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After completing the Indigo League and Orange Islands in the Kanto Region, Ash and his friends moved onto the Johto Region and the second generation of Pokemon. Ash kept several of his Pokemon from Kanto with him as he explored Johto, but he also caught many new species native to the region that went on to battle at his side.

Ash caught fewer Pokemon here than he did in Kanto. This also means that almost each of his Pokemon caught in Johto was intended for battle and stuck with him throughout the region. Today, we are going to rank Ash's Johto catches from least powerful to most.

8 Beedrill

Ash briefly had a Beedrill when he participated in the Goldenrod Bug Pokemon Catching Contest. Capturing the Beedrill won Ash the contest, though he didn't keep it for very long after the fact. He gave the Beedrill to fellow trainer Casey, as it matched her aesthetic theme.

7 Larvitar

Larvitar hatched from an egg given to Ash by Professor Elm. It never battled for Ash, as it was already scarred from the ancestral memories of poachers attacking its Tyranitar mother. Eventually, Ash was able to find Larvitar's mother and return him to her. Ash and his friends also helped fight off the poachers that were still harassing Tyranitar.

6 Donphan

Ash received Donphan as an egg that hatched into a Phanpy. Despite its bravado, it lost several battles in a row--even ones where it had the advantage as a Ground-Type Pokemon. However, it came back to redeem itself when Ash went off to challenge the Battle Frontier. It protected Pikachu from an Elekid and later evolved into Donphan to bring down a Team Rocket robot.

5 Totodile

Totodile came into Ash's team after a battle between Ash and Misty. Totodile is a Water-Type Pokemon and would have been a natural fit for Misty given that she is a Water-Type Gym Leader in Kanto. However, Ash won the contest and got to keep the Totodile. It was a fun-loving Pokemon that often danced and played pranks on other Pokemon.

It still fought well for Ash and became a vital part of his lineup. It took down a Kingdra in the water-based Whirl Cup, and it even brought down a Charizard. It lost a fight to a powerful Sneasal that was then caught by fellow Pokemon Trainer Harrison. However, Totodile got its revenge when Ash battled Harrison, and Totodile took Sneasal down.

4 Noctowl

Ash caught Noctowl already fully-evolved, and it's a Shiny Noctowl on top of that. It fought on Ash's behalf throughout his Johto journey. Despite being a Flying and Normal-Type Pokemon, Noctowl is known for its Psychic-Type attacks and often used them in Ash's service. Noctowl used Hypnosis to best a Fearow by tricking it into believing Noctowl was a Charizard, he took down Gym Leader Morty's Gengar, and it even kept a plane from crashing in Olivine City.

3 Heracross

Heracross is a Bug and Fighting-Type Pokemon, and it was the first Pokemon caught upon arriving in Johto. It has a sweet tooth that prefers tree sap, and it's also one of Ash's most powerful Pokemon caught in the region. It took on the likes of Donphan, Scizor, and a Magmar while Ash traveled through Johto, and it even took down a Venusaur later in the Hoenn region.

2 Quilava

Ash caught Quilava as a nervous and slow Cyndaquil on his way to Azalea Town in Johto. It's a Fire-Type Pokemon that inevitably proved helpful during Ash's showdown with the Bug-Type Gym Leader, Bugsy. It took on Bugsy's Scyther, Bugsy's most powerful Pokemon, and won the duel. It later learned the art of speed in a battle against a Skarmory, and it later took down Jasmine's Steelix and Pryce's Dewgong, both of whom are Gym Leaders in the region.

Cyndaquil wouldn't evolve into Quilava until Ash traveled to the Hoenn Region. Cyndaquil joined the battle against Team Rocket but evolved into Quilava when it found its attacks weren't strong enough. As Quilava, it took Team Rocket down with ease and sent them blasting off again.

1 Bayleef

Bayleef was arguable Ash's greatest asset throughout the Johto Region. Ash caught it as a Chikorita, and it stubbornly battled against Ash's Charizard. Once Ash caught Chikorita, she immediately grew intensely attached to Ash. It even fought off other of Ash's companions to maintain Ash's attention. Chikorita won out against Bugsy's Spinarak despite the type disadvantage, and it beat Misty's Staryu when Ash fought Misty over Totodile. She later took out Jessie's Arbok with a single Tackle, and it evolved into Bayleef to stop another Team Rocket robot. It also single-handedly took out Chuck's entire team after the Gym Leader's Poliwrath made short work of Pikachu.

NEXT: Sailor Moon: 5 Pokémon Sailor Mars Could Defeat (& 5 She Would Lose To)

Thanks to the magic of crossovers, a handful of Power Rangers have actually interacted with some DC comic book characters recently. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers era team ended up fighting alongside members of the Justice League to stop Lord Zedd, Brainiac, and more from doing serious damage to the multiverse.

Since the Power Rangers have already interacted with a few of those DC heroes, could a DC hero become a Power Ranger? In an alternate universe, maybe. Not all heroes are cut out to be Rangers. Everyone has their own style when it comes to taking down bad guys, but the Power Rangers franchise has always been made primarily of teenagers, and they've been following Zordon's rules long after his death: not escalating a battle unless forced to, keeping their identities a secret, and never using their powers for personal gain. So, who would make a good Power Ranger?

10 Would: Beast Boy

Beast Boy might use his own superpowers for his everyday life, but he grows up with the responsibility of being a hero hanging over his head, so he would never abuse the power given to him by the Morphin Grid.

After working with Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans, Beast Boy has more than shown he has what it takes to be a hero and a team member. He might not be used to using martial arts, but his ability to become any animal could really really come in handy for the team.

9 Wouldn't: Batman

Even if he had the chance to join the Power Rangers as a teenager, Bruce Wayne likely wouldn't jump at it. He has a very strict agenda when he first becomes Batman: avenging the deaths of his parents.

Though he's got his own Bat-Family of heroes, and he's worked with the Justice League, he's not the best of team players. Bruce Wayne prefers to be on a team where he calls the shots, which wouldn't work out well amongst the rest of the Power Rangers.

8 Would: Stargirl

Stargirl very much fits into Zordon's "teenagers with attitude" request for a team. In fact, she's not all that different from Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart with her athleticism and optimistic attitude.

Courtney would quickly adapt to the powers of the Rangers, just as she quickly adapted to using the Cosmic Staff. She would also do whatever it takes to keep the world safe from threats. Thanks to her bubbly personality, Stargirl would also get along with most of her teammates after only a few bumps in the road.

7 Wouldn't: Green Arrow

TV fans are most familiar with the CW version of Oliver Queen played by Stephen Amell. His comic book counterpart is a little different, but one of the things they have in common is that they're not always the best of team players.

Green Arrow is great at give-and-take in a partnership, but in a large group, his ego can sometimes get the best of him. He would have a hard time playing by Zordon's rules.

6 Would: Batgirl

Barbara Gordon is the queen of team players, whether she's a supporting member, an active member, or the team leader. She's been through a lot throughout her comic book tenure, and her training with Batman and other members of the Bat-Family has shown her what works and what doesn't in the vigilante life.

As a Power Ranger, Batgirl would have access to even more strength, stamina, and durability, and she'd use it well, understanding the downside of being a hero all too well.

5 Wouldn't: Black Canary

Much like her sometimes-husband the Green Arrow, Black Canary isn't always the best team player. She finds a home with the Birds of Prey, but the Power Rangers might just be a bit too squeaky clean for her.

Black Canary knows what it means to get her hands dirty, just like most of her teammates. While Zordon wouldn't want her to cross any lines, she'd do what she had to do, whether she cleared it with the Power Rangers or not, which wouldn't sit well with the mentor or the team.

4 Would: Lightning

Jennifer Pierce is part of a superhero family, so she's already got a lot of guidance when it comes to suiting up to help the world. She's also already proven that she'll do what's best for her team and the world in the comics.

At one point, her team is responsible for arresting her own father because he's a fugitive. As Lightning, Jennifer could have sided with her father and helped him escape, but she worked with the team to find a real resolution. She's a problem solver who would work well with the Rangers.

3 Wouldn't: Aquaman

Like a lot of the members of the Justice League, Aquaman is usually concerned with the problems that directly affect his home Atlantis. He's also not the best at listening to everyone else's point of view when he wants to do what he thinks is best for his people.

Primarily for that reason, he wouldn't be a great addition to the Power Rangers. The modern version of Aquaman especially has a temper. While he's saved the world countless times, he tends to do it from the depths of the ocean. He might ally himself with a Power Ranger once in a while, but he wouldn't want to be stuck playing by their rules.

2 Would: Shazam Family

Sometimes, Billy Batson goes by the name Captain Marvel. Other times, he simply uses his magic word, "Shazam" to denote his name to avoid confusion with Marvel comics. When he shares that magic with his family, they essentially become the DC version of Power Rangers in their own right. The siblings would make for a great team of Rangers.

Each of the kids has their own specialty, and when they work together, they can do anything. That's not unlike Power Rangers teams with their unique weapons, fighting styles, points of view, and sometimes, powers. The only thing the family is missing is Zords.

1 Wouldn't: Harley Quinn

Sometimes Harley Quinn falls into the villain camp. More often than not in her modern stories, however, she's trying to use her many criminal skills for good.

Harley loves a good team-up. She's worked with Poison Ivy, Catwoman, the Birds of Prey, Power Girl, and more. She enjoys being involved and having other people in on her plans. When her plans are usually very deadly and very illegal, however, and that wouldn't work well with the Power Rangers.

NEXT: Zodiac Signs of The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is, at this point, known more for its surprisingly wholesome community of players than its nearly endless list of things to do. Sure, gamers of any age are welcome to enjoy its crystalline beaches, surprisingly lucrative turnip farms and, of course, catch a few bugs, but once you've had your fill of tarantulas and fossils, you may want a little more variety to spice up your digital life.

Since the game can host up to eight players on an island, consider hosting a group of friends and organizing some activities for everyone to enjoy together. Here are five ideas for group gameplay.

Animal Crossing isn't a game that prides itself on challenging puzzles and/or stressful timed quests. Still, this doesn't mean players can't find their own ways to make things competitive. If you're hosting a group of friends, consider setting up and an easygoing Memory-esque game in which players dig up an item, then attempt to dig up an identical item from another location on the game board.

The grid-like nature of the game's world lends itself perfectly to such a Memory game board, allowing players to set up game grids of any size. Simply grab a few duplicate items, wall off a grid of land, and proceed to bury said items in the grid.

Scavenger hunts in Animal Crossing: New Horizons are fairly common among players. In them, a person or team gets a list of items ranging from fish to fossils to furniture, then races against another person or team to gather everything.

To organize a scavenger hunt, you'll need to make a list of items that could be found (or that you have hidden) on the island. You'll want to make this list longer or shorter depending on how many players you have. Also consider imposing a time limit, though keep in mind the rarity of items when doing so. Have prizes ready for whichever person or group finishes first. Additionally, while you could pretty easily hold a simple scavenger hunt on one island, if you have a big group are are willing to spend more time on preparation, you might also consider setting up multi-island adventure that sets players on a quest to find rare items.

Another already popular pastime in island communities, Tag is the same game you remember from the playgroup, just translated into Animal Crossing. In the game, players whack each other with a butterfly net to signify who is "It."

If you're hosting a game of tag, consider building some terrain that provides hiding places. Forests, tire obstacles and buildings are usually great places to hide if you're on the run from a swinging net. Combine this with terrain which extends vertically rather than horizontally, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an enjoyable gaming session sure to bring out the child in anyone.

Constructing a labyrinth on your island is not an easy task, but those willing construct an elaborate maze could have a great group gameplay session on their hands. By using the game's terraforming tools and planting a lot of shrubs, a host could construct a puzzle similar to the one from the May Day tours in which the tools for escape (like ladders, pole vaults and axes) are hidden within the area, forcing players to explore and dig things up. You could also combine this with a scavenger hunt to create an extra challenging quest that's sure to impress your group.

For an easy, fun method of competitive gaming between you and your island friends, consider putting together a makeshift obstacle course. Since the game runs on a grid-like frame, creating a track is fairly simple. Just have your players start on one end of the map, then watch as they pole vault, spin, dig and traverse through obstacles, racing towards the other side.

Consider making players complete other challenges, like spinning in chairs or catching fish. You could also incorporate a scavenger hunt into this one too. Your course doesn't have to be a straight line either -- ust plant a few arrows into the ground to have your players zigging and zagging all the way to the finish line. And don't forget to hand out prizes to the winners.

KEEP READING: Animal Crossing: Cottagecore Islands Are Everywhere - Here's Why

Fullmetal Alchemist's strength comes from more than fascinating visuals or fast action; its characters are sophisticated and interesting, oftentimes being used as symbols for abstract concepts. One of the themes the anime covers is whether or not someone can change for the better, a question visited on both the rogue Ishvallan and the Homunculus of Greed.

Arguably, both characters are worthy of being declared the show's best anti hero. To determine which excels the most, it's time to analyze facets and actions of Greed and Scar which make them exceptional.

10 Scar - Going After Kimblee

As one of the one of the most powerful warriors in Amestris, Kimblee's wrath is primarily visited upon Bradley's enemies during the Ishvallan war. It is where he truly began his long, horrific career and garnered the pseudonym, "the Crimson Alchemist."

Though he is a war criminal, the Elric brothers and their allies displayed astonishingly little interest in him compared to their ravenous melee against the other Sins. The only person to hold him accountable for his gruesome past was Scar, who would tragically never have the chance to earn his vengeance.

9 Greed - Aggressively Seeking Truth

When Greed was beginning to have flashbacks of his old life and body, he would not sit idly and allow the truth to go unknown. He brazenly confronted Fuhrer King Bradley in his home, demanding answers despite his brother's proven skill and speed advantage.

Throwing away what would have been a comfortable life under Father in the name of answers is a hallmark of a mythic anti hero. Though he would not obtain the information he sought from his encounter, he discovered with certainty that treachery was at play.

8 Scar - Proximity of Ishval

Unlike nearly all of the characters from Fullmetal Alchemist, Scar's presence as an Ishvallan adds an element to the anime that is sorely needed. Though Ling may be the heir to an empire to the east, Scar's involvement in the show is a direct consequence to Amestris's bloodied past.

Additionally, it adds dimension to the Alchemists even before Bradley's identity is revealed, making one wonder whether or not they are forces for good, or merely forces of the state. Scar is a constant reminder that while the series may primarily occur in a nation, there is an entire world beyond it.

7 Greed - Dichotomy With Ling

The dichotomy between Greed and Ling Yao is the only (literal) example of a man at war with himself we have an opportunity to see throughout the anime's duration. Their connection to one another poetically conduces mutual growth, later emphasized at the end of the series when they would part ways.

Greed encourages Ling to be more self interested where he would otherwise throw his life away for his vassals (which is an expedient quality in the case of a leader), while Ling showed him the value of friendship. They compliment one another perfectly.

6 Scar - Principles Of Alchemy

Scar presents more than the perspective of an Ishvallan; he is skeptical to the idea of alchemy as a whole, paranoid that it might be against his god's will. Thus, he usually only uses his destroying arm against his opponents, deliberately inhibiting himself in the name of his virtues.

Nonetheless, his robust morals exemplify that even as an antagonist, he had values that he was willing to lay down his life for. The hallmarks of a hero were nascent even while he was an enemy.

5 Greed - The Philosophy Of Avarice

During a passing conversation had betwee Elric and Greed, they argued over the merits of his sin. Edward posited that greed is what cost him his arm, while the homunculus turned the question on its head and stated that the idea of "greed" was simply wanting something that they didn't presently have ~ a trait which is mutually shared in one regard or another.

Through this liberating philosophy, Greed managed to detach himself from Father and his servants to join the protagonists. It proved that while sins like wrath and envy may have inherently negative connotations, avarice does not.

4 Scar - Mercy For Yoki

While Yoki may be more of a novelty character than any serious staple of the show, his interactions with Scar are significant to the Ishvallan's growth. As a wanted man to Amestris, Scar's dangerous reputation had accrued a considerable bounty; one Yoki had initially intended to collect.

After his predictable failure, he pledged himself as Scar's servant, should he show mercy. The Ishvallan reluctantly agreed, more inclined to simply move on from the sniveling man than to have him tag along. Nonetheless, it demonstrated that Scar's immense hatred of Amestris can be bridled reasonably.

3 Greed - Greed's Gang

One of Greed's most telling indicators that he might one day become a hero is of the gang of chimera he had surrounded himself with. Though he may have dismissed the companionship he felt toward them in the same way one might prize an item, his heart extended well past how much Bradley cared for his generals or even his wife.

Greed's friends were also the impetus for his redemption, the only vestiges of the life that Father had attempted to steal from him.

2 Scar - Defeating The Fuhrer King

Scar's triumph over Fuhrer King Bradley was not only his crowning moment in the series, it tied up all threads of his character that had yet to be concluded. He conquered his phobia of alchemy by using his brother's arm against him, proved his strength by defeating a homunculus too daunting for even Greed, Fu, and a squadron of Armstrong's soldiers, and properly avenged Ishval for the crimes committed against it.

On Bradley's deathbed, both would understand how divine providence had influenced the battle, demonstrating that despite his alchemy, Scar's god had not abandoned him.

1 Greed - An Act Of Selflessness

Like his brethren, Greed's death was an ironic one, though one befitting of his newly adopted role as a hero. When Father attempted to rip him from his host, he willingly departed from Ling, fearing that they would both be destroyed if he continued to resist.

Weakening his Father's body by reverse engineering his ultimate shield, he gave his life for the sake of his newfound friends. In the end, he realized that his fate was kinder than those of the other homunculus because he got everything he had ever wanted.

NEXT: Anime: The 5 Most Tragic Character Sacrifices (& 5 That Were Useless)

The Promised Neverland recently came to an end after 181 chapters. The story followed the story of Emma, Norman, and Ray as they desperately tried to escape the monstrous world they were born into. The manga did allow them to do this, but the ending of the series was a bit more complicated than most people expected.

Instead of an intricate escape like the first chapter presented, the kids launched an all-out war between rival demons. The ending of the series has received mixed reactions from fans, as some felt that the ending didn't quite fit the story, while other fans thought it ended perfectly.

10 Perfect: The Escape

The escape route to the human world was hidden in the perfect place. As it turns out, the portal was always right below Grace Field house, meaning that the children grew up right above it. This is the perfect place for the series to switch over to our world and the last place the children see from their old lives.

Most fans loved the location of the portal, but how they go there was another story.

9 Could've Been Better: The Moms

The moms who worked for the demons ended up saving the day when the children were corned by Peter Ratri. The moms then showed up armed and helped free the children. While this part made sense, the moms didn't really get an epilogue and kind of drifted off into oblivion after that moment.

The moms should have been shown a bit more after the series and could have given a more in-depth look at the system.

8 Perfect: Mujika & Sonju

Mujika and Sonju are probably the only two demons that fans liked serving. These characters refused to eat humans and helped the children out after their initial escape. One of the reasons Emma was so against Norman's plan to kill all demons is because she didn't want the pair to suffer.

Luckily, both Mujika and Sonju came out safe, and Mujika even ended up as royalty.

7 Could've Been Better: Slaying the Demons

Many fans felt that the children, especially Emma, were too passive towards the demons. Instead of trying to fight back against the creatures that have several times regarded humans as a delicacy, they just walked away and hoped that they would no longer bother the human world.

Based on the nature of demons that have been seen in the series, this was probably a bad move.

6 Perfect: Isabelle's Death

Isabelle is a complicated character who dreamed of being free. Instead of following the same path as Emma, though, she agreed to have a child for the demons to eat and became a mother. Her last act was protecting Emma, and she even made amends with Ray as she was dying.

Isabelle's death was sad, but it fits in with the overall feeling of the manga.

5 Could've Been Better: Dealing With Him

Tons of tales had been told about Him and the deals he made. Emma didn't seem to have any trouble pretty much getting off with little to no consequences. It was a bit of a let down as Him seemed like a cruel character that wanted nothing more than to be amused.

The deal with Him just felt a bit off considering how he treated Peter and the queen.

4 Perfect: Norman Survives

Norman is a character that was already presumed dead once, so seeing him be killed again wouldn't have the same power. Even though Norman was experimented on, he was able to get help once he entered the human world. Seeing him able to live with his family felt like a proper ending.

Norman surviving is one of the better parts of the ending.

3 Could've Been Better: The Children's Caretakers

The people who took in the children were hastily introduced. While this answered the question of how all of these children went unnoticed, it doesn't completely make sense. Fans know that the factor farms where massive and that there are several other houses like Grace Field house.

It's a bit strange to think that this organization could properly care for these kids.

2 Perfect: Emmas Price

Emma's price was pretty cruel, she did get to go to the human world, but she was placed in a faraway country. Luckily a kind old many adopted her, and she finally got to have a loving parent as she deserved. She also lost all of her memories of the other world and didn't remember her family.

This was a fair price that made sense for Him's twisted idea of payment.

1 Could've Been Better: Finding Emma

Where the deal with Him and ending fall short is when, despite the promise to Him, Emma meets up with Norman and Ray, who just happen to find her. No matter how pure someone's intentions are, Him always seemed to make them keep their promise, so it's a bit strange that they got lucky enough to find each other.

Many fans felt like this happy ending was a bit forced.

NEXT: 10 Ways To Ease Into The Horror Genre (From Least To Most Scary)

The late 2000s were a busy and prosperous time for Green Lanterns. First, Hal Jordan returned to their ranks. Then, the Corps battled Sinestro and his Yellow Lanterns. To complete a years-long trilogy, Geoff Johns increased the Lanterns' profile in Blackest Night.

Covering eight issues and numerous tie-ins, the series completed a period with several big events that shook up the DC Comics universe. Heroes died and were reborn, a few villains received upgrades, and many new Lantern Corps were established. For more details, here are 10 ways Blackest Night changed the DC Universe forever.

10 Nekron Became An Omega-Level Villain

Nekron was already a powerful villain when he appeared in 1981. After all, he's the ruler of the Land of the Unliving. However, due to his location in another dimension, his appearance was limited.

This changed during Blackest Night. He was the individual who created the black power rings that reanimated the dead. Once the usage of the combined rings equaled 100%, Nekron was able to escape his realm. On top of creating Black Lanterns, Nekron was charged with the defense of his realm from the White Entity. Thus, the reason we designate him as an Omega-level villain.

9 It Focused On Emotions Instead Of Willpower

The way Green Lanterns use the full power of their rings is through the strength of will. Some of their greatest team members, Hal Jordan among them, have enough willpower to defeat the strongest, most invulnerable opponents. As readers continued through Blackest Night, they came to realize the Lanterns' rings were connected to certain emotions.

For example, members of the Sinestro Corps, the Yellow Lanterns, powered their rings with fear. Conversely, The Indigo tribe and Star Sapphires (Violet) gained their powers through compassion and love, respectively. It gave readers a different perspective universal spectrum.

8 The Guardians' Legacy Expands

Readers learn a little more about the secretive Guardians of Oa in Blackest Night. In this case, it's not a mistake involving the Manhunters. It a legacy they always feared would come true.

Blackest Night revealed what was possibly the last chapter (up to that time) in the Book of Oa. It predicted the coming of the black power rings and the Sinestro Corps War because of the Guardians' one foible: fear. It's what releases the Parallax monster from the central power battery and allows so many Black Lanterns to emerge.

7 Black Hand is Reimagined

William Hand, known as the villain Black Hand, was around long before Blackest Night started. His origins stretch back to the first edition of Green Lantern. For the most part, he was a nuisance to Hal Jordan and other Corps members due to his energy-absorbing weapon.

This was not the Black Hand of Blackest Night. This one heard the voice of the Guardian of Death while sitting in an open grave. Not long after, he killed his family and himself. Resurrected by the Guardian Scar and given a black power ring, Black Hand became a herald of those Lanterns.

6 Discovery Of The White Entity

In Blackest Night, Nekron's goal was to destroy the White Entity, a sentient being created at the start of the universe. During the series, readers learned that the entity created the emotional spectrum of power rings. When Nekron seemed to have the upper-hand, he stabbed the entity to seemingly achieve the Oan prophecy.

This wasn't the case. While Sinestro tried to absorb its entire essence, he couldn't hold onto it. Realizing the solution, Hal distributed its power to numerous heroes. This White Lantern Corps not only defeated Nekron but also helped restore life to several dead heroes. At the end of the tale, a white power battery was added to the emotional spectrum.

5 The Mystery Of Batman's Death Starts To Unravel

Five months before Blackest Night premiered, another major crossover ended in the form of Final Crisis. With a focus on a resurrected Darkseid and his cadre of Apokolips soldiers, they wreak havoc across the Earth. Along the way, two legacy heroes are murdered: Martian Manhunter and Batman.

We know now that Batman wasn't dead, he was lost in time. Yet, Bruce Wayne's body was supposedly buried next to his parents. It turned out to be a clone, which raised flags with both Hal and the recently returned Barry Allen. This revelation eventually led to a mini-series where the Caped Crusader made his way back to the present.

4 The Original Hawkgirl Returns

For most of the 2000s, Kendra Saunders was the woman behind the Hawkgirl mask. She had fighting skills learned from previous incarnations of Shiera Hall but not her memories. Though reluctant at first, Kendra first joined the Justice Society and later the Justice League.

During Blackest Night, Kendra and Hawkman were killed and provided black power rings. Once Nekron was defeated, both heroes were returned to the living world. However, instead of Kendra, Shiera returned with her spirit and memories intact.

3 Deadman Becomes Human

Boston Brand was a spirit that could inhabit a living person's body. Known as Deadman, Brand helped numerous heroes defeat several menaces, both living and dead. He was also an integral part of Blackest Night.

When the Black Lanterns were restored to life via the White Entity, Brand was among them. The reason was he had a mission to complete. One that was detailed in the Brightest Day maxi-series.

2 Several Heroes Are Resurrected

Boston Brand and Shiera Hall weren't the only heroes to be resurrected by the White Entity. Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Jade, and Ronnie Raymond, half of the hero Firestorm, were also returned to the living world. It was quite a restoration after a long period of death in the DC Universe.

During the mid- to late-2000s, these heroes perished along with Connor Kent, Bart Allen, and Ralph Dibny. By the time Blackest Night ended, most of these heroes had returned. The only ones who didn't were Ralph and his wife Sue. They decided to spend the rest of their lives in peaceful eternity.

1 A New Status Quo Is Established For The Lanterns.

The Green and Yellow Lantern Corps were no longer the only ones with power rings once Blackest Night ended. Red, Orange, Blue, Indigo, and Violet were added to the mix. Eventually, White Lanterns also appeared.

In the end, it changed the galaxy's status quo. The pressures of the Green Lantern Corps were reduced by other positive power rings. As time passed, a group of mixed Lanterns would be led by Kyle Rayner. Come the New 52, Guy Gardner would join the Red Lanterns for a time. It led to a bevy of new pairings and stories that continue today.

NEXT: 10 X-Men That Would Make Great Red Lanterns

One of the most intriguing personalities among the Seven Deadly Sins cast and arguably the most morally ambiguous, Ban the Fox Sin's roguish charm has enraptured fans everywhere. Unlike Meliodas's wrangling of his demonic nature or Gowther coming to terms with his past, Ban is fully cognizant of his questionable actions.

However, his penchant for devilishness spurs the question; would he have made a better antagonist than hero? It's time to explore five reasons for the Fox's Sin to embrace evil and five he was the perfect protagonist.

10 Antagonist - Necessity

A glaring detail about the Sins' dynamic is that all seven of them serve Meliodas's cause. Though Merlin may do so of necessity and Gowther's allegiances are tentative, they ultimately rally under one banner to fight the Ten Commandments and other opponents.

Ban becoming an antagonist would simultaneously add depth to the inner workings of the group and provide an opportunity for more internal conflict (rather than one arbitrarily stretched by Gowther and King). Additionally, it would acutely juxtapose Fullmetal Alchemist's cast of sins, with their Greed becoming a protagonist.

9 Protagonist - Grit

Ban's aloof, sometimes selfish mannerisms may make him a viable candidate to become a villain, though they also add moral complexity to the team and a voice of pragmatism in a dynamic otherwise entangled in sentiment.

An example is of when Meliodas and the Sins had defeated several human opponents and tied them to a tree. Ban highlighted that if they didn't kill them, they would likely return to pose another thread in the future. The Dragon Sin would refuse this offer, creating tension and intrigue that would otherwise not exist without his role as a supporting hero.

8 Antagonist - Obsession With Elaine

Ban's obsession with Elaine provides a perfect opportunity for a sympathetic antagonist. He has demonstrated time and again that he would go to any lengths to rescue her, even to the extent where it may be against her wishes.

The Fox Sin's dogged pursuit of his partner is his defining motivation throughout the series's duration, his passion burning so intensely that it might blind him to reality. It would make him a far more compelling foe than some of the series's existing antagonists such as Grayroad, Galand, or Melascula, especially if he were to meet a poetically tragic end.

7 Protagonist - Relationship With Meliodas

Ban serves a fundamental role to the Sins that others could not hope to match; he is Meliodas's friend just as much as he is his subordinate. Escanor is either too piddling for the Dragon Sin to closely to relate to or preoccupied with Merlin, while King faces similar complications with Diane.

Ban's crass personality and tolerance for physical abuse make him the perfect companion and sparring partner to the Captain. It may have him going rogue more compelling, but it would deny a rare and authentic friendship which enriches the Sins as a collective.

6 Antagonist - His Relationship With King

When Meliodas and Ban first encountered King, the Sloth Sin was hardly thrilled to see them. Blaming Ban for his sister's demise, Harlequin attacked him, fully aware of his immortality and prepared to petrify him with his Chastiefol.

Elaine's intervention on the Fox's behalf quelled King's wrath too easily. Though she explained that he was not to blame, Harlequin's superstitions of his sister's partner were too easily dismissed. If he maintained his vendetta against Ban to the point it eventually pushed him out of the group, it would better illustrate King's flaws as a character and give him dimension beyond his interactions with Diane.

5 Protagonist - Background

Ban's difficult childhood grants him a unique perspective to bring to the group, though more importantly it grants him a fundamental understanding of how they work.

While the other Sins might be descendants of demon gods, royalty, or even some obscenely powerful magi who had long since transcended humanity, Ban provides a fantastic everyman that fans can connect to and enjoy the anime's world through the lens of. Additionally, it strengthens the group in situations they might otherwise be unfamiliar with (such as the tournament arc).

4 Antagonist - Immortality

Ban's immortality likens him to a much more efficient antagonist than protagonist. While the Ten Commandments may be able to circumvent his unusual durability through stealing his soul, against other opponents (like the humans), he has an impossible advantage which turns an otherwise interesting encounter into a sequence of comic relief.

As a villain, he would provide a difficult challenge for the Sins to face, forcing them to destroy his body repeatedly as they attempt to secure a more permanent win (likely through the sorcery of Merlin).

3 Protagonist - Ban's Adoptive Father

Ban's relationship with his adaptive father grants him far more depth than if he had been exclusively the counterpart of Elaine. Having escaped his abusive domestic situation, he was adopted by a caring creature who had a biological cub of his own.

When a situation arose where he could only look after one of them, his father chose his own son, only to find them dead anyway. He returned to Ban with profuse apologies to learn that the Fox Sin respected him more for his decision. This is a fantastic example of his heroism and selflessness.

2 Antagonist - Attempting To Kill Meliodas

Near the end of the first season, Ban was given a special opportunity by a mysterious member of the Goddess clan; slay Meliodas, and Elaine would be restored to him. It wasn't a difficult decision ~ he immediately set out to hunt down and exterminate the Dragon Sin despite the ongoing battle with Hendrickson.

He ignored Hawk's protests until Meliodas finally begged him to postpone their fight to save Elizabeth. Though he would agree, his extreme act of selfishness was too soon excused by the rest of the team and could have reasonably set him down the path of villainy.

1 Protagonist - Bringing People Together

Though he may sometimes come off as misanthropic, Ban is wonderful at bringing people together and lightening their spirits in an otherwise dour situation. The most prominent example of this ability comes from his cooking skills, able to win the favor of customers and allies alike.

Additionally, he is able to push beyond his past, making amends with both Meliodas and King for perceived transgressions. While he might be rough along the edges and crude all too often, Ban's heart of gold is indisputable.

NEXT: The Seven Deadly Sins: 5 Couples That Are Perfect Together (& 5 That Make No Sense)

DC Comics in many ways wrote the book on superheroes, beginning with the introductions of Superman and Batman. In the eight decades since, the characters have endured through low sales, repressive censorship, and losing the plot on who the heroes were as characters.

Along the way, they've been rebooted (a lot), adapted, and reimagined in every conceivable fashion. As the heroes have evolved through the years, they've often improved upon the originals. But not every evolution produces great results.

10 Supergirl (Movie)

It's hard to know where to start with Supergirl, which came into being because the Salkinds, the producers behind the once hugely successful Superman series, had run those films into the ground. Supergirl stars a game enough Helen Slater, but the plot isn't exactly very plotty and features a witch trying to get out of a toxic relationship with a warlock. That's more than understandable, but as fans of the CW Supergirl series can attest, Supergirl works best with people who understand the character.

9 Shazam (70s Series)

Shazam has had quite a roller-coaster ride through the history of comics. Once Captain Marvel - no, not that one - and once more popular than Superman, he fell out of favor so much DC bought him on the cheap. And then came the 1970s television series. The show was unique in that it was a half-hour live-action program for Saturday mornings, traditionally reserved for cartoons. And that's about it. The show's version of the character was a bare minimum take on Billy Batson, with little of the iconic character's detail or background.

8 Green Arrow (Original)

Green Arrow is a classic character who has become as well-known as most major DC comics characters thanks to the CW show, the namesake of an entire television universe. But when the character first appeared in 1941, he wasn't much more than a Robin Hood by way of Errol Flynn knockoff. He was rich, fanciful, and a little boring. Along came Denny O'Neill in the late 1960s, and Green Arrow transformed into a true man of the people, and the avatar of social justice in comics.

7 Aquaman (Super Friends)

The Super Friends animated series from the 1970s didn't do anyone any favors, but Aquaman may have suffered the worst. Most of the general public's misperception of him - a character who was only good for talking to fish - originated from this simplistic and often silly show.

Many of the writers behind the show wanted to make it more engaging, and characters like Aquaman more substantive, but Standards and Practices for child entertainment were so restrictive at the time every animated show of the era couldn't be that good.

6 Robin (Jason Todd)

Thanks to his place in the Bat-Family, Robin is as iconic as the Caped Crusader himself. But there have been a few Robins over the years, and the Jason Todd version is most certainly the worst. Todd had the misfortunate of following Dick Grayson, a challenge no one would want, but he was sullen, angry, and combative with Batman. He never caught on with fans, so much so that DC ran a phone poll where fans could vote whether Jason Todd lived or died. They voted for him to die.

5 Bart Allen (Smallville)

The Flash has done comparatively well over the years in his different forms, with nearly all of his comic book versions and recent screen adaptations received positively by fans. But nothing is ever perfect and that's true of Bartholomew "Bart" Allen from the Smallville television series. Bart is a young speedster who steals and lives a pretty lavish, but shallow lifestyle. Though he made appearances in the show from the fourth season on, he wasn't that popular and didn't resonate well with fans.

4 Wonder Woman (Powerless)

Denny O'Neill was a comics legend who gave superhero fans some of the best versions of iconic characters ever to be. One version that didn't go over too well was his approach to Wonder Woman. O'Neill tended to make his characters more grounded and down to earth, and to get Diana out of her rut at the time, he took away her powers and made her a martial artist who studied under a man named I Ching. Gloria Steinham hated it, O'Neill regretted it, and powerless Wonder Woman eventually faded.

3 Batman (Batman and Robin)

With as many versions of Batman that there have been over the years, not all of them can be good. The worst screen adaptation might have been the Adam West 60s camp Batman, but then George Clooney suited up in the late 90s to spare him that ignominy.

Clooney had yet to break out of his inability to hold his head upright and Joel Schumacher (RIP) was completely indulging his most gonzo whims. The result was a movie that was so bad it's good, and a Batman that's so bad he's just bad.

2 Superman (Injustice)

The beauty of comic books, and DC in particular with its Elseworlds approach, is that writers and artists can explore wildly different takes on seminal characters. Not all of them are going to be good or necessary though, and that was never truer than the Superman from Injustice. An angry Superman is something to consider, but a murderous one who loses all sense of right and wrong after the death of Lois Lane is not a Superman that's recognizable, or interesting.

1 Green Lantern (Green Lantern Movie)

This one is so bad Deadpool went back in time to kill himself. The 2011 Green Lantern movie had a great star in Ryan Reynolds and an ambitious intent to show the interstellar expanse of the Green Lantern Corps. But in execution, the movie fell flat and Green Lantern came off half-cocked. The pilot jock mentality of Hal Jordan was muffled along with Reynolds in a CGI mess that couldn't even construct a coherent or compelling story with the Power Ring.

NEXT: Green Lantern: 5 Ring Bearers Who Were Worthy Of The Power (& 5 Who Weren't)

The massive success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a great opportunity for the general public to go back and see how decades of Marvel comic books influenced the most popular film franchise in history. But they're just as likely to discover how the MCU has influenced the comic books.

Starting in the early 2000s with the success of the first X-Men movie, big-screen Marvel outings started introducing changes in the comics (all those black costumes!). The same is true for the MCU, but even more so. Here are ten ways the Marvel movies eventually influenced the comics.

10 Hawkeye's Costume

Those black leather costumes from the first X-Men movie showed up in the comics not too long after, and Hawkeye got the same makeover thanks to the MCU. Hawkeye's comic book costume was well-established and known for its purple color and fanciful face mask.

That proved a little too much for the MCU, which opted for a more practical, real-world outfit. With the Matt Fraction run on the character, that stripped-down look arrived in the comic books as well.

9 Nick Fury

One of the biggest and most successful changes in the MCU was making Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. an African-American (and Samuel L. Jackson!). But it's actually a bit more complicated than that.

Fury had actually been African-American in the Ultimate Universe, and his look was heavily inspired by Jackson, making his casting a no-brainer when it came time to do the movies. This worked its way back into main Marvel Comics continuity by introducing the very Jackson-esque Nick Fury Jr.

8 Infinity Stones

The crux of the overall Infinity Saga in the MCU relies pretty heavily on the comic books, with some key cosmetic changes. One of those has to do with the Infinity Stones or gems themselves.

In the comic books, the Infinity Gems became the focus of Thanos' ambition to impress Death. In the movies, they were called the Infinity Stones. While the distinction wasn't that big of a deal, the comics eventually renamed the gems as the stones with the Secret Wars event.

7 Agent Coulson

S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson was one of the best features of the early MCU, which is why his death in the first Avengers movie was so heartbreaking. But he was revived for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series and was introduced in the Marvel comics for the first time.

Coulson first appeared in Marvel comics continuity in Battle Scars #6 back in April 2012 and has appeared regularly since then. He's not the first screen character to migrate to comics by far. Other famous characters who made the jump include Firestar and Harley Quinn.

6 J.A.R.V.I.S

Jarvis has had quite the evolution in the comics and in the movies. The original comic book version was Tony Stark's butler and a fixture at Avengers Mansion. For the movies, he got a major upgrade, becoming the A.I. interface always in Tony's ear.

That version of J.A.R.V.I.S. eventually evolved into the Vision, but the comic book character changed too. An A.I. version of the character made it into the comics after the huge success of the first Iron Man film, appearing in Invincible Iron Man #11 in 2009.

5 Yondu

One of the most fascinating things about the MCU is how it has made low-tier characters into huge fan favorites. The entire Guardians of the Galaxy roster qualifies, but Yondu in particular stands out.

In the movies, Yondu is a contemporary of the team, but in the original comics, he was actually a member of a different squad in the year 3000. Thanks to the reaction to the character in the movies, Yondu was moved up into the present day in the comics and integrated into current continuity.

4 Chitauri

Like with Nick Fury, there is a little bit of the chicken and the egg with the alien Chitauri. The invading horde first appeared the Ultimate Comics line in place of other major Marvel alien races such as the Skrulls.

The Ultimates comic book proved a strong template for the MCU, and the Chitauri crossed over into the films, starting with 2012's The Avengers. Not surprisingly, after the monumental success of that movie, the Chitauri showed up in mainstream Marvel continuity.

3 Doctor Strange And The Time Stone

Not only did the Time Gem become the Time Stone in the comic books, but it also found its way into the possession of Doctor Strange, as it did in the films. Before the movies, Doctor Strange was the wielder of the Eye of Agamotto in the comics and had nothing to do with the Time Stone.

In the movies, the Eye and the Stone were conflated for simplicity's sake. This worked well enough for the comics to follow suit, although the two powerful objects remain separate entities.

2 Defenders

The Defenders have had a long-running role in Marvel Comics, but their line-ups have varied wildly over the years, including such heavy-hitters as Hulk, Namor, and Doctor Strange. For the MCU - or whatever the Netflix corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe eventually became - the line-up was changed to Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist.

This resulted pretty quickly in this line-up being introduced in the comics as the new Defenders quartet, debuting in 2017 following their screen crossover.

1 No Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four are, for now, nowhere to be found in the MCU, and for a while, they were just as MIA in the comics. The reason? Money. The decision to license out all of Marvel's comics characters to whatever studio wanted them made fiscal sense, but down the road, it created enormous headaches.

Despite not finding much success with their myriad attempts with the Fantastic Four, 20th Century Fox nevertheless held on to the rights to prevent them from going back to Marvel. This incensed Marvel enough that they canceled the FF and forgot about them until Disney bought Fox.

NEXT: Fantastic Four: Top 10 MCU Fan Castings, Ranked

The DC Universe is full of cosmically powerful forces, but almost none are as impressive and potentially terrifying as the 5th Dimension figures Mister Mxzyptlik and Bat-Mite. These two can casually destroy realities on a whim and do far more damage if properly motivated. When they go to war, the entire multiverse is in serious danger.

Mister Mxyzptlik and Bat-Mite are DC's most powerful reality shapers. When they fight, they travel across the multiverse and leave destruction everywhere in their wake.

Mister Mxyzptlk was created in 1944 by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel and artist Ira Yarborough. A denizen from the 5th Dimension, Mister Mxyzptik isn't defined by the laws of the world around him. He's more than capable of changing the laws of physics as he sees fit, with a level of reality manipulation that's almost impossible to contend with.

His near omnipotence makes him easily one of Superman's greatest foes -- which is why it's a good thing the character is usually shown as something of a trickster instead of a pure villain (except in certain cases, like the non-canon final Superman story, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow," by Alan Moore and Curt Swan). Even in the modern day, the trickster remains one of the most powerful forces in the DC Universe.

While Mister Mxyzptlk is a prankster antagonist for Superman, Bat-Mite is enthralled by Batman and his adventures. First appearing in a story by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff, Bat-Mite uses his reality-warping abilities to make new chaotic adventures for his idol. He has appeared less frequently than Mzyzptlk, however, sometimes being considered nothing more than a hallucination of Batman during particularly stressful times, such as in "Batman: R.I.P." by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel.

Bat-Mite briefly had a miniseries in the New 52, but he hasn't had nearly the same kind of role in the Rebirth era as Mxyzptlk -- despite having the same potentially limitless power. So what happens when the pair of them go to war, as in World's Funnest by Evan Dorkin and a host of talented artists?

World's Funnest opens on a Silver Age incarnation of the DC Universe during a team-up between Superman, Batman and Robin. Both Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite arrive on the scene to cause chaos, but when Batman tries to stop their bickering, he's caught by a blast and killed instantly.

In a rage, Bat-Mite murders Superman for failing to send Mxyzptlk away in time -- creating a miniature red sun and using a giant magnifying glass to turn the energy into a ray that kills Superman. Deciding the kid gloves are off, Mxyzptlk proceeds to wipe out every remaining hero in this version of the DC Universe -- including Robin, Superman's supporting cast, the Justice League, Supergirl, the Super-Pets and the Legion of Super-Heroes -- with various reality-bending attacks. He even kills Lex Luthor and Joker for accidentally insulting him.

Their battle soon escalates to the point where even the Spectre of this world is defeated. Mxyzptlk grows to the size of a planet and uses the devastated planet Earth to bludgeon him in the head. Bat-Mite flees this destroyed reality and Mxyzptlk follows after him, proceeding to show just how destructive they can be if fully unleashed. Bat-Mite commits himself to try to make Mxyzptlk to say his name backward -- the only way to send him back to his home reality -- but despite his best efforts, Mxyzptlk remains free.

The heroes of the Super Friends reality, Earth-2's Justice Society, Earth-X's Freedom Fighters, the formerly Dark Knight Returns inspired Earth-31 and the assembled heroes on Earth-1 following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths are all wiped out by Mxzyptlk in his rampage. One reality is even wiped out by Bat-Mite, a pastiche of the '90s DC Universe where the grim and gritty heroes quickly enrage the more goofy Bat-Mite.

After destroying the 5th Dimension to prevent Bat-Mite from ever sending him back there, Mzyzptlk follows Bat-Mite to Apokolips. The prankster villain withstands the full might of Darkseid's Omega Beams and wipes out all of Apokolips with ease before revealing to a defeated Darkseid that one definition of the Anti-Life Equation is "Mzyxpltik + Bat-Mite = Anti-Life" -- whic drives Darkseid mad.

Notably, only one world seems immune to their rampages: The real world, which has been classified in the DC Multiverse previously as Earth-Prime and currently as Earth-33. There, the pair see an artist hard at work in the DC offices and both quickly call a truce to flee the world, calling it "wrong" in some way. The pair's exploits eventually end in the complete destruction of the DC Multiverse. With nothing left in existence except each other, both interdimensional imps start laughing. Having decided they've found a worthwhile friend and rival in each other, they reset all the realities to their original forms and make plans to have another meet-up in a week to potentially destroy the multiverse again.

While it's nice the multiverse was restored and World's Funnest is a genuinely hilarious story, it's also a frightening reminder just how powerful the pair are. It's also a nice reminder that no matter how powerful someone may appear, there's always a bigger threat out there. Even someone as powerful as Darkseid isn't the be-all, end-all in the universe.

KEEP READING: It's Official: Young Justice Is the Future of the DC Universe

An original Dodge Charger from The Dukes of Hazzard TV show at the Volo Auto Museum in Illinois will keep the Confederate battle flag painted on its roof, said its director.

Brian Grams told the Northwest Herald, "We feel the car is part of history, and people love it. Several people have reached out with positive comments about us leaving it on display, complimenting us for leaving it there and not having a knee-jerk reaction to remove it like a lot of places are."

The General Lee was a signature part of The Dukes of Hazzard, an action-comedy that aired on CBS from 1979 to 1985. The show used several 1969 Dodge Chargers, all customized with an orange paint job, the number "01" painted on the driver and passenger doors -- which don't open -- and the Confederate battle flag.

The Volo Museum's General Lee was used in the show during its first season, replacing different replicas. The museum once tried to buy one from PGA golfer Bubba Watson, who chose to paint over the symbol on the car he owns.

The Confederate flag on the car has long been a magnet for complaints, which have increased as the world reconsiders racist icons in the public sphere. Amazon is considering dumping the show from its streaming service, something TV Land did in 2015.

KEEP READING: Amazon May Drop Dukes of Hazzard From Streaming Over Confederate Flag

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: Gotham Nights #11 by John Arcudi, Andy Clarke, Dave Stewart and Marshall Dillon, available now.

Batman is the world's greatest detective for a reason. From street-level crime to corporate espionage and cosmic conspiracies, Bruce Wayne's brain is always ticking towards finding the right solutions to any problem.

However, while the Bat is good at figuring out the mind, the heart is a totally separate issue. In Batman: Gotham Nights #11, he reveals he may have an unexpected skillset -- as the world's greatest love detective.

Batman is following up a case for one of Gotham's elite, Janet Carlisle, after she discovered her dead husband, Charles, in a suitcase in their high-rise. When she's accused of murder, Bruce takes the case, because they're friends.

Flies from the corpse lead Bruce to the Carlisle Wildlife Sanctuary, where he confronts the owner, Matt, sure he's the killer. Matt's wielding a gun and the Caped Crusader deduces Matt was in an affair with Janet; when she stopped funding the sanctuary, he turned and decided to frame her.

However, when his wife Tammy comes outside in the dead of night and unleashes the lions on the Bat, Bruce quickly adapts to understand the crime of passion that took place. With the help of some baboons, he fends off the lions and determines Matt really is loyal to his wife as the beasts could have killed the husband too.

As he gets closer to Tammy, Batman sniffs out a very expensive cologne and from her aggression, he believes she's the one who was having the affair with Charles. Bruce, a playboy himself, does have key insight when it comes to lust and love: It turns out Charles showered Tammy with lavish gifts. When the sanctuary funding stopped, Tammy lost it.

Apparently, Charles wanted to do right by Janet, but this resulted in Tammy cracking his skull and placing him in a suitcase, driving to his home to hide the corpse. It'd be a win-win as a woman scorned, with her ex-lover taken out the equation and the woman she hates most heading to jail. Matt's stunned, but as Batman restrains Tammy, it's clear no other private investigator would have been able to solve this love quadrangle.

To top it off, when Bruce meets with Janet to celebrate her freedom in her loft, she asks him about hiring the right detective to truly solve mysteries of the heart, especially when it comes to people who cheat and fall out of love. Bruce is indeed playing up the role, but he does tell her -- as he pets her cat -- that everyone should treat people like animals: Love them enough and they won't hurt you.

As he speaks, the cat claws at him, which is a not-so-subtle shot at his and Catwoman's relationship. Not even Bruce knows how his relationship with Selina Kyle will end.

KEEP READING: Batman: Gotham Nights Made the JOKER Bruce Wayne's Best Business Partner?!

Yaoi's international popularity is on the rise with new anime and manga being introduced each and every year, including popular titles like Given and Ten Count. However, its fellow brethren, bara, is barely known overseas despite having similar characteristics to yaoi. Most international readers only know a few recognizable authors of the bara genre such as Gengoroh Tagame and Gai Mizuki. Why is that? Bara should have equivalent success to yaoi, as it better represents gay men and gay culture.

Bara is a sub-genre in Japan's gei manga (gay manga) world. What makes bara different from yaoi and shounen-ai is that these stories are created by gay manga artists (mangaka) for a gay male audience and have a unique art style where male characters are “hairy and muscular,” contrasting from the “pretty boy” physique in BL manga.

However, bara has a dark etymological history. Bara means “rose” in Japanese and it was originally a derogatory term for the English word, "pansy," which was directed towards gay men. In the 1960s to 1970s, the term bara was reappropriated by Japan's gay media: the movie Funeral Parade of Roses (Bara no Soretsu) became a landmark of Japanese queer cinema in 1969, and the word bara was further popularized in the first commercialized gay magazine, Barazoku (Rose Tribe), created by a straight man named Ito Bungaku in 1971.

Although bara is seen in a positive light now, gay manga artists, such as Gengoroh Tagame, refuse to describe their work as bara due to its controversial history. It’s important to note that bara is more of a term used by foreigners to help categorize gay manga and is rarely used by Japanese people. Gay manga artists like Gengoroh Tagame prefer to call their work just “gay manga” as it reflects the long history of homoerotic artwork dating back to the woodblock art and literature during the Edo period.

BL manga is mostly created by female manga artists for women. Yaoi caters to women’s fantasies filled with love confessions and intimacy between two guys, and is generally not focused on providing an accurate portrayal of gay men and LGTBQIA+ issues in society.

However, bara manga is gay erotic content mainly made by gay manga artists for gay men. Bara allows for authenticity since gay mangaka can draw and tell stories based on their own experiences and interests. A manga artist that exemplifies this authenticity to gay content is Gengoroh Tagame, whose work includes Fisherman’s Lodge and the more mainstream series My Brother’s Husband. Tagame’s motivation to create gay manga comes from his experience of not being able to find the manga he wanted to read elsewhere, and so, he took it upon himself to create gay content for similar readers who struggle to find gay manga that they can relate to. Bara manga and gay erotica are a form of liberation for gay men: these men can express their sexuality and interests in gay culture without being criticized by society.

Bara manga is geared to a specific audience; however, there aren’t many public outlets to popularized such work in Japan and elsewhere. Most of these publications are through the form of dojinshi and online publishing. There are a few gay magazines that offer publication for bara manga but most cease to operate. Anne Ishii argues that many bara fans do not publicize their interest in the genre. As a result, readers must do thorough research to find the bara manga they want to read.

In BL manga, male characters have bishounen features -- they have androgynous bodies and “pretty boy” faces. Examples of such designs include Viktor Nikiforov from Yuri on Ice (though that anime isn't categorized as BL, despite its gay romance and primarily female demographic) and Masamune Takano from Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi.

What separates bara from yaoi is that the male characters’ physiques are bulkier: they have the “bear-type” or lumberjack figure that’s mainly associated with Westerners. These characters range from gacchiri (absurdly muscular) to debu (fat), proving a wider range of beauty standards for the male appearance. Although bara is aimed at a male audience, there has been an increased interest in the genre from women who prefer male characters with bulging muscles.

Both bara and yaoi manga use explicit sex scenes to showcase how lust and passion can consume a man. Showcasing these raw emotions is a form of liberation and escapism for both male and female readers because they can privately indulge in their own sinful and sexual fantasies through a manga.

However, due to a largely female audience, yaoi also uses uke/seme roles that match roughly with heteronormative gender roles. The seme is the instigator and has a dominant and masculine persona while the uke receives the seme and has a feminine persona. The uke/seme dynamic is strictly used only in BL manga. Bara manga does not use uke/seme roles; instead, bara manga showcases men who love men, regardless of labeling characters with masculine and feminine attributes.

Bara manga is known for its extreme graphic sex scenes ranging from soft-core pornography to sadomasochism. Like yaoi, bara manga often feature controversial content involving sexual violence and even the fantasy of doing sexual acts towards underage characters. Depending on your morals, you may want to avoid such stories entirely, but don’t completely cast aside the entire bara genre. There are few bara manga you may want to check out such as the works in the anthology, Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It, which features the pioneer manga artists of gay erotica.

So why should bara manga be popular like yaoi? When it comes to the essentials, bara has it: the admiration of the male physique and the passionate and lustful sex scenes between men. Whether it’s bulging muscle men banging each other or a sweet high school romance between two teenage boys, yaoi and bara got you covered.

KEEP READING: Gender Queer Is a Grand Memoir About An Artist's Discovery Of Eir True Self

BOOM! Studios has given CBR an exclusive first look at Seven Secrets #1, an upcoming book from Tom Taylor, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte and Ed Dukeshire. In the preview, one of the book's titular secrets is unleashed, with one of its protectors exclaiming, "Do you have any idea what happened to Atlantis? Oh, you ignorant, selfish, idiots."

You can see CBR's exclusive first look at Seven Secrets #1 below alongside the plot summary for the issue. The book will feature a main cover from Di Nicuolo, with variants from covers from Miguel Mercado, Matteo Scalera and InHyuk Lee.

For centuries, the Order has trusted in Keepers and Holders to guard the Secrets in seven briefcases against all harm but when their stronghold is attacked and the secrets put in peril, the entire Order must face their greatest fear—an enemy who knows too much and is willing to kill to get what he wants.
Now, the Order's newest member, Caspar, must discover the truth of the Secrets before the enemy does, or risk losing everything.

Seven Secrets #1 goes on sale August 12 from BOOM! Studios.

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Avengers: Endgame capped off the series so far in a stunning way, delivering on all the build-up creators had been growing for over a decade. Many fans were satisfied to see characters arcs concluded, or even expanded upon in satisfying ways.

Now, as the films move on, there will be all-new stories to tell. However, there are still many questions left unanswered that will be crucial to the future of the post-snap Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Spider-Man: Far From Home ended with Peter having his identity revealed to the world. To add insult to injury, he was also framed for attacking civilians and killing Mysterio. In the upcoming sequel, Peter will undoubtedly have to reckon with the fallout, and probably try to clear his name, in some way.

How Peter will go about this is still a mystery -- will he run, hide, go to court, or something else? Would any new villains target him, or the people he loves? Even if he does prove his innocence, can he really go back to being a "friendly, neighborhood" Spider-Man, or will he become a full-time professional superhero? All this remains to be seen and will determine the future of the MCU.

In a brainstorming session early on in Endgame, Carol Danvers reminds the Avengers that there are "a lot of other planets in the universe" and that "the things that are happening on Earth are happening everywhere." The films only showed the situation on Earth, and it wasn't pretty -- millions continued to mourn five years on, Thor fell into a deep depression, and Hawkeye turned into a ruthless vigilante.

If something similar happened on thousands of other planets, the devastation out there may be equal or even worse. The strife could create a breeding ground for villains aiming to further their agenda, return their home planet to glory, or simply seeking revenge. Even with everyone returned to life, the fallout of the changes brought about by the snap will be felt across the universe for years.

The focus of Captain America: Civil War was on the divisive conflict between heroes brought on by the Sokovia Accords, which required superheroes to register and have their actions regulated. Though the two conflicting sides have since mostly made peace with each other, the Accords are technically still in place. In Avengers: Infinity War, Rhodey was forced to turn his back on Thunderbolt Ross to join the outlaw Cap, Falcon, and Black Widow.

With all the heroes now back in action, the government could decide to re-enforce the Accords, especially now that their biggest opponent, Captain America, is gone. Will this cause another conflict? Could the newly introduced U.S. Agent, a government-sponsored successor to Cap, be a sign of the government choosing to sponsor their own superhero team, leaving the others to join or become outlaws? On Earth, the situation surrounding the Accords will probably be one of the major uniting storylines going forward.

After finally defeating Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers sent him back to Hala, the Kree homeworld, with a warning. Though she set out to help the Skrulls find a home, the warning she issued is unlikely to be taken well by the militaristic Kree. Kevin Feige recently teased that the conflict isn't done being explored, and that future films will focus on what Carol did for several decades before Endgame.

Understanding what happened in that time will go a long way towards shaping the Captain Marvel of the present day. There are still significant conflicts for her to resolve with the Supreme Intelligence, her former Kree crew, and even perhaps Ronan the Accuser, who likely underwent some major trauma before appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy. And if the war is still ongoing, it could be a huge storyline for a franchise that is increasingly turning towards its cosmic properties to keep things fresh.

At the end of Black Panther, Killmonger's outlook convinced T'Challa to open his nation up to the world. Unfortunately, the snap happened not long after, wiping out both the king and his younger sister Shuri. In the meantime, Okoye seems to have stepped up to lead, maintaining the spirit of openness by joining the hologram call with Black Widow in Endgame. Despite this, there's no guarantee Wakanda will stay on the same trajectory easily.

To begin, there may be issues with T'Challa catching up after being gone for years. This may open up room for challenge and criticism of his rule, which may force the country to turn inwards to try and solve its own problems. On the other hand, Wakanda could use the scenario to step up and truly become a world leader, building bridges and helping others heal after years of strife.

With Captain America, Hawkeye and Hulk retired, Thor away with the Guardians and Iron Man and Black Widow dead, none of the original six Avengers remain ready to fight. Eventually, someone will have to step into the power vacuum and lead, but who will it be?

Black Panther seems like the most likely candidate but he has his own country to run, and could be too busy with politics to truly lead. Spider-Man is the most popular character, but he's still too young and dealing with his own legal issues. Captain Marvel is mostly focused on the universe-at-large and can't stay on Earth for long. Dr. Strange already has a commitment to be the Sorcerer Supreme. Perhaps another character will grow into the role and step up to the plate, or maybe a new leader will be introduced. Either way, a new leading face will have to emerge, both for the good of the team and the MCU itself.

KEEP READING: Celebrate Captain America's Birthday With His Best MCU Moments

DC has released the first trailer for the Audible adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.

he trailer is relatively brief, featuring the title forming out of grains of sand, while James McAvoy narrates as Morpheus. "I am a passenger. I am moving through your dreams. All your dreams and you never knew," McAvoy intones. The official tweet urges viewers to "close their eyes and listen."

The original Vertigo Comics Sandman series focuses on Morpheus and his attempts to repair his kingdom after being imprisoned for decades. Along the way, he encounters several characters from the DC Universe. The Audible series will adapt the first three volumes of the comic.

The Sandman will not be the only series to be adapted into audio form, as DC and Waner Bros recently formed a multi-year deal with Spotify to produce original podcasts based on the DC Universe.

Helmed by Dirk Maggs and narrated by Neil Gaiman, Audible's The Sandman stars the voices of James McAvoy, Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis and Michael Sheen. The audio drama arrives July 15 and is currently available for pre-order.

KEEP READING: Logan Director Explains Why His Sandman Series Never Happened

Two years after Marvel impresario Stan Lee passed away, his company POW! Entertainment has formed a partnership with entertainment conglomerate Genius Brands International to create future content.

The newly formed Stan Lee Universe allows the two companies to holds the rights "in perpetuity, to the name, physical likeness, physical signature, live-action and animated motion picture, television, online, digital, publishing, comic books, merchandising and licensing to the IP." Genius will act as a managing and controlling partner for the new joint venture. With the deal, Stan Lee Universe will produce up to seven projects a year based on Lee's post-Marvel properties such as Tomorrow Men, Stringbean, Black Fury and Virus.

"In all of Hollywood, there is no greater prize. This is the Holy Grail," Genius Chairman and CEO Andy Heyward said. "Stan Lee Universe is a once in a lifetime asset drawn from over 100 original, heretofore unexploited properties, created by the most successful creator of intellectual property of our time. I have no doubt that the greatest characters, the greatest stories, and the greatest hits from the mind of Stan Lee have yet to be told."

After news of the partnership broke, Genius' Kartoon Channel COO David Newman mentioned that possible "spinoff opportunities could include a dedicated Stan Lee Universe program block."

KEEP READING: Stan Lee's Thor: Ragnarok Barber Is Now A Hot Toys Figure

(via Deadline)

WWE started redesigning its titles this year, and they have already replaced the WWE Championship and the Intercontinental Championship belts.

According to Wrestle Votes, the new United States Championship title will show up tonight on Monday Night Raw. The news came via Twitter, and when one fan asked if the new U.S. Championship would be similar to the redesigned Intercontinental Championship, Wrestle Votes replied, "not at all." They described the title as having "a bigger plate style. Similar to the World / Universal. Black strap. Eagle featured prominently."

The United States Championship is the only thing remaining of the connection to WCW since WWE purchased the company. The title originated in 1975 with WWE Hall of Fame superstar Harley Race as the first champion. Other NWA/WCW legends who have held the title include Nature Boy Ric Flair, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Barry Windham and Magnum T.A. In 2003, WWE renamed the title the WWE United States Championship. Its top champions to hold the title include John Cena, The Miz and MVP. Apollo Crews is the current champion.

The last time WWE redesigned the title was 2003 when they acquired the title, adding an American flag to the front plate. There was also a temporary spinner belt when John Cena was champion from 2004-2005. The strap reverted to the original design after that, and the only other change was the redesigned WWE logo added in 2014.

WWE Monday Night Raw airs every Monday night at 8 PM EST on USA Network.

KEEP READING: Why Does WWE Seem DETERMINED To Try To Get One Of Its Legends Killed?

Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Rian Johnson has lent his directing talents to Pokémon GO for the mobile game's latest Pokémon GO Fest 2020 spot.

The promo, titled "Look Closer," finds a diverse group of people discovering the magic of Pokémon in their own homes. As they play the game, they discover "tears" in their reality -- a piece of their environment that glows and curls aside like paper. When pulled, these tears reveal the Pokémon living underneath.

"You can download Pokémon GO today," the promo announces. "Join us for Pokémon GO Fest 2020!" The event will now take place virtually July 25 and 26. Although this is typically an in-person event, it has shifted to a virtual setting due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"Pokémon GO has kept me engaged with my friends remotely as I've been practicing physical distancing these past few months," Johnson said in a statement. "As a longtime Pokémon trainer, it was a real pleasure working with Niantic on this spot. It was a new experience for me to direct a production remotely, and I enjoyed the highly collaborative process and think we put together a fun and upbeat commercial that fans will enjoy."

To create the spot, Johnson directed from his home in Los Angeles, CA while the cast and crew filmed in New Zealand. He also worked with Niantic and The Pokémon Company International staff in New York, Seattle, San Francisco, London, and Tokyo to complete it.

Pokémon GO Fest 2020 runs July 25 through 26 from 10 am to 8 pm local time. Tickets cost $14.99 and are available through the app.

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A new rumor suggests Warner Bros. is planning to reboot Justice League with a film entitled Justice League: Rebirth.

According to DCEU Mythic, the film will have no connection to either 2017's Justice League or the forthcoming Zack Snyder's Justice League. It's also unclear who will comprise the team's roster, what the story will center on and who Warner Bros. is eyeing to lead the project from a creative standpoint.

For fans of the comics, the name Rebirth holds particular significance, beyond its connection to The Flash and Green Lantern. In 2016, DC relaunched its entire line with the release of DC Universe: Rebirth Special #1, an oversized one-shot that effectively undid the publisher's previous line-wide reboot, the New 52, and embraced the core concepts of legacy and relationships that readers were missing. It also set the stage for massive event-esque miniseries such as the DC Universe/Watchmen crossover Doomsday Clock and the upcoming Batman: Three Jokers.

2017's Justice League was originally supposed to launch its own franchise. In fact, a follow-up was planned and even briefly had a release date slated for June 2019. However, those plans changed drastically when Justice League grossed just $657.92 million on a $300 million budget, failing to make enough to justify a sequel in the process.

In the nearly three years since its release, more attention has been paid to Zack Snyder's Justice League than speculation over a sequel or reboot.

The official synopsis for Justice League is below:

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity, and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly-awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes in Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash, it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon. Zack Snyder's Justice League will premiere on HBO Max in early-to-mid 2021.