with Goku and Trunks so that she could help save the world from the Black Star Dragon Balls and the Shadow Dragons. While you can argue that Gohan couldn't have stopped her when she snuck into the spaceship, he didn't stop her when Pan flew off with Goku on his trip to stop the Shadow Dragons. Pretty bad move, Gohan.

4 Good Dad: Having Piccolo babysit

Piccolo has changed a lot since his birth. While he started as a villain who wanted to avenge his father by killing Goku and ruling the world, Piccolo softened up when he was training Gohan. He even went off into the Other World when Nappa killed him.

Since returning to life, Piccolo has aided the Z-Fighters and cared more about Gohan than his father. So, who else would be perfect for babysitting Pan? He plays with her, knows what she likes to eat and play with, and always keeps an eye on her.

3 Bad Dad: Having his parents Babysit

Sure, Goku knows how to play with Pan, but he's not the most reliable person. When Goku and Chichi had to babysit Pan, they lost her for a few hours. Need we say anything else?

2 Good Dad: Defended the Earth

Sure, we all love to make fun of Goku and his obsession with getting stronger for the sake of becoming more powerful, but we know that he does this so that he can defend the earth against those who wish to do it harm. We just wish that he spent a little more time being a dad than running off to train some more. Gohan, while not being as active in battle like his old man, still will aid his fellow teammates in thwarting off the forces of evil.

1 Bad Dad: Let Another Girl Kiss Him

Come on, Gohan, why did you let this happen? During a two-part filler arc, Gohan becomes the Great Saiyaman again and becomes a movie star. When the Pop-Star/Actress Coco finds out who he is and Gohan flies her home, She lands one on him. Gohan, you have reflexes greater than any human, and you let this happen? For shame.

Next: Dragon Ball: The 10 Worst Things Gohan Ever Did, Ranked

Romance is in most anime, whether it be part of the main story or a subplot in an adventure. They can be comedic, sweet, tragic, or even a mix of the three. Romance is common because audiences eat it up for the exciting drama it creates. Most anime also involve people in high school, which is typically when people start experimenting with relationships and their own identity. Here are ten anime with romance that are rated the highest on IMDb.

10 Your Lie In April (Score: 8.6)

This show ran from 2014 to 2015 with one season and it really pulled on the heartstrings of its audience. The protagonist is a boy whose mother recently passed away and he is trying to get back into the musical world of playing the piano. However, he is still haunted by his mothers' abuse and her desire for him to play the piano perfectly.

He meets a violinist who introduces him back to the world of music. We won't spoil the ending, but you might want a tissue box when watching this show.

9 Maid Sama! (Score: 8.0)

The protagonist of this show is a hardworking high school girl who revolutionized her school as a place for girls to feel safe. She is also a member of the student council. Boys consider her to be uptight and boy-hating. However, she has a secret. She works at a maid cafe to help take care of her family. A boy at her school discovers this secret, and shenanigans ensue.

8 Lovely Complex (Score: 8.0)

This adorable 24 episode anime dates back to 2007 and has one season. It features a girl and boy in school who are both made fun of because of their heights. The girl is very tall and the boy is very short. It is a romance to watch if you want sweetness and laughs. From the beginning, you root for the characters to get together. It also portrays insecurities that a lot of people can relate to when it comes to relationships.

7 Clannad: After Story (Score: 8.6)

After Story is actually the sequel to Clannad, but it received much higher reviews. It continues the story of Tomoya and Nagisa's relationship. However, it is very tragic and leaves a lot of fans with tears on their cheeks. Definitely do not expect it to be like the first part of Clannad. The story takes a very sorrowful turn without leaving the audience frustrated or feeling like they were cheated. It is done very well.

Tomoya is a character who often bottles up his emotions, and After Story really gets every last drop of feelings out of him.

6 Kamisama Kiss (Score: 8.1)

If you are in the mood for a romance that is a little more paranormal and fantastical, then look no further than Kamisama Kiss. It explores the relationship between a young girl and a fox demon (more accurately, a kitsune from Japanese Shinto mythology). The girl was rendered homeless and is invited to live in a shrine where she gets mixed up with the fox man, Tomoe. Utilizing her clever brain, she tricks him and binds him to her service.

While the two start off with a rocky relationship, they begin to have feelings for each other.

5 Ouran High School Host Club (Score: 8.2)

This anime is about Haruhi, an average girl who ends up going to a very wealthy school that is full of spoiled rich kids. The school even has a host club that is just a place for girls to go to be treated like princesses from a group of boys. Haruhi gets mistaken for a boy and ends up joining the host club. Once it is discovered that she is a girl, the leader of the host club gets very flustered. She remains in the host club, and her identity as a woman is kept a secret.

The anime mostly serves as a comedy, but it is no secret that there is a romantic subplot between Haruhi and Tamaki, the leader of the group.

4 Toradora! (Score: 8.1)

This anime has one of those plots where two people use each other to get close to their crushes. Taiga and Ryuji have crushes on each others' best friends, so they start hanging out with each other in the hopes that they can get close to their crushes. As most would predict, the relationship between Taiga and Ryuji gets very complicated as they hang out with each other more and more.

However, while predictable in the sense of who ends up with who, the anime is very funny and has plenty of other surprises to service its audience.

3 Noragami (Score: 8.0)

While it is mostly an adventure comedy, Noragami has a romantic subplot. The anime is about a minor god who is looking for more people to worship him. He gets the help of a girl who he once saved and gets the recognition of one shrine dedicated to him.

The anime has aired from 2014 to 2016 with two seasons. While the romance is not the main focus, fans have argued that the romance in this show is actually better written than it is in shows where romance is the main focus.

2 Fruits Basket (Score: 8.3)

The reboot of Fruits Basket has already proven its great worth with its first season and we are still waiting for more. For those who have not read the manga, seen the original, or jumped at the reboot yet, the story is about a homeless girl who is taken in by a mysterious family. She discovers that they transform into zodiac animals when hugged. She also discovers that the family is cursed and has a lot of drama.

Romance is a subplot in this anime. We will not spoil who the protagonist ends up with, as the anime is not finished yet, but we know its following closely to the manga.

1 Spice And Wolf (Score: 8.0)

While it is primarily an adventure fantasy, Spice and Wolf also has a popular romantic subplot. The romance between the characters is pretty obvious, and it gets serious. It is a romance that grows through their adventures together. While it is not the main focus, their relationship has plenty of interesting moments that keeps its audiences interested.

NEXT: 10 Best Sci-Fi Anime Of All Time

Welcome to Daily Deals, our ongoing look at the best deals and offers for CBR fans to get the best out of their buck when it comes to comics, collectibles, electronics, gear, clothing, and anything else we find that might save fans money while we also showcase awesome gear!

Black Friday is almost here, so today we are just going to collect a few of the best Early Black Friday deals that are currently available from retailers like Comixology, Gamestop, and Sideshow Collectibles! You're sure to find something either for yourself or a gift for someone, which is always helpful this close to Christmas!

Purchase American Gods Vol. 1: Shadows for $0.99 here

Comixology is offering an amazing Doorbuster deal every day that features a new graphic novel for only a buck! Today's Doorbuster is Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russel and Scott Hampton's adaptation of Gaiman's novel American Gods, which has also been adapted into a hit series on Starz.

Comixology also has a few other deals that will run over the weekend which includes Buy 1 Get 1 Free Marvel Comics as well as VIZ volumes for only $3.99, so manga fans can now stock up their digital collection for a great price!

Purchase Wolverine's First Appearance and The Mandalorian Funko Pop! Vinyls
Purchase Waving Pikachu and Gamer Mickey Funko Pop! Vinyls
Purchase Son Goku and Piccolo Funko Pop! Vinyls

We love Funko Pop! vinyl figures, both to the extreme cuteness overload as well as the huge selection of vinyl figures that Funko has available for fans of all kinds. GameStop is celebrating Black Friday in a number of ways, but we couldn't scroll past its Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal!

We selected a few great examples of GameStop's Funko Pop! selection, including a figure from The Mandalorian series, as well as Wolverine's first appearance, Pikachu from Pokémon, Son Goku, or the special edition Gamer Mickey figure that celebrates 90 years of Mickey Mouse!

Purchase Wonder Woman Premium Format Figure here
Purchase Swamp Thing Maquette here
Purchase Lex Luthor Premium Format Figure here

Sideshow Collectibles is getting into Black Friday in a big way with huge deals that could save fans hundreds of dollars on Sideshow's incredibly detailed statues and figures. We've picked a sampling of DC characters today to showcase some of the unique designs and characters available this Black Friday.

Wonder Woman's Premium Format figure can save fans $50 using the special code at checkout while the Swamp Thing Maquette is $80 off with a similar code. However, one of the best deals comes with the Lux Luthor Premium Format figure, which can save fans $100! If you were waiting for a sale to pick up some great statues from Sideshow, this is it!

NEXT: Black Friday Week! Check Out These Great Deals On Comics, Clothes, And Collectibles!

We hope you like the items we recommend! Comic Book Resources has affiliate partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.

Xfinity has released a short movie/ad/mini-sequel of E.T. the Extraterrestrial paying a visit to his friend Elliot just in time for the holidays. The twist? Now Elliott has his own family, and Earthly technology has advanced since the little brown alien left.

Elliott has to teach his old friend new tricks, like surfing the web, using a TV remote and even playing with a VR headset, using technology from Xfinity and Sky. In exchange, E.T. teaches Elliott’s kids to fly through the night on their bikes, touching everyone’s hearts (literally) before his family picks him up in a U.F.O.

There are two versions of the film: the two-minute version of the story debuted during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC in the U.S., and the full-length four-minute version available at xfinity.com/ET and Youtube. The ad was created by Omnicom Group’s Goodby, Silverstein and Partners in collaboration with Universal, which, just like Xfinity, belongs to Comcast.

Henry Thomas, who played Elliott back in 1982 and again in the ad, said, “The audience is going to get everything they want out of a sequel without the messy bits that could destroy the beauty of the original and the special place it has in people’s minds and hearts. It’s really a win-win." This particular ad was crafted to capitalize on nostalgia, and eagle-eyed viewers will find Reese’s Pieces and Dungeon & Dragons sets scattered through the scenes, meshing seamlessly with other entertainment technology.

Thomas also mentioned that Steven Spielberg was behind the short, and insinuated that he’d had a hand in drafting the storyboards. Spielberg has been collaborating with Comcast (Xfinitity’s mothership) for a while, being behind the immersive experience, between virtual reality and planetarium, of Comcast’s Universal Sphere in Philadelphia’s Comcast Technology Center.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: The Mandalorian - Lucasfilm Shares New Baby Yoda Footage

When it comes to the X-Men, few people have as complicated love lives as Scott Summers. When he came back from the dead in the recent Uncanny X-Men run, many expected Scott to run back into the arms of his on-again-off-again lover Jean Grey. Perhaps it's the obvious choice too, considering the long romantic history the two share. However, Jonathan Hickman and Leinil Yu's new X-Men title may be setting up a reunion between Scott and Emma Frost instead. Here's why.

In X-Men #2, Scott leaves a cryptic clue in regard to the state of his love life. The summoner asks him, "Do you love someone?" To which, Scott replies, "Complicated question. But for the sake of expediency let's just say yes. I love a single someone."

Who is this "single someone?" The most obvious answer is Jean Grey, Scott's wife and primary love interest throughout X-Men history. However, Dawn of X has done everything but the obvious so far, and although Scott and Jean appear to be living together, his last significant relationship was with Emma Frost. There's a good chance that line was a reference to the White Queen herself.

Scott and Emma started dating after he began a telepathic affair with her in Grant Morrison's New X-Men series. Towards the end of the run, Scott had to make a choice: Jean or Emma. He chose Emma.

However, Jean and Scott never truly got a chance to talk about it and say goodbye, since Jean died shortly after Scott came to his revelation. He piled guilt on himself after his wife's death, turning down Emma's offer to run the school together and quitting the X-Men altogether. It wasn't until Jean, after witnessing an apocalyptic reality, reached out from beyond the grave to tell Scott it was ok to move on. With Jean's blessing, he and Emma started their new life together.

Since then, they've been a prominent couple in the X-Men series, entering a committed, long-term relationship that lasted all the way until 2013's Uncanny X-Men. Scott even reaffirmed his choice to be with her in Phoenix: Endsong, where he declares, "You're good for me Emma Frost. That's why I love you."

Phoenix: Endsong was an ode to Scott and Jean, honoring their relationship for what it was, but asserting that Scott's heart now lied with Emma. Even the Phoenix Force itself was forced to accept the reality that Scott truly loved Emma and that times were no longer the same. Scott loves Jean and she is an important part of his life, but he is in love with Emma.

While Endsong provided clarity for Scott, Jean and Emma, Phoenix Resurrection was the goodbye Scott and Jean never had. It was an acknowledgment of the tragedy of their relationship and that, while Scott and Jean may always love one another, it may not be written in the cards for them. Huge emphasis on the "may."

Scott and Emma never had the same chance to say goodbye. When he died in Death of X, he died in Emma's arms, leaving her devastated. At his funeral, she even went as far to call Scott "The only man I ever wanted to give a damn about me."

In the most recent Uncanny X-Men series, Emma is stunned by Scott's reappearance. In order to protect him, she makes him forget who she is, though not before making a promise that she would find a way for them to be together again one day.

In House of M, when Wanda gave the X-Men and the Avengers a chance to live out their heart's desire, Scott wanted to live in domestic bliss with his wife, Emma. That simple, happy life with someone he loves is what Scott longs to have and Danielle Moonstar even acknowledges that fact about him in the aforementioned Uncanny X-Men run. She asks if he'd finally let himself be happy and have a future with Emma, but Scott was far too focused on saving the X-Men to worry about his complicated love life.

With all the chaos and danger, the timing just wasn't right, but maybe it is now through the freedom Krakoa provides.

Dawn of X opens up a whole new world for the X-Men --in more ways than one. For the first time in years, Jean, Scott and Emma are all alive --and single for that matter. It's clear that Scott and Jean are still close, as evidenced by their shots together and conjoining rooms on the Summer Home. But the interaction between Scott and Emma has been slim, perhaps for a reason --the shock value of a reconciliation reveal, maybe?

During the celebration in House of X #6, Emma and Scott share their first interaction since Uncanny X-Men, being finally granted a moment of peace. It's brief, but through the crowd, Emma shares a tender look with Scott, who smiles at her softly in return. It's clear that there's more to that interaction than just a cursory glance.

Scott's affirmation that he loves one singular person was vague, but perhaps intentionally so. Readers anticipate the answer to be Jean, but there's a lot of evidence to support the idea of his mystery lover being Emma. The two can't be together on the same team while she's running the Hellfire Trading Company and overseeing the Marauders' operations, giving deeper meaning to Scott's statement about wanting to be with that mystery "someone" he loves.

Additionally, the two are set to share some interactions in the upcoming X-Men #3 in a location that holds significance for the couple: The Savage Land. In Ed Brubaker's Uncanny X-Men, after Scott refused Tony Stark's request to comply with the Mutant Registration Act, he took Emma on a romantic trip to the Savage Land. While they were there, the two reaffirmed their commitment and Scott declared that he would make the world a better place for them to live in.

Scott and Jean never got divorced because of her untimely death, so now that she's alive, maybe the two have still neglected to do so, resulting in their continued marriage. Throughout House of X and Powers of X, Hickman quietly hinted that the notions of love, romance and relationships mean different things to mutants than humans. With that in mind, maybe Scott and Jean share a marriage in name only, a remnant of a social tie that means nothing on Krakoa.

Whether they're lovers or not, Scott and Jean are massively important parts of each other's lives. Coupled with the fact that they're currently living with their children, perhaps they're just parenting together and enjoying their time together for whatever it is.

There's also the closeness between Logan and Jean that raises eyebrows. Previously, Logan had unrequited feelings for Jean and the two never were engaged in a romantic relationship. However, Dawn of X seems to be exploring the possibility of a stronger tie. Jean and Logan's rooms are specifically connected in the Summer Home and the preview for Wolverine #1 certainly hints at a close moment between the two.

Perhaps a more important clue comes in the form of "Sinister Secrets #5" from Powers of X. The excerpt reads: "He's the best there is at what he does. She's married with a kid. The husband knows exactly what's going on, but who is he to point the finger? He's up to much the same, and more. Maybe this is just the new normal on the mutant island." This certainly seems like a hint at Logan/Jean. It also implies that Scott, the husband, is ok with their relationship because he's with someone else as well --and all signs seem to be pointing towards his last love, Emma Frost.

After all, Dawn of X is all about shaking up the status quo and doing the unexpected and this arrangement would certainly fit the bill for surprising.

X-Men #3 releases Dec. 4.

KEEP READING: Vulcan: Who is Cyclops' Evil Brother, How Is he Alive & Why Is He An X-Man?

Knowledge Waits is a feature where I just share some bit of comic book history that interests me.

Today, reader Bob Garlen wrote in and wanted to share some exhaustive research he did into Batman's age during Frank Miller's various Batman comic book stories and Bob did such a fine job that I am more than willing to share it with you all. Here's Bob!

Recently, I have been re-reading Frank Miller Dark Knight Series (including All Star Batman and Robin) and I’ve been curious about Batman’s age through out the series. In the comics his age has been a pretty big question and I recently decided to take Frank Miller’s Batman works and decipher his age. I started with the few basics from Year One and The Dark Knight Returns and it led me down a weird rabbit hole where I ended up working on the ages of several Batman Characters in relation to Frank Miller’s works. Unfortunately, not every single answer I needed was available from the six Frank Miller written Books I’ve been looking at, and I had to use information detailed out by the post crisis canon. To fill in certain gaps I researched post crisis canon, since Batman Year One was written as the official Post Crisis Batman Origin.

In this you will see diligent detective work with specific sources listed, I’m not an expert on APA citation so I’ll refer to them in text directly.

To begin I’m going to start with the first two Frank Miller Batman stories “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” (DKR) and “Batman: Year One” (BY1). In BY1 it’s establishes several key bits of information:

- Bruce is 25 Years Old returning to Gotham City In January.

- Bruce studied abroad for 12 Years.

- Bruce has Waited 18 Years to become Batman. (Established in the opening Page of BY1 Issues 2)

It’s important to note that in the comic books, according to the DC Calendar 1976 Bruce Wayne’s Birthday is Listed as February 19th. Adding 1 final additional detail from Year One

- Bruce Wayne was 26 Years Old when he became The Batman.

The Next round of information that assist my look into the ages of Frank Miller’s Batman characters comes DKR, where we learns 3 things:

-It’s stated that the series is set 40 Years after Bruce’s Parents were murdered.

-Bruce has been retired from Batman for 10 Years.

- James Gordon is retiring from GCPD at Age 70.

This reveals that during the events of the series that Bruce Wayne was 48 and he retired at age 38 because of the death of Jason Todd. This also reveals that during the events of BY1 James Gordon was 47/48. These key bits of information get things started. After discovering his age in Frank Miller’s First Two Batman stories, I wondered as to what Bruce Wayne’s age was in All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (ASB). Discovering his age in ASB was by far the biggest challenge, but I did get a decent piece of information to start:

-Dick Grayson is 12 Years Old when he becomes Robin.

While this is something that certainly helps, it doesn’t tell me enough. I began digging into Another piece of information at the same time, as I felt this was vital to discovering his age in ASB. I began looking up information on Jason Todd, as I knew at Jason Todd’s Death Bruce was 38 (Actually turning 38 in “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – The Last Crusade” (BLC). I felt if could build a comprehensive timeline for Jason Todd’s time with Batman I could also get a comprehensive timeline for Dick Grayson’s time with Batman and thus reveal his age during ASB.

To get to this I looked up Jason Todd’s death, looking for any clues from “Batman: A Death in the Family” (BDF) but found little to no information that assisted me. The reason I looked into the age of Jason Todd in BDF was to give a parallel to what his age would have been in BLC. It wasn’t until reading on a DC Wiki there was actually a death certificate with an age. I looked up the death certificate for Jason Todd discovering that he died at Age 15, on April 27th. The Date of April 27th was provided by Batman Annual #25, released in 2006. In “Batman #413” were in the letter pages it’s established Jason Todd became Robin at 12 Years old.

This revealed that Jason Todd’s tenure as Robin lasted roughly 3-to-3 ½ years. This is certified as Detective Comics #790 it’s revealed Jason’s Birthday is August 16th. The next major piece of information is discovered way into the Future of “Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again” (DKS) where, in confrontation with Dick Grayson, Batman reveals he fired him for incompetence. What makes this information important is that in “Batman #408” where we meet Post Crisis Jason Todd, we also see Batman fire 19-year-old Dick Grayson for incompetence after Dick is shot in the shoulder by the Joker, and nearly dies. This gives the final puzzle piece.

Jason Todd is 15 when he dies as Bruce Wayne is 38. Jason’s tenure starts when Bruce was 34 years old. Dick Grayson during this time was 19 and had been active as Robin since age 12 giving his tenure as Robin to be 7 years. Bringing Bruce Wayne’s age to being 27 years old during the time of ASB making it take place only a year after BY1.

Now that the ASB age is solved and DKR age is known, to figure out the age during DKS and “Batman: The Dark Knight III: The Master Race” (DK3) becomes much simpler. Each book states that it’s only 3 years removed from the previous.

Bruce Wayne’s age in DKS is 51, while in DK3 he is 54. All together this gives some specific information to work off of if looking at other characters. It’s easy to establish that Commissioner Gordon is only 22 Years Older than Bruce. ASB also gives us Barbara Gordon’s age, establishing her as 15, thereby making her 14 during BY1 (Why she’s nowhere in BY1 is beyond me, but the theory I would have is Jim Gordon waited until he felt it was safe to bring her to Gotham and that she stayed with relatives in Chicago.)

Even learning Barbara’s age the math becomes pretty simple. The age difference between her and Bruce is only 12 years. This allows me to establish her age for specific story points in the Frank Miller Batman Canon. The last character of age I could discover is Carrie Kelley, tried as I might I just couldn’t find anything to suggest Alfred’s age and could only come up with vague guesses but with Carrie there seems to be some specifics to her age.

In DKS Carrie gives her age as 16 and considering DKR is set 3 years earlier means she was 13 during Batman’s return and in DK3 she is 19. This gives specific ages for a comprehensive timeline of Frank Miller’s Batman series. Going based off key events, the ages of the characters go as follows:

The Death of Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne:

Bruce Wayne – 8 Years Old

James Gordon – 30 Years Old

Bruce’s Time Abroad (12 Years Abroad):

Bruce Wayne – 13 – 25 Years Old

James Gordon – 35 – 47 Years Old

Barbara Gordon – 2 – 14 Years Old

Richard Grayson – 0 – 11 Years Old

Jason Todd – 0 – 3 Years Old

Bruce Returns to Gotham and Becomes Batman (Batman Year One):

Bruce Wayne – 25 Years Old (Return) 26 Years Old (Becomes Batman)

James Gordon – 47 Years Old (Bruce’s Return) 48 Years Old (After Bruce Becomes Batman)

Barbara Gordon – 14 Years Old

Richard Grayson – 11 Years Old

Jason Todd – 3 Years Old

Bruce Adopts Dick Grayson (All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder):

Bruce Wayne – 27 Years Old

James Gordon – 49 Years Old

Barbara Gordon – 15 Years Old

Richard Grayson – 12 Years Old

Jason Todd – 4 Years Old

Bruce Fires Dick Grayson, Adopts Jason Todd:

Bruce Wayne – 34 Years Old

James Gordon – 56 Years Old

Barbara Gordon – 22 Years Old

Richard Grayson – 19 Years Old

Jason Todd – 12 Years Old

Jason Todd Dies, Bruce Retires (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns The Last Crusade):

Bruce Wayne – 38 Years Old

James Gordon – 60 Years Old

Barbara Gordon – 26 Years Old

Richard Grayson – 23 Years Old

Jason Todd – 15 Years Old (Died before his Birthday)

Carrie Kelley – 3 Years Old

Bruce Returns as Batman, James Gordon Retires (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns):

Bruce Wayne – 48 Years Old

James Gordon – 70 Years Old

Barbara Gordon – 36 Years Old

Richard Grayson – 33 Years Old

Carrie Kelley – 13 Years Old

Batman Strikes Again at Lex Luthor and Brainiac while fighting against a new Joker… Dick Grayson (Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again):

Bruce Wayne – 51 Years Old

James Gordon – 73 Years Old

Barbara Gordon – 39 Years Old

Richard Grayson – 36 Years Old (Dies)

Carrie Kelley – 16 Years Old

Batman battle the Kryptonians after Ray Palmer unshrinks Kandor (Batman: The Dark Knight III – The Master Race):

Bruce Wayne – 54 Years Old

James Gordon – 76 Years Old

Barbara Gordon – 41 Years Old

Carrie Kelley – 19 Years Old

Well done, Bob!

Okay, folks, if you have any interesting comic book related story that you'd like to see me feature in a future Knowledge Waits or if you have some original scholarship like Bob here that you'd like to share (I'm not saying that I necessarily WILL share it, but if it's good like Bob's, then sure), feel free to drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!

Despite having been on the air for more than 30 years -- or perhaps because of it -- The Simpsons may finally be wrapping up after the conclusion of its next season.

While speaking to Joe, Danny Elfman, the composer behind The Simpsons’ iconic theme song, has let it slip that the series may, in fact, be reaching the finish line. The Simpsons had recently found a new home for all of the series’ 603-and-counting episodes on the Disney+ streaming service.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s coming to an end,” Elfman told the folks over at Joe, before continuing, “I don’t know for a fact, but I’ve heard that it will be in its last year.” This is likely a shocking revelation to fans both new and old.

Elfman went on to tell the outlet, "All I can say is that I’m flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did. You have to realize, when I scored The Simpsons, I wrote this crazy piece of music, and I expected no-one would hear it because I really did not think the show had a chance in hell. Really, I expected it would run for three episodes and get canceled, and that would be that, because it was so weird at the time, and I just didn't think it had a chance. So believe me, that is one of the truly big surprises in my life."

Should Elfman’s information prove to be correct, it will indeed be the end of an era for fans of the series. Having made its debut in 1989, there are currently millions of fans who have never existed in a world where new episodes of The Simpsons weren’t forthcoming.

Source: JOE

Emma Frost and Jean Grey have never been particularly good friends, with both contending for the love of Scott Summers/Cyclops. Since the start of Jonathan Hickman's Dawn of X, the two have found some level of piece on the mutant island of Krakoa, but that doesn't mean they can't exchange a few friendly barbs now and again, as the preview for X-Men #3 shows.

Marvel Comics has given CBR an exclusive look at Hickman and Leinil Francis Yu's X-Men #3, which shows the two making witty, though passive aggressive, comments at each other before a council meeting. You can see the preview below along with the solicitation for the issue.

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) • LEINIL FRANCIS YU (A/C)
MARVELS 20TH VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS
VENOM ISLAND VARIANT COVER BY MIKE MCKONE
EARTH’S MOST POWERFUL! CYCLOPS STORMS THE SAVAGE LAND!
The most powerful heroes of the dominant species on the planet, the X-Men rise to protect the world against any threat. From a new foe in the Savage Land to an old nemesis’ surprising return…
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

X-Men #3 hits shelves Dec. 4.

KEEP READING: Marvel 2099: Has Marvel's New Future Already Doomed the X-Men?

Each and every Thursday, Hannibal Tabu shares his opinion on which comics you should BUY or NOT BUY based on what's on the stands this week (while sometimes offering a few options in between). It's a little slice of CBR we like to call... The Buy Pile!

As some of our older readers will notice, we're experimenting with a new format here at The Buy Pile, so please excuse the dust as we shift things around a bit. Thanks!

Ironheart #12 (Marvel Comics)

There is a lot to like in Ironheart #12, partially due to this series' long run of strong showings. The last eleven issues ranged from "very good" to "breathtaking." Here, there are the vibrant visuals -- courtesy of Luciano Vecchio, Geoffo, Matt Milla and Clayton Cowles to the solid characterization for the lead (Eve Ewing knows how to write a story).

Odd that this issue feels like a letdown because a core development of the narrative is depicted with such vagueness (visually and script wise) as to suck the momentum from this issue and make its conclusion feel unearned. The Wakandan MacGuffin is wildly unexplained, the mysterious villains left with a less than conclusive fate... what happened here? A country mile from being bad, but after such great heights, to merely stand (especially for a final issue) feels hollow and unsatisfying. RATING: RELUCTANTLY BUY.

When you're a walking train wreck -- a mass of emotional damage on two feet -- you can't help but be messy as heck when you try to do the right thing. Black Ghost #3 shows this in intimate detail as the Alex Segura script details a woman trying to get her city, and by extension her life, back together... with nothing but a secondhand costume and some Jessica Jones-compatible skills.

The lead is so well defined that it throws the lack of characterization for almost every other character into sharp relief, which is a shame. On TV, actors can use charisma and subtlety to convey elements of character, but with still images, it's a lot harder. This becomes vexing, because there is surely something to see here. Unfortunately, like Robert Duvall in The Apostle, there's not much to see past the headliner. RATING: HONORABLE MENTION.

Curse Words #25 is a spectacle with a capital "Michael Bay," doing some things you have literally never seen happen in comics before.

The texture of the climactic battle is a little repetitive, but its continued upward oscillation in scale, like Beyonce at the end of "Love on Top," is interesting in that kind of way people used to watch Jack Bauer, just to see what crazy thing was next. There's maybe not enough meat on the narrative bones of this story for everybody, but it's a heck of an end to one crazy ride. RATING: HONORABLE MENTION.

Terrifics #22 (DC Comics)

After years of misfires, The Terrifics #22 finally tells an accurate Bizarro story, getting the topsy turvy syntax right ("smell" in place of "see" is wonderful).

That's an accomplishment by itself. Unfortunately, with coloring that skews a little too X-Files for its own good and maybe too many Bizarros, the plot gets a little hard to follow. Rereading helps, but this ain't an easy hill to climb. RATING: HONORABLE MENTION.

Killadelphia #1 is a noir procedural with a splash of the supernatural and a dash of history thrown in. Something is very wrong in the City of Brotherly Love, and this Rodney Barnes script takes you on a deadly tour of its horrors.

If you liked Abbott, this is a slightly grittier, more modern cousin with a close visual resemblance to The Black Monday Murders. If that sounds like your jam, well, buckle up buttercup and take this ride. RATING: HONORABLE MENTION.

New Mutants #2 (Marvel Comics)

New Mutants #2 has some pretty funny moments from Bobby DaCosta, who's like a slightly less drunken Tony Stark in space. The friendship between him and Sam Guthrie is very good, and Sam's wife is fantastic, cut from a Big Barda mold.

The plot is kind of all over the place, though, and could have benefitted more from a better framing device than DaCosta's rambling charm. RATING: HONORABLE MENTION.

Got a comic you think should be reviewed in The Buy Pile? Let us know! If we get a PDF of a fairly normal length comic (less than 64 pages) by no later than 24 hours before the actual issue is available for sale nationally, we will try and review the work. No physical comics, please.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Knives Out, in theaters now.

Knives Out is a love-letter to murder mystery films, slowly unraveling a conspiracy that involves deceit, destruction and, of course, death. Along the way, the narrative has fun with many of the conventions of the genre, either playing them straight or using them for laughs. Sometimes, they're even used to make the mystery that much more difficult to figure out on first viewing.

Heres how writer/director Rian Johnson used the convention of a red herring suspect to hide the true culprit at the center of the mystery.

Ransom is ultimately revealed to be the one behind the death of his grandfather. After learning that Harlan was going to cut off the family (him included) from his fortune and instead give it to caretaker, Marta, as a thank you for her friendly companionship in the last few years of his life, Ransom devised a plan to frame Marta for the accidental death of his grandfather, thus nullifying her place in his will. This involved sneaking into the house and swapping the labels of Harlan's medicine with that of the morphine, leaving Marta to unknowingly give him an overdose of the morphine which would kill him.

However, things are complicated when Marta actually still gives Harlan the correct medicine out of habit. But convinced that he's about to die, Harlan cuts his own throat in an attempt to make Marta look less like a suspect. Knowing that the blood work will prove Marta innocent, Ransom tries to manipulate her, as well as one of the only witnesses to the crime, the housekeeper Fran, into a situation where Marta can be blamed for Fran's death and for trying to cover up what happened.

But Marta's inherent goodness keeps her from covering it up, instead calling an ambulance for Fran even if it means turning herself over to the authorities. By revealing everything she knows, Detective Blanc is able to decipher Ransom's plan and help reveal his crimes.

Part of the fun of Knives Out is just how likely a suspect everyone in the building is. Multiple people had plenty of reason to want Harlan out of the way: Harlan's son-in-law Richard was being forced to expose his affair to his wife, Linda before Harlan did it; Harlan's daughter-in-law Joni had been stealing from Harlan, so he was about to cut her off, while his son Walt was being fired from his role at the publishing company that Harlan had given him.

But of all of them, Ransom is the most obvious suspect. He and Harlan had a shouting match right before he left, and he was the most antagonistic with the rest of the family. He also openly had the motive -- being cut off from the fortune that had sustained him.

Most mystery stories like to create confusion by not making the most obvious suspect the one who actually committed the crime, though they may have had some role to play in the act or had been manipulated into position by someone else. Usually, the mystery never makes the obvious suspect the culprit, otherwise, the mystery would be solved far too quickly. Johnson's story introduces an obvious suspect in the form of Ransom who seems so guilty that it's difficult for audience members who are well-aware of mystery tropes to not feel like they're being purposefully misdirected.

So, suspicion turns to the rest of the family, like Walt and Joni (both of whom were also awake at the time of the deaths and had been shown becoming more duplicitous and threatening as the film continues). But, it turns out that the red herring wasn't really a red herring at all.

A red herring, as used in fiction, is a clue that misleads or distracts from the actual question at hand. It's often the shorthand term for when a story gives the audience a clue that's purposefully meant to lead them to the wrong conclusion so that the mystery might become more complicated.

At first glance, Ransom appears to be the definition of a red herring: the obvious suspect meant to distract us while the actual criminals move behind the scenes. But in Knives Out, our first instinct about Ransom is actually correct. The red herring wasn't a false suspect, he was the killer all along. The narrative uses this one trick on both Marta (who begrudgingly starts to trust Ransom and sees him as the closest thing to an ally she has in the situation) and the audience into thinking there's someone else operating around them.

It's a clever way for Johnson (who has previously written and directed other mystery stories like Brick and The Brothers Bloom) to subvert expectations and to make the expectations of the amateur detectives in the audience part of the game that's being played.

Written, produced and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out stars Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford, Frank Oz, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, and Riki Lindhome.

KEEP READING: REVIEW: Knives Out Is a Satirical Whodunit Against the Death of the Author

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Freedom Fighters #11, by Robert Venditti and Eddy Burrows, on sale now.

DC has, from time to time, depicted some incredibly gory deaths in its superhero comics. Readers might sometimes question whether those gruesome scenes add anything to the stories, or if they're included primarily because the writers and artists want to push the envelope.

This week's most shocking gore-fest comes from an unlikely place: Freedom Fighters #11, featuring such former Quality Comics characters as Uncle Sam, Human Bomb and Phantom Lady. The heroes of the parallel world, Earth X, rebel against their Third Reich overlords in a brutal civil war and, in the penultimate Issue 11, no punches are pulled when faced with such a horrifying enemy.

The PlaSStic Men are among the more violent adversaries the Freedom Fighters face throughout their crusade against Hitler III, and this latest issue is no different: featuring multiple fight sequences where Nazi and heroic characters are pitted against one another in brutal combat. However, it's Phantom Lady's fight with the PlaSStic Men that really stands out among the carnage.

The PlaSStic Men, much like the mainstream Plastic Man, have the ability to stretch and distort their bodies. That makes them a formidable threat when gathered together, since they could, in theory, stretch out and cover large distances together. However, that stretching ability proves to be their undoing when Phantom Lady creates a portal. The PlaSStic Men are dragged into it and forcibly stretched to their absolute limits. Their bodies contort -- stretching and stretching -- until they are torn apart, creating a grotesque tunnel of human flesh and viscera.

The incident is so brutal that even Phantom Lady herself appears horrified by her own actions. Readers might have a hard time sharing her feelings of horror and guilt because, again, the people being slaughtered are Nazis. If any type of character can be stretched until their bodies split apart, it's Nazis.

This gross moment begs the question: how far can Plastic Man stretch, exactly? We have seen Plastic Man in the mainstream DC Universe stretch himself to virtually any size, color or shape he likes with seemingly no limits. But in this extreme world, it appears almost easy to tear others like him apart.

Phantom Lady, though horrified by her actions, has proved herself to be one of the most powerful characters around. Plastic Man can endure a great deal of damage and impact, but she took on multiple versions of him and killed them all with apparently no difficulty whatsoever. So, why didn't she think to do this earlier?

This entire series has been about fighting Nazis. Though she clearly disturbed herself with her own might, it's clear this trump card can have a huge impact on liberating America from Nazi occupation, yet only now, at the end of her journey, did she decide to use it. What is it her own fear or sense of morality holding her back, or was this just an unintended side effect of the PlaSStic Men's physiology?

Whatever the case, this image has suddenly made Freedom Fighters one of DC's goriest comics to date.

KEEP READING: Freedom Fighters Gives Morrison & Quitely's All-Star Superman a Sick Homage

Cyberpunk is a sub-genre of science fiction. Themes of cyberpunk often include futuristic elements like artificial intelligence, futuristic cities, and technological advancements. While it isn’t the most popular genre, this list looks at 10 of the best Cyberpunk anime out there.

Cyberpunk can be considered a lost art in anime as a lot of the good Cyberpunk anime aren’t from the modern era. In fact, there isn’t much Cyberpunk anime being released. Alternatively, Cyberpunk is very popular in the comic book world. If your looking for more Cyberpunk, be sure to check out the best Cyberpunk comics out there.

10 Gunslinger Girl

Kicking off the list is Gunslinger Girl, an anime that revolves around themes of military. The anime was released during the fall 2003 season and takes place in Italy. The Social Welfare Agency is an organization that takes young girls from hospitals and gives them a new life with cybernetic enhanced bodies. The girls are then brainwashed to become ruthless killers for the Italian government. While the girls are part artificial, they still have human necessities in the form of love and affection. The story follows a group of girls as they struggle to walk the line of human and creation. Gunslinger Girl is 13 episodes and aired for two seasons.

9 Accel World

Released during the spring 2012 season, Accel World has themes around school life romances. The story follows Haruyuki Arita, an elite gamer at the top of the ladder. However, he is bested by student council vice president Kuroyukihime, a girl whose name is based on “Snow White”. Kuroyukihime shows Haruyuki a program called Brain Burst which allows a player to accelerate their brainwaves. This is done by dueling another player in an augmented reality fighting game. Winning the fight means the player can accelerate their brain more and more, but losing results in being cut-off from Brain Burst. Together Kuroyukihime and Haruyuki adventure into Brain Burst on a quest to reach level 10 and meet the creator. Accel World is 24 episodes and aired for one season.

8 Texhnolyze

Texhnolyze is a psychological original anime developed by studio Madhouse. The anime was released during the spring 2003 season and takes place in a fantasy city called Lux. The city is entirely underground and is run by three factions. Organo is an organization that works with criminals to control Texhnolyze. Texnolyze is the name given for prosthetics in the anime.

The second faction is the Salvation Union who are always running into conflict with Organo. The third faction is Racan, a younger group of people using their Texnolyze for personal gain. The story follows Ichise, a fighter with a Texhnolyze arm and leg. Ichise works in Organo where he meets Ran, a girl who is clairvoyant. Together they work to save Lux from civil war. Texhnolyze is 22 episodes and aired for one season.

7 Metropolis

Madhouse’s second entry on this list is the anime film, Metropolis. This is an adaption of the manga done by Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of manga. Released on May 26, 2001, Metropolis takes place in the city of Metropolis, a technologically advanced city where humans and robots coexist. The story follows Detective Oyaji Hige, known as Shimsali Ban, and his nephew Kenichi Shikishima. Kenichi frees a girl with amnesia named Tima from a laboratory and are on the run from Duke Red, the ruler of Metropolis. Kenichi does everything in his power to protect Tima as the two adventure through Metropolis.

6 Ergo Proxy

Released during the winter 2006 season, Ergo Proxy is a psychological mystery anime. The anime takes place in Romdo, a city encased in a dome. As the last remaining civilization on Earth, life outside the dome ceases to exist. AutoReivs were created inside the dome to assist with ensuring that humanity continues. AutoReivs are humanoid robots, but have a virus called Cogito Virus. This gives them human capabilities such as thinking for themselves and being conscious of the environment around them. Re-I Mayer is tasked with the investigation of the Cogito Virus where she discovers a mythical entity known as Proxies. Ergo Proxy is 23 episodes and aired for one season.

5 Blame!

Blame! is a science fiction film released on May 20, 2017. The series also has a six-episode special, but this entry will focus on the film. Blame! takes place in the future with technology that is far advanced than the current times. The world is entirely automated, but an infection has made the automated systems in the city lose control. The Safeguard is a defense system in the city that protects the city. If the Safeguard detects human presence, it sends a Safeguard pack to eliminate the target. Killy the Wanderer is the lead of Blame! and is searching for the Net Terminal Genes so he can restore the city back to its original state.

4 Akira

Released on July 16, 1988, Akira is one of the most popular cyberpunk anime out there. The film starts in 1988 Japan after an explosion has disrupted the city of Tokyo, leading to World War III. The cause of this explosion was because of a young boy with psychic powers. Now in 2019, Tokyo has been restored as Neo-Tokyo, where terrorism and gang violence is at a high.

Shoutarou Kaneda leads the motorcycle gang known as The Capsules. In the gang is Tetsuo Shima who starts to develop psychic abilities after an accident. Akira won a Silver Scream Award at the Amsterdam-based Imagine Film Festival in 1992 and was nominated for Best Anime Feature Award at the American Anime Awards in 2007.

3 Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain tells a psychological supernatural story of Lain Iwakura. Released during the summer 1998 season, Lain is a 14 year old quiet girl that attends school. After receiving an email from a girl who recently committed suicide, Lain doesn’t truly understand where it came from. The answer lies within The Wired. The Wired is a virtual world of communication networks, that we now understand as the internet.

As Lain experiences more cyber mysteries, she struggles to identify the difference between the real world she lives in and The Wired. Her choices affect both worlds, but she slowly loses her identity and forgets who she is. Serial Experiments Lain won the Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 1998. The anime is 13 episodes and aired for one season.

2 Psycho-Pass

Released during the fall 2012 season, Psycho-Pass is an original done by Production I.G. studio. The anime takes place during the 22^nd century in Japan. A new system known as the Sibyl System is enforced on citizens. This system assesses the level of threat to society each person has and determines it as their Psycho-Pass. A group of people called Inspectors make sure this stays intact, and ex-prisoners called Enforcers work alongside the Inspectors. The story follows Akane Tsunemori, considered to be a model citizen. She joins the police force and investigates the corrupt Sibyl System. Psycho-Pass is 22 episodes and aired for three seasons.

1 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Rounding out the list as the best Cyberpunk anime, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex stands above the rest. Released during the fall 2002 season, the anime takes place in the distant future. In this world humanity has evolved to do full body transplants into machines. The technology is dangerous in the wrong hands, so Section 9 is an independently operating police unit which focuses on crimes associated with this technology. The anime and Section 9 are led by Motoko Kusanagi. She is tasked with facing “The Laughing Man” a hacker trying to establish a name for himself. He is responsible for multiple crimes in Japan and it is up to Motoko to stop him. The Ghost in the Shell series is made up of sequels, spin-offs, and side stories. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is 26 episodes.

NEXT: One Piece: 10 Things You Should Know About Eustass Kid

What better way to show your love of a fandom than by getting a tattoo? Dragon Ball has been around since its original comics in 1984, so a ton of people grew up with Goku and his friends. The anime has had huge international cultural impact, with people across the world can recognize Dragon Ball characters. So if you are debating a Dragon Ball tattoo, a lot of people will probably recognize it depending on the design you choose.

Speaking of designs, these are ten interesting tattoo ideas we have found. Please check out the attached links to see more of that work by the tattoo artists. They are amazing!

10 Fusion Dance

These forearm tattoos were done by Kozo Tattoo. His talent is in color, and he has done a ton of other fandom works such as Harry Potter, Yu-Gi-Oh, Rick and Morty, Inuyasha, and more. A lot of his tattoos like like paintings.

This charming design has Vegeta and Goku on each arm doing their fusion dance, which brings them together. So by putting your arms side-by-side, the separate tattoos also fuse into one design. This is also an idea to have with a friend if you ever want matching tattoos to symbolize your friendship. Though, it is also very awesome with one on each of the same person's arm.

9 Chichi And Goku's Hair

This design was done by Judd Wrighton at Lords Tattoo Studio. Unfortunately, we could not find him or the shop online but his identity was stated by the customer. As you may suspect, this is a couples tattoo for a husband and wife. Goku, being the main character, marries Chichi and they have kids together.

While they do love each other, they are not exactly the most ideal couple. Still, its to show your love of the show and your partner in a single design.

8 A Dragon Ball

A simple Dragon Ball is the most common of the Dragon Ball tattoo designs. They are major symbols of the show and look nice almost anywhere on your body. They also have minor differences, which is the number of stars they have on them. Some people get the dragon with all the balls floating around it while others just get a single Dragon Ball.

This design is one of the most simple and it is great if you are getting a tattoo on a budget since it can be pretty small and still look awesome. Unfortunately, we could not find the artist for this gem.

7 Goku On Nimbus

Goku's main source of travel is through his Nimbus Cloud. He does this mainly as a kid, and looks pretty adorable doing it too. Out of the possible designs, this one is more happy, whimsical, and cute. Look how happy that boy is!

This particular design also has a splash of color in the background, which brings out the tattoo all the more. The way Goku and Nimbus were drawn are pretty similar to a manga drawing. The tattoo artist for this piece is Tom Chili Pepper. The design was made by Yann Penno.

6 Little Krillin

Goku's best friend Krillin has been around since the beginning. Little Goku and him were adorable in the original Dragon Ball manga and show.

A lot of people love him because he is one of the less serious characters. He is often made fun of for being weak. After all, he is the character who tends to die a lot in the series. He has been killed by Tambourine, Frieza, Androids 17 and 18 (in Future Trunks's timeline), Super Buu, and Android 17 (in GT).

5 Neo-Traditional Style Dragon Ball

Neo-Traditional is a very common style of tattoos. They are known for their dense lines and often depict flowers, women, or animals. They have been influenced by Ukiyo-e Japanese prints, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco.

Combining such a style with a Dragon Ball is very cool. Sometimes people do not just want a Dragon Ball, but a little something more to make it unique with flowers or plants. The tattoo was done by Dr. Visser. His Instagram is full of other examples of Neo-Traditional tattoos.

4 Vegeta And Goku

Vegeta is one of the shows' most popular characters. He starts off as a bad guy but slowly turns into a grumpy good guy. He is like Goku's opposite, which makes it all the more fun to watch the characters interact and form a respect for each other. With all that in mind, Goku and Vegeta tattoos are very popular.

Unlike the earlier tattoo on this list with the fusion dance that features these characters, these tattoos are on the back of each leg. So like the fusion dance, they are separate designs that become one depending on your body's position. We could not find the artist who did this work.

3 The Kame House

This is yet another tattoo where we could not find the artist, but it was so pretty that it had to be on this list. It is also unique, as it shows a location rather than an item or character. The Kame House is where Master Roshi lives. It is a tiny island and it is where Goku and Krillin train as children. Despite being Master Roshi's place, the home has had many residents such as Krillin, Bulma, Android 18, Yamcha, Goku, and more.

The home has been a place where so much has happened in the series, it may as well be a home for the fans as well.

2 Capsule Corporation Logo

The Capsule Corporation is a major organization in the series, as it invents much of the futuristic items and vehicles the characters use. The corporation is run by Bulma's father, Dr. Brief. One of the inventions we see early on in the show is how they can turn just a tiny capsule into a tent for camping. If only our world had such things!

So if you want a tattoo only big-fans will notice, this design is probably a good idea. It is also simple and easy to get done on a budget. Unfortunately, the artist for this particular design could not be found online.

1 Bulma And Vegeta

While the specific artist could not be found, it seems these tattoos were done in a place called Black Sheep Tattoo.

Bulma and Vegeta are one of the oddest anime couples out there. Bulma has been friends with Goku since the beginning and Vegeta is not in the picture until later when he starts off as a villain! However, people change and their relationship is a fascinating one to watch. This is a great idea for a couples tattoo. As you can see, these two designs are on two different people.

Next: Dragon Ball: The 5 Weakest Members Of Frieza's Army (& The 5 Strongest)

After dedicating two entire story arcs to the concept of Hamon and how humans tie into the natural food chain, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure decides to shove both of these ideas into the background in order to focus on perhaps the smartest idea Hirohiko Araki ever had while working on the series: Stands.

Through Stands, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is able to gain a much deeper layer of depth, one that allows for characters to realistically go beyond their physical limitations. Hamon is incredibly cool, but it’s restrictive, and without a Stand, someone like Lisa Lisa can fall behind. It perhaps goes without saying, then, that the introduction of Stands saw Stardust Crusaders packing some of the best fights in the franchise. Even back to back by the end of Part 3.

10 Emperor And Hanged Man

Stardust Crusaders pre-Egypt isn’t bad by any means, but it’s certainly not as good as what comes later. Araki is still figuring Stands and the characters out, but that doesn’t mean this first chunk of the Part is devoid of good content. There are plenty of great fights, with Emperor and Hanged Man being a standout.

Ready to confront J. Geil over the death of his sister, Polnaraff finds himself on the receiving end of a fight he can’t win. J. Geil’s mirror based Stand allows him to attack via reflections, and Hol Horse even seemingly kills Abdul. It’s a charged battle that takes a main character out of the picture, forcing Polnareff and Kakyoin to work together, not just to avenge the former’s sister, but their friend.

9 Silver Chariot

Speaking of Polnareff and Abdul, it’s fitting that Araki chooses the former to be the one to avenge the latter. Also, that Polnaraff is ultimately the character with the closest bond to Abdul outside of Joseph (if not the closest by the end of the Part.) Before they start paling around, however, the two partake in a fun little duel to the death.

This is the first time that both Magician’s Red and Silver Chariot really get to show their stuff, with the latter actually being introduced here. Magician’s Red is always a visual delight in the manga, but Silver Chariot is one of the most practical Stands in the franchise and naturally lends itself to incredible fight choreography. The Banter between Polnareff and Abdul only makes the fight better.

8 The Gatekeeper Of Hell, Pet Shop

Iggy doesn't do all too much after his introduction, but he’s a fun presence to have around and is generally pretty funny. “The Gatekeeper of Hell, Pet Shop” is the only arc in Stardust Crusaders to shine in the spotlight, and it stands out as one of the most violent and creepy story arcs in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

The guardian of DIO’s mansion, Pet Shop hunts Iggy through the streets of Cairo after killing two dogs and threatening a boy’s life. Iggy is outmatched at just about every corner and Pet Shop’s ice based powers pose an insanely high level threat. Iggy is forced to lunge at Pet Shop while it’s charging an attack just to finish it off. It’s a brutal fight and the perfect tone setter for DIO’s mansion.

7 The Fool Iggy And Geb N’Doul

Introduced alongside Egypt, Iggy and N’Doul contribute to this fight by showing just how different things will be in Egypt. N’Doul isn’t just hired by DIO, he’s completely loyal to him. Not just that, Geb is one of the most dangerous Stands seen up to that point, making very quick work of Kakyoin’s eyes.

Iggy’s Stand, The Fool, emphasizes not only the usefulness of non-combat oriented Stands, but how diverse the titular crusaders are. They come from all walks of life, but they come together with a common goal in mind: stop DIO. Geb is yet another reminder of the kind of man DIO is. He’s beyond evil. Better yet, it’s around here where Araki starts getting the hang of the “Stand of the week” concept, with enemy Stands contributing to the plot more meaningfully.

6 Lovers

Steely Dan is a “love to hate them” villain on a level that would make even DIO blush. The humiliation he puts everyone through by sending his Stand, Lovers, into Joseph, only makes his inevitable beatdown at the hands of Jotaro all the more satisfying. It helps that Kakyoin and Polnareff aren’t just sitting on their thumbs, actively trying to take Lovers out of Joseph.

With Lovers gone, Jotaro is free to pay Steely Dan back for everything he did to him. What follows is a barrage of Ora Ora Ora that wouldn’t be topped until Giornio’s legendary seven page Muda Muda Muda.

5 Anubis

A sword DIO presumably hired with sword currency, Anubis doesn’t really raise the stakes or move the plot along. It’s not too pressing thematically or narratively, but it doesn’t need to be. Anubis is pure action right in the heart of Egypt. The heroes aren’t far from DIO, but they aren’t as close as they need to be.

Anubis poses a deadly challenge, and continues the onslaught of enemy Stands the heroes have seen in Egypt. Able to possess its wielders, Anubis eventually gets his hands on Polnareff, leading to a frantic fight between Star Platinum and Silver Chariot. Araki’s fights for Star Platinum & Silver Chariot are always fantastic, so pitting them against each other only makes sense.

4 D’arby The Player

Who knew video games could be so fun? After Pet Shop, a fight like the one against Telence T. D’arby is very much welcome. The sheer brutality of that fight, coupled with the inherent drama of DIO right around the corner, really lets D’arby the Player shine. The stakes are insanely high, but Part 3 is arguably at its most entertaining.

Kakyoin, Jotaro, and Joseph give everything they can to beat Telence at his own game. Kakyoin’s race in F-Mega is genuinely gripping and Araki could make gold out of a F-Zero manga adaptation. Jotaro blatantly cheating and Telence completely stumped on how to figure him out brings the fight to a satisfying, charming end.

3 D’arby The Gambler

Before there was the Player, there was the Gambler. Daniel J. D’arby gives the Crusaders the poker game from Hell as he takes their souls one by one. Polnareff makes the mistake of taking a loose bet, and Joseph– while doing an admirable job at cheating– doesn’t account for D’abry pulling any tricks.

This leaves Jotaro playing poker seemingly for the first time, leaving everything on a bluff. Betting the souls of quite literally everyone he can, Jotaro turns a bogus hand into D’arby’s death-knell. It’s a psychological gambling match to the death, and an excellent way to introduce newcomers to the series.

2 The Mist Of Emptiness, Vanilla Ice

Stardust Crusaders’ penultimate fight takes place mere moments after the battle against Telence, but this one ends up seeing serious consequences. Abdul gives his life to save Polnareff yet again and Iggy, after spending all arc just wanting to live a peaceful life, ends up doing the same for Polnareff.

The Frenchman is left standing alone as he faces off against DIO’s last vampire. Vanilla Ice’s Stand is especially horrifying, consuming everything in its path, chasing Polnareff and Iggy across DIO’s manor. Phantom Blood has light horror themes, but the fight against Vanilla Ice leaves a chill that’s hard to shake.

1 DIO’s World

Easily the best final fight of any JoJo Part, DIO’s World has every living Crusader pull their weight. Kakyoin figures out the secret to The World before dying; Joseph keeps himself alive with Hamon & relays said info to Jotaro before being killed by DIO; Polnareff saves Jotaro’s life at a critical moment; and Jotaro kicks DIO’s ass.It’s an endurance match that sees Kakyoin permanently dead and Joseph temporarily dead. Thankfully, the tides turn when Jotaro awakens his time stop ability. Strategically timing his one second freezes, he’s able to intercept DIO’s time stops, eventually overpowering the vampire and finishing him off once and for all.

NEXT: JoJo: 10 Strongest Characters In Stone Ocean, Ranked According To Strength

The smash-hit new anime My Hero Academia stars Izuku Midoriya, a quirkless boy who received One For All to become a pro hero like his idol, All Might. Izuku enrolls at the UA heroics school, and meets many other adolescents who aim to be heroes, too. One of them is Tenya Iida.

Tenya Iida quickly proves to be a good friend and dependable classmate, and he and Izuku definitely have each other's backs covered. Iida comes from a hero-inclined family, and he's determined to not fall behind. He's got his eyes on the prize just like Izuku does, and his career is off to a strong start. So, what are ten things any viewer should know about the one and only Tenya Iida?

10 He's like a coach

Don't be fooled by Iida's tendency to get a bit flustered at times. He can handle his classmates fairly well, and during summer vacation, he took things a step further. In fact, Iida has such a well-honed sense of responsibility, he acted as an unofficial swim coach!

Mineta, Denki, and Izuku convinced Aizawa to let the boys of class 1-A borrow the school pool, and while Mineta and Denki wanted to check out the girls, Iida organized some bonus exercises and training! There was some grumbling, but it was a day well spent, and shows what a leader Iida can be.

9 Just like his brother

Here's a scene from a few years in the past, with both Iida brothers side by side. Tenya is pictured with Tensei, his older brother, who is a pretty swell guy with a heart of gold. He's also a pro hero, and he donned the cape before Tensei ever did. He's got a solid career going, and we're rooting for him.

With family like that, it's no wonder Tenya was eager to do much the same, and Tensei's guiding light is a tireless source of motivation and inspiration for the younger brother. What a wholesome brotherhood this is!

8 He's got a reckless side

For the most part, Tenya Iida is composed, disciplined, and quite responsible. How could he not be, as a hero in training and as class 1-A's president? That's how we know him, but he's only human. Even Tenya may become reckless or emotional, and build up a head of steam and regret it later.

This first happened during the UA Sports Festival, when Tensei fell victim to Stain. Tenya got the news from his mom, and rushed off at once... only to need some rescue himself! Later, when the League of Villains captured Katsuki Bakugo, Iida joined the rogue students who went out to rescue him.

7 He's a diligent one

Iida is one of the best students in his grade and has a strong sense of leadership, but he's not just a motivational speaker or a bookworm. He's also good in practice, and he will never stop training to improve his quirk (Engine) and his combat skills. Complacency leads to defeat!

More than once, we see Iida's work ethic. For example, the pool training session, and during a training montage, we saw Iida jogging on a track while carefully timing himself. In his dorm room, we spotted many high-level books on his bookshelves, not to mention many spare glasses for the rigors of training. He's a Boy Scout: always prepared!

6 Merciful fighting

Tenya knows how to handle himself in a fight, for sure, but he's not bloodthirsty or reckless like some people are. In fact, he knows exactly how much force is necessary, and only uses that much to win a battle.

He did this during the UA Sports Festival, where he only used the full power of his quirk against the child prodigy Shoto Todoroki. Against Ibara Shiozaki of class 1-B, and against Mina Ashido of his own class, Iida did not deliver any heavy kicks, nor did he have to. Instead, he defeated both girls by running at full speed and pushing them right out of the arena.

5 Extra gear

Iida has a pretty heavy-duty costume, as opposed to some of his classmates who have more bare-bones outfits for heroics. His outfit includes a helmet that blocks strong winds from getting in his face, and the leggings suit his Engine quirk perfectly, having huge exhaust vents to fit over his natural ones. It's mostly for show, but it's also practical.

What is more, Mei Hatsume was ready to test all kinds of new gadgets ("babies") on Iida during their UA Sports Festival match, and all of it boosted Iida's abilities even further. Those were just prototypes, but perhaps one day, Iida could use them for real.

4 A sense of pride

Fortunately, Tenya Iida isn't given to extreme vanity or arrogance, and he's more down to earth than you might think. But he doesn't totally let his hair down, either! Iida is pretty strict and uptight to match his intelligence and leadership aptitude.

Iida disapproves of tardiness or goofing off, and he won't stand for anyone joking about heroics or their school. He also objected hotly when Mei revealed that their "duel" was really just a chance for Mei to show off her inventions to the audience. It was pretty awkward for him to realize that he was a mere test subject!

3 He's taken half-seriously

Okay, this isn't to say that everyone is giving Iida a hard time or doubting him. His classmates know that he's the real deal. Still, for comic effect, the story shows that Iida's classmates don't take his duties as seriously as he does. He fusses at them to be quiet or study more or stop putting their feet on their desk, but they usually gently snub him.

Iida gets a little annoyed at this, but he always bounces right back, ready to be a leader. Ochaco, to her credit, once comforted Iida when he felt embarrassed in class.

2 His original appearance

By now, we've seen plenty of images of what Tenya Iida looks like, both in his school outfits and in his stylish hero armor. He's easy to recognize, but he doesn't look terribly bizarre, either. He grabs your attention in a good way.

But Tenya didn't always look like that. Early sketches of him show that he was going to be much older, and not even a student at all. He looked a bit like a scruffy Aizawa, and laughing like a maniac. His original costume design was downright spooky, having an organic, lizard-like head. Let's be glad that the author went in a different direction!

1 His namesake

How did the author come up with a name like "Tenya Iida"? Many of the heroes and students in My Hero Academia have meaningful kanji in their names that reflect their quirks or other attributes. Tenya Iida is no different.

He is named after Idaten, or the Japanese name for a Mahayana defender of Buddhist shrines named Skanda. Idaten is a very fast runner, and is used as a symbol for anyone who can run fast. Combine that with the exclamatory "ya," and you get "Idaten-ya," or "Iida Tenya"! Name complete!

NEXT: My Hero Academia: 10 Weakest Quirks (So Far)

It's fair to say that comic fans have become somewhat desensitized when it comes to the deaths of our favorite heroes and villains, as comic deaths rarely stick. However, there are still a few deaths in the comics that have a greater impact on the larger universe around them.

While some of the characters we're going to discuss today seem to spend more time dead than they do alive, their deaths still heavily affected the world around them and the fans reading. So here are the most impactful deaths we've seen in the Marvel universe over the last decade.

10 PROFESSOR XAVIER

A major death that had a large impact on the Marvel Universe wasn't as impactful among fans, as frankly, we had seen it a few times before. However, the death of Charles Xavier in the pages of Avengers vs. X-Men, at the hands of his greatest student Scott Summers/Cyclops is still one of Marvel's biggest deaths.

While Cyclops gets an out as he was corrupted by the cosmic power of the Phoenix Force, most of the X-Men didn't see things that way and Cyclops was forced to create his own revolutionary team of X-Men. Xavier's death was lasting in a way, as he would soon return to possess the body of Fantomex as X, which is presumably the version seen in House of X/Powers of X.

9 ARES

Ares was the God of War, on the same level as Thor and Hercules but from yet another pantheon of gods in the Marvel Universe. While he first faced the Avengers and other heroes as a villain, he would eventually join the Mighty Avengers as an anti-hero who craved battle.

Ares would join with Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers during Dark Reign and be with the team during their attack on Asgard during Siege. It was there that Ares went up against an unstable Sentry, who graphically ripped Ares in half when he turned on his former teammate.

8 CYCLOPS

During the Death of X storyline, the repercussions of Infinity's release of the transformative Terrigen Mists were explored, as it was discovered that the Mists had reacted with the Earth's atmosphere and created a deadly disease known as M-Pox which was fatal to some mutants.

Cyclops quickly succumbed to the infection and died upon his first contact, though Emma Frost would use a psychic projection to make everyone think Black Bolt killed Cyclops. Scott would later be resurrected thanks to the intervention of his son Kid Cable, his connection to the Phoenix Force and some interesting time travel shenanigans.

7 BRUCE BANNER

One of the inciting moments of Marvel's Civil War II was the assassination of Bruce Banner/Hulk by way of a specialized arrow fired by Clint Barton/Hawkeye. The arrow was created by Banner in case he was ever going to Hulk out and he entrusted Clint with the task of taking him down.

The issue of whether or not Clint was justified in shooting Banner before he even showed signs of Hulking out arose and led to further division among the heroes. Hulk would return to star in The Immortal Hulk with a new dark control that has made the Hulk more dangerous than ever. Thanks a lot, Hawkeye.

6 FLASH THOMPSON

Flash Thompson has appeared as a supporting character in Amazing Spider-Man since the beginning, moving from high school bully to the adult best friend of Peter Parker. However, after a tour of duty cost him the use of his legs, he volunteered for the new Operation: Rebirth, the program that had originally been responsible for the creation of Captain America.

Flash was bonded with Spider-Man's old symbiote to become Agent Venom, who worked for the military and then later on his own or alongside the Secret Avengers. Flash would then later become the second Anti-Venom before heroically sacrificing his life to cure those left wounded by Norman Osborn/Red Goblin in the "Go Down Swinging" storyline.

5 JANE FOSTER

When a new Thor arrived on the scene with Mjolnir after the former Thor (now calling himself Odinson) became unworthy, the entire Marvel Universe and the readers were questioning who the woman was behind the mask of the Mighty Thor.

The hero was revealed to be Jane Foster, whose many adventures as the Goddess of Thunder hid the real battle with cancer that her human form was losing every time she transformed. Jane would later sacrifice her life (and Mjolnir) to save the Asgardians from the Hatred Who Walks, The Mangog. She was later resurrected by Thor and Odin to later become the new Valkyrie.

4 BLACK WIDOW

Black Widow's death came during the highly controversial Secret Empire event that saw Captain America side with Hydra to take over the United States. Natasha was a part of the resistance, though she sacrificed herself in order to save Miles Morales/Spider-Man. The evil Captain America took out Black Widow with a powerful blow to her neck with his shield, killing her instantly.

While a clone of Natasha appeared shortly after her death, the loss of Black Widow during Secret Empire has yet to be undone and remains one of the biggest casualties of the event. Thankfully the clone of Natasha has most of her old memories, so the Black Widow has kind of returned to the Marvel Universe.

3 OTTO OCTAVIUS

The death of Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus in the "Dying Wish" storyline hit hard for a number of reasons. For starters, when Otto's body died, it was actually Peter Parker's mind inside the body, meaning Otto survived in Peter's body. While Peter's memories would survive in his body while Otto took control, it was still a crushing loss for readers.

Surprisingly, Otto would find himself transformed by Parker's memories and his newfound role as the Superior Spider-Man. Otto's next death would come as a hero, willingly giving Peter's body back so he could save the life of Otto's love, Anna Maria Marconi. Otto would return in a powerful cloned body, though he would still be overcome with the drive to be a hero.

2 WAR MACHINE

We previously discussed one of the inciting deaths that launched Marvel's Civil War II, which was a battle between Iron Man and Captain Marvel regarding the morality of using the precognitive abilities of the new Inhuman Ulysses. The death of James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine was another inciting incident that would put the Marvel Universe at odds.

Hoping to use Ulysses' new abilities pro-actively, Captain Marvel, War Machine and a team of Avengers attempted to ambush Thanos, though things went terribly wrong and War Machine was killed. This was a loss to both his best friend Iron Man and his new lover Captain Marvel, though thankfully Tony Stark was able to restore Rhodey into a new body because comics.

1 WOLVERINE

Charles Soule and Steve McNiven's Death of Wolverine was one of the most hyped deaths of the decade and actually managed to kill the unkillable mutant hero after they got rid of his healing factor in his ongoing series. After tracking back a bounty placed on his head, Logan faced off against the man who first experimented on him, Dr. Cornelius.

The mad doctor was attempting to replicate the process first used to create Wolverine, though Logan stopped Cornelius and saved his test subjects. Unfortunately, it cost him his life as he was encased in a shell of hardened adamantium, leaving the X-Men and his family to carry on his legacy. Thankfully he was resurrected and has returned to the X-Men for "Dawn of X."

NEXT: The 10 Most Shocking Twists In Marvel Comics History

Part of the experimental and diversity-minded Pixar SparkShorts collection streaming on Disney+, Float is a beautiful, heartwarming story inspired by director Bobby Rubio's experience parenting a child on the autism spectrum. CBR's Reuben Baron, himself autistic, spoke with Rubio and producer Krissy Cababa about the film.

Note: Parts of this conversation have been condensed for clarity.

CBR: Bobby, you obviously relate to the father in this short a lot. As an autistic viewer, I found myself relating to the kid. It's interesting how it works on both levels like that.

Bobby Rubio: That's awesome. My son is on the autism spectrum, and that's where this whole story kind of started because my son was diagnosed at two and a half years old, and as a father I was not used to this world. I didn't handle it too well and my wife suggested I draw a comic book because I do comic books on the side, so I drew this cover. It was gonna be called Alex, and on the cover there was this father and the son standing in a field of dandelions and the son was floating and the tagline was, "A father's journey and a special child"... but I was not ready emotionally to continue on making that series, so I put it aside.

And three years ago, I decided to pick up the story again because my son was getting much older and I wanted to make sure I told this story before he was, like, a man [laughs]. So I went and storyboarded it and I showed it around to friends here and they suggested I show it to Lindsay Collins, the executive producer of the SparkShorts, and she thought it was a good candidate for the SparkShorts program.

Did you work or consult with any autistic artists while making this film?

Bobby: You know what, no, I didn't, not that I can think of. I consulted my son, but that's it. I did not, mainly because I was moving so fast and when we were in the Spark program, it was only six months, so I didn't really have a ton of time to research. And also, the story, I have to admit, is inspired by myself and being in this world of autism, but it's not really about autism. It's about differences.

Much like how X-Men uses comics and super powers as an allegory [about racial tensions in the '60s], I felt I want to tell this story through metaphor. I wanted to tell autism through metaphor so the floating was a metaphor for autism. But it really wasn't just about autism, I wanted it to be about difference so that it could apply to everyone. Everyone can kind of relate to it in some form or fashion. Hopefully it resonates with everyone because I'm sure everyone at one point or another has felt different or not part of the rest of the mainstream.

Is there any particular moment in your life when you've felt different?

Bobby: All the time! I remember back in Junior High, it's funny now that comics are mainstream, but back when I was a kid, if you collected comics, you were a nerd and I just hung out with my nerdy friends. We collected comic books and we were just super geeky. I remember dressing up like Bucky from Captain America. This was before cosplay. Back then, it was super geeky to be dressing up in a superhero costume. I felt different, but I was cool with it because I had friends who shared my interests and my love for comics. It's so funny how now it's mainstream... but back in the day, no, it wasn't.

After so much anxiety, the short ends on a really beautiful moment of acceptance. Forgive me if this question is too personal, but did you have any particular moment of acceptance this was inspired by?

Bobby: Accepting my son for his autism diagnosis, I have to admit it took me years. I know the short lasted only six minutes, but it took me a while before I could accept my son for who he is. I remember in the beginning, much like in the short, I was trying to hide that he has autism. He sometimes would spin and I'd be like "Hey Alex, can you stop that? Can you stop spinning?" And now I accept that that's Alex. He spins because that's what calms him down, but it took me a while before I was able to accept that.

Pixar has another SparkShort on this subject coming soon called Loop, this one specifically featuring an autistic protagonist as opposed to the more general metaphors of Float. Krissy is also producing. What can you tell us about Loop?

Krissy Cababa: I produced Float and I was one of the producers of Loop. That one's coming out January 10 so you [have] a couple months to wait for it. But yeah, it does feature a nonverbal autistic teenage girl as one of the lead characters and the actress who played that girl in the short is also autistic.

For me it was a little bit of a coincidence I worked on both the shorts, but I feel like they're very different films and they have their own special characters. Bobby's film Float is a super-personal story about him and his relationship with one of his kids, and Loop is a totally different story. The director Erica Milsom has done a lot of work with folks with autism or artists with other kinds of developmental disabilities or differently abled folks, so she's coming at her story from a completely different angle.

Bobby, before you worked at Pixar, you worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender. Were you thinking airbending while coming up with Float?

Bobby: Subconsciously maybe I did, but I don't think so. It even probably came before that. The inspiration that I kept on coming back to was Superman and I just like the idea of... It's kind of cool to have an idea of Clark Kent's father, Pa Kent is a regular guy and he has to deal with Kal El, this super-powered baby. It's a regular guy trying to handle something super extraordinary, which makes it different from The Incredibles where it's Mr. Incredible who is a superhero and Jack-Jack's a superhero as well. I think it's much harder for a regular guy put in this extraordinary position, so I went about it that way. I believe I was more inspired by Superman than I was by Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I'm sure it might have subconsciously snuck in there.

Krissy: I think too when we used floating as a metaphor for difference in the film, we wanted to have something that was very recognizable and very easy to get. Floating you can see very quickly on the screen that this kid is different from the other kids; this kid floats and that's unusual, and the other kids don't.

The other thing I think that is kind of nice about the metaphor that Bobby chose is that floating in a lot of pop culture, especially comic books and film is seen as a good thing. Like, if you can fly, that's an amazing thing. But in the world we're showing, a lot of the neighbors and even Dad at one point thinks it's a negative thing, just because it's not normal. So part of what we're saying with the short is that differences are not always bad. There's something special and superpowerish about having a difference most other people don't have. You can look at a difference from that angle rather than as a negative is something we were also trying to go for.

Bobby: We were definitely pushing for difference and superpowering for the metaphor.

Outside of Pixar, you also make comics. Can you tell us a bit about your comics work?

Bobby: OK, so then I have Alcatraz High, which I started in 2003 and that is about these kids in a high tech security lock-down school and they're just a bunch of outsiders trying to go through their lives inside.... And I have 4 Gun Conclusion, about two rival hitmen that have to go through this island full of enemy gangland territory, and they have to save their boss' daughter and plow through a bunch of gang members to escape.

I have a new one called Neighborhood Legend and that one is special because that is me trying to do a Filipino superhero and the superhero uses escrima, which is a Filipino martial art. I did it because I love Nightwing and I love Black Widow and they both use escrima, but I thought it would be nice to have a Filipino superhero actually do the artform for once. I also want to incorporate Filipino folklore in Neighborhood Legend as well.

So I guess because I know you'll have a fun answer to this, I have to ask the Clickbait Question of the Month: is the MCU "cinema"?

Bobby: Oh the Scorsese thing. Yes, it is in my opinion, but you're asking a guy who loves Marvel Universe movies. I believe they have emotion. I believe it's not just a bunch of guys punching each other out. I believe there is emotion and character arcs and drama and everything that cinema usually implies, so I'm on the side it is cinema.

What's your favorite MCU Film?

Bobby: Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Krissy: That's a good one.

Bobby: I thought you were gonna ask "Is Float part of the MCU?" Because people have been throwing that out. "Is Alex a new X-Men?"

Krissy: "Is he gonna be an Avenger some day?"

Bobby: And I was like "Uh, we have the Pixar universe! It'd be nice. I mean we're all a part of the same family. I dunno."

Do you buy into the whole Pixar Theory conspiracy?

Bobby: No!

Krissy: We all love reading about the Pixar Theory, and people are so creative with how they're linking all the films, but I'm pretty sure the directors are not thinking about that when they're writing the movies.

If you could direct a film about any superhero, any company, live action or animated, what would it be?

Bobby: It would be my stuff... but outside of my stuff, my favorite comics would be X-Men for Marvel and for DC it'd be the New Teen Titans. I think the Titans could be an amazing animated movie, much in line with the Spider-Verse. Same with X-Men. Oh my god, if X-Men was animated...

Krissy: That could be Float!

Bobby: Could be! [laughs]

What are you doing next at Pixar?

Bobby: Unfortunately I can't tell you. It hasn't been announced. The same applies for Krissy.

Krissy: Yeah, Bobby and I are both working on different feature films here at Pixar. He's a storyboard artist and I'm a production manager, but unfortunately the films we're working on have not yet been announced.

Bobby: Although Krissy's is coming out before mine.

Krissy: It's true, but we can't say anything about it!

Float is streaming on Disney+.

KEEP READING: Pixar Delivers the Soul With First Teaser Trailer and Poster

Disney has released perhaps its final teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the 9th episode in the generation-spanning cinematic sci-fi series.

The teaser was released during the televised broadcast of the 93rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. While only 30 seconds long, the teaser has given fans enough to carve out any significance they can find before the release of the highly-anticipated finale, which is set to end the so-called Skywalker Saga on December 20th.

The teaser trailer is mostly action, beginning with the tempestuous showdown between Rey and Kylo Ren shown in previous trailers. This time, Emperor Palpatine croaks ominously over the scene in his distinctive voice, saying, "This will be the final word in the story of Skywalker."

As the Millenium Falcon and X-wings engage in their heretofore endless battle with TIE Fighters across multiple locations, fans are also treated to quick shots of old and new series stalwarts alike, including Chewbacca, BB-8, Finn, Poe Dameron and a laughing Babu Frik. We also see a resolute Rey as she looms over the downed, crashed and burning starfighter, presumably once captained by Kylo Ren.

The exact plot of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker remains unclear, but as the teaser trailer repeats in large, bold letters, "On December 20, The Saga Will End."

Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Matt Smith, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives on Dec. 20.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: C-3PO Died a Long Time Before The Rise of Skywalker

Thor: The Worthy #1 gathers some of the biggest creators to have ever worked on the God of Thunder and associated characters to tell three new stories. Marvel Comics has given CBR an exclusive preview of those three stories, with Walter Simonson, Mike Hawthorne and Sal Buscema's "Beyond The Field We Know" seeing Beta Ray Bill suffering a major injury while on a walk with Lady Sif.

In addition to "Beyond The Field We Know," the one-shot features Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz and Keith Williams' "Hearts of Stone, Feet of Clay" and Kathryn Immonen and Tom Reilly's "Rule For Reflection." You can see previews of all three stories below along with the solicitation information for the issue.

WALTER SIMONSON, TOM DEFALCO AND KATHRYN IMMONEN (W)
RON FRENZ, SAL BUSCEMA, MIKE HAWTHORNE & MORE (A)
Cover by KIM JACINTO
Variant cover by WALTER SIMONSON
LEGENDARY THOR CREATORS REUNITE FOR A THUNDEROUS CELEBRATION!
Walter Simonson’s Thor run is widely considered to be not only some of the best Thor comics of all time, but simply some of the best comics, period. Now the legend returns for a special tale about Thor and Beta Ray Bill — with art from Mike Hawthorne and beloved veteran Sal Buscema! And the trio is joined by yet another unforgettable Thor team: Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, who will be telling an all-new Thunderstrike story! Finally, no Thor story would be complete without his most trusted companion: the berserker, the warrior extraordinaire, the Lady Sif! Kathyrn Immonen wrote one of the landmark Sif tales in her run on Journey Into Mystery — and now she returns for a brand-new journey!
40 PGS./ONE SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99

Thor: The Worthy #1 goes on sale Dec. 4 from Marvel Comics.

KEEP READING: EXCLUSIVE: Jean Grey and Emma Frost Exchange Witty Barbs in X-Men Preview

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Disney's Frozen 2, in theaters now.

The final act of Avengers: Infinity War was one of pop culture's most shocking conclusions ever. When Thanos snapped away half the universe, petrified fans were left guessing as to which of their favorite heroes would be dusted away on-screen. It was one of the few movies in the history of cinema where the villain won, and the Russo brothers certainly made an emphatic statement with this twist ending.

Now, another Disney-owned property swipes from this finale, with Frozen 2's most traumatizing scene mimicking the death of Peter Parker in the hands of Tony Stark/Iron Man.

In Infinity War, many familiar heroes withered away into ash across the galaxy, but the losses on the planet Titan were by far the most shocking. The Guardians of the Galaxy were dusted, as was Doctor Strange, and though it took a while, a teenage Spider-Man endured the same fate. No one would believe someone who only appeared in two MCU movies before could be killed off "permanently," but still, seeing it happen was so jarring.

Peter tried to fight the dusting, collapsing into Tony's arms, clearly heartbroken he never got to experience a lot more in life. And, as Tony struggled to find words to comfort the teen, the webhead crumbled in one of the film's most emotional sequences. It wasn't about heroes or friends dying in this exchange, it was about a father watching his son perish.

Frozen 2 follows the same route when Elsa leaves the Enchanted Forest and travels across the Dark Sea to the mystical realm of Ahtohallan. There, the princess discovers the secret of how her grandad, King Runeard, plotted against the Northuldra people, all because he wanted to stop the spread of magic to his kingdom. As she goes further and further into the realm, though, Elsa's energy is drained because water here requires her life essence to form these memories. By the time she realizes her ancestor was the true villain of the story and her mother, Iduna, was the one who saved her dad from death in the ensuing battle between both kingdoms, Elsa's depleted.

Elsa sends word of what needs to be done through the Wind Spirit, Gale, to her sister Anna, just before she's frozen alive. As this happens, however, the snowman Elsa created, Olaf, becomes the franchise's Peter, as his existence is connected to Elsa's magical ice powers.

Without her connection, Olaf also loses his life essence, basically telling Anna he doesn't feel well, which while it isn't the same as Peter's "I don't feel so good, Mr. Stark" line verbatim, it has the same effect. Anna cradles Olaf and as his voice lowers, he begins turning into snowflakes and blowing away in the wing. It's a drawn-out sequence just like Tony and Peter's final moments, with Olaf also indicating he doesn't want to go.

What makes it just as tear-jerking is that, throughout the film, Olaf keeps reiterating he's so young and has yet to see the world, a perspective Peter also shared in the MCU up until the point of his own demise. Olaf actually has an existential crisis from minute one, wondering if he'll make the most of his life or even understand all it has to offer, so when he's flaking away in Anna's hands, he simply thinks he was never meant to be.

It's not closure or acceptance, it's simply him innocently admitting he didn't have any real destiny in the kingdom of Arendelle, after all. He -- just like Peter -- wants to stay, but with his last breath, he realizes the world is a cold, cruel place and sometimes things just don't go your way. It's a dark, cynical moment not often affiliated with Disney's brand of animated family movies on the whole, but hey, at least Frozen 2 kept it real..?

Disney's Frozen 2 reunites directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and producer Del Vecho with voice actors Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad. Returning musical talents include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

KEEP READING: Frozen 2's Version of Olaf Is Really Weird - and Depressing