This is "From a Different Point of View," a feature where I discuss a comic book series with another writer. In this case, it is CBR's own Eileen Gonzalez who will be going over the history of the Avengers with me, story by story!

We continue with Avengers #39, "The Torment...and the Triumph!" by Don Heck, Roy Thomas and George Roussos.

Eileen Gonzalez: Such a dramatic title

Brian Cronin: We see two things right away on the splash page. 1. Roy Thomas is leaning right into the over-the-top emotional stuff that you can do pretty well with this particular cast and 2. Don Heck's romance comic past is on full display.

Brian Cronin: Thomas even jokes about it on the splash page.

Brian Cronin: Where he explains that this comic still has the Mad Thinker and His Triumvirate of Terror, so be forewarned, this isn't a romance comic!

Brian Cronin: Thomas is mastering the self-effacing way that Stan Lee used to talk in his openings.

Brian Cronin: A clever balance between bravado and teasing of himself.

Eileen Gonzalez: Well, I guess the cover does look like a romance comic, what with the shirtless guy.

Eileen Gonzalez: And yes, the tone of the comic has remained essentially unchanged since Stan Lee was writing, even though we're seeing a slight change in the way the stories are constructed.

Brian Cronin: Heck's designs of the villains on the cover are...uninspired at best.

Brian Cronin: It's not often that you can right off the bat say, "Yeah, these villains aren't going anywhere," but the Triumvirate of Terror definitely go that direction.

Eileen Gonzalez: Agreed. The Thinker in particular is just... bleh.

Brian Cronin: I love Quicksilver's, "We never would have guessed that she would betray us...even though that's exactly what we were talking about last issue!"

Eileen Gonzalez: Even Hank seems befuddled.

Eileen Gonzalez: I do love how lax the security is at the defense installation Natasha broke into. Like if a person really broke in there and was stealing classified plans, would the Army NOT be shooting to kill?

Brian Cronin: Yeah, it's interesting that they're specifically NOT trying to hit her while she's noting how she is eluding them because of her suction shoes.

Brian Cronin: They have given Black Widow an unreasonably high opinion of her eluding skills.

Brian Cronin: "Just shoot around her!" "Wow, I'm so graceful that they keep just missing me!"

Brian Cronin: I'm unsure exactly what the public's stance regarding the Black Widow is at this point in time.

Brian Cronin: How do they know her as anything BUT a villain? Just a villain who's recently been hanging out with the Avengers.

Eileen Gonzalez: Hm, yeah, I'm not sure about that. I guess the public might be used to ex-villains joining the Avengers by this point, so they might have just assumed the Avengers were tricked into accepting a criminal as a member again like with the Swordsman.

Brian Cronin: I imagine the headlines, "Wait, Swordsman's a BAD GUY?"

Eileen Gonzalez: Poor Marvel civilians, so confused.

Eileen Gonzalez: Even Jasper Sitwell and Nick Fury don't seem to know what to think of Black Widow, and they recruited her.

Brian Cronin: Yeah, what the heck, Sitwell?

Brian Cronin: "Sounds like the Black Widow did the mission we assigned her exactly as we told her to do it....but can we trust her to do what she just did, even though she clearly just did it?"

Brian Cronin: It's fascinating that Hank has now become her biggest defender.

Brian Cronin: It's not really supported by anything, is it?

Brian Cronin: Thomas deftly works continuity of the Agents of SHIELD feature in Strange Tales into the story, with Fury's cryptic "I am on bed rest" comment.

Brian Cronin: Thomas must be the first writer in Marvel history to actually worry about whether a character's appearance here jibes with the plot in that character's regular book. We've seen Heck and Stan tie in other titles, but not so much in this fashion, where it's Thomas anticipating readers saying, "But wait, how is Fury here when he's supposed to be on bed rest?"

Eileen Gonzalez: I believe he does the same thing with Captain America later in this issue, too. It's really interesting to see them tying the different titles together at that level.

Brian Cronin: The Strange Tales stuff makes more sense, though, as Thomas had just recently been doing dialogue for Steranko on Agents of SHIELD.

Brian Cronin: And the story Thomas is specifically referencing in Strange Tales #155, was Steranko's first issue dialoguing his own work.

Brian Cronin: Man, can you imagine going from a Steranko issue at the time to this Heck issue? Heck has not been on a particularly good stretch these last few issues (the Living Laser's minions were ridiculously racist, the Ultroid designs were poor and now the Triumvirate of Terror are weak, as well).

Brian Cronin: The book really needs the jolt that Buscema soon brings to it.

Brian Cronin: I'm a big Heck fan in general, but he's been lagging these last few issues.

Eileen Gonzalez: When I saw the reference to Strange Tales, I went and skimmed the issue they were talking about, and... yeah. No offense to Heck, but Sterenko's stuff is just in a class by itself.

Brian Cronin: I guess that's really been Heck's "problem" this whole time.

Brian Cronin: That you flip through the other Marvel books on the rack at the time and you get Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four, Thor and the Captain America feature in Tales of Suspense.

Brian Cronin: You got John Romita on Amazing Spider-Man

Brian Cronin: You got Gil Kane on the Hulk feature in Tales to Astonish

Brian Cronin: You got Gene Colan on the Iron Man feature in Tales of Suspense

Brian Cronin: You got Jim Steranko on the Agents of SHIELD feature in Strange Tales.

Brian Cronin: You got Bill Everett on the Namor feature in Tales to Astonish.

Brian Cronin: Oh, and Colan is on Daredevil, too.

Brian Cronin: A lot of legendary artists all working together at the same time. It's very tough for Heck to live up to that.

Eileen Gonzalez: Yeah. I feel bad, because as you said, Heck really is not a bad artist by any means. But when you're in league with legends, well...

Brian Cronin: But even in that context, he's not been at his sharpest the last few issues. The Mad Thinker here is barely even recognizable, right?

Brian Cronin: Why is the Mad Thinker even attacking the Avengers?

Brian Cronin: Boredom? He mentions wanting to steal some of Tony Stark's stuff, but there surely has to be an easier way to do that than attack a team of superheroes, right?

Brian Cronin: "My plots have always failed due to the human element....also, I attack superheroes instead of just the security team at random Stark Enterprises headquarters B."

Eileen Gonzalez: I think he spouts some nonsense about wanting to intimidate the Fantastic four (because that always works well for Doctor Doom), but his main goal does seem to be the Stark tech, in which case, yeah, why is he here?

Eileen Gonzalez: Though as we've seen in the past, Avengers Mansion security is not up to snuff.

Brian Cronin: True, people DO tend to waltz right into their headquarters a lot.

Brian Cronin: I also like the idea of "My plans have failed due to the human element, so let me hire a trio of loser supervillains. That's the way things will turn around for me!"

Eileen Gonzalez: Where did he even find these guys? Were they established characters or just random weirdos off the street?

Brian Cronin: I suspect he gave them their suits.

Brian Cronin: The most notable thing about these rejects is that they beat the Wrecking Crew to these particular names (well, Hammerhead and Piledriver, that is).

Eileen Gonzalez: In that case I see why he's called the Thinker and not the Designer.

Eileen Gonzalez: I did wonder if they were related to the Wrecking Crew. I guess not, then.

Brian Cronin: The Thinker's look fluctuates throughout the issue.

Brian Cronin: Although I guess Roussos needs to take some blame there, too.

Brian Cronin: I love the Avengers and their consistent disregard for emergencies.

Brian Cronin: "Oh no, Hawkeye's in trouble! Let's go save him!" "Whoa, hold on there, he's only on BLUE level trouble! You don't send everyone out on just BLUE level emergencies!"

Brian Cronin: Then inevitably later..."Why did we only send two of us out on this mission?!"

Eileen Gonzalez: They are so desensitized to danger that they just don't take it seriously anymore. Either that, or Hawkeye gets himself into stupid situations so often that they don't feel like expending that much energy on him.

Brian Cronin: Yeah, that's a fair point.

Brian Cronin: Hawkeye might routinely call in condition blues when, like, he needs a lift to the bank or whatever.

Brian Cronin: "It IS an emergency! If I don't pay this bill by closing time, I'll be charged a late fee! A LATE FEE!!!!!"

Eileen Gonzalez: I can see that very thing happening.

Brian Cronin: "We're here, Hawkeye! What's the emergency?" "I can't reach the remote. Can you change the channel for me?"

Eileen Gonzalez: Or given Wasp's characterization, she might want help choosing a dress at a sale.

Brian Cronin: Speaking of the Wasp, she's rarely been shown to be all that competent, but ooph, this is a particular lowpoint for her.

Brian Cronin: First, she needs Goliath to tell her to do the only thing that she does

Brian Cronin: And secondly, she can't even do THAT!

Brian Cronin: "Oh no, my only weakness! Shovels full of dirt!"

Eileen Gonzalez: She's so inconsequential that apparently the Thinker didn't even plan for her demise? Piledriver straight-up says he forgot about her, and the Thinker attributes her defeat to "calculated luck." Ouch.

Brian Cronin: It's not quite as embarrassing as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch being defeated by...Thunderboot.

Brian Cronin: I mean, in all of these cases, the Mad Thinker's planning is a big factor

Brian Cronin: But Quicksilver still pretty much got taken out mano-a-mano by THUNDRBOOT.

Eileen Gonzalez: And I guess the Thinker was the first among us to figure out how Scarlet Witch's hex power works, since he's able to predict what it'll do.

Brian Cronin: I'd love for one of his henchmen to ask him right there

Brian Cronin: "So, how do Scarlet Witch's powers work?"

Brian Cronin: We could have learned decades ahead of time!

Eileen Gonzalez: Show your work, Thinker!

Brian Cronin: Sadly for the Mad Thinker, there are two things that you can never expect.

Brian Cronin: The Spanish Inquisition and Hercules

Brian Cronin: I adore Thunderboot being upset at Thinker calling them fools.

Brian Cronin: "Hey, that is not cool. You are creating a hostile working environment here, Mad Thinker."

Eileen Gonzalez: I really hope there's a complaint bureau for disgruntled henchmen.

Brian Cronin: Maybe that's why he has always worked with artificial beings before now. He was always an HR nightmare.

Eileen Gonzalez: I am so angry at the Thinker right now. The one thing he has going for him (beside those comfy-looking purple jammies) is his ability to think and plan. And yet at the last second (literally!), when he could have finished the Avengers... he doesn't.

Eileen Gonzalez: Shame on you, sir.

Brian Cronin: And is mean to his minions in the process!

Brian Cronin: Double shame!

Brian Cronin: It's fascinating that the issue really boils down to "Avengers are defeated by the Mad Thinker and three low level villians...Hercules arrives and just beats everyone up solo."

Eileen Gonzalez: I can only guess Thomas wanted an excuse to spotlight Hercules' talents and what he would bring to the team/book. Because yeah, the Avengers have performed very poorly today.

Eileen Gonzalez: And then when Hercules finally frees the Avengers and they're all ready to fight together, they cut away and we don't even get to see the fight!

Eileen Gonzalez: We just get snark from a couple of civilians.

Brian Cronin: That might have also been a pacing issue by Heck.

Brian Cronin: Where he didn't leave himself enough room at the end. We've seen that from him before, where he had to suddenly cram a lot into the last page.

Brian Cronin: Thinking back on it, Heck's final pages have been fascinating in that regard.

Brian Cronin: They're always a bunch of panels.

Eileen Gonzalez: You're probably right on that. The narration even says they're all out of room--more lampshade hanging from Thomas?

Brian Cronin: Yeah, must be.

Brian Cronin: It's interesting, also, how Hank seems to want to always end every issue on a down note.

Brian Cronin: "Well, we saved the day, but can you imagine how awful it must be to be a god stuck on Earth?"

Brian Cronin: It's nice to know, also, that the Avengers were always talking about Thor behind his back.

Eileen Gonzalez: Usually it's Captain America doing the angsting, but since he's not here, angsting over Herc will do just fine.

Brian Cronin: "I was just looking out the window."

Brian Cronin: "You guys are giving me way more angst than I actually have."

Eileen Gonzalez: Ha, yeah. Herc is probably thinking about those waitresses at the restaurant he went to earlier.

Brian Cronin: By the way, earlier in the issue, there's a reference to the Steve Reeves Hercules movies.

Brian Cronin: It'll be interesting to see if they work one of those into every issue.

Brian Cronin: We're already two for two.

Brian Cronin: That Steve Reeves film defined the look for Marvel's Hercules so much that it seems like Thomas can't get past that.

Brian Cronin: I get the impulse, but it's just funny seeing it in action.

Eileen Gonzalez: I did wonder just how popular Steve Reeves was that he warranted this many references, but if he was the inspiration for the character's look, then I see why they keep hammering it in.

Brian Cronin: I mean...

Brian Cronin: Ya know?

Eileen Gonzalez: Are we sure Heck didn't trace that picture?

Brian Cronin: Ha!

Brian Cronin: Hey, Kirby's the one who came up with the idea to just turn Reeves' Hercules into Marvel's Hercules.

Brian Cronin: I await the next issue of the Avengers, when Mary Poppins, Doctor Doolittle and The Man With No Name join the team!

Eileen Gonzalez: The true ultimate crossover!

Osamu Tezuka is well known for being "the father of manga", and for good reason. His prolific and pioneering works, and the way he redefined genres has rightfully earned him that title. It was Tezuka who developed and shaped the modern style of manga that we know today. Many considered him the Japanese equivalent of Walt Disney. Tezuka's most famous work is arguably Astro Boy, which tells the story of an android with human emotions who is created by Umataro Tenma after the death of his son. But what about Tezuka's other works? They deserve some love, too. So, here's Osamu Tezuka's ten best works that aren't Astro Boy, ranked.

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10 Kimba the White Lion

Kimba the White Lion tells the story of a young cub whose family is killed en route to a zoo before being shipwrecked on the Arabian Peninsula. After the stars form the face of his mother, Kimba must journey back to his home in Africa to become his father's successor.

Kimba was written early in Tezuka's career and he drew inspiration from post-WW2 Japan and the hardships and struggles they were facing. Kimba's story is an emotional tale about self discovery and overcoming adversity, serving as a touching metaphor for Japan's journey toward prosperity following World War II.

9 Metropolis

Metropolis is something of a precursor to Astro Boy, having been a sci-fi story released 3 years prior. Metropolis takes place in the near future where humans co-exist with their robot slaves. The story follows a young girl searching for her parents, all while being unaware that she herself is artificially created.

The manga explores themes of the nature of humanity in a technological society, drawing inspiration from the Cold War, which was still escalating at the time Tezuka wrote Metropolis. A lot of its elements may feel a bit dated now, but Metropolis is still worth checking out.

8 Princess Knight

Considered one of the first shoujo manga (manga aimed at a teenage girl demographic), Princess Knight tells the story of Sapphire, a young princess who has to pretend to be a male prince to be able to inherit the throne. In a setting where women are prevented from taking the throne, Sapphire becomes a trailblazer adored by the populous.

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Its cartoony style has drawn comparisons to Disney's Snow White, and it has inspired such works as Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. Princess Knight is a delightful read for anyone looking to read about the adventures of a daring princess.

7 Apollo's Song

Apollo's Song is easily one Tezuka's darkest works, telling the tale of a sociopath named Shogo, raised without love, and cursed with an eternity of damnation where he's doomed to find love then lose over and over until the end of time. Like we said, it's one of Tezuka's darkest tales.

Tezuka uses Apollo's Song to explore the darker side of the human psyche, reaching the levels of a Greek Tragedy. Even with its pessimistic nature, Apollo's Song is still a romance at heart, even if that romance is one of love lost.

6 Ayako

Ayako is considered to be one of Tezuka's most political works. It tells the story of a young girl from a powerful clan, locked away for most her life to hide her family's secrets, set during a post-war Japan going through vast social changes. Over the course of the story, Ayako plays an unexpected role in the crumbling of her family's hierarchy.

Ayako is a dense and sprawling narrative that uses the family as a metaphor for a rapidly growing superpower. While the family is fictional, the story is based on real historical events that occurred during the American occupation following the war and the cultural revolution that came after.

5 Black Jack

Black Jack is an extremely talented surgeon whose skills are so great, they border on miraculous. Despite his medical genius, Black Jack decided not to get a medical license, choosing instead to work from the shadows where he is free from bureaucratic regulations.

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Black Jack is a twisted drama-comedy full of heartwarming moments and humor, but it's also not afraid of dealing with things like death and tragedy. It's really no surprise that Black Jack is Tezuka's third most famous manga.

4 Message To Adolf

Message to Hitler is set before, during, and after World War II, and centers around three men each name Adolf: one of them being Hitler, another being a Jewish man, and the third being a half-German, half-Japanese man. The story follows a Japanese reporter whose life becomes intertwined with the three men.

One of the first of Tezuko's more mature works to be translated into English, Message to Hitler explores such themes as nationality, ethnicity, and racism in this tale of suspense and espionage of a Japanese reporter discovering a document that proves that Hitler came from a Jewish bloodline.

3 Buddha

Drawing on history, Buddha is Tezuka's retelling of the life of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha, who abandoned his life of luxury to teach compassion to all. Tezuka sprinkles in some original characters in this eight-volume epic to help illustrate the Buddha's teachings.

Using his famous skill of visual expression, Tezuka mixes history and allegory to explore religion and philosophy. Tezuka's Buddha also does something most Western retellings of the Buddha's life doesn't: injects humor. Rather than being disrespectful, the humor helps elevate the story.

2 Dororo

Dororo is a supernatural adventure manga and easily one of Tezuka's most beloved works. Set in the Sengoku period of Japan, a samurai lord makes a deal with demons to grant him victory on the battlefield and prosperity for his lands. In exchange, the demons take numerous organs from the lord's newborn son.

Dororo follows the adventures of this son, Hyakkimaru, as he travels the country hunting down demons to reclaim his body one piece at a time. Joining him on his travels is Dororo, a young orphan child, and they both learn becoming what one is meant to be. It's filled with monsters and action but has a healthy dose of heart, too.

1 Phoenix

Phoenix is widely regarded as Tezuka's masterpiece, and one that he himself called his "life's work". It's a multi-volume epic that spans decades in writing and eras in story. Each volume tells its own self-contained story that takes place in a different time period, but each story is connected by the presence of a Phoenix, who bears witness to each story.

Phoenix is a series about reincarnation, with each story dealing with a search for immortality in some way. Many of the stories in this series feature experimental panel layouts that are complimented by Tezuka's stunning art. Unfortunately, Phoenix was left unfinished after Tezuka's death in 1989.

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Demon Slayer has plenty of memorable battle sequences over the course of its first season, but those aren't the only scenes that will stick with viewers after watching this anime. During their journey to becoming powerful members of the Demon Slayer Corp, the characters gain plenty of wisdom that helps further their character arcs. And they impart those lessons on the viewers through their thoughts and words.

Sure, some of the things the characters talk about aren't necessarily relatable -- or even that wise -- but there are a few quotes from Demon Slayer's first season that will inspire those watching the series.

Here are ten of the most inspirational quotes from Demon Slayer so far.

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10 “Feel the rage. The powerful, pure rage of not being able to forgive will become your unswerving drive to take action.”

When Giyu tells Tanjiro that he should allow himself to feel the rage over what was done to his family, it seems like negative advice; after all, we often associate anger with negativity. But anger can be a driving force, and Giyu's sentiment here is actually more inspirational than it initially comes off as.

If Tanjiro gives into despair, he won't be able to avenge his family and move forward. Giyu tells him to use anger to his advantage instead. And if done correctly, most people can hone anger and frustration to work for them instead of against them.

9 “No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living -- no matter how devastating the blows, maybe.”

This is another quote about Tanjiro's losses, but this one comes from Tanjiro himself. As one of the only members of his family left alive, he realizes that he has to go on -- even if the thought seems unappealing in his grief.

And this is a revelation that many people need to face when experiencing loss. It can seem tempting to wallow and refuse to go on living, but ultimately, the "devastating blows" Tanjiro refers to need to be worked through.

8 “Those who regretted their own actions, I would never trample over them. Because demons were once human too. Just like me, they were human too.”

When Urokodaki first meets Tanjiro, he claims that the boy won't be a promising Demon Slayer if he continues to have empathy for demons. But Tanjiro's ability to empathize with others -- even those who don't deserve it -- actually proves to be one of his strengths as the anime continues. And this quote gives viewers some insight into why that is.

Because of what's happened to Nezuko, Tanjiro understands better than anyone that demons were once human beings just like him. And even if he needs to eliminate them now that they've begun killing innocent people, Tanjiro still understands that they weren't always monsters. He doesn't take joy in defeating them.

7 “All I can do is work hard! That’s the story of my life!”

It's clear from the first episode that Tanjiro values hard work, and this quote from him only drives that point home. In the beginning, he seems more than willing to do whatever it takes to support his family. And even after they're gone, he focuses all his time and energy on saving Nezuko and becoming the best Demon Slayer he can be.

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This is a simple quote, but it suggests that working hard will pay off in the end. And while there are always obstacles to take into consideration, there's no denying that hard work can be satisfying -- especially when it does bear results.

6 "All you did was memorize a fact. Your body has no clue what it needs to do."

Sabito tells Tanjiro this while they're training together, asserting that Tanjiro's inability to master his Water Breathing Technique is the reason he can't cut the boulder Urokodaki puts before him.

And Sabito's commentary here is applicable to anyone who has studied something but hasn't yet mastered applying it in real life. Just because you generally know how to do something doesn't mean you have enough experience to actually master that skill yet. But practicing often can change that.

5 "It's not about going first. It's about the overall flow."

Inosuke says this to Tanjiro during to Natagumo Mountain arc, and it's mostly a remark about Inosuke's fighting style. He acts on impulse rather than analyzing every detail of the situation like Tanjiro does, a method that isn't necessarily better or worse than the other boy's.

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But Inosuke's words ring true in situations outside of fighting, too. Being the first to do something doesn't matter if you aren't wholly engaged and doing your best at it.

4 "I can do it. I know I can do it. I'm the guy who gets it done, broken bones or not. No matter what, I can do it! I can fight!"

Tanjiro's upbeat spirit is what carries him through all of the terrible things he experiences during the first season of Demon Slayer, and his statement here highlights why he's able to overcome so much. He views himself as someone who gets things done, and he doesn't doubt his own abilities.

Those components of Tanjiro's personality are ones many of us would benefit from adopting, and they'd certainly help viewers conquer their own self-doubt.

3 “If you can do one thing, hone it to perfection. Hone it to the utmost limit.”

Zenitsu's instructor, Jigoro, tells him this when he's training to master his Thunder Breathing, and it's a piece of advice that Zenitsu carries with him. We see evidence of this in the boy's flashbacks when he fights one of the Spider Demons on Natagumo Mountain.

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And although Jigoro says this in reference to becoming a Demon Slayer, this quote is truly applicable to any craft. If you're talented at something, you should put your energy into honing that skill. And doing so "to the utmost limit" will likely result in becoming an expert.

2 “Don’t ever give up. Even if it’s painful, even if it’s agonizing, don’t try to take the easy way out.”

This quote is a sentiment that Zenitsu recalls during and after his fight with the Spider Demon on Natagumo Mountain. He's been poisoned and beaten down at this point, but he refuses to forfeit -- forcing himself to defeat the demon despite the physical pain he's in.

Refusing to give up, despite how uncomfortable one is, is a surefire way to achieve your goals. Zenitsu's right that taking the easy way out doesn't accomplish anything, and that's a piece of advice most people could take advantage of.

1 "I may be the only swords-lady among the Pillars who can't cut a demon's head off. But anyone who creates poison that can kill demons can be quite amazing."

This quote is from Shinobu, and it holds a powerful message within it. Although Shinobu could easily sulk about the fact that she's the only Hashira who can't cut a demon's head off, she instead decides to focus on what she can do, asserting that her strengths make her a powerful opponent in spite of her flaws.

If everyone celebrated what they were capable of instead of fixating on what they're not able to do, we'd likely see a far more confident and talented society emerge.

NEXT: 10 Best Quotes Said By Tanjiro In Demon Slayer

The end of the decade is fast approaching and it's time to look at some memorable series. Not just any series, but series that were released at the start of the decade. All the anime on this list started airing sometime during 2010 and will be turning 10 years old in 2020.

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This list looks at some popular series that you may not believe are about to be 10 years old. Be sure to check them out as well as anime airing at the end of the decade in the current fall 2019 season to see how much anime has changed over the years.

10 Katanagatari

Kicking off the list is Katanagatari. The historical-adventure anime aired during the winter 2010 season. Adapted by studio White Fox, Katanagatari takes place during the Edo era of Japan. This time period is known for its use of samurai and sword-fighting elements. Shichika Yasuri is the protagonist of Katanagatari and practices the rare sword style of Kyotouryuu.

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Togame, a character known for her brain than brawn, requests Shichika's help with a mission to collect 12 swords called Deviant Blades. Shichika agrees and the two set off on their journey. Katanagatari is 12 episodes and aired for one season. Each episode is 50 minutes long.

9 Shiki

Released during the summer 2010 season, Shiki was adapted by Daume studio. The supernatural-horror anime follows Toshio Ozaki, a doctor who investigates the unexpected death of Megumi Shimizu. The people of Sotoba village think Megumi’s death caused an epidemic in their village, but Toshio is sure there is a logical explanation. In another city, Natsuno Yuuki is also investigating the death of Megumi. When the two come together they journey to find the reason behind the epidemic. Shiki is 22 episodes and aired for one season.

8 Bakuman

Adapted by J.C. Staff, Bakuman. is a shonen-drama anime released during the fall 2010 season. The anime follows Moritaka Mashiro who wants to become a manga author like his uncle Tarou Kawaguchi. However, this is just a childhood dream and Moritaka works to become a salaryman instead. During class, Akito Takagi notices Moritaka’s drawings and asks him to create a manga together. This sparks Moritaka’s old dream as he wants to use his current crush Miho Azuki as a voice actor for when the manga gets adapted to an anime. They set off to create a manga together with the goal of the top. Bakuman. is 25 episodes and aired for three seasons.

7 The World God Only Knows

The World God Only Knows is a shonen-rom-com anime that aired during the fall 2010 season. Adapted by Manglobe studio, the anime follows Keima Katsuragi, a master of dating simulation games. In a classic example of 2D > 3D, Keima isn’t interested in real life girls. When challenged to prove he is the true “God of Conquest” (the best at dating simulation games), Keima is tricked into helping Elucia de Lute Ima, a demon from Hell. The only way for Keima to save himself is to capture the hearts of real-life woman. The World God Only Knows is 12 episodes and aired for three seasons.

6 Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts

Released during the winter 2010 season, Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts was adapted by Silver Link. studio. The school-rom-com anime is set at Fumizuki Academy, a Japanese high school with a twist. When the students at the academy finish freshman year they take a test. The highest scorers get put into A class, while the lowest students are put in F. The protagonist Akihisa Yoshii is put into F class with his friend Yuuji Sakamoto. However, student prodigy Mizuki Himeji is in F class after missing the test due to illness. The anime follows F class as they try to overtake the school to show they are just as good as A class. Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts is 13 episodes and aired for two seasons

5 My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute

Notorious for having one of the biggest couples in anime that never should have happened, My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute is a sis-con slice of life anime. Better known by its Japanese title OreImo, the anime was adapted by studio AIC Build. OreImo was released during the fall 2010 season and follows two siblings, Kyousuke and Kirino Kousaka.

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The two blood-related siblings fall in love with each other and agree not to date anyone unless they both get into relationships. Their feelings for one another become too strong and Kyousuke confesses to Kirino, resulting in him being kicked out of the house. The separation only strengthens their feelings. My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute is 12 episodes and aired for two seasons.

4 Maid-sama!: Class President is a Maid!

Maid-sama!: Class President is a Maid! is a school-rom-com anime adapted by J.C. staff studio. Released during the spring 2010 season, Maid!-sama! follows Misaki Ayuzawa, the Demon President, nicknamed for strict discipline. Skilled in Aikido, Misaki puts the boys of Seika high school in their place. Misaki hides that she works as a maid at a maid café to help pay the bills. Her secret is safe until Takumi Usui enters the café. Instead of ruining her reputation, Takumi has other ideas, toying with Misaki to keep her secret. Maid-sama!: Class President is a Maid! is 26 episodes and aired for one season.

3 High School of the Dead

Anime’s token zombie anime, High School of the Dead is a supernatural-action anime. Released during the summer 2010 season, the anime is one of studio Madhouse’s most popular series. High School of the Dead follows a group of high school students at teachers as a zombie outbreak runs through Japan.

RELATED: 10 Best Anime From Madhouse (According to IMDb)

The only mission for the group is to survive the undead, but they don’t always see eye to eye on things. Known for having some iconic animations, High School of the Dead is also an ecchi anime filled with fan-service. The anime is 12 episodes and aired for one season.

2 Durarara!!

Released during the winter 2010 season, Durarara!! is a supernatural-action anime. Adapted by Brain’s Base studio, the anime takes place in downtown Tokyo. The city is filled with gangs and violence and has a myth that the headless “Black Rider” roams the streets. The protagonist Mikado Ryuugamine has a chance encounter with the Black Rider the day he moves to Tokyo. Searching for more excitement Mikado finds home in downtown Tokyo with attention to the corrupted gangs. Durarara!! is 24 episodes and aired for four seasons.

1 Angel Beats!

Rounding out the list of decade old anime is Angel Beats! adapted by P.A. Works, Angel Beats! was released during the spring 2010 season. The supernatural-drama follows a group of kids in what seems to be a Purgatory-esq place. Everyone there has died somehow and are here because they each have a regret. Yuzuru Otonashi lost his memory before coming to the afterlife. Everyone there is members of the SSS, known as the Afterlife Brigade, and believe that Kanade Tachibana is a threat to them. Yuzuru wants to understand Kanade, nicknamed Tenshi, for her angel-like appearance. The anime is known as one of the saddest out there and is sure to make you cry. Angel Beats! is 13 episodes and aired for one season.

NEXT: One Piece: The 10 Worst Things Akainu did, Ranked

Although Sir Nighteye has only just recently been introduced in the series, as it turns out, he’s been behind the scenes working his hero magic for quite a while. Having originally been the mind behind some of All Might’s greatest accomplishments, Sir Nighteye is seemingly unparalleled when it comes to feats of mental fortitude and quite accomplished as a hero himself.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The League Of Villains

Though He and All Might have had a falling out recently due to All Might’s decision to continue down the path of a hero (and that’s not to mention passing One For All onto a young man that Sir Nighteye viewed as unworthy), there is very clearly still a lot of love coming from both sides. So, with that being said, let’s get to know All Might’s former sidekick a little better.

10 One Of The Smartest Men In The World

Though All Might is often known as the number one hero of the world, when it comes to the power of his mind, Sir Nighteye is very rarely outmatched. Sir Nighteye has a genius-level intellect and is known throughout his time as a professional hero to be one of the most intelligent men in the world.

This might go a long way toward explaining why he and All Might were such a good team as well as why he is so highly revered among the other heroes.

9 The Brains Behind All Might’s Brawn

Having (potentially) the smartest man on the planet as his guy in the chair, All Might would grow to become the greatest hero to have ever lived. However, what is often overlooked by average citizens is that it was Sir Nighteye that was in his ear the whole time, helping him devise strategies for defeating powerful villains.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Denki Kaminari

Not only was Sir Nighteye in his ear during intense battles, but he was also the one on the ground making sure that All Might was directing his attention towards where it was most needed.

8 Mean Lean Muscle Machine

While Sir Nighteye is often viewed as rather tall, lanky and lean, his baggy clothing hides a secret, the dude is seriously ripped. Though All Might may not view him as exceptionally strong, Sir Nighteye is not only incredibly quick and capable in combat, but he’s also quite strong as well.

Whether it’s because of his bagging clothing or something else, Sir Nighteye is ofter underestimated by villains and heroes alike when it comes to his physical prowess. However, in the anime, Sir Nighteye has already displayed the ability to easily avoid Deku using the full force of his capabilities at the time.

7 Not Your Average Salaryman

Unlike most heroes, Sir Nighteye has chosen not the cover himself in any fancy hero attire. As far as Sir Nighteye is concerned, a suit and tie is all the hero equipment he needs in order to perform the responsibilities of a professional hero.

Viewers will never find Sir Nighteye dressed up in some spectacular superhero suit at some point, nor will they find him using any incredibly outlandish hero equipment at any point. Although, he does have a special weapon that he uses in combat, but that’ll be saved for later.

6 Everybody’s A Comedian

Though Sir Nighteye is often viewed as an incredibly serious hero, one who doesn’t have the time or space to mess around on the job or at any other point in time, he’s actually a bit of a softy when it comes to comedy.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Things You Never Knew About Tenya Iida

Because he grew up understanding the value of All Might’s attitude towards the citizens that he saved, Sir Nighteye understood that not only must a hero instill fear in the hearts of villains, but he must also instill hope and joy in the hearts of the citizens. And what better way to do that than with comedy?

5 Fanboy Nighteye

Another surprising fact about the often mistaken as the all-too-serious hero, Sir Nighteye is that much like Izuku Midoriya, Sir Nighteye is a hero fanboy. While Midoriya is more focused on idolizing hero culture as a whole, Sir Nighteye has narrowed his focus to one hero, All Might.

Watching All Might as he grew up, Sir Nighteye became enamored with the hero who was always smiling. Through his videos, Sir Nighteye was able to understand that a hero must never show civilians that he is scared. A hero must in hope in those he wishes to save. And above all else, a hero must have a good sense of humor.

4 His Quirk: Foresight

With his quirk, Foresight, Sir Nighteye is able to view the entire life any he touches and makes eye contact with from a third-person perspective. This means that he can essentially tell the future of anyone he uses his quirk on.

Their career, their love life and their inevitable death are all within sight once Sir Nighteye uses his quirk on them. However, it is due to this fact that Sir Nighteye doesn’t typically like to use his quirk on others.

3 The Future Is Written In Stone...Or Is It?

Once Sir Nighteye uses his quirk on someone, he assumes that their future is already written in stone. Which is what leads to his falling out with All Might. He sees All Might’s inevitable end and understands that the only way to save the number one hero is a radical shift in his course.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Things You Didn't Notice About The New Season's Opening

This option, however, does not sit well with the critical wounded number one hero and chooses to ignore Sir Nighteye and continue being a hero. It is only when Deku changes on of Sir Nighteye’s visions during the Shie Hassaikai arc that Sir Nighteye coming to believe that the future can, in fact, be changed.

2 A Fan Boy Through And Through

Though Sir Nighteye and All Might have a falling out due Sir Nighteye’s request that All Might quit being a hero and take a role that will allow him to pick a successor as well as keep him safe, Sir Nighteye never begrudges All Might this.

He knows that All Might is the number one hero and that this is simply in his nature. In fact, when he opens up his own hero firm, with his own office, the walls are filled with All Might memorabilia. But, hey. What can he say? Once a fanboy, always a fanboy.

1 Hyper-Density Seals

Though Sir Nighteye is not one for any of the flashy costumes or weapons that can sometimes come along with becoming a hero, he does have a very particular set of weapons. Sir Nighteye carries with him a series of hyper-density seals (small stamps) which weigh 5kg.

He uses these seals as projectiles to make up for his lack of a physical/long-range quirk. But he also uses them because he finds them a hilarious weapon for someone in a suit to be using, because of course he does. He’s actually quite good at using the seals, even using one to destroy one of Twice’s clones.

NEXT: My Hero Academia: The Strongest Villains In History, Ranked

Shazam! star Zachary Levi finally confirmed what many have long suspected about his superhero suit.

Responding to a tweet by a fan defending the actor's suit in the DC film, Levi tweeted that his suit was, in fact, a little padded. He didn't admit where the extra muscle definition was added though.

RELATED: Shazam BTS Photo Reveals Superman's Face

Whether it's physical padding or CGI, superhero suits are often augmented in films to create physiques similar to the comics. Still, a big to-do was made during the lead-up to Shazam! about whether Levi truly bulked up enough to fill out his whole suit. While videos and photos of his physical transformation were impressive, we now know a least a bit of the bulk in the final costume came from padding.

Luckily, none of this diminishes the film or the performances, and it's unlikely it will sour any fans from seeing Shazam's sequel when it inevitably arrives. And who knows, maybe this time around, Levi will fill out the suit all on his own.

Directed by David F. Sandberg and starring Zachary Levi, Shazam! is currently available on digital HD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD.

KEEP READING: Shazam Concept Art Provides A Clearer Look At Darla's Super Suit

In "Reason to Get Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.

Today, we spotlight the metafictional fun that Alex de Campi is having with the delightful Archie vs. Predator 2!

Robert Hack and Kelly Fitzpatrick are the art team on this series and they've been doing a beautiful job. Jack Morelli is the letterer.

If you recall, the previous volume ended with everyone but Betty and Veronica dead in Riverdale, and Archie and the Predator merged together into one being that looks like Archie but is really the Predator (who has been wooed to the side of good by Betty and Veroinca).

In this sequel, de Campi really turns up the metafictional humor and it is awesome.

For instance, this version of Betty and Veronica came from a more classical version of the Archie Universe. You know, the one where everyone looks like Dan DeCarlo drew them. So Veronica naturally tries to use Memory Lane to go back in time to fix everything, with a reference to the Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty storyline from 2009 that used that premise. However, they find that Memory Lane has been shut down by Waid Construction, a reference to the current Archie continuity created by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples in 2015...

So even though they think they're canceled, Veronica won't give up, though, and she cites all the absurd stuff that really happened in the old Archie Comics over the years...

Later, though, she muses over what it means to be canceled and if it means that no one will remember their names eventually...

At the end of the issue, though, they end up in the MODERN Archie continuity (well, a version of it, of course, since there will still be some death and mayhem coming).

The second issue has a brilliant Hack cover parodying Staples' cover for Archie #1 from 2015...

And de Campi parodies the way that Archie talked directly to the audience in that series...

Then there's some more fun with the updated universe, like making fun of how Archie is dating neither Betty nor Veronica in this universe (and Dilton is hot!)...

In the most recent issue, there is a classic bit where they remind us that this comic is not in continuity right before Betty and Veronica share a...private moment together...

This is just a delightfully fun series that truly embraces the wacky history of Archie Comics while just adding a touch more gore and Bettty/Veronica kissing (just a touch).

Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Marauders #3 by Gerry Duggan, Michele Bandini, Elisabetta D'Amico and Federico Blee, on sale Wednesday, Dec. 4.

The Marvel Universe used to be a place where a person couldn't sneeze without running into a mutant. The X-Men ruled as the most popular Marvel Comics franchise, which was represented by multiple ongoing series and placement at the top of the sales charts. However, the publisher even recognized the mutant population had grown too large, leading to efforts to dwindle their numbers with events like Decimation and the massacre on Genosha.

Those dark days are now behind the X-Men, as writer Jonathan Hickman has ushered in a new era for the heroes in the aftermath of House of X and Powers of X. After all the death and loss of loved ones, mutants are returning like never before to the sovereign nation of Krakoa. This includes fan-favorite X-Men like Synch and Skin from Generation X, as well as villains like Pyro in Marauders.

RELATED: Marauders Brings Back One Of The X-Men's Most Powerful Allies

The new Dawn of X title features another villain-turned-hero in Emma Frost, White Queen of the Hellfire Trading Company. The Hellfire Club appears to be back in full force with Sebastian Shaw retaking his claim as the club's Black King, even if Emma is throwing her new responsibilities and power in his face.

Sebastian gets the spotlight in a preview of Marauders #3, with our first looks at the Red Keep, Blackstone and White Palace, which incorporate Hellfire Bay. These locations have been spotted on maps of Krakoa in previous titles, and are the strongholds of the Hellfire Club. Sebastian speaks of walking through a Krakoan gateway in the Blackstone and exiting in the Hatchery, which is where mutants are reborn through the mutant resurrection protocols. Though it isn't made clear in the preview, the person being brought back to life on the cover of Marauders #3 is most likely Sebastian's son, Shinobi Shaw.

RELATED: X-Men Finds Romance With The LAST Mutant Fans Expect

"On that day, I restored the Shaw bloodline," Sebastian says. Restoring the Shaw bloodline would have to involve correcting his son's death in Uncanny X-Men #20. Shinobi and the Nasty Boys are only a small number of characters to fall during Matthew Rosenberg's run on the title. After the X-Men were seemingly killed in a battle against Nate Grey and Legion, Cyclops and Wolverine reformed the X-Men with the heroes that remained. Of course, the X-Men that were thought to be dead were really teleported to another dimension in the Age of X-Man, and returned once that world crumbled.

Shinobi Shaw was once the leader of the Upstarts and tried to dethrone his own father on more than one occasion, even successfully killing Sebastian. Now, the father appears to have put that behind him and is looking for a fresh start with his son. It remains to be seen if Shinobi will reciprocate those feelings.

KEEP READING: Marvel's Marauders May Have Teased The Return Of A Classic X-Men Villain

Earlier this month, Doctor Sleep director, Mike Flanagan, revealed that he had a pitch he'd love to put forth for A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot. Now, he's revealed his pitch for another horror classic: Halloween.

In a conversation with Bloody Disgusting, Flanagan announced that he was once approached to direct 2018's Halloween. This film, of course, eventually went to David Gordon Green instead.

RELATED: Doctor Sleep Director Has a Pitch fr A Nightmare on Elm Street

Flanagan said, "I found my notes for that very brief period of time when I was trying to come up with a take on Halloween because [Jason Blum] had said, 'Hey, if you want to do this we can probably figure something out.' I'm glad that I didn't and so glad it didn't come to me because the only note that I had scribbled over three days of brainstorming was 'Dr. Loomis is a woman?' That's as far as I got on Halloween."

When asked about what his film would have looked like, Flanagan said, "The answer to that is, I would do Hush. In a lot of ways, Hush is my favorite Halloween." He added, "If Hush didn't exist, and I was doing Halloween, it would look a lot like Hush."

Flanagan's current film, Doctor Sleep, has been met with positive critical and fan reaction. Even Stephen King had praise to share, although the film has not been faring too well at the box office.

Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, Doctor Sleep stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Alex Essoe and Zahn McClarnon.

KEEP READING: Doctor Sleep: All the Changes Made From Stephen King's Novel

In "Reason to Get Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.

Today I talk about how well Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt and Tyler Crook mix soap operatic plots and horror together in the Manor Black.

The comic book, drawn and colored by Crook, is GORGEOUS and it centers on three main characters. Roman Black is the patriarch of the Manor Black and he has to decide who will succeed him when it is time for him to make the "descent." He gets to consult with his ancestors for this decision, but ultimately the call has to be his...

His son, Reginald, clearly thinks it should be him and Roman's wife is disappointed that Roman doesn't seem to want to give it to his son...

Meanwhile, our other main character, Harvey, is about to go from Deputy Sheriff to Sheriff in one quick burst of flames...

Finally, we meet Ari, a magician on the run who is being hunted by a group of wild magicians before she comes under Roman Black's protection...

It is with Ari and the Black family that our most soap opera elements come into play, as the rest of the family is not happy with an interloper possibly getting into their father's good graces so soon before the descent...

Meanwhile, Roman Black's daughter, Lorelei, tries to stay out of her family's affairs and is working at a town diner when magic interferes with her world, as well...

Leading to Roman, Ari and Harvey both showing up at the diner just when things go haywire...

Luckily, Ari is connected to the Fire Totem and was able to keep it from being much worse.

By the end of the series, things really don't get resolved, so much as they get settled for THIS PRECISE MOMENT, while basically making it clear that this is all about setting the story up for any future stories. Lots of horror type stories have soap opera elements to them, but few are as quite as clear as Manor Black is (well, Dark Shadows, of course, but that was many years ago).

It was a really well done miniseries, so I sure as heck we get more stories in the Manor Black series. Great jobs by everyone involved!

Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!

In "Reason to Get Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.

Today, I look at how the current Doctor Mirage series (by writer Magdalene Visaggio, artists Nick Robles and Jordie Bellaire and letterer Dave Sharpe beautifully continue the psychedelic magical tradition established in Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange comics.

When the series begins, Doctor Mirage has not been able to see her dead husband, Hwen, for some time. This is the whole point of the comic book, that she has a dead husband that only she can see and here. It's a really good hook for a TV series, and Visaggio does a wonderful job playing up the TV aspect of the series throughout the book, as Shan Fong Mirage (otherwise known as Doctor Mirage) sort of sees things in terms of camera angles and what would make for good TV.

However, she is not seeing things all that well (outside of her dreams) due to events that have left her disconnected from her husband, Li Hwen.

Luckily, she is then visited by Grace, a teenage girl who is CURRENTLY in contact with Hwen and wants to help Doctor Mirage get back to seeing her husband...

They do so by tripping on some new drug and it is psychedelic as all heck...

Later, they go into hell to essentially save Hwen and it's just like those classic Ditko stories. Robles and Bellaire should be beaming with pride over how awesome these scenes look...

After some crazy stuff goes down, Visaggio does a particularly good job reminding us that Grace did not volunteer for this adventure. She was dragged into it by suddenly seeing Hwen and while she was enjoying herself until stuff got too real, she's still just a teenager way over her head....

The emotional work really grounds this stuff. This has been one of the best Doctor Mirage series that Valiant has had yet. I can't wait to see how it all finishes up next issue!

Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the Titans Season 2 finale, "Nightwing," streaming now on DC Universe.

While most of the second season of  Titans focused on Dick Grayson wrestling with the ghost of Bruce Wayne and him leaving the Robin identity behind after the team found out he was complicit in Jericho's death, Rachel recevied some much-needed screen time, in short spurts.

Admittedly, it was less than Season 1 which used her, along with Dick's guilt, as the catalyst for reforming the team, placing her on the run from her father, Trigon, and his cult. But by the time this outing wrapped, there are some red flags suggesting Rachel could be set up as a villain for next season.

RELATED: Titans: Raven's Dark Side Just Got a Lot More Complicated

After defeating Deathstroke and freeing Gar and Conner from the control of Cadmus, the Titans have dinner at the tower, where they pay tribute to the fallen Donna Troy. Kory thanks Bruce Wayne for meeting them in Elko, Nevada, and for getting them back on track as a unit, but he reveals he's never been to the location, leading to Starfire wondering who was there when she reunited with Donna, Rachel and Dawn. She and Dawn quietly discuss the incident, wondering if it was actually Rachel who manifested Bruce, because she desperately wanted the heroes to reassemble to rescue Dick.

Rachel's powers have been growing, even subconsciously, and this could be the next step in her evolution. Her purple demonic goo actually reanimated a gargoyle to kill a criminal without her even knowing so it's clear something is going on with her. Kory's powers have also been taken away, and while it seemed like this was linked to her feud with her sister, Blackfire, after the latter seized the throne of Tamaran, it could be that Rachel might have stolen them to keep Kory grounded. After all, Starfire vowed to go after Blackfire, and seeing as Rachel believes Kory is her sister and needs to be a leader with the Titans, this could be part of the young hero's ruse to tie her to Earth.

RELATED: Titans Should Drop the Father-Figure Antagonist in Season 3

Rachel's dark half, plus her murderous tendencies, have even led the girl to question whether she should be trusted. She nearly killed Rose, and like in the comics, she could be in store for a heel turn. Rachel headed off to Themyscira with the Amazons and Donna's body in the final act of the finale, vowing to bring Wonder Girl back, but as this happens, Dick drops a key line about them not being able to change the world, no matter how powerful they are. Rachel says they can try, which suggests she might be adopting the mentality of Tony Stark from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she wants to use the full scope of her powers to build an armor around the planet against cosmic and supernatural threats.

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain, and Rachel might be acting thinking it's for the greater good. Whether she's mindful of this and willingly doing it remains to be seen, but with her godlike powers, it's easy to see her being corrupted and losing herself to the dark side.

RELATED: Yes, a Titan Falls in the Season 2 Finale - But It Doesn't Make Much Sense

This same scenario has led to conflicts in the comics, and on numerous occasions the Titans have had to rein her in, hinting the show might be angling for such a route. Unfortunately, if Rachel does turn bad, she could be returning with an Amazonian army and seeing as she might know the key to depowering her teammates, it's hard to see the Titans being able to stand up to her might.

Streaming now on DC Universe, Titans Season 2 stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan, Curran Walters as Jason Todd and Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, with Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger, Alan Ritchson as Hank Hall, Joshua Orpin as Superboy, Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson, Chella Man as Jericho, Drew Van Acker as Aqualad, Esai Morales as Deathstroke and Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne.

KEEP READING: Titans Introduces Its Own Cosmic Game Of Thrones

In "Reason to Get Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.

Today, we look at the distinctively alien world at the heart of Far Sector, DC's new ongoing series for Young Animal by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell.

The concept for the series is that a Green Lantern has been requested to be assigned to Platform Ever Forward, a city on the faaaaaaaaaaaar edges of the known universe, home to 20 billion denizens who have been kept from having any emotion. However, something has changed and there was fear that there might be crime there for the first time in centuries and so they requested a Green Lantern be stationed there and a new member of the Corps, Sojourner "Jo" Mullein, was sent there and sure enough, within a few months of her arrival, there was the first murder at this City Endless in over 500 years!

I don't want to make it seem like I'm saying that the DC Universe hasn't had distinctive alien worlds before. Maltus, from L.E.G.I.O.N., was a distinctly alien world...

And Alan Moore famously made Rann very much an alien world, as well...

But for the most part, alien worlds are rarely all that distinctively alien. Even when they look different from humans, they still have a culture that is basically the same as humanity.

Jemisin and Campbell, though, go out of their way to make this world its own thing, with its own rules and culture and it really does work wonderfully...

It's bad enough to be thrown on to another world and suddenly expected to solve a murder mystery (and again, it's not like Green Lantern Corps members are trained homicide detectives. Can you imagine Hal Jordan doing detective work?), it is a whole other thing when the whole world doesn't make any real sense to you and that's what faces Jo in this series, but she is more than up to the task and I love that se's even a little bit cocky about how well she thinks that she can handle this new assignment.

I was saying earlier today that The Last God made everything easier for the narrative by spending so much time on the world being built and that's the same thing in this comic, as Jemisin and Campbell have put so much thought into this alien world that the story almost flows naturally from the distinctive set-ups that they have established.

This looks like it will be one heck of a maxiseries and I would not be surprised if this was what the upcoming HBOB Max Green Lantern series uses as an inspiration.

Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!

When people think of the most powerful members of Fairy Tail, generally a handful of characters come to mind: Erza, Gildarts, and Laxus. The grandson of Makarov Dreyar (himself the son of one of the founding members of the guild), Laxus has quite the pedigree attached to him.

RELATED: The Strongest Members Of Fairy Tail, Ranked According To Strength

But in need to prove himself, Laxus does some incredibly dumb things following his introduction. And while this briefly sees him take on the role of a villain, it also makes him one of the best-written characters in Fairy Tail, because of the development he goes through as a character and as a man. See? Not every overpowered character in anime has to be boring. This list goes into detail on all the things you never knew about Fairy Tail’s Lightning Dragon Slayer.

10 SECOND GENERATION DRAGON SLAYER

When people think of Dragon Slayers, they usually think of ones like Natsu or Gajeel or Wendy—ones who were literally taught the art of Dragon Slayer magic by actual dragons, some of the most powerful mystical beings on the planet.

But not every kind of Dragon Slayer developed their power this way. Laxus is a Second Generation Dragon Slayer, which means he gained the power he had by having a special lacrima—a form of crystallized magic energy—placed inside of them.

9 A ROCK 'N ROLL FAN

Before Laxus joined the guild properly, he was constantly wearing a pair of headphones. Though the series is meant to take place before modern technology, these headphones run purely off of magic, and even store songs in a magic database.

If this sounds familiar, just know we’re fully in off-brand territory, as his headphones are referred to as “Sound pods”. What we’ve also learned, thanks to chapter 69 of the manga is that his favorite form of music is old-school rock and roll. Which leaves the question—is he more into 80’s hair metal or more along the lines of arena rock?

8 COULD'VE BEEN A WIZARD SAINT

Laxus’ power is incredible, and he actually stands as one of the Top 5 members of Fairy Tail in terms of pure power for the entire series. Eventually, Laxus even goes head to head against Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale, a member of the Ten Wizard Saints.

RELATED: Fairy Tail: The Strongest Member Of Every Guild, Ranked

Despite Jura’s incredible strength, which was enough to bring down Sabertooth’s Lightning God Slayer Orga, he still wasn’t powerful enough to defeat Laxus. This victory lead some to speculate whether he should become one of the Wizard Saints, but according to Chapter 352 this idea was tossed out because they considered Laxus too rowdy.

7 WAS A MEMBER OF BLUE PEGASUS

Everyone needs a job. After the Tartaros arc, Makarov disbanded the guild because the country no longer had the protection of Face bombs against the Alvarez Empire. But while the guild was disbanded, everyone had to find new things to do to keep their lives going.

Laxus and the rest of the Thunder God Tribe actually chose to join up with the Blue Pegasus guild in the interim year. What else people might not know about this however, is that their time in Blue Pegasus was actually given its own manga, known as Fairy Tail Gaiden: Lightning Gods.

6 HIS LOOK COMPLETELY CHANGED

Originally, Laxus had far more of a scumbag look to him. When he first appears in the manga, he has a long cape, wears metal greaves, and is constantly seen smoking a cigar. But later on, they toss the smoking out and leave him instead wearing a large coat, looking like more of a gangster.

Ultimately this change feels like it was due to Mashima deciding more of what he wanted from the character. But what’s more interesting is that in the anime, they never gave him any other outfit than his updated look, which implies that was always what Mashima wanted his official look to be.

5 HIS NAME ORIGINS

As always, names mean everything. The most important characters usually wind up with the most symbolic names. Natsu is Fire Dragon Slayer with an even more blazing disposition, so of course his name actually means Summer.

Laxus gets his name from Lux, which is the standard measurement of units for illuminance and luminous emission. Though the character didn’t initially have the powers he does now, it’s clear he was given that name to bring light to the Dreyar family.

4 CHANGED BECAUSE HE LOST HIS DAD

Interestingly enough, when we see flashbacks of Laxus, they’re always depicting him as this sweet little kid who loves his grandfather Makarov. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would have grown up into the man we meet in the Battle for Fairy Tail arc.

RELATED: Fairy Tail: 10 Best Relationships In The Series

What changed him later on is when Makarov excommunicated his father Ivan Dreyar. Between that and being unable to live up to the immense shadow of Makarov turned him into someone much harder, who only cared about strength.

3 ALMOST MADE MAKAROV RESIGN

The Battle of Fairy Tail seems small in retrospect, but it nearly tore the guild apart. Laxus made his best effort to try and change the guild into something he thought people would respect, and in doing so, he risked the lives of multiple members—both the ones turned to stone, as well as the ones in combat with one another.

Makarov had no choice but to excommunicate him from the guild. But he wasn’t just satisfied with proving that Laxus’ actions weren’t acceptable, and out of embarrassment nearly left the guild himself. It’s understandable, considering that meant he’d had to excommunicate both his son and grandson, but the rest of the guild refused to allow Makarov to leave.

2 RUINED HIS BODY FIGHTING

After Laxus made his return to the guild, he became one of the guild’s biggest defenders. He worked his tail off to atone, and that meant making more risky decisions than he otherwise might not have if not for his actions during the Battle of Fairy Tail. When facing off against one of the demons of Tartaros, Laxus absorbed a near-lethal amount of anti-magic particles to save the people in the city.

This damage didn’t go away, and for the next year, he suffered violent attacks because his body couldn’t take the particles inside of him. However, he managed to outsmart Wall of the Spriggan 12, getting him to cancel anti-magic within a specific area, curing his body and making him healthy again.

1 HIS FATHER WANTED TO KILL HIM

Laxus was mostly raised by his grandfather, Makarov, leader of the guild. What initially drove Laxus off the deep end and lead to him attempting to betray the guild was Makarov expelling his father from Fairy Tail. What Laxus didn’t seem to know was that his father Ivan never really cared much for him.

Laxus started out as a sickly young boy, and he was given the lightning lacrima as a way of healing him. Later on, we learned Ivan never really cared about him getting better, so much as developing the lacrima so he could rip it out of him and sell it for cash. Jeez, what a jerk.

NEXT: Fairy Tail: 5 Characters That Could Easily Beat Gajeel (& 5 That Can't)

Admit it: you have a favorite character from My Hero Academia. It’s okay, all of the fans do. It’s impossible not to pick one character to latch on to. And it isn’t always the main character (though we do adore Midoriya).

No matter who your current favorite is, we’d like to take a few moments and explain all of the reasons why Mina Ashido deserves more love from all of the fans (and she’s already getting a decent amount of that).

So, without further ado, here are ten reasons why Mina Ashido should be your new favorite MHA character.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The League Of Villains

10 She Knows How to Have Fun

There's no doubt in our minds that Mina Ashido is a character that knows how to have fun. Every time the class of 1A has had to do something more cheerful, or were in need of some laughter – it was Mina who stood up and saved the day.

She's just a cheerful character all around. And she's never one to be held down or back, no matter what she's facing. Consider everything that has happened since they started school – and yet she's still laughing and acting as nothing has happened.

9 She’s Colorful and Bubbly

When you come right down to it, Mina is just like any other teenage girl. She likes pretty colors, clothes, and doing her hair. Unlike some teenagers out there, Mina doesn't seem interested in the whole gossip or mean girl traits. She'd much rather be building her fellow heroes-in-training up, rather than tearing them all down.

Whenever something good happens to one of the U.A. students, Mina is almost always one of the first to start cheering for them. Mina is willing to celebrate their successes, even when she's actively struggling with her classes and grades.

8 Her Preferred Alias

Push come to shove, Mina Ashido ended up with the hero name Pinky. It's a cute name that really does perfectly suit her bubbly personality (and her skin-tone). But it isn't the name she originally wanted. No, her first choice was a throwback to a much cooler concept.

You see, Mina originally wanted to be Alien Queen. It's a direct throwback to her character's inspiration, the Aliens franchise. And if you don't love that fact about her, you should probably go and binge the Aliens movies a few more times. Or you know, go ahead and do that anyway. Because why not?

7 The Influence on Her Character Design

While we're on the subject of the influence behind her character design, let's just go ahead and list that as another reason why we should all be loving Mina. After all, it isn't every day you get to see a modern character with Mina's design.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Things You Didn't Notice In The New Season's Opening

Her character may not look anything like Aliens we grew up with, but you've gotta respect that they were the original inspiration behind her character. It certainly makes Mina seem a bit cooler.

6 She Inspired Another Rising Hero

Did you know that Mina inspired a fan favorite to try and become a hero? Back when they were both in school together – but a lot younger – Mina once stood up to a villain that might have seriously hurt a younger classmate. Well, it's more accurate to say that she redirected the villain.

Her ability to stand up and talk at the villain really inspired Kirishima, who had stood by frozen, helplessly watching the events play out in front of him. It made him realize that he wanted to be that calm in the face of danger. And that he wanted to save people from harm.

5 The Possibilities With Her Quirk

Mina Ashido has a decent grasp on how to use her quirk – after all, she's already come up with four ultimate moves. But there are so many more possibilities with her quirk. Just think about it, how often would acid be useful when being a hero? How about during a rescue operation, or helping to get people out of countless situations?

There's little doubt in our mind that Mina's quirk shows a whole lot of potential. She's just got to figure that out for herself.

4 Social Butterfly

Mina is a total and complete social butterfly. Throw her into a room, and odds are that within five minutes she'll have made a new best friend. It's an impressive trait and one that will serve her well. She'll be a hero with lots of hero friends to call on when she needs some help.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Details You Never Noticed About Sir Nighteye

And that's a trait that we should all admire. It's something that is so easily overlooked, but it can end up meaning so much in the long run. And that's why we're going to include it as one of the many reasons we should all love Mina.

3 Dancing Queen

Did you know that Mina is an excellent dancer? Considering how talented she is, we're surprised she doesn't go out looking for more excuses to dance. Because she would be totally justified in doing so.

Mina has been known to break out in dance at times. She's also the start of the show during any official dancing times, thanks to her ability to breakdance. As if that wasn't cool enough, Mina is also fully capable of teaching others how to dance as well.

2 It Doesn't All Come Easy to Her

One of the many things we love about Mina is the fact that it doesn't all come easy to her. She has to work at being a hero, and she certainly has to study and work hard in order to get even passing grades.

In many respects, she's just an average teenage girl trying to follow her dream. And how can you not love and respect that about her?

1 Her Nose Into Everything

While Mina may not be super into gossip, the truth of the matter is that she does tend to have her nose into everything. She basically knows everything that is happening in her class at any given time. Well, everything that's being vocalized, at least. There are a few secrets she hasn't figured out (or if she has, she's kept her mouth shut).

Anyway, Mina's preference is to follow the love lives of her classmates. In fact, we wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that she has her own list of favorite ships going on somewhere in her head. And we wouldn't blame her for that.

NEXT: 10 Hidden Details You Never Noticed In My Hero Academia

In "Reason to Get Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.

Today, we look at the adorable centerpiece of the recent Jughead Time Police miniseries by Sina Grace, Derek Charm, Matt Herms and Jack Morelli.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The whole storyline kicks off when Jughead accidentally screws up a pie in a pie contest and gets banned for life from competing...

He luckily figures out a way that he can avoid getting banned for life - simply INVENT A TIME MACHINE!

I just love the absurdity of it all, that Jughead is so one track minded that he can actually (with help from Dilton, of course) create a time machine because he is so determined. It's really clever by Grace.

Okay, so once he has established the ability to time travel, Jughead is called to the future by January McAndrews, of the Time Police. He aids her on a case...

But we see that she is secretly working for someone else....

It's the Jughead from the classic 1940s Archie comics!

That Jughead discovered time travel, too, and he got tired of the fact that his timeline wasn't the coolest, so he began altering time to get the best aspects of the various other Jugheads, until one of the timelines collapsed, causing the Jughead from that world to become a hard-boiled time traveler (like Cable). However, our Jughead explains to him that there is no need to be like that, since they are all driven by their friendship for their closest pals and gals because that's at the cneter of all Jugheads...

Things don't look great, though, when the evil Jughead brings a bunch of different Jugheads to take them down...

In the end, though, Jughead appeals to the other Jughead by reminding him of the same thing he explained to Cable/Dark Knight Returns Jughead - friendship is more important than anything...

And so the day was saved by the thought of friendship and tasty burgers. I'm not crying! YOU'RE crying!

This was such an adorable series. I would love to see a sequel by the same creative team.

Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!

The Report follows the real-life story of Daniel Jones (Adam Driver), a U.S. Senate investigator who, at the behest of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening), the then-chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, begins an exhaustive investigation of so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" implemented by the CIA in the wake of 9/11. The deeper Jones dives into the 1.6 million documents, the quicker the investigation starts to bleed co-workers, sources and means.

The Report has many great qualities, starting with its actors. Adam Driver delivers a great performance as Daniel Jones, a role that could have been unbearably dull because we know nothing about Daniel other than he's really good at his job. Driver spends 50 percent of his time on-screen either at his desk or sitting on increasingly uncomfortable chairs, trying to explain to Feinstein the many ways in which the CIA tortured prisoners and then tried to hide the evidence.

RELATED: Parasite: Bong Joon-Ho Reveals the Secrets Behind His Masterpiece

Jon Hamm, Corey Stroll and Matthew Rhys deliver great performances with characters that play to their strengths. On the CIA side, Michael C. Hall doesn't have enough space within his lines to offer anything special, but Jennifer Morrison, Joanne Tucker and Maura Tierney play a perfect trio of CIA villains that will make your blood run cold.

But the real bad guys, according to the movie, are Bruce Jessen (Douglas Hodge) and James Mitchell (T. Ryder Smith), unqualified psychologists the CIA hired to develop the Enhanced Interrogation Techniques program across black sites, swallowing hook, line and sinker the claim that torture was essential to extract vital intelligence from suspected terrorists.

The scenes that follow are tough -- the film switches between Jones reading and writing reports in his office and Jessen and Mitchell hitting, blinding, kicking, stripping, tying and waterboarding various prisoners -- until one of them dies.

From a cinematography perspective, Burns brings his deft framing touch to the screen. Everything is carefully framed, and The Report shines in its aggressive use of architecture to convey the institutional elephant that could crush the characters at every turn. The movie also establishes subtle parallels between the spaces that the tortured prisoners occupy and the office where Daniel Jones worked. They are in dimly lit dungeon-like basements, surveyed by menacing men in denim.

Just like the prisoners, Jones loses track of time and as he learns more, he becomes more isolated from his colleagues and his superiors, which almost pushes him to go "the Snowden way." Right before the end of the movie, Jones is crouching in a closet-sized office to keep his report safe, in the same position as a prisoner that appeared naked and shackled in a previous scene. The intent is to trace a metaphorical line between torturing prisoners and torturing the system of law that Jones represents, but it falls a little flat: for all his tireless work of half a decade, Jones wasn't a prisoner and doing his job wasn't torture.

RELATED: Why Audiences Think The Irishman Is Boring (But Reviews Love It)

The second half of the movie switches gears, settling into an excruciatingly slow series of scenes and conversations where Daniel keeps repeating -- to anyone that will listen -- that the CIA is illegally torturing prisoners in exchange for zero results and that everyone should know about it. The same information is hammered again and again, and nothing changes. It's not a good sign for political thrillers when you can leave the room for 15 minutes and not miss any piece of vital information.

Some reviewers have argued that this marathon of meetings and documentation that is inflicted on the viewer to evoke the same frustration that Daniel experienced in real life while he created The Report, but that only works in movies or documentaries that offer something in exchange for the slow pace; either genuine and complete information (in the case of a documentary) or a dramatic catharsis of some kind (in the case of a dramatized movie), which The Report doesn't offer.

The epilogue points out that not a single person performing or directing this torture was punished in any way, and that then-President Obama signed Executive Order 13491, forbidding Enhanced Interrogation Techniques. However, this statement feels disingenuous to any viewer with basic internet access: Order 13941 forbids torture, only "unless the Attorney General with appropriate consultation provides further guidance." U.S. black sites are still open all over the world; both the Bush and Obama administrations refused to pursue any U.S. national that participated in these atrocities and President Trump has publicly pondered a return of waterboarding.

It would have been easy to include those facts, and more honest than the milquetoast ending of Daniel Jones slowly walking away from the White House. The direct result of these omissions is that The Report feels less like an exposé about the atrocities of war and more like a white-washing PR operation about U.S. government oversight and American exceptionalism.

The main issue with The Report is that it doesn't fully commit to either the unvarnished-truth dramatized documentary that it feels like it should be nor to the over-the-top pathos of a "based-on-realeevents" political thriller. It starts as a political thriller, and then, for an hour and a half, it becomes a documentary about corrupt bureaucrats trying to finish with a semi-hopeful message that rings incredibly false. Yes, the subject matter is important, the performances are great and Burns does many interesting things with the photography and visual parallels, but all of those elements don't quite combine into an exciting movie nor an honest documentary.

The Report was written and directed by Scott Z. Burns and produced by Steven Soderbergh. It stars Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Sarah Goldberg, Michael C. Hall, Douglas Hodge, Fajer Kaisi, Evander Duck Jr., Fajer Al-Kaisi, Zuhdi Boueri, Carlos Gómez, Pun Bandhu, Ratnesh Dubey, Ted Levine, Jennifer Morrison, Tim Blake Nelson, Linda Powell, Matthew Rhys, T. Ryder Smith, Corey Stoll, Joanne Tucker, and Maura Tierney. It premiered on November 15 and will be available on Amazon Prime on November 29.

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

All Elite Wrestling has come under investigation after the controversial and polarizing match that closed out last month's Full Gear Pay-Per-View.

The match in question was the unsanctioned lights out match between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley, which saw both performers engage in a series of dangerous spots. Several weapons were used, including glass, a screwdriver and a platform of barbed wire which Omega landed on following a suplex by Moxley.

RELATED: AEW Commentary Graces Dark Knight's Batman/Joker Fight for BatWeek

The violent nature of the match garnered a polarizing response from viewers and has now reportedly gained the attention of the Maryland State Athletic Commission. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Chris Cruise, former WCW announcer, contacted the commission to ask about their rules regarding the use of blading, the continuation of a match if one of the performers begins to bleed and whether or not there was a doctor in attendance at the pay-per-view.

According to the report, Cruise was told that intentional blading was prohibited, as was the introduction of human or animal blood into the match, and that because neither of these happened, the match was within the commission's regulations. It was also reported that a doctor was present at the event.

RELATED: AEW's Jon Moxley Blasts WWE For Creative Incompetence

The Maryland State Athletic Commission stated that they were conducting an investigation into the match and would be unable to provide any further comments.

(via F4WOnline)

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #2 by Mariko Tamaki, Gurihiru and VC's Travis Lanham, on sale Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Readers of the Absolute Carnage event series recently witnessed Spider-Man and Venom putting their differences aside to work together, with the goal of stopping Carnage from waking Knull, the god of the symbiotes, from his cosmic slumber. And even before Eddie Brock regained possession of the Venom symbiote, Flash Thompson sacrificed his life to help Spider-Man defeat Norman Osborn and his bloodthirsty Red Goblin persona.

With the former rivals now on the same side of the law, it's the perfect time for Marvel to flip their dynamic with a new, kid-friendly series. Spider-Man/Venom: Double Trouble pairs the friendly web-slinger with the Lethal Protector for a team-up that will leave you doubled over in laughter. Thanks to the witty writing of Mariko Tamaki and Gurihiru's signature art style, fans can watch as the characters become roommates! Yes, you heard that right.

RELATED: Marvel Reveals The Real Reason Spider-Man And Black Cat Tie The Knot

Things have already gotten off to a poor start, with Venom eating all of Spidey's food, not paying his share of the rent and unleashing a swarm of plant monsters in the apartment of their neighbor, Ghost-Spider. But if you thought that was bad enough, things only get worse when Spider-Man wakes up to find himself inside Venom's body in a Freaky Friday scenario.

Spidey, in Venom's body, starts to freak out, looking everywhere for his new roommate. Instead of finding a sleeping Venom, Spidey finds a note left in his bed explaining how he executed the body swap. A hand-scribbled note and artwork show Venom used a transcorporeal brain transfer to switch their minds between bodies. Now, the first question has to be how Venom even found a device to pull this off?

RELATED: Spider-Man's Sister Is A Cold-Blooded Killer [SPOILERS]

After pointing out how the name is redundant, Spidey remarks how nothing about this is safe or sanitary. Not paying your share of the rent and leaving the milk out on the counter is one thing, but stealing -- not borrowing -- someone's body is completely off-limits. Then again, Venom is a former villain, so manners aren't his strong suit.

Things only get weirder when the Green Goblin shows up. Apparently, Venom hasn't been returning his calls, leaving Green Goblin no choice but to come to him. Unable to use Venom's fingerprint to unlock his phone, Spider-Man flees to the rooftops to avoid sudden death by a goblin bomb.

One simple preview reveals all of the fun that is in store for Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #2. Will they successfully switch back to their correct bodies? Or are more crazy shenanigans in their immediate future? Our guess would be the latter.

KEEP READING: An Ultimate Universe Weapon Is Back - And In The Worst Possible Hands

This is "From a Different Point of View," a feature where I discuss a comic book series with another writer. In this case, it is CBR's own Eileen Gonzalez who will be going over the history of the Avengers with me, story by story!

We continue with Avengers #40, "Suddenly...the Sub-Mariner!" by Don Heck, Roy Thomas and George Roussos.

Eileen Gonzalez: Time to give Roy Thomas' thesaurus a workout!

Brian Cronin: Ha!

Brian Cronin: First, great Don Heck cover, right?

Eileen Gonzalez: Yeah, I like everyone getting ready to attack the Sub-Mariner

Eileen Gonzalez: Just jumping right into the meat of the issue

Brian Cronin: It is nice to see Heck seemingly respond to the excellent Gil Kane covers recently with one of his strongest covers for this issue!

Eileen Gonzalez: Especially since, as we were talking about last time, Heck's artwork has been a little subpar lately.

Eileen Gonzalez: At least compared to other artists like Kane.

Brian Cronin: And this cover is actually inked by Heck, and his recent issues inked by him were the weakest of the bunch.

Brian Cronin: I suppose he had more time for this cover?

Brian Cronin: I really don't know, but whatever the reason, it's one of his best covers of his entire run.

Brian Cronin: I have to think that it is not a coincidence that it came after Kane did a couple of covers.

Eileen Gonzalez: You mean that Heck was inspired by Kane's artwork, or perhaps it pushed him to put more effort into his own covers?

Brian Cronin: I honestly think a bit of both.

Brian Cronin: But yeah, as you noted, the opening splash is hilarious, as Thomas breaks out the thesaurus in his best Stan Lee impression.

Brian Cronin: What stands out, too, though, with the opening splash is that it already shows just how much more is going on in Thomas' run.

Brian Cronin: Thomas is balancing a number of personalities all at once, all reacting to a situation in a much different fashion.

Brian Cronin: Hawkeye, his normal wiseass self, Hercules, marveling at the situation he stepped into and Scarlet Witch, trying to hide her concern over her power problems.

Brian Cronin: And, of course, Wasp and Goliath keeping up with our favorite Avenger passtime, gushing over how awesome Tony Stark is.

Eileen Gonzalez: While Quicksilver is worried about his sister and his sister only.

Eileen Gonzalez: I am in awe of the new expression Hawkeye has introduced to us: "Somebody really pearled our harbor!" Exquisite.

Brian Cronin: Didn't Hawkeye also invent a contraction recently?

Brian Cronin: "Care'a" for "Care of"

Brian Cronin: He's a regular wordsmith

Eileen Gonzalez: It is nice to see the Avengers all getting along for once. Everyone's just contributing to cleaning up rather than picking fights.

Brian Cronin: Well, Quicksilver couldn't help but show off a bit, but yes, it's certainly a lot more happy than normal.

Eileen Gonzalez: Until Wanda has to go and ruin everything. THANKS, Wanda.

Brian Cronin: Just like a woman.

Brian Cronin: Luckily, even unconscious, she's just so damn hot.

Brian Cronin: So Hercules gets to ogle her as he holds her passed out body.

Brian Cronin: Kind of creepy there, dude.

Eileen Gonzalez: His dad is Zeus. He learned how to creep from the best/worst.

Brian Cronin: Also, how funny is "We need to get her to her room right away! I'm super fast, so I'll....go get the room ready for you!"

Eileen Gonzalez: Yeah, you'd think Quicksilver of all people would be reluctant to leave Wanda alone with a stranger

Eileen Gonzalez: And it doesn't look like he did much preparing. Unless her bed was covered in junk and he cleared it off at super speed.

Brian Cronin: I imagine she had lots of pornography all over her room that he realized he needed to get rid of before everyone else came in.

Eileen Gonzalez: What a good brother

Brian Cronin: That's the only logical possibility

Eileen Gonzalez: It all makes sense now!

Brian Cronin: Does Hercules not know Quicksilver is Scarlet Witch's brother?

Brian Cronin: It just seems odd to see him be all, "Wow, you really care about her. Where'd that come from? Oh, you're her brother!"

Brian Cronin: You'd think Quicksilver would work "my sister" into his first introduction with people at all times.

Eileen Gonzalez: All humans look the same to Hercules.

Brian Cronin: I can't say that I'm thrilled with Scarlet Witch being shown so weak.

Eileen Gonzalez: Agreed. I can only speculate it's because she would be the strongest member of the team if they allowed her to be, so they have to compensate by having her faint all the time lest she outshine everyone else.

Brian Cronin: It seems, though, that it's mostly so that Hercules can start dwelling on how hot she is.

Brian Cronin: Like, damsel in distress 101.

Eileen Gonzalez: Yeah, good point. I guess the Hawkeye/Black Widow drama wasn't enough for them.

Brian Cronin: For a dude who we've discussed his romance comic past a lot, Heck sure didn't draw a very alluring Black Widow in Hawkeye's daydream, right?

Brian Cronin: She looks like a 40 year old librarian

Eileen Gonzalez: Ha! It's the hair.

Brian Cronin: Yeah, it's totally the hair.

Brian Cronin: The 1960s had some uninspired hair styles.

Brian Cronin: However, Black Widow remains a total badass

Brian Cronin: She is going all out in her pretending to be a bad guy.

Brian Cronin: Steals sub plans and then steals an experimental plane to deliver the plans.

Brian Cronin: She doesn't shy away from the spotlight.

Eileen Gonzalez: Definitely no slouch, our Black Widow.

Eileen Gonzalez: I love the cameo from General Ross there, and how he's blaming the theft of the plane on the Hulk like he's J. Jonah Jameson ranting about Spider-Man.

Eileen Gonzalez: I assume that was Thomas trying to tie the Marvel Universe together.

Brian Cronin: That's totally what he's doing and he's such a master at this sort of stuff.

Brian Cronin: He's always been so plugged into Marvel's continuity and as he has become more of the driving force of this title, we're seeing more and more of it.

Brian Cronin: Heck, the main plot of this issue is directly based on an iconic Captain America story from this time period.

Eileen Gonzalez: Is that where the Cosmic Cube comes in?

Brian Cronin: Yeah, but not before we get Namor introduced.

Brian Cronin: Thomas was JUST about to take over the scripting duties on the Namor feature in Tales to Astonish.

Brian Cronin: So this sort of serves as a precursor to those issues.

Brian Cronin: With him giving us a spotlight on Namor's whole deal.

Brian Cronin: Including his rather....distinct approach to riding a torpedo.

Eileen Gonzalez: I don't know what you're talking about, that seems like a perfectly healthy and normal way to ride a torpedo.

Brian Cronin: He even works in the word "master" into the scene.

Brian Cronin: If only one of the sub commanders was named Bates.

Eileen Gonzalez: So this issue was a way for Thomas to get his feet wet, so to speak, when it came to writing Sub-Mariner? Like a test run?

Brian Cronin: It's possible, but you know what, he's so good at the whole Marvel Universe thing that it could be a total coincidence.

Brian Cronin: And Lee just gave him the Namor feature because Lee just kept giving him more and more features as Thomas proved himself so successful at this stuff.

Eileen Gonzalez: Makes sense.

Eileen Gonzalez: Lucky for Namor, that patch of super-rare, metal-hugging seaweed just happened to be right there.

Brian Cronin: He started the year with three assignments

Brian Cronin: By the time he takes over Namor's feature, he's writing Nick Fury, X-Men, Avengers, Namor's feature and Doctor Strange's feature, plus at least one western assignment a month.

Eileen Gonzalez: He did keep busy back then!

Brian Cronin: But yeah, once Namor is set up, Thomas ties in wonderfully to then-recent classic Cap'/Red Skull Cosmic Cube story.

Brian Cronin: The one where Red Skull becomes, like, king of all reality.

Brian Cronin: And Cap pretends to be his lackey, but then knocks the cube out of his hands and it is lost in the ocean.

Brian Cronin: You'd think that Thomas was the writer on that story, the way that he so deftly ties its conclusion in with this story.

Eileen Gonzalez: It is really neat to see them connecting the dots this way. I believe Lee did that a time or two, but just a brief "Hey, this character isn't here right now because he's busy in this other book!" I think this is the first time they've seriously tied two different books together this way, no?

Brian Cronin: Well, Thomas had been working Cap's solo feature in pretty well the last couple of issues period, though, right?

Brian Cronin: As that's the one character on the team where Thomas didn't have total control over the character.

Brian Cronin: And this was the days where there were few enough titles that you could actually try to work in a character's solo adventures into the continuity of the team book.

Brian Cronin: It was funny to see Chris Claremont TRY to do that with Wolverine's solo adventures later in the 1980s (like he would have Wolverine take leaves of absence each time he had a new solo miniseries)

Brian Cronin: Before it just became clear that there was no way you could reconcile all of his solo stories into the continuity of the main book.

Brian Cronin: Like here, imagine if Cap had guest-starred in, like, five other books that month?

Eileen Gonzalez: Yeah, at this point it feels way too late to try to do something like this. Continuity wasn't quite the long, tangled thing it is today.

Brian Cronin: Exactly. By the way, while the Avengers head to the island with the naval base due to their search for the Cosmic Cube

Brian Cronin: Namor headed there because he...read the radio waves?!

Brian Cronin: When has that ever been a Namor superpower?

Eileen Gonzalez: I was going to ask you that! But hey, if he can fly with his itty-bitty ankle wings, reading radio waves almost makes sense by comparison.

Brian Cronin: Very true.

Brian Cronin: But what's weird is that you'd think there would have been any number of ways to get him to the base.

Brian Cronin: But whatever, the main thing remains is that he ends up on the same island base that the Avengers travel to to get the Cosmic Cube.

Brian Cronin: And hilarity ensues.

Eileen Gonzalez: Even before the ridiculous fight starts, I am amused by the fact that the Avengers' plane apparently has an ant-sized door for Hank and Jan.

Brian Cronin: That Tony Stark thinks of everything!

Brian Cronin: It's fascinating to see Thomas setting up Hank's Yellowjacket future here, when it won't come to fruition for 20 issues!

Brian Cronin: Well, unless Thomas literally is just wondering "Why DOESN'T Hank just get wings, too?"

Eileen Gonzalez: Good question. I wonder if this was just supposed to be a throwaway line that later inspired Thomas to create Yellowjacket.

Brian Cronin: Yeah, that's the more likely scenario.

Brian Cronin: A lot of this was just flying by the seat of his pants plotting.

Brian Cronin: I mean, don't get me wrong, he had some long term subplots in mind.

Brian Cronin: But specific stuff like Hank becoming Yellowjacket or Hawkeye later taking over as Goliath, were just spur of the moment ideas.

Brian Cronin: It's just well set up here

Brian Cronin: It's funny that Goliath is an old hat at fighting Namor, and yet totally forgot that Namor can fly.

Eileen Gonzalez: I bet Goliath wishes he could fly too, once Namor starts twirling him around in the air.

Brian Cronin: It was adorable watching the Wasp try to get involved.

Brian Cronin: "Look, everyone, Wasp is trying to help!"

Brian Cronin: Luckily, she actually plays a key role later in the issue.

Brian Cronin: Ah, the classic Heck "Let me draw them in silhouette out of nowhere to save time" panel.

Eileen Gonzalez:And then Hercules gets involved and his best idea is to a) spill the beans on the Cube, and b) throw Namor into the ocean. All of which ends so well.

Brian Cronin: Ooph, definitely not Hercules' best moment.

Brian Cronin: This issue also really showed Heck's limitations as the set-up was really strong

Brian Cronin: But once Namor gets the Cosmic Cube, a stronger artist could have done some really interesting stuff with it.

Brian Cronin: Here, Heck's whole deal for Namor's use of the Cosmic Cube is for him to create some low-rent -looking sea monster.

Eileen Gonzalez:It could just be that Namor has no imagination, but yeah, this is really sad

Eileen Gonzalez:Incidentally, it looks like B'Wana Beast was created just prior to this issue. I'd sue if I were him.

Eileen Gonzalez:Namor is stealing his shtick.

Brian Cronin: Ha!

Brian Cronin: Totally.

Brian Cronin: I like how the Avengers have gone back to their "Okay, you attack him one on one. Then I attack him one on one, then...."

Brian Cronin: Did Hawkeye KILL the beast Namor created?

Brian Cronin: And why does his blast arrow not look like an arrow at ALL?

Eileen Gonzalez:The fate of those poor animals is really left up in the air, isn't it? I like to think they all just separated into what they were before, but probably not.

Brian Cronin: It sure looks like it's head just exploded, though, right?

Eileen Gonzalez: Yeah. I'm assuming the soldiers at that naval base all had calamari that night.

Brian Cronin: It'd be interesting if one of them later got secondhand cosmic sea monster powers from eating it!

Brian Cronin: The Wasp then surprises everyone by saving the day, realizing that Namor is wearing the cube as a necklace and getting rid of it to save the day.

Eileen Gonzalez: That was a neat moment, with Wasp using her tiny size to advantage for once.

Brian Cronin: And then Thomas tied into the Marvel Universe once more for a strong ending

Brian Cronin: With the Mole Man getting the cube and just tossing it away.

Eileen Gonzalez: It's almost like a Twilight Zone ending with the irony.

Brian Cronin: Totally!

Brian Cronin: This was a fun issue overall, but yeah, boy, it could have used another artist.

Brian Cronin: And that signals the fact that the book IS getting an art change, as Heck is off the book (for now) after being the regular artist since issue #9!

Eileen Gonzalez: Thirty issues ain't a bad run.

Eileen Gonzalez: It'll be nice to have some fresh blood in the art department, though.

Brian Cronin: Not at all, but the book could use some new blood.

Eileen Gonzalez: Ha, great minds

Brian Cronin: And while he was already taking over control of the story, Thomas is now FIRMLY in control of the direction of the series.

Brian Cronin: We will soon see some classic Thomas/John Buscema issues, so it will be fun to see how their run started together.

Eileen Gonzalez: It can't be any sillier than this issue... or can it?

Brian Cronin: Duh duh duhhhhhhhhh