After going back and forth on social media over comments Dilbert creator Scott Adams made, veteran comics artist Bill Sienkiewicz challenged Adams to a charity draw-off to help with social justice.
The challenge came up as Gail Simone suggested the two settle their differences with a draw-off on Twitter. Sienkiewicz replied to her proposal, "Gail Simone, I’m in...With proceeds going to #BLM, #LGBTQIA and #WomensRights. Scott Adams says he’s to the left of Bernie. If so, cool. What say you, Scott? Want to deal together as Artists for good causes?"
He then directed a tweet towards Adams by writing, "Hey Scott Adams! Folks want the 2 of us to do a 'draw-off' (we can decide what to draw or take suggestions) Proceeds going to #BLM #LGBTQI #WomensRights. Do you have charities you want to support? This is a legit offer to do some good together rt now. No joke. No BS-You in?"
Adams replied with a list of internet troops. His response led to Sienkiewicz to call on him again. "Hey, Scott. Are you down for the “draw off” proposed by the brilliant Gail Simone (proceeds going to good causes?)," Sienkiewicz wrote. "BTW- I’m really sorry you feel so aggrieved / harangued that you needed to compile a list. Let’s set all that aside and do something to build a bridge."
After Sienkiewicz's final tweet, Adams turned down the offer by replying, "I don't support violent racist groups."
The feud between the two comics veterans started when the artists went back and forth on Twitter over Adams' comments about racism, which Sienkiewicz (and many other Twitter users) challenged.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's own Hulk has taken to social media to mark the Fourth of July, with an appropriate image from Avengers: Endgame.
Posting on Twitter, Mark Ruffalo wished everyone a happy Independence Day and accompanied his seasonal greeting with a screenshot from Avengers: Endgame, showing off Captain America and, as both Ant-Man and Steve Rogers called it, "America's ass."
The gag began in the second act of Avengers: Endgame, when Tony Stark commented on Cap's costume and how it did nothing for the super soldier's backside, causing Ant-Man to reassure the First Avenger, "As far as I'm concerned, that's America's ass," something Cap himself would agree with after seeing an alternate version of himself.
Avengers: Endgame flung Earth's mightiest heroes into various points of the past on a mission to collect the Infinity Stones. The film introduced alternate versions of familiar characters, bringing some back from the dead and allowing others to transform. One of the biggest changes was the passing of the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers to his friend, Sam Wilson. The monumental ensemble film concluded Phase 3 of the MCU and was a critical and financial success, widely praised by critics and grossing approximately $2.7 billion worldwide.
According to Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer, the NXT talent in question, Saurav Gurjar of the tag team Indus Sher, made a conscious effort to post the result of the match online, and WWE is reportedly furious. Fellow NXT talent E.J. Nduka attempted to control the narrative, suggesting that more than one ending was filmed. Cole also fueled rumors of a reshoot on his Twitch stream, claiming that he would be unable to stream the following week as "some things have changed and come up work-wise."
At this point, anything coming from the company seems like a poor attempt at damage control. Some of the more cynical WWE fans believe the results were intentionally leaked to drum up hype and more eyes to NXT in order to follow up a string of ratings victories over AEW Dynamite.
As night two of the Great American Bash approaches, however, let's explore the impact of the leaked result and one possible scenario involving the Money in the Bank contract following Wednesday's title match.
Nduka's tweet can be interpreted in two ways. First, that WWE filmed two possible endings to the match with each combatant getting his own version of a title victory. Another possibility is that the "second ending" he alludes to could have happened in the moments after Lee is pictured winning the NXT Championship. In this case, Mr. Money in the Bank cashes in and takes the title from the newly crowned champion is plausible, however unlikely.
Having Otis cash in and win the NXT Championship would keep the titles separate, giving more talent a chance to shine in NXT's mid-card. It would also provide an interesting wrinkle to the current NXT landscape. While the show has been excellent after hitting a pandemic-induced rough patch, it may be strapped for title challengers if Cole moves up to the main roster.
Karrion Kross has the proverbial rocket strapped to his back and will challenge for the title at some point in the future. After his destruction of former NXT Champ Tommaso Ciampa, it's likely that the imposing Kross will win in his first attempt at the brands's top prize. With that in mind, it's unlikely the company will have Lee, a massive fan-favorite, end Cole's record-setting reign just to lose in his first defense, making Kross an unlikely first opponent.
Adding Otis to NXT gives Lee a popular main-roster talent to feud with and would finally pay off the teases of Otis cashing in on a face champion. A surprise cash-in at the expense of NXT's top face would give the Smackdown superstar a personality beyond "Mandy's goofy, glutinous boyfriend".
On the other hand, Otis cashing in would be nothing more than a reactionary, panic move on WWE's part to save face and give fans a surprise ending to one of the biggest matches in recent NXT history. Taking Lee's title so quickly would likely do more harm than good for the incredible strength the company has worked to foster within his character and the brand as a whole, even if it would bring eyes to the product.
The two behemoths clashing would give the championship some breathing room before the inevitable Kross reign and continue to establish NXT as a legitimate third brand at the perfect time. Saying all of this, the social media rumors could indeed simply be a smokescreen to create intrigue after a horrible gaffe. However, if a second ending truly was filmed, having Otis appear and cash-in on Lee would generate significant buzz (good or bad) on the black-and-yellow brand.
Actor Katherine McNamara shared a video of her first archery lesson on Twitter as part of the #SaveTheArts campaign.
"First archery lesson on [The CW's Arrow]," McNamara wrote. She also urged her fellow professionals in film, television, theater and entertainment to post a photo of themselves at their job. Within the video, McNamara is shown to combine or mimic several martial arts moves with her archery.
McNamara played Mia Smoak, the daughter of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak. After saving Star City in the year 2040, she and her friends were whisked back to the past, where she met her father. After Oliver rebirthed the universe in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, Mia took up his mantle as the Green Arrow.
The #SavetheArts movement features writers, actors and other creative voices in entertainment and art using the hashtag in response to the U.K. potentially shuttering theaters.
McNamara is expected to reprise her role in the spinoff series, Green Arrow and the Canaries, if it is picked up. The series will potentially reunite her with co-stars Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy. Arrow co-creator and showrunner Marc Guggenheim has said that a decision on the series' future will be made soon.
It's never easy saying goodbye to a long-running Shonen series. These things can run for decades if they want and it's hard to say goodbye to characters that have become a part of our daily lives. But, that's what happened with Demon Slayer back in March when it decided to story had come to an end.
Now, there have been strong opinions on both sides about the ending of Kimetsu No Yaiba. Whether it was rushed, whether it was "out of nowhere", whether it was succinct or not. But, at the end of it all, there are some aspects of the series that were never fully elaborated on, and we wanted to look a bit more into that.
10 Why Was Nezuko A Special Case?
Now that the series is over and all questions will be answered, have been answered, there are still a lot of loose threads when it comes to Nezuko Kamado. Nezuko is the entire reason Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayers, as the girl was personally turned into a Demon by Muzan.
But fans never learned why Nezuko could control the size of her body, what the drawbacks of her Demon form was, or why she was able to walk under the sunlight with no issues. They never even learned more about her Burning Blood Demon Art and it was only really used during the fight with Rui. Maybe it was a 1-in-a-million chance or maybe its because of her ancestry but now they'll never know.
9 What Was The Deal With The Birthmarks?
After the end of Demon Slayer, viewers finally learned about the history of the Demon Slayers, who the first one was, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and how these Demon Slayer Marks have been around since the beginning. But how exactly did these Birthmarks appear? And how do they visually change in response to the type of Breath of the wielder?
Remember, all the different Breathing Styles branched from the Sun-Style, so birthmarks in the shape of a pinwheel, heart with wings, or encroaching flame doesn't quite line up. Frankly, it was likely an aesthetic choice by the author, but even that was never answered concretely.
8 The Kocho Sisters Were Saved By Himejima?
Many fans have come out to say what they wanted to see more of now that the series is over, and one of the most often brought-up aspects has to do with the Pillars. People, quite frankly, wanted to see a bunch more of the "Hashira" and learn about their pasts! For example, only a small percentage of the fanbase knew that Stone Pillar Himejima was actually the one who saved the Kocho twins when they were young.
That's because this is only briefly mentioned in one panel and then never talked about again. Why do viewers have to watch the 15th flashback about Tanjiro's dad but they can't see one of the young Kocho sisters causing trouble for this kind-hearted blind monk?
7 Misuri Kanroji Created Her Own Breath Style?
One of the most interesting aspects of Demon Slayer overall is the Breathing Styles. For some reason, the anime medium seems obsessed with the idea that breathing can justify superpowers. If you don't believe us just look at JoJo's Bizzare Adventure and how Hamon started. Anyway, most of the Breathing Styles that were seen in the Manga were passed down from generation to generation except for two, Inosuke's Beast Breathing, and Mitsuri Kanroji's Love Breathing.
But how exactly does one "create" a Breathing Style, and how does it become officially recognized? In any case, anime kids are pumped to see what visual flair the anime will give her Love Breathing Style. That said, there's no way the Demon Slaying Corps would recognize some random guy saying he invented "Beast Breathing" yet it's never called into question.
6 How Did Zenitsu And Nezuko End Up Together?
If there is one thing within the Demon Slayer fan community that is often argued about, it's Zenitsu. Zenitsu is plucky, cowardly, loud, brash, and annoying, but for some reason people like him. But, at the end of the day, he has some good traits. Still, the problem is, why does Nezuko like him?
Throughout the series, it becomes obvious that Zenitsu is in love with Nezuko purely on her appearance, but once she becomes human, what does she like about Zenitsu? Fans understand that he's deceptively strong, but still.
5 Did All The Other Demons Just Disappear?
So what exactly happened to all the rest of the demons after Muzan was defeated at the end of the Infinity Castle Arc? If these were classic vampires it would make a tad more sense, but even then Vampires have more mysticism when it comes to their blood ties.
Demons gain their power from Muzan's Blood, but then it's integrated with their body and they make it their own, which is where all the individual Blood Demon Arts come from. So, why would they fade to dust once Muzan was gone?
4 What Ever Happened With The Blue Spider Lily?
Remember how Muzan was after the Blue Spider Lily because he theorized that it would make him immune to the sun's effects? Remember how that was an integral part of his overall goal and backstory? Then, all of a sudden, Nezuko becomes able to walk in the sun, and the Blue Spider Lily becomes irrelevant.
It's like if Freiza was after the Dragonballs but then some kid popped up who could just summon Shenron at will so he started chasing them instead. Of course, fans understand that the plot would move toward the more convenient of the two options, but that doesn't mean leaving the Blue Spider Lily plotline unfinished isn't still a flaw in the narrative. They could've easily tied it into Tamayo's plotline in some way, considering her profession.
3 How Do Blood Demon Arts Work? Why Didn't Kuzan Have One?
Demon Slayers have their Breathing Styles, Demons have their Blood Demon Arts. Neither technique is explained in-depth, but one is purely visual and the other is literal magic. Remember, the water that swells around Tanjiro's sword and the Lightning around Zenitsu's are there only for visual flair, they aren't visible to the characters in the story and don't imbue the sword with magical effects.
But the Demon Arts? Those are real. Rue's spider-threads were real, Yahaba's trajectory shifting arrows were real, and Nezuko's exploding blood is real. But, how does that even work?
2 Will They Still Pass On The Breathing Techniques?
Many of the Breathing Styles that developed over the years were passed down from Master to Disciple or from Father to Son. All of them originated from the Sun Breathing Style, yes, but many were developed at random intervals later on so they all have different roots and ancestry.
The question now is, will these superhuman Breathing Arts still be passed down now that Demons are a thing of the past? Why shouldn't they? If trained properly, one can utilize superhuman speed, strength, and comprehension, all things that would still be useful in a peaceful daily life.
1 What Happened To the Ubuyashiki's And Other Demon Slaying Staff?
And finally, now that the story has ended and the camera has shifted to the next generation, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure style, what became of the Demon Slaying Corps? Obviously one would assume they disbanded, but this was a country-wide operation that used satellite homes, complex communication systems, and a well-thought-out system of ranks and chain-of-command.
It would be a waste to just throw that all away now that the demons are gone, so put those resources to work somewhere else! The most obvious route would be to use Demon Slaying techniques to train peacekeepers or soldiers, and readers saw that with Giyuu and Shinaguzawa, but sadly fans never found out what happened to the famed Ubuyashiki family.
Some people have a Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI®) combination of introverted, observant, feeling, and prospecting personality traits, or ISFP. These types of people can be described as open-minded, warm, grounded, and who approach new experiences with arms wide open and live in the moment.
They want to push boundaries and what is accepted. These adventurers prefer to challenge expectations and experiment or journey to new lands. Now, it’s not surprising that there are heroes who fit this adventurer type, but how many villains would be called adventurers by another villain or a nemesis is a little harder to nail down. More importantly, it would be difficult to see how many would be called warm and grounded, especially among DC villains.
10 King Shark
Nanue is the son of the Shark God who is also the King of All Sharks. King Shark is a loyal son who has fought Superboy and Aquaman because he was following his father's orders.
It is while following his father's orders that King Shark is rescued by Aquaman and proceeds to take care of him. Despite not having the warmest bedside manner, King Shark cares for Arthur Curry and imparts his knowledge of the sea and ensures that Aquaman returns to his people.
9 Cheetah
Barbara Ann Minerva was an archaeologist. Her desire to push the boundaries of what is allowed and what should be done was driven by her family's wealth and a neurotic personality. When she journeys to Africa, Barbara observes the death of a cheetah guardian and performs the ritual that transfers the powers of the previous bearer.
Cheetah covets Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth and she befriends Diana by becoming warm and trusting until the lasso reveals her true intentions. Wonder Woman and Cheetah are set at odds and remain that way still. Diana continues to offer the warm friendship that they once had, but it is a side of Barbara that has not returned.
8 Killer Croc
Waylon Jennings was born into a raw deal. His skin condition made him an outcast and his alcoholic and abusive parents made it worse. Life as a sideshow wrestler was no better. Only in the Lousiana bayou and the sewers of Gotham was Killer Croc safe enough to be more than a monster
Croc's ferocity makes him fearless. However, close connections with members of the poorest communities have allowed his caring nature to come forward. He once journeyed back to the bayou to help prevent a family member from taking the path of a criminal.
7 Veronica Cale
Veronica Cale is an accomplished professional. She is both a scientist and historian who has earned 3 Ph.D.s at Harvard University. Cale received her greatest recognition in science but is always slighted. She takes her frustrations out on Wonder Woman and then funds numerous powered villains to defeat Diana.
Scientists are not known for their warmth but it was Cale who befriended and even seduced Will Magnus when the two were trapped on Oolong Island.
6 Risk
Cody Driscoll had a rebellious streak that can lead him into trouble or adventure. One adventure onto a NORAD site led to his abduction by aliens and the revelation he is half-alien. The result of this excursion is that Cody has heightened strength and senses and shares a bond with his fellow abductees.
Risk fought fearlessly with the Teen Titans his new family until his arm was ripped off by Superboy-Prime. Cody was reduced to committing petty crimes and suffered an addiction to painkillers before he was blackmailed by Deathstroke for something more nefarious.
5 Gilda Dent
Gilda Dent is the long-suffering and undeniably loyal wife of Harvey Dent, also known as Two-Face. Gilda was always warm and supportive of her husband's career as Gotham's strident district attorney. But her greatest desire was to one day slow down the pace of their lives to start a family.
Whether it was the strain or a manifestation of a hidden desire, Gilda eventually became the criminal Holiday. Batman and Harvey hunt Holiday not knowing the true identity of the killer, and when Dent kills Albert Falcone both men believe that the killer is dead. With the death of Falcone, Gilda was replaced and left Gotham with her secret.
4 Mr. Mxyzptlk
Mxyzptlk is a fearless fifth-dimensional master of mischief. Mxy, as he is called for short, has long been a thorn of chaos in the side of Superman. Even if Mxy was not from a higher dimension, his personality would always find the rules and structure the Man of Steel supports restricting.
Mxy has pushed the boundaries with out-of-the-box thinking for decades. He has told Superman this is because of a sense of respect and a desire to help. Behind the madness is a Mxy who deeply cares for the last son of Krypton.
3 Shade
Richard Swift is a gentleman who experienced an unnatural phenomenon that gave him possession and control over powerful shadows. He is a master of the Darklands and the survivor of countless attempts on his life. The Shade has walked the world for decades and carries the confident assurance of a fearless adventurer who is subject to no one.
Despite this, Shade has also used his experience to become a kind mentor to Jack Knight when he wielded the Cosmic Staff created by his father Ted Knight. The Shade recently offered similar guidance to Carter Hall when he witnessed a change in Hawkman's demeanor.
2 T. O. Morrow
T.O. Morrow accomplished a scientific dream by inventing a device that looked like a television and could see the future. Morrow continued to search for something new to invent and open to unexplored opportunities to explore. He even committed crimes because he wanted to prove that they were too easy.
Morrow's two greatest accomplishments were the Red Tornado and Tomorrow Girl. Both creations outshone the creator's invention and perhaps revealed Morrow's caring core.
1 Dr. Manhattan
John Osterman was the son of a watchmaker who pushed young John to become a grounded scientist following the detonation of the atom bomb. At that time, he was adventurous and open and inspired by the love of his life. Then, John was caught in an explosion that changed his molecular structure and turned him blue. It changed the way he saw time and the world.
He became Dr. Manhattan and fought crime before winning the war in Vietnam for the United States. Eventually, he grew tired of the machinations of earth his adventurous and curious nature took over. He sought a new life on a new planet with new possibilities. Upon his return to Earth in Doomsday Clock he becomes a villain to rival Superman.
Everyone loves to watch stories in which music plays a big part, and anime is no different. There are so many great, and very different, kinds of stories about music out there and so many different kinds of music to be represented in storytelling, with everything from a group of friends trying to get a punk band going to a kid who’s interested in jazz to a young man who wants to be a pop singer.
All of these stories are also told with great character drama and their own specific tones and moods, but they’re all definitely worth checking out.
10 K-On!
K-On! follows a group of high school girls who are a part of a light music group at their school. They learn to play instruments while in the club and slowly start to form a more formal band, especially as more members join them and they improve in their skills. The series follows them through high school and into college as they continue to hone their musical talents.
9 Gravitation
Gravitation follows the story of a young man named Shuichi who is determined to become the next big pop star. He falls in love with Eiri, a famous romance novelist, who is often dismissive of both his skills and his dreams of becoming a big star. The story is as much a romance between the two menas it is a story of Shuichi’s determined journey to the top of the musical charts.
8 Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad
Beck is about a group of high school friends who start a band together, and it actually starts to take off. They end up touring in America, but things fall apart between them in the end, with life getting in the way of their dreams.
But Koyuki, a guitarist with Beck, finds life dull without the band, and he goes out to see if he can get Beck back together, wanting to feel the energy and excitement of making music together once again.
7 Detroit Metal City
Detroit Metal City is a comedy about a musician who wants to be a pop singer, but he so far hasn’t been able to make that dream come true. Instead, he’s the face-painted lead singer of a metal band, Detroit Metal City. The series plays with the tropes often found in metal music as well as parodying the ideas that people have about what metal music is and how it affects the people who listen to it.
6 Tomorrow’s Cantabile
Tomorrow’s Cantabile is a relationship drama about two students who study at the same music school, one playing violin, and the other playing piano. They slowly begin to form a relationship as they realize how well they play together and try to overcome their fears in order to make their dreams of becoming professional classical musicians come true.
5 Carole & Tuesday
Carole & Tuesday is one of two anime on this list created by Shinichiro Watanabe, who is known for his music-heavy anime like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
The series takes a step away from the more slice of life genres that many of the anime on this list fall into by taking place on Mars, with the two main characters trying to make it as a musical duo.
4 Kids On The Slope
Kids on the Slope is the other anime by Shinichiro Watanabe on this list. The series follows a high school student who moves in with relatives in a remote town and slowly befriends a classmate who is considered by most to be a delinquent. Like Cowboy Bebop, the series revolves around jazz as a motif, with the characters often playing or talking about the music, as well.
3 Your Lie In April
Your Lie in April is not for the faint of heart. Like Tomorrow’s Cantabile, it’s a story about two young musicians, one of them a pianist, the other a violinist, as they try to hold onto their love of playing music, particularly by playing together.
However, the violinist, Kaori, is desperately ill, and she needs a life-saving but dangerous operation. The drama and anxiety about their relationship, which is a love story both between these two characters and for the actual playing of music, makes this a must-watch.
2 Nana
NANA is one of the most well-loved josei manga of all time. It’s a story about two young women named Nana who, by coincidence, sit together on a train to Tokyo, where they’re both going to start new lives.
Nana Komatsu is joining her boyfriend, who has gone to Tokyo for art school, while Nana Osaki is hoping to make it as a punk musician. The series is as much about their relationship as it is about their ambitions and plans, with great inside jokes and gorgeous stylized animation.
1 Given
Where one could make the argument that NANA is a love story between the two main characters, Given is explicitly a love story between the two male main characters. The two are teenagers in the same high school, and they become friends as one teaches the other how to play guitar. They eventually end up playing in the same band, and their feelings blossom as they prepare for a battle of the bands style showcase.
Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman are among the DC superheroes known as the pantheon. Their status among the heroes that follow in their footsteps is one of legend. But, legends weren't built overnight. In fact, there have been some moments in the lives of the solemn heroes that are downright ridiculous.
The truth is that history, time, and perspective can make the past look like something we would rather forget. Worse still, are moments that are seen out of context and leave the reader befuddled. Enjoy the following strange and hilarious comic book panels which have been taken out of context for your enjoyment.
10 Batman's Needs
On first look, this panel seems to capture the most debased aspect of Batman's carnal desires. One would be forgiven to question if Alfred was OK after this exchange.
When taken in the context of a larger storyline, like say when Batman was addicted to Venom, the image might make more sense. Might being the operative word. This time though, it was vampires. Yup. Just vampires.
9 Joker's Problem
It should be stated that male performance and the issues that surround it are no laughing matter. However, having others witness performance issues and then laughing at someone only compounds the problem. It appears that Joker has something to prove and he is determined to demonstrate his prowess as many times as it takes.
Some words simply do not age well. Boner is an old phrase for making a mistake. It has since become a euphemism for a male's sexually aroused genitalia. Joker shouldn't feel bad, Mike Seaver's best friend on the sitcom Growing Pains was named Boner.
8 Jimmy...? Wassup?
There really is very little explanation available for this one. It's not from the distant past. But the painful recentness of the phrase Wassup feels painfully awkward coming from the lips of Superman.
It's almost worse because it is Superman. If it had been Clark Kent clearly doing his best to be awkward then it might make so much more sense. But, there's that word might, again.
7 Batman Kills Babies
While this panel doesn't actually feature the Dark Knight himself, it is a lovely homage to the legendary Batman's complicated mythos. With a person like Batman the legends about what he does and doesn't do often outgrow the man himself. Batman can appear to fly, shoot magic from his hands, and be bulletproof.
In this case, the truth is much closer to a common understanding of babies, which is that they can choke very easily. This is why the Batman toy that Scott Free gives to his son is so controversial. Scientific studies reveal that babies can choke on the Batman toy. So, Batman kills babies.
6 Bruce and Dick in Bed
Everything can look bad when taken out of context. This panel with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson waking up together in a shared bed fits that description. Despite the enthusiasm they both share about starting the day, there are some uncomfortable questions that this panel raises.
The simple fact is that early Batman was a dark and violent character. The purpose of Robin was to brighten the overall tone. Later issues continued to embrace the campy side of these two characters and moments like this were meant to highlight the fun that crimefighting holds for them both.
5 Punish Me, Daddy
There are some things that just never look appropriate in public. One is a grown man being spanked by his father and asking for more punishment. What makes this worse is that Superman is the person getting spanked. Then there is the part where his father Jor-El is a giant bending Superman over his knee.
The spandex, cape, and the look on Superman's face complete the shocking details of this image. It might help to fill in the back story, but since it was the 60s, Jor-El was dead, and Superman is miniaturized there is no guarantee that it will.
4 What Have I Done?
Yet another panel that paints Batman's relationship with Robin in unpleasant shades. The affliction referenced in this panel is transmitted by touch. Ray Palmer is married to Jean Loring. Barry Allen is dating Iris West and mentions a kiss of death. Hal Jordan is romantic with Carol Ferris and mentions deadly danger.
But what did Batman do to Robin? Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne is a legendary bachelor. But that still doesn't explain what Bruce could have done to put Dick Grayson's life in jeopardy.
3 Robot Fishing
Wonder Woman has a magic lasso and an invisible place. So, why does she need to use both to go fishing for a large golden fish? And why is a giant robot the perfect hook and bait to nab the fish?
Undoubtedly, reading the entire story will reveal how this was possible. But understanding why it was necessary will always feel like a stretch of the imagination.
2 Wonder Woman Net
To answer the question that immediately springs to mind, the members of Wonder Woman's family are dangling in a net. Holding the net and looking on with wonder are giant-sized versions of the exact same amazonian family.
There was a time when Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman all had families. Their combined might can unleash the most unlikely and implausible stories.
1 Wonder Tot Fencing
To drive home the idea that superhero family stories are a distinct genre is this panel featuring the youngest member of the Wonder Woman Family, Wonder Tot. Dressed like Diana if she was in elementary school, Wonder Tot is the mightiest little member in the family.
She also has Wonder Woman to teach her Amazonian fundamentals like fencing. Now, if those lessons include how to use a marlin to deflect the parry from a shark, it is clear that Womder Tot was rarely unprepared for anything that was thrown at her.
With new opponents nearly every episode, Samurai Jackhas had no shortage of fights. From bickering bounty hunters to the cosmic space demon Aku, the only limits of his rogue's gallery are the extents of his writers' imaginations.
However, while he providentially is never slain by Aku, the Samurai has been defeated more than once ~ some losses more mortifying than others. Without further ado, let's examine Jack's greatest victories and his most humiliating defeats in his endless quest to defeat Aku and his army of minions.
10 Humiliating Defeat - Flung Into The Future
Decisively the most galling defeat Jack would suffer throughout the entire series, his first loss against Aku was the most iconic one. It is what set him on his hero's journey, one that would last for over 50 years before his eventual return.
Before (and even during) season 5, it would have been reasonable to assume his family would fall back into Aku's cruel service once he had vanished. Even though he would return to free them, Samurai Jack was not able to save everyone he cared about in the end.
9 Great Victory - Defeating The Beetle Drones
When Samurai Jack first made landfall on a foreign, unidentifiable earth, he was approached by a group of talking dogs who requested his assistance at their colony. They were soon to become besieged by a massive swarm of beetle drones ~ Aku's latest and most dastardly droids.
The dogs themselves would not be able to offer much assistance, though Jack would gallantly face down the threat regardless. His first deed of heroism on the new world spread quickly, consolidating him as the potential savior many had been aggressively searching for.
8 Humiliating Defeat - The Imakandi
Aku approached the Imakandi's home world, acknowledging the nomadic tribe of hunters as some of the greatest warriors the cosmos had ever seen. He offered jewels to rain from the heavens should they successfully capture Jack, though they refused, stating that the hunt was payment enough.
The nomads lived up to their reputation. Using teamwork, primitive weapons, and astounding agility, they eventually captured the Samurai after an arduous and difficult battle. He had posed the most difficult hunt they had ever fought, and as a result, they refused to return him to Aku once he had come to collect his prize.
7 Great Victory - The Elite Mercenaries
The elite mercenaries were assembled by a mysterious warrior woman, all members possessing individual strengths which complimented the potency of the team. Though their personalities could not have been more different, they shared one singular goal; to claim the bounty on Samurai Jack.
Each devised a morbid plan to defeat him, playing to their gifts and personalities. However, when the final scheme was made and they burst from the shadows to apprehend the Samurai, he obliterated all of them before a single drop of rain fell from the parapets.
6 Humiliating Defeat - The Sirens
Samurai Jack's loss against the Siren Sisters may have been off-screen, though it was arguably more humiliating than any martial defeat he might have suffered. For almost two episodes, he played the fool and muse to his old friend, the Scotsman, who was vexed and confounded at his suddenly aloof behavior.
Fortunately, he would later manage to reclaim his sword and mind once he returned to the monsters' lair and defeat the trio which dwelt there. Nonetheless, were it not for the Scotsman's timely intervention, he would have made easy prey for a passing bounty hunter.
5 Great Victory - Scaramouche
Scaramouche was the first antagonist for Jack to face off against in the final season, and one which posed a considerable threat. The singing robot was the top bounty hunter for Aku in all the universe, commanding his tuning sword through his flute and voice.
Moreover, the Samurai had to fight him without his divine sword, forcing him to improvise with ordinary weapons as he overcome his musical opponent. His battle against the mercenary might have been a successful one, though it wouldn't be the last Jack saw of him ~ ultimately, Scaramouche would harbor the final reckoning between him and Aku.
4 Humiliating Defeat - The Guardian
Unlike many of Jack's foes, the Guardian was not a mercenary commissioned to slay his target, nor even seeking Jack's death at all. He was charged with protecting a time portal, a task he fought tooth and nail to uphold. Rather than attempting to blitz around him and dart through it, Jack honorably attempted to defeat him ~ and failed.
A mysterious presence ordered the Guardian to relent from striking the finishing blow, and gazing upon his beaten opponent, the alien agreed, stating that he might one day be worthy. Luckily, he was right.
3 Great Victory - Demongo
Though individually Demongo might not have been powerful, his strength resided in the captured warriors he released from his chest to fight the Samurai. The vast, spiritual army would regenerate every time Jack cut them down, slowly fatiguing him as the specter cackled with glee.
Eventually, Jack realized where these apparitions were spawning from and returning to after he had defeated them. He struck Demongo where he was vulnerable, finally defeating him. The mad monster may have made a dramatic return in season 5, but luckily Jack would not have to face him again.
2 Humiliating Defeat - Aku & Ashi
When Aku was informed by Scaramouche that Jack had lost his sword, he opportunistically rushed to fight him. While his mercenary may have been misinformed, he found something else which he was able to capitalize on; the Samurai was cavorting with his biological daughter, Ashi.
Twisting her body to his will through his magic, he forced the two of them to fight. Jack got the upper hand, though since he was unwilling to kill her, he forfeited the battle. Thus, Aku would reap his greatest triumph, capturing his immortal opponent and preparing his execution as the entire world watched.
1 Great Victory - Slaying Aku Permanently
Moments after he had been banished to the past, Jack returned from the future to reap vengeance for all the suffering Aku had caused. Relentlessly, the Samurai slashed Aku's blackened body with his divine blade, ripping apart his form wherever it began to grow.
With a decisive strike through the skull, he ended the ancient evil permanently and undid the suffering wrought by his hand. However, Aku's death entailed that Ashi would cease to exist. In the end, the vile demon would have one final laugh at Jack's expense.
Swamp Thinghas been airing on the CW in a slightly edited form, after previously being featured on the DC Universe streaming service. The popular and well-received series has actually been canceled by the platform, much to the disappointment of viewers.
There's plenty of rumors circulating that part of the reason the CW is airing the show is that the character could be added to the Arrowverse very soon. It wouldn't be the first time that this has happened but it also may not be the best idea for the character and the future of the show. On the other hand, Swamp Thing would be a welcomed addition to the Arrowverse family.
10 Shouldn't: Would Interfere With The Show
The TV show had a potential future if another network decided to pick it up. In many ways, it would be much better if the CW picked up the whole brand, rather than just the Swamp Thing character himself.
If the show isn't allowed to continue, because the character has been taken to another universe, then it could interfere with a potential future. Having said that, the future for another season does look bleak.
9 Should: Unfinished Business
There's plenty of unfinished business from the TV show though that could carry on somehow narratively, in a different universe. Much like Astra was brought in for Constantine, maybe even Swamp Thing's supporting characters could make the jump.
This way there's essentially a conclusion to the series that appeases fans, while also securing a future for the character himself to continue on in an expanded DC Universe.
8 Shouldn't: A Confused Audience
It may be a little confusing for old and even new audience members though. For those who only watched Swamp Thing, they won't understand everything happening in the Arrowverse.
Casual fans of the TV shows might be a little mythed as to where this monstrous creature has come from. Hopefully, the CW airing the show can help limit that confusion a little; otherwise, there would have been plenty of people who hadn't even seen the show.
7 Should: Out In The Multiverse
Swamp Thing has already been confirmed to be out in the Multiverse that links all of the Arrowverse stories together. While he's not on Earth Prime, he is on Earth-19, as seen in Crisis On Infinite Earths.
This confirmation means that it would be pretty easy for the character to crossover in the future. It's possible to jump between Earths so there would have to be a reason for him to venture to Earth Prime though.
With so many characters being underutilized currently, it might not be appropriate to add another heavy hitter to the ranks. Fresh faces are needed, but there's going to be a lot of new characters with the addition of a new Batwoman and a Superman show.
5 Should: Constantine Crossover
Fans have been really begging to see a crossover between John Constantine and Swamp Thing. The two are old allies, with the duo even teaming up together on the Justice League Dark.
They are clearly perfect partners for the Arrowverse and could bring in a new type of magic and mysticism to the universe. It would be incredible to see their partnership finally make it to live-action.
4 Shouldn't: Narrative Issues
A number of narrative issues might arise if the character was somehow written into one of the Arrowverse shows. It may seem like a really strange fit on many of the series the CW has to offer.
It would be odd for him to need to move to a different universe and since the heroes don't really know that a new multiverse exists it might be even more head-scratching to have this beast appear.
3 Should: Fit To Be A Legend
There's one show and team that Swamp Thing would be a perfect fit for though. Alongside Constantine, he'd be a great member of the Legends of Tomorrow.
He'd fit perfectly into their misfit group and would play into all the magical and crazy adventures they go on. It's perhaps a perfect way to add Swamp Thing to the Arrowverse roster.
2 Shouldn't: A Common Fix
The idea of bringing characters into the Arrowverse is overdone. It's been used so many times. Whether it was previous versions of The Flash, Supergirl, and Constantine himself, there's been so many appearances from old heroes and other shows.
It may be time to finally find a new solution when a show gets canceled. Such a common fix means that there's no end to the crossovers. That may be good news for fans but can also ruin what has already been built.
1 Should: Justice For The Character
The character himself is one of the best adaptations that has been put to screens. The TV version really captures the essence of the comics and it's a shame to see that work go to waste.
To get some proper justice for Swamp Thing, his journey must continue, but perhaps in a way that no one expected. Plus the character has a lot of worth to bring to the Arrowverse itself!
Easily the most fearsome enemy in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Azula has been a true villain in the series. A firebending prodigy, the Fire Lord's daughter has accomplished many things, including the conquest of Ba Sing Se and nearly killing the Avatar himself while in the Avatar State.
Out of all of the characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender though, her future is most murky after the events of the series. While most members of Team Avatar had legacies, flashbacks, or lived through the events of The Legend of Korra, Azula has been conspicuously absent.
10 Started The New Ozai Society
In the comic arc Smoke and Shadow, Azula had been secretly plotting with others to overthrow Zuko as the Fire Lord. Only a few years removed from the final events of the series, Zuko's reign is quite fresh and many in the Fire Nation are upset with his appeasement policy.
9 Dressed Up As Mai's Nightmare To Kidnap Children
As children, Azula and Mai were the best of friends. With Ty Lee, they grew up together, mastering their skills at the Fire Nation Academy. Still, when Mai and Ty Lee betrayed Azula to save Zuko, it drove her to madness.
In this, Azula had a moment of clarity for the greatest revenge. Remembering an old sleepover with Mai, she recalled Mai's great nightmare of the Kemurikage spirits. Dressing up with others like this spirit, she proceeds to kidnap Mai's brother and other children.
8 Met Her Mom For Real
One of the most heartbreaking moments in Avatar: The Last Airbender was during Azula's Fire Lord coronation. Already deeply unstable, Azula's mindset was further driven to paranoia by Ozai's departure and the betrayal of her friends. In this, Azula is visited by her mother. Still, it is clear that these are most likely deeply traumatic mental hallucinations and Azula is only moments from total breakdown.
In the comic arc The Search, Team Avatar goes to find Ursa, but Zuko decides to take Azula with them. Throughout the journey, Azula does good and bad things, leading to the penultimate moment where Ursa's face is restored and Zuko and Azula are reunited with her.
7 Saved Team Avatar From Moth Wasps
Azula is often known for her swift reflexes and sharp skills. In The Search arc, the gang is attacked by a large swarm of moth wasps and they are completely taken by surprise. In this, Azula's quick thinking and prodigious ability come to the forefront.
She quickly dispatches the swarm by firing lightning, causing them to seek the light instead of the gang. This gives her some credibility within the team as only moments before Katara and Sokka wanted to kill Azula.
6 Fought A Plantbender
Plantbenders are actually just waterbenders and were generally only known to be the country-folk hailing from the Foggy Swamp. Descendants of the Southern Water Tribe, these loveable benders have been revealed as only one faction of plantbenders.
In The Search, the gang meets Misu and her brother from the Northern Water Tribe. Misu's brother had his face stolen by Koh the Face Stealer and they were on a mission in the Fire Nation to save him. Upon seeing Team Avatar, Misu immediately attacked them with plantbending leading to a fight with Azula.
5 Redirected Lightning That Was Redirected At Her
Long taunted by Zuko to shoot lightning at him, Azula has the last laugh in the Smoke and Shadow arc. When she fires lightning at Zuko, he happily redirects it at her only to have her redirect it back to him. Despite Azula's strange mental state she had observed and learned the tactic after a few duels with Zuko and Iroh.
Having only been hit with the redirection two or three times, it stands as a testament to Azula's amazing talent as a firebender to figure out the strength of such a move. Her understanding to move the lightning through the stomach was also a masterstroke of observation.
4 Was Enraged Upon Seeing Her Half-Sister
Often scolded for her usually violent behavior and manipulative manner, Azula even remarked that her mother saw her as a monster. In many ways, her jealousy and talent for firebending came as a result of Ursa's disapproval for her.
Longing to be loved by her mother, Azula's jealousy stems from anyone else receiving better treatment from Ursa. In The Search, Azula finds Ursa and discovers that Ursa not only forgot about her due to spirit magic but also had another daughter. Seeing a new daughter beloved by her mother threw her into a manic rage.
3 Wanted To Rule Through Zuko
After the events of The Search, Azula had run off in a manic rage, as previously mentioned. Coming to her lowest point she realized that she was not destined to rule and embraced this. In Smoke and Shadow, Azula used assassins and started the New Ozai Society merely as a ploy to make Zuko more ruthless so he could rule the Fire Nation more confidently.
In this, Azula wanted the best for the Fire Nation, and only wished to make the world fear and respect them as they did before. While she failed to adequately change Zuko into a more militant leader, she did help him find what kind of leader he wanted to be.
2 Manipulated Mai's Father
Mai's father Ukano was known in Avatar: The Last Airbender as the governor of Omashu which he held until King Bumi retook it on the Day of Black Sun. In Smoke and Shadow, Ukano was dissatisfied with Zuko's offer of a government job, angry at the concept of being controlled by his daughter's boyfriend.
Azula saw this and Ukano's deep loyalty to Ozai and started the New Ozai Society with him. In this, Azula manipulated poor Ukano into even kidnapping his own child. In this, her deception had Ukano doing things he would not do and it caused friction in his family, ultimately splitting them up.
1 Went To A Mental Asylum
After the final events of the television series, Azula's mental state was exceptionally weakened. She had lost in a fight with Katara and had already suffered from hallucinations and extreme paranoia. Crying and thrashing about as Katara went to check on Zuko, Azula was cut as a rather tragic figure.
In the events of The Search, Azula was shown to have been at a mental asylum instead of a prison. Zuko felt responsible for her and chose to take care of her despite her malicious attitude towards him.
Spellcasters are known to get the short end of the stick. Despite being popular, in prior eras, they were frequently looked over. Their best cards were always decent, but their boss monsters rarely played a major role in the meta.
The creation of Link monsters flipped this entirely on its head, however, as Link Spellcasters wound up being some of the most used cards in the game. One of the few banned Link monsters is a spellcaster, and even now a Spellcaster Link is a key card in extra decks. Let's take a look at a few of the best ones.
10 RELINQUISHED ANIMA
The Link version of Relinquished, this card can be made from a level one monster. It can target a face-up monster that it points to and equip it to itself. Anima then gains attack equal to the monster it’s equipped with.
This card is solid and all, though admittedly it probably should’ve been more powerful considering it’s the successor to a well-known card. It probably should’ve at least not targeted, and picked any monster on the field.
9 CROWLEY, THE FIRST PROPHESEER
Made of two Spellcasters, Crowley allows the player to reveal three Spellbooks with different names from the deck, then the opponent picks one at random to add to the hand.
Even better, the card can summon a level five or higher Spellcaster without tributing, which is an awesome way to easily get the High Priestess out onto the field. This is an amazing support for the deck it was made for, while also helping other decks that focus on spellcasters.
8 DAY-BREAKER, THE SHINING MAGICAL WARRIOR
Day-Breaker is basically Breaker the Magical Warrior. Once Link Summoned, the player can place a spell counter on it, giving it 300 ATK. Whenever a spellcaster is summoned to a zone Day-Breaker points to, it gains an additional spell counter.
Then it can remove two spell counters from itself to target and destroy a card on the field. This improves on Breaker by allowing it to continue to gain spell counters on its own, while also being able to destroy anything, whether it’s a monster, spell, or trap.
7 ALTERGEIST HEXSTIA
The primary Link card for Altergeist, Hexstia gains attack for all the Altergeists that are pointing to it. Also, it can negate a spell or trap card by tributing an Altergeist monster that’s being pointed to by Hexstia.
This is perfect for Altergeist, an anti-meta deck based on slowing the opponent down and stopping them from making plays as much as possible. Altergeist doesn’t necessarily need Links, but it always helps. And even if it leaves the field, the player can then search the deck for an Altergeist card to keep everything going.
6 ALEISTER THE INVOKER OF MADNESS
Made up of two monsters of different types and attributes, this Link monster counts as Aleister the Invoker, a monster usually seen as an engine in other, more powerful decks. Having it is an easy route to getting an Invocation Fusion spell from the deck, which can be used to fusion literally any fusion monster.
Then if this leaves the field, the player can also search out an Omega Summon trap card, which can special summon banished Invoked monsters. This works for pure Invoked decks mostly, but the sheer advantage it offers makes it key.
5 IB THE WORLD CHALICE PRIESTESS
While linked to other cards, Ib can’t be destroyed by battle or card effects. It can also protect other monsters from being destroyed by sending itself to the graveyard instead.
It shines in World Chalice-focused decks, where when it’s sent to the graveyard from the field the player can special summon a World Chalice monster from the hand.
4 WEE WITCH'S APPRENTICE
Wee Witch’s Apprentice feels old school, in that it gives all Dark monsters on the field 500 ATK, and makes all the Light monsters lose 400 ATK. This is such a straightforward, classic Yu-Gi-Oh ability. If it’s destroyed, the player can target a Dark monster in the graveyard and add it to the hand.
This card’s best usage is getting another Dark monster from the graveyard, though since it relies on the card being destroyed by battle that’s going to be fairly difficult. It also opens zones up for additional Link monsters, which is helpful even in the revised Master Rule 4.
3 HIITA, THE FIRE CHARMER, ABLAZE
Hiita can special summon a Fire monster from the opponent’s graveyard to a zone it points to. If it’s destroyed, the player can add a Fire monster with 1500 or less DEF from the deck to the hand.
Hiita is usually used to deal with the Salamangreat players, helping them to deal with some of the resources that are so frequently used.
2 SELENE, QUEEN OF THE MASTER MAGICIANS
This card only recently came out, but it’s a legitimate part of nearly every deck’s combos these days. It’s a Link-3 monster that upon being summoned places spell counters on itself equal to the number of spells on the field and in the graveyard.
At any point, the player can remove three spell counters from the field to special summon a spellcaster from the deck. Currently, this is the easiest way to go into Accesscode Talker, a Link-4 that’s a game-winner by itself.
1 SUMMON SORCERESS
When Summoned Sorceress hits the field, players can automatically special summon a monster from their hand in defense position to the opponent’s zone it points to. Which feels puzzling at first, but she can also special summon another monster with the same Type from their deck, but negate its effects.
This was such an amazing card in terms of how it allowed for easy setups that it basically was banned from being used on either side of the card game.
Marvel Comics is home to some truly dastardly villains. But to really achieve anything they have to have strong leadership skills. There's been plenty of criminals over the years that have overseen large groups of villains or perhaps even whole organizations.
Whether it's because they rule through fear, or have the intelligence and tactical mind to always be one step ahead of their enemies, these super-villains have what it takes to be truly fearsome leaders. While it doesn't mean that what they are trying to achieve is right in any way, of course, these villains do at least know how to get people to follow their every command.
The character often doesn't get his own hands dirty, usually order a variety of foot soldiers to do his bidding. He is great with speeches and usually holds a strong will for whatever he is trying to achieve. His tactical mind means he can organize even the most disgruntled of groups.
9 Madame Hydra
Another Hydra leader, Madame Hydra, or sometimes Viper is one of the strongest female leaders in comics. She is a head above the rest of many leaders on this list too due to her calm approach and vengeful attitude.
People will never cross a Viper and she has earned a reputation for herself over the years leading many people to victory. Unlike Zemo who hides behind his own men, Madame Hydra isn't afraid to get stuck into battle, making her a valiant head of the Hydra Empire.
8 M'Baku
M'Baku, sometimes known as Man-Ape, is one of the strongest Wakandans that the nation has to offer. He is headstrong and fierce but also has a distinct longing for the throne, which he feels should be rightfully his.
He has a dedicated group of followers within his community that will support his claim to the nation of Wakanda. He is inspirational in his words and can back up his plans with a physicality not seen in any of the other leaders here.
7 Kingpin
The Kingpin is essentially the boss of New York, with his massive criminal empire controlling almost every aspect of the grim underworld of the city. From politicians to drugs, Kingpin has his hand in everything.
It takes a man of vision to achieve what he has and he certainly knows how to play the system. He's a physical threat, but much more so he has the charisma needed to give a front to his seedy operations.
6 Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom has been the ruler of Latveria for quite a while, demonstrating that he knows how to hold on to power. In many ways, his people would describe him as benevolent as he as brought a period of peace.
Although he rules largely through his robotics and magic, he also is extremely intelligent and knows how to play people. Doctor Doom is probably one of the most lethal threats ever to face the Avengers.
5 Emma Frost
The Hellfire Club is an incredibly powerful influence over the mutant world. It achieves its aims through corruption and politics. Emma Frost is amongst their best leaders.
Magneto's aims are far more violent, organizing a terrorist group known as the Brotherhood of Mutants, whose role is to completely change the status quo and push down humankind.
It takes a very strong symbol of a leader to create a terrorist organization like this, where its members will literally sacrifice themselves for the cause. His propaganda and rhetoric, along with his incredible abilities, have made him a strong leader but a terrible man.
3 Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn was the head of Oscorp for a very long time, which already shows his leadership abilities. But, he also managed to manipulate his way into his dark reign.
He became the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as his own version of the Avengers. He was a figurehead for security and his only real downfall was the combination of the Sentry and his own insanity.
2 The Leader
It's in his name so it's pretty self-explanatory that the Leader would be a great leader. He's actually one of the most intelligent beings in the universe and can take on the Hulk with just his brain.
He has a lot of followers and has been the mind behind many criminal enterprises. He is the type of individual that will always escape to fight again because he's so good at staying ahead of everyone else.
1 Enchantress
The Enchantress leads primarily with her powers of persuasion and partially with her long term planning. While she can rely on her magical abilities she's also just got a great mind for leadership.
For years she has been leading the Executioner because he sees something in her no one else does. A true leader can inspire that kind of faith and this Asgardian warrior is certainly capable of even more!
All of us are living through some hectic times at the moment and many of the industries that came to a standstill initially are finding new footing working from home. One such industry is anime, and we're glad that shows are able to continue safely. With that said, why don't we take a look at some of the up and coming Shonen series that are likely due for an anime adaptation?
We're talking about Shonen Jump series exclusively, and while we're at it we might at well hazard a guess or two at which popular animation studios would do the best job with these franchises. So without further ado, let's hop right in!
10 Jujutsu Kaisen: Mappa Studios
Let's start things off with a show that's already confirmed to have an anime adaptation coming in late 2020. Or, more accurately, they were going to have it come out in late 2020. The original plan was for October, but with everything that's going on, no one is sure that'll be the case anymore.
Anyway, Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the most unique Shonen series anyone has seen in a long time, and the entire fan community is excited for industry giant Mappa to come in and do the occultic franchise justice.
9 Act-Age: SHAFT
Act-Age is a series that defies, challenges, and benefits from directly confronting standard Shonen. Usually, a series about method acting. deep emotional and intrapersonal issues and the toll acting takes on a single woman wouldn't really be something on the front cover of a magazine targeting teenage boys, but Act-Age did it anyway.
Although it's not like Shonen Jump hasn't published some odd works every now and again. Act-Age is a fantastic story with well-written characters, but it's most known for its beautiful linework and expressions, so its only fair for a team renowned for their style and "camera-work" to come in for this job. Of course, the team in question is Studio SHAFT, the group that mastered the three-quarter turn with series like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and March Comes In Like A Lion.
8 Undead Unluck: Bones
Next up is another uniquely odd series that has been steadily growing in popularity since its first chapter, Undead Unluck! Undead Unluck is actually quite the apt title since it's the codenames for the main two characters "Undead" and "Unluck" (otherwise known as Andy and Fuuko.
These Negators quite literally "negate" various concepts such as the concept of "luck" and "life", which is both super weird and unique for a Shonen Power system. Personally, there's a lot of different powers being showcased in this manga, and one company that excels at chaotic action is Studio Bones with shows like Mob Psycho 100 and My Hero Academia.
7 Mashle - Magic and Muscles: Studio Deen
Writing a consistently funny comedic Manga is deceptively difficult. Many of them end up relying on the same exact joke and it gets old quite quickly. Mashle: Magic and Muscles seems like it'll be like that at first, but the more one reads, the more they see that Mashle's universe has tons of different magic in it, allowing for all types of hilarious scenarios.
And, of course, a comedic anime that everyone knows is KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! animated by Studio Deen. So it goes without saying that anyone would put this studio first on the list for adapting Mashle, though TMS Entertainment might be a good choice as well considering they adapted Grappler Baki, a show all about absurd levels of muscle performance.
6 Time Paradox Ghostwriter: White Fox
This is a bit early to guess, but Time Paradox Ghostwriter Genuinely reads like nothing Shonen Jump fans have read before. It's a series potentially about plagiarism, the in's and out's of being a mangaka, and time travel via microwave. But, more than that, it's about the struggles of artistry, and how each artist struggles with the stories they want to tell.
With ever new chapter of this series the mystery grows deeper and fans fall more in love with the characters. It reminds us of another time-travel series that includes microwaves, Steins Gate. So. White Fox, the studio behind it, would be perfect for newcomer series.
5 Chainsaw Man: Bones
Chainsaw Man is one of the other premiere bizarro Shonen series of this current generation. And, like Jujutsu Kaisen, it has to do with the occult and spirits. In this world, Demons that represent the "fears" of humanity ravage the world, with the Gun Demon being the most fearsome and powerful of them all.
Thankfully, a crass, plucky, and downright stupid kid named Denji becomes one with the Chainsaw Demon and fights back. This series is overly violent, obtuse, hyper-sexual, and cruel, which is why, once again, Bones should animate it. It'd be both right up their alley and something brand new for them, and the community would love to see their take on it.
4 My Hero Academia Vigilantes: Studio Sunrise
My Hero Academia Vigilantes has to be ending soon, with every new chapter it seems like they're trying to tie up any last loose ends. And, fans wager that the series will be finished before 2020 is over. Not that anyone wants that, of course, Vigilantes is one of the best spin-off series ever made with an MC that is arguably more interesting than Deku due to his underpowered Quirk that slowly becomes more powerful with time.
Vigilantes takes a look into the smaller scale ecosystem of the MHA universe, and while it would be easy to say that Bones should just animate it since they already do an amazing job with MHA, David Productions would do an equally amazing job. This is the team that made Jojo's Bizarre Adventure anime iconic again and they're known for their hyper-accurate adaptations, which is the minimum Vigilantes deserves.
3 Ayakashi Triangle: JC Staff Or Studio Perriot
Ayakashi Triangle is the newest series on this list, so it's very early to be speculating on its anime adaptation, but still, it's a series that'll get there eventually. Ayakashi Triangle has a lot of things that are commonly seen in popular Shonen Series, an aloof but strong MC, a budding romance with his childhood friend, constant battles with Demons/Yokai, Shinobi/Ninja Arts, and tons of fanservice.
Plus, the art is highly detailed and relatively unique compared to everything else out right now. As such, JC Staff or Studio Perriot seems like the best teams to give this series life since both studios are known for adapting series with beautiful artwork like One Punch Man, A Certain Magical Index, Twin Star Exorcists, or Tokyo Ghoul: Re.
2 Mitama Security - Spirit Busters: Studio Deen Or Sunrise
Much like Mashle, Mitama Security: Spirit Busters is another comedic series, in fact, there are quite a few running right now in Shonen Jump. The series is beloved by the fans for its unique artwork and great single-image jokes.
And, while it may come off like a broken record, it's obvious that this series should be animated by Studio Deen as well. Though, Sunrise could pull it off equally as well considering they did 201 episodes of Gintama, one of the all-time comedic greats.
1 Spy X Family: TMS Entertainment
And finally, let's cap things off by talking about one of the most well-drawn manga anyone has seen in years. Spy X Family is beautiful, and not just stereotypically beautiful, it's breath-taking. Plus, it's one of the most heartwarming yet hilarious stories fans have read in a long time.
This surprises most people since the summary talks about a fake family made up of a super-spy, a deadly assassin, and an orphaned telepath. But, with every issue comes new challenges for this family, and all of them are tackled with a surprising blend of subtlety and hilarity. TMS Entertainment might be a perfect studio to capture this art style since they've done a fantastic job with other iconic works like Dr. Stone and Fruits Basket.
The Sharingan is the Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha Clan and one of the Three Great Dojutsu in the Naruto world. Said to hold the powers to see through ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, and even copy them, this eye is one of the most fearsome abilities in the story.
Due to a few Uchiha clan members being seen in the series, however, only a handful of characters can be called excellent users of this eye. Most, on the other hand, were fairly average. Without further ado, here are the five best Sharingan users in Naruto and five others who were bad at it.
10 Best: Itachi Uchiha
Itachi Uchiha was the son of Fugaku, the leader of the Uchiha clan in Naruto. Born as a genius, his skills with the Sharingan were known to be immense. At a very young age, Itachi was known to be stronger than most Jonin in the village.
He managed to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan quite early as well and mastered its powers to the fullest. Itachi was definitely one of the best Sharingan users in the series.
9 Worst: Danzo Shimura
Danzo was the leader of Konohagakure's Root ANBU division and a hateful villain who eventually fell at the hands of Sasuke. After the Uchiha clan massacre, Danzo implanted his body with several Sharingan, along with stealing Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan.
However, due to him not being an Uchiha, Danzo was not as good a user of the eye as the others. Despite having access to some of the most overpowered abilities, such as Izanagi, Danzo simply wasted it and was easily one of the worst Sharingan users ever.
8 Best: Madara Uchiha
Madara was a legendary Uchiha figure from the Warring States, known to be the rival to Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage of Konoha. Being Indra's reincarnate, Madara was especially talented, even among the Uchiha.
He mastered his Mangekyo Sharingan at quite an early age and went on to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan as well.
7 Worst: Sarada Uchiha
Sarada Uchiha is the daughter of Sasuke, who she inherited the Sharingan from. Although her skill with this eye is decent, it isn't anywhere near that of Sasuke or Itachi at her age.
That's not to say Sarada is weak or that she can't improve. In the future, she'll likely be among the best users of this eye. However, as a Genin, Sarada is easily among the weakest Sharingan users.
6 Best: Obito
Unlike most known Uchiha clan members, Obito wasn't born a prodigy. He awakened his Sharingan quite late, however with time, he became an excellent user of this eye.
Thanks to his Mangekyo Sharingan ability, known as Kamui, Obito was almost invincible in battle. Furthermore, his skills with Genjutsu were so advanced that he managed to put a perfect Jinchūriki such as Yagura in an illusion, which should've been impossible otherwise.
5 Worst: Tajima Uchiha
Tajima Uchiha was the leader of the Uchiha clan during the Warring States era and the father of Madara Uchiha. He was known to have a fully matured Sharingan with which he could match Butsuma Senju in combat.
Tajima, however, didn't have anything special up his sleeve and was much weaker than his sons. As such, he's among the weakest Sharingan users seen in Naruto.
4 Best: Sasuke
Sasuke Uchiha is one of the protagonists of the Naruto series. Being the only survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre carried out by Itachi, Sasuke vowed to get stronger than his brother, a goal that he eventually met.
Like Madara Uchiha, Sasuke is the reincarnation of Indra as well, meaning he was blessed with immense talent. By the end of the series, Sasuke is easily among the strongest Uchiha to ever exist.
3 Worst: Zetsu
Zetsu gained access to the powers of the Sharingan and the Mangekyo Sharingan during the Fourth Great Ninja War by taking control of Obito's body.
Although Zetsu was in full control of Obito, he couldn't perform the jutsu as efficiently as Obito did, evident from the fact that Obito was eventually able to show resistance. Zetsu, despite having the powers to control others, wasn't able to demonstrate any proper skill with the Sharingan.
2 Best: Indra Otsutsuki
Indra was the elder son of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. Having inherited the visual prowess of his father, Indra was born with immense powers of the Sharingan.
Over the years, his skill with the eyes was great enough to make even the strongest of characters look weak in front of him. It goes without saying that Indra was one of the absolute best users of the Sharingan.
1 Worst: Itachi's Crow
Itachi Uchiha entrusted his crow with Shusui Uchiha's eye sometime after he committed suicide. Although a summon, Itachi's crow wasn't all that powerful when compared to the likes of Gamabunta or Manda.
Due to its low chakra levels, it could only perform Kotoamatsukami once in years, rendering the eye useless afterward. It's quite apparent that Itachi's crow was one of the weakest Sharingan users in Naruto.
Comics artist Brent Schoonover has shared some never-before-seen pages and art from a Hamilton graphic novel, which was abandoned years back.
Schoonover posted the art in a thread on Twitter. "Few years back I had a shot at doing the Hamilton Musical graphic novel," he wrote. "Sadly it never worked out. They tried to move ahead without using actor likenesses but decided that wasn’t the course to go. Still crazy having my work in front of Lin- Manuel Miranda."
He continued, "Deadline was crazy tight for designing characters and doing sample pages. And I was also working on another gig. Wish I more time to do them right. @wastedwings [Kelly Fitzpatrick] did an amazing job coloring my rushes pages though."
In his final post, Schoonover offered a shoutout to the musical's release on Disney+. He wrote, "Would of been a fun gig. Happy #HamiltonFilm day everyone!"
He did not reveal which company was behind the graphic novel. As the comics artist mentioned, not using the actors' likenesses seems to have hampered the project.
Schoonover's Twitter thread came on the heels of Hamilton being released on Disney+. Before its release on July 3, the House of Mouse released a new trailer to hype the musical's fans and subscribers.
Directed by Thomas Kail, Hamilton stars Lin Manuel-Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom, Jr., Christopher Jackson, Jonathan Groff, Phillipa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Anthony Ramos, Okieriete Onaodowan and more. The recorded performance is currently streaming on Disney+.
There's plenty of media from the past century that has aged terribly as social norms have evolved and changed. As the biggest entertainment company in the world, Disney's regrettable decisions can receive more scrutiny than others. Although many of the studio's older films include poorly aged stereotypes, such as the crows from Dumbo, the Native Americans from Peter Pan and the Siamese cats from Lady and the Tramp, the 1946 live-action/animation hybrid film Song of the South has stood out as its most problematic property.
Based on Joel Harris's Uncle Remus fables from the late 19th century, Song of the South is about Remus befriending a young boy named Johnny. At the time of its release, the interactions of the live-action Remus, played by James Baskett, with animated animal characters like Br'er Fox, Br'er Bear and Br'er Rabbit were groundbreaking. However, although the story takes place during the Reconstruction Era after slavery was abolished, Uncle Remus, presumably a former slave, comes across as nostalgic for those days, making the story deeply offensive.
Despite its racial insensitivity, Walt Disney wanted to make the movie because the Uncle Remus stories inspired him as a child. He was quoted in 1946 as saying, "I was familiar with the Uncle Remus tales since boyhood. From the time I began making animated features, I have had them definitely in my production plans." Baskett even received an Honorary Oscar for his performance, the first African-American man to do so.
When it first came out, the NAACP decried the film for "the impression it gives of an idyllic master-slave relationship," and the National Negro Congress demanded a total boycott of the movie. As documented in James Snead's book White Screens/Black Images: Hollywood From the Dark Side, "At the film's New York premiere in Times Square, dozens of Black and white pickets chanted 'We fought for Uncle Sam, not Uncle Tom,'" in reference to African Americans returning home from fighting in World War II.
Despite the initial backlash, Disney re-released the movie in 1956 but kept it out of circulation during the Civil Rights movement. In 1970, the company announced in Variety that Song of the South was "permanently" retired, but then walked back that statement and re-released the film again in 1972, 1981 and 1986. After its last re-release, the Mouse House quietly swept the film under the rug and has never made it available on home video or DVD in the United States.
It was during this time, however, that the log-flume ride, Splash Mountain, was designed and opened at Disney's theme parks in Anaheim, California and Orlando, Florida. Although Uncle Remus was not featured in the ride's theme, all of the animal characters from Song of the South made appearances as animatronics. The attraction became one of the most popular at Disney's parks. The movie's song, "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," also remained a popular fixture in the company's theme parks and on compilation soundtracks.
Meanwhile, Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox continued to be mascots at the parks and also appeared in Disney shows such as Mickey's Magical Christmas and House of Mouse along with the video game Kinect: Disneyland Adventures. In addition, Br'er Bear's silhouette appears in The Lion King 1 & 1/2 and the Tar Baby even makes a brief cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Disney has been know to re-release controversial content. For example, when the World War II Donald Duck short Der Furher's Face was re-released, it included a disclaimer from Leonard Maltin, who explained the historical context of the short. However, Song of the South was never given the same treatment. Instead, the company tries not to mention the film despite blatantly using its characters in other contexts.
When Whoopi Goldberg was named a Disney Legend in 2017, she advocated for the film's return to the United States by saying, "I'm trying to find a way to get people to start having conversations about bringing Song of the South back... So we can talk about what it was and where it came from and why it came out." Unfortunately, Disney's executives did not agree with her, and the otherwise-comprehensive Disney+ streaming service does not include Song of the South in its offerings. When asked if the movie will ever be included on the platform, Executive Chairman Bob Iger responded, "[it is] not appropriate in today's world."
Amidst the massive protests all over America in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other minorities at the hands of police, Disney announced it will finally replace the Song of the South characters in Splash Mountain with the characters from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. Yet, while Song of the South should not be celebrated, it should at least be acknowledged as a part of Disney and film history, and adding it to Disney+ with a disclaimer explaining its cultural and historical context, like HBO Max did with Gone with the Wind, would be appropriate.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 7 "The Universe is Indifferent," of Snowpiercer.
Snowpiercer's first season has been a tug-of-war between Jennifer Connelly's Melanie and Daveed Diggs' Layton as the former tries to hide the fact Wilford is no longer in charge of the train, she is. Between that and the civil unrest and disorder ready to spill over from the Tail to First Class, it's understandable why Melanie has to be careful, especially after Layton escaped the Drawers.
With tension building, Melanie makes a major move to hurt Layton. However, as she kills off a major character, she may have empowered the rebellion even more.
Melanie's angry and worried now that Layton is out and free, roaming the 1,001 cars of the Eternal Engine and building an invisible resistance. However, following Melanie's decision to invoke Wilford to free LJ for murder, people across the train are ready to rise up more than ever. As a result, Melanie's growing frustrated and impatient. She's being more secretive than usual and even her drivers, Javi and lover, Bennett, are wondering if she's making the best decisions. It comes to a head when she confronts Layton's pregnant ex, Zarah, making it clear she'll force her to have an abortion if she doesn't give up the information she needs, as having a child on Snowpiercer is not a right, it's a privilege.
Zarah reveals Josie was the one who helped free Layton from the drawers, causing Melanie to arrest and interrogate her. In one of the show's most brutal scenes, when Josie won't tell Melanie what Layton's up to, she freezes Josie's pinky and smashes it with a hammer. While Melanie has to keep up a calculated facade to carry out this act of torture, privately it hits her hard and she has to excuse herself to throw up. When Josie is alone, Brakeman Till enters to check on her. Till's been losing faith in Melanie and her security forces, and Josie begs her to tell Layton to start the revolution. Miles, her adopted son, has been promoted the engine room and she wants Layton to link up with him. Josie's clearly making a sacrifice as she knows Melanie won't let her go, so she asks for one final favor.
When Melanie returns, the wrist restrained by handcuffs is frozen, but Josie breaks it off, freeing herself from her restraints. Till's actions allow her to attack Melanie. Josie, who's aware of the ruse Melanie is keeping up about Wilford, puts up a hell of a fight. She may have one arm but she uses the extended cord and the nozzle of the freeze gun to strangle Melanie. Josie almost wins but Melanie knows how to improvise, plus it helps that Josie's in pain. Melanie eventually knocks the nozzle off the gun, and as the room starts to freeze, she escapes and locks Josie in. The heroic rebel freezes to death and Melanie orders a cleanup crew.
Later, when Till reveals Josie's death to Layton, he screams in a room in the Night Car. He's angrier than ever and this could be the tipping point that brings about an alliance between the Tail and Third Class. Audrey, the leader of the Night Car, was skeptical at first, but now, they could decide to make a move together. Meanwhile, as the episode ends, Layton meets with LJ, who he may feel can help him bring First Class into an alliance against Melanie too. One way or another, it seems things aren't going to get easier for the train's leader anytime soon.
Snowpiercer stars Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand and Jaylin Fletcher. The series airs on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on TNT.
Summer blockbusters perform the best when they can deliver a strong dose of unfiltered, effects-heavy spectacle that appeals to the masses. Over the last twenty-five years, few films have done this better than Independence Dayand Pacific Rim.
On the surface, both movies are about alien invasions and the united efforts of humanity to combat them. The human heroes are united in trying to use nuclear weapons to defeat the invaders, have excited scientists studying the UFOs, extending trust to a pilot with no previous experience and being fired up by a passionate speech, whether it comes from President Thomas Whitmore or Marshal Stacker Pentecost. Meanwhile, the faceless, purely evil aliens seek to exploit the Earth for natural resources, and both communicate through a hive mind, which the heroes take advantage of. And victory, in both cases, comes at the cost of one of the main characters sacrificing their lives to cause an explosion.
Literary analysis says there are only seven basic plots, and it's clear that Independence Day and Pacific Rim chose the same one. Of course, director and writer Guillermo del Toro also took some inspiration from films like Godzilla, Lovecraftian monsters and mecha anime in general, but even a cursory glance makes the similarities obvious.
However, on a deeper level, they are also alike in how they depict the use of violence by not dwelling on the implications. Whereas films like Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice deal with the ramifications of collateral damage, there's no such dilemma here. Will Smith's Steven Hiller punching out an alien with his bare hands, or Gypsy Danger beating the Otachi with a cargo ship reflects as pure fun, without much concern for the inevitable damages.
Despite everything that unites them, Pacific Rim does evolve its own approach to a similar formula. Independence Day, from the title to the imagery that pervades almost every frame, is an incredibly patriotic film that focuses on portraying the United States as the singular heroes of the narrative. There are some scenes depicting the international response and unity, but success is ultimately attributable to American forces. PacificRim still champions the unquestionable heroism of humanity, but this time in a much more broadly international approach. There are Jaegers from Australia, China and Russia with active roles in the defense of the world, and the main character's co-pilot, Mako Mori, is Japanese.
This humanist, inclusive outlook is a refreshing view in a genre that almost always sees the aliens invade only America, a trope so common that it was even referenced in the opening narration of District 9. Independence Day does make an effort to at least depict other nations, which is commendable, and its precedent undoubtedly helped Pacific Rim later expand on its representation. Togetherness in the modern day is not only encouraging but also profitable. In a film landscape that increasingly relies on international revenue from markets like China, appealing to more than one audience has become a necessity, highlighting a stark evolution from the market of the '90s.
To be a little more tongue in cheek, each film was also followed by a comparably weaker sequel. Both Independence Day: Resurgence and Pacific Rim: Uprising received far less favorable reviews than the originals. Perhaps this is a sign that films that rely on bombastic spectacle, epic battles and cheesy humor often have to capture lightning in a bottle. In the rare instances that they succeed, fans are blessed with experiences that maintain lasting appeal for many, many summer blockbuster seasons to come.
Yuri Lowenthal, who voices Peter Parker in Marvel's Spider-Man, has taken a unique approach while asking others to wear face masks. Lowenthal posted a video of himself on Twitter wearing a Spider-Man mask, alongside a spin on a popular phrase from Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
"Hey guys, it's your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man," Lowenthal said in the video. "I know I have to wear a mask all the time. But anyone can wear the mask. And everyone should wear a mask." Lowenthal then unmasked, showcasing that he was wearing a Spidey-themed facemask underneath. "I don't wear the mask for me. I wear it for you."
Lowenthal also went on to say that if 80% of people wore their masks, the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic would be curbed much faster. In closing, he urged everyone to enjoy the Fourth of July.
Spidey isn't the only hero Lowenthal has voiced, his other notable work includes DC Super Hero Girls, Young Justice and even Ben 10.
Developed by Insomniac Studios, Marvel's Spider-Man is currently available for the Playstation 4. Insomniac is also developing a Spider-Man: Miles Morales game for the Playstation 5, which will be released this holiday season.
