OFF BLXXK EPISODE 3

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2023 Episode 3

EDITORIAL 03 Editor’s Note

FEATURES 04 Experiencing Dreamcon ‘23 This year’s Dream Convention increased in size, moved to a new city, and had a lot more guests and events.

Check out our experience at the biggest Dream Convention yet.

09 How Black Characters Should Be Voice Acted

Voicing black characters in anime can be tricky.

WORD OF MOUTH Movie Reviews 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja 14

Turtles: Mutant Mayhem The Flash

14 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Manga Reviews 16 Fist of The New Lands

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editorial Editor In Chief Aran Lee

Creative Director Eunice Ibama

Web Team Boaz Menard

Art & Design Tobi Agunbiade

Writer Ashanti Huland-El

Writer Tia Monte

Writer Mzati Banda

Lead Editor Aries Jones

Our First Con Season Welcome to Episode 3 of OFF BLXXK Magazine! I’m truly grateful that we were able to make it here. We are only in month eight of the magazine and the fact that we are still going strong amazes me. It really speaks to the hard-working writers and editors we have on staff who have taken the step to believe in the magazine and make this possible. You, our readers, have made this an awarding experience and I hope you enjoy this issue as much as the last.

So, what’s in store for this issue? Our feature covers Dream Convention 2023 and is aptly titled “Experiencing Dreamcon ‘23” (Page 4). This year we were blessed to be able to get press passes to multiple conventions and share our experiences with you all through our carefully crafted articles and our social media pages. However, the convention I had my eye on all year was Dream Convention 2023. As a Black/POC anime fan there are not a lot of conventions where I can go and see creators, voice actors, vendors, etc. that look like me.

Discussing not seeing a lot of Black characters in anime, in this issue we discuss how Japanese voice actors decide how they will perform for black characters. In “How Black Characters Should Be Voice Acted” (Page 9) Tia Monte talks about the complexity that Japanese voice actors face when voicing black characters. She also dives into the black characters who use their voice in anime to address stereotypes and issues we’ve seen with past portrayals.

Summer is slowly winding down into Fall (the best season) and so is OFF BLXXK. This will most likely be our last full issue until December, but we still plan to post two or more articles a month. We’ve added two more writers to the staff, one that has two articles in this issue and another who I am excited to share their work with you, and we have a very ambitious project coming up soon. The magazine will be winding down on focusing on new Episodes and be more focused on giving you all more articles to read. If you don’t follow us on Instagram (which you really should) we even started a mini comic called, Isekai Apartment. Our artist, Tobi, is super talented and the next few issues we have planned are going to be hilarious so look forward to those.

This was a blockbuster summer filled to the brim with superheroics and Barbieheimer memes. Ashanti Huland-El was able to capture two of the most talked about superhero blockbusters this year in her reviews of “The Flash” (Page 14) and “Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse” (Page 14). She’s able to master the multiverse with how she threads the line between these two universes hopping movies. Oozing from the New York sewers, Mzati Banda reintroduces us to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the re-boot of the franchise in their new movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”. His in-depth review shows us how these new turtles are giving a new spin on the old classic.

Here at OFF BLXXK, one of our main goals is to talk about indie companies until there are none left. This issue we head back to the samurai era with Mzati Banda’s review of “Fist of the New Lands” (Page 16). A sword-slashing adventure following a new samurai you may need to keep on your radar. But that’s the gist of what you will get to see in OFF BLXXK Episode 3. Make sure to flip through and see what you like. That’s all for me though, until next issue. Enjoy!

- Aran SEPTEMBER 2023

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Experienci ng Dreamcon ‘23

By Tia Monte

FEATURES

SEPTEMBER 2023

Well, well, well, where do I begin? It’s been a week since Dream Con 2023, and I’ve had more than enough time to collect my thoughts.

Disclaimer: Before y’all come for me, this is my first weekend convention and the first con I’ve been to in over five years, so bear with me. I didn’t have any set expectations for the event, and after reflection, I realized it wasn’t so bad in the end. I had a great time within my means, but there’s always room for improvement.

Dream Con Day One Let’s start with Friday. Before I even got to the Austin Convention Center, Dream Con had already troubled me. When I tried registering, the app wouldn’t even load. After fifteen minutes of frustration, I headed to the Discord channel to find that I wasn’t the only one with this issue – thankfully but unfortunately. An hour had passed before I was able to register and add events to my schedule. Some were full, of course, but eventually, that didn’t matter. During that hour, there was no response from the staff.

(Okay, I’ll give them grace since it was the first day, but it was disheartening to wait with no updates about when the app would be up and running.)

That convention line was long. It’s abysmal for people to be waiting in the heat for God knows how long. (You know how funky people get, especially these gamers and anime fans who don’t believe in deodorant.) I don’t think people knew to enter from the Hilton side; you could literally just walk in and go to the con, instead of via the convention center, but thankfully the other days went smoothly with entry.

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Now navigating the con was tricky because it was split into two buildings. I personally found that there were way more staff and volunteers in the Hilton than in the convention center – and they really needed assistance. Some people were met with hostility by the staff. I was fortunate not to, but I could tell that some were at their wit's end, just became a volunteer to attend the con, and/or did not know what was going on.

And before I go on: Dream Con, can we talk about how expensive the food was? I understand convention prices but $10 for a slice of pizza is insane.

Even in New York, I could get two slices and a soda for $7 at most from a touristy spot. Additionally, there were only three hot food options on location, resulting in long lines. Luckily, they moved relatively fast, and I got food the first day in under 20 minutes to make it to a panel in time. (Let’s not talk about the panels, not just yet.)

My favorite part of the con was the exhibit hall, which was freezing, by the way. I am a relatively thin person, but there had to have been a 10-degree temperature shift from the rest of the event locations.

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by the way the A/C was blasting.

There were plenty of talented artists to buy merch from. I would have supported each and every one if my pockets allowed, which made it vital to do my purchasing the first couple of days as almost everything was sold out

by Sunday. (And thank you, Lan Party, for playing some bops that allowed me to forget the cold for a moment as I waited for an autograph from voice actor Zeno Robinson. Y’all are the GOATs!) My first event of the day was the gaming tournament with RDC World and Some Bros. I know Black people are notorious for being late to events, but this was atrocious. The event started an hour late, and the first round of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament was over in not even five minutes.

Despite this, it was nice to see that RDC World has some exciting upcoming collaborations with Mountain Dew, an anticipated eSports tournament in Atlanta, a scholarship for HBCU students, and even a special movie deal with Jordan Peele in the works. I wish them all the best and for them to continue to have successful and fun cons in the future.

I know Black people are notorious for being late to events, but this was atrocious. The event started an hour late, and the first round of the Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate tournament was over in not even five minutes.

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There was one panel I went to on Friday that piqued my interest, and that was the tax education for content creators. Rony was extremely helpful and so nice to talk to after the event was over, especially being an anime fan himself. I couldn’t take notes fast enough, and he was kind enough to give out his email and social media handles after the panel was over for additional questions.

However, the room was way too small and as hot as My Hero Academia’s Endeavor’s ass****, and I think informative panels like these should have a bigger space.

The K-pop trivia was cute. It was very 4th and 2nd gen centered with the questions (if you know, you know), but I wish they had a little more substance than “Guess the music video thumbnail”, which made up ⅓ of the 44 questions total.

Now let’s talk about cabaret night.

What was that? There wasn’t a line to get in as everyone crowded around the doors, and one hostile volunteer said they’d “shut the convention down” if we didn’t stop moving.

After around thirty minutes of waiting,

Dream Con should definitely continue this trend of Blackowned brands, and I hope more talented artists and creators can showcase their work next year.

they started to check IDs to let everyone in, and by then, the show had already started. It wasn’t fair to those who were waiting in line for a while only to be cut by others – but when do we ever do things fairly?

But once I got in – when I tell you the people there could’ve started singing “I’m in Luv with a Stripper”, I mean it. It wasn’t rowdy, but the crowd went crazy when this fine, juicy Black woman came on stage and showed off her skills. I do not remember her name, unfortunately, but she had the audience in a chokehold, and as one of the few Black entertainers on stage, she did a solid job. I wish there were more POCs (maybe there were, but it didn’t look that way to me) on stage and doing their thing. Shout out to the boss man who paid $100 to get a lap dance. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It was almost too lax as bags didn’t go through metal detectors, and if people really tried, they could have concealed a weapon without anyone knowing. It’s a Godsend that nobody got hurt during the con (unless it was self-inflicted alcohol poisoning), and I would 100% go back next year for this reason alone.

I loved the Black and POCowned brands in Artist Alley. I never saw a single white person the entire three days unless they were ringing me up for merch! This is how life should be. I bought an Akatsukithemed bonnet that I look forward to wearing as I dream about Worick rocking me to sleep (#based if you’ve watched GANGSTA.), and other stickers, pins, and a pricey, yet well made,

Dream Con Day Two After the first day exhausted me, I was excited to get ready for Saturday, which was equally as entertaining as the first. Easiest entry ever. I was inside the convention center not even five minutes after I arrived. Whoever said you couldn’t bring any food or water in is lying, because the security didn’t even check that I had snacks. I would’ve packed home-cooked meals all three days if I had known this information beforehand.

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Attack on Titan-themed jacket from Anime Gear Guru. Dream Con should definitely continue this trend of Blackowned brands, and I hope more talented artists and creators can showcase their work next year.

Okay, what did Sexyy Red say?

“Looking for the hoochie daddies, I’m tryna get my c —” yeah, you know. Y’all were fine as hell at Dream Con. Why aren’t y’all in New York City? Like, I’m actually offended. I was sneaking glances left and right because there was no way there was that much eye candy. Please go outside so I can find you—thank you very much!

So, the Family Feud event: If y’all weren’t so busy watching Jerry Springer and Maury when skipping school faking sick, y’all would know how to play. Who taught y’all how to play Family Feud? Not only did the event start late (unsurprisingly), but there was slight confusion about how to play the game.

Maybe it’s different being on stage, and the nerves rattled a bit, but despite that, I was thoroughly entertained. Berleezy dressed up as Steve Harvey, sweating his ass off in that suit too, and I’m so glad nobody gave too bad of an answer (we know how the Black families can get sometimes on the official show). It was probably the most fun event at Dream Con, and I enjoyed it very much.

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Directly after was the voice acting panel. As someone with an interest in getting into this industry, their words of wisdom resonated with me as they shared their experiences with VA work.

The host asked deep-dive questions like “Who would you be if you weren’t a voice actor?” and the classic “What advice would you have for those interested in becoming a voice actor?” They gave a sneak peek of how their sessions go, which are typically recorded individually.

However, there can be acting partners in the room with them from time to time.

They bounce off and learn from each other’s work, encouraging each other to try out new things to enhance their performance. Thank you to Zeno, Amanda, AJ, Catero, Anairis, and Dani for the amazing panel. And it ended on time!

Later on was the cosplay contest. Everybody was so creative with their costumes and performances that it felt like the anime and gaming versions of Project Runway and a talent show combined. I didn’t recognize many cosplays since a lot were from games, but I appreciated the Alphonse mecha suit winning the night. Much deserved! (Just a little disappointed the event was running late, but at that point, I shouldn’t have been surprised).

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I thought the Anime After Dark panel was supposed to be 18+, but the only thing 18 and over about it was the weird “Would you rather?” questions. (I’d rather choose to watch abnormal Titan sex than have Hisoka babysit my kids, but that’s just me). I appreciated everyone sharing their top three (If your top anime is Dragonball Z, I cannot take you seriously), but I wished the questions were a bit spicier, like “What are your top three favorite Shonen Boy Love (BL) ships,” “Your top three uke voice actors,” and “Your top three who could top you?”

The Dream Con afterparty? Lit as hell. The drinks were too pricey, though.

Dream Con Day Three The next and final day sped by. There was an extremely informative embroidery machine workshop that taught the basics of using an embroidery machine for personal and business use. It was one of my favorite panels, and I learned so much from Sew Much More (no pun intended), based in Austin.

The monetizing content panel was the last one I attended before the con concluded, and let me tell you, it’ll motivate anybody to start a business, become a content creator, and follow their dreams.

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Sunday went by way too fast, and I felt a longing once the con was over. At the ending ceremony, RDC addressed the disorganization, saying they worked as fast as they could to solve the issues that arose. I appreciated that they said something but considering the population spike of almost 15K and it being their fifth year, I think the convention overall still went pretty well.

Final Thoughts With bigger conventions, there aren’t spaces for people like us. It was refreshing to see Black people be in their element, free of judgment. In the end, I and several others didn’t want to leave the convention center as exiting the doors marked the final conclusion that everything was over. People hung around outside the Austin Convention Center in the blistering heat to make their final connections and say their goodbyes before officially parting ways.

One thing I did notice was that everybody and their mama is trying to be a content creator. Everywhere I went, I saw cameras, video cameras, gimbals, tripods, and all other sorts of gear. Even leaving the con, some random dude came up to this other girl and me asking what our top five anime was and invited us to a pool party (I appreciate the invite but be for real). I hope that Dream Con doesn’t turn into a hub for content creators solely looking for followers instead of people spending time with other like-minded individuals and enjoying the convention.

Personally, I wish that there were more of my niche interest at this con, but I know that it’s not for everybody. I didn’t make it to the “Battle of the Yaoi” panel but considering that was the only BL-centered event, I feel a meetup of some sort would have been nice for the hiding fujoshis (I know y’all are out there). It seems like all the merch and conversations stemmed around popular Shonen anime, which is great. But although I love Shonen, can we start to branch out a bit with our anime taste? Where are my psycho-horror and historical fiction girlies at? Elfen Lied? Moriarty the Patriot? No. 6? I can only take so much about Gojo and Nanami double-tapping y’all until the walls sweat.

Overall, Dream Con was very cute. Do I think it should be canceled like that one girl said on TikTok? Absolutely not. Nerdy Black people don’t have the opportunity to be nerdy Black people. I think there can be more spaces for the nerdier sub-niches (yes, my omega verse, monster f**king, and fanfic writers I’m talking to you), but more exposure can fix that. Can it be more organized? Yes, but that’s with every convention. There’s room for improvement, but the vibes were immaculate.

Keep it up, RDC – Dream Con will become something great and be a memorable convention for years to come.

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How Black Characters Should Be Voice Acted Voicing black characters in anime can be tricky.

As a fan of Japanese voice acting, I tend to pay attention to the voice acting scene in the East. I pay extra attention when they begin discussing how they voice black/dark-skinned characters. Most recently, I watched a segment of three voice actors from Food Wars!, cooking and talking about their roles in the show. Hayama’s voice actor, Junichi Suwabe, spoke about the character’s dark skin and how that affected his portrayal of the role. That got me thinking about how stereotypes about dark-skinned and Black characters carry over into voice acting, particularly for Japanese voice actors.

As commonly seen in anime, Black and dark-skinned characters, the majority of the time, are created based on stereotypes.

Good quality Black voice acting includes encapsulating the personality accurately. Most of the time, Black and dark-skinned characters are cast well, some better than others. Some good examples include Yoruichi (Bleach) and Noé (Case Study of Vanitas) for action, and Musa (Run with the Wind), Inomata (Re-Main), and Aran (Haikyuu) for sports anime. Yoruichi doesn’t feel like a caricature, and I adore the fun and bubbly attitude that she uses when talking to Ichigo. Noé is clueless and has a pure-hearted outlook on the world that Kaito Ishikawa reflects in his character.

In Run with the Wind, Musa addresses one of the comments about him succeeding in the race due to his height and seemingly athletic ability.

Good quality Black voice acting includes encapsulating the personality accurately.

He responded in typical Black fashion, “It’s prejudiced to think Black people are fast runners.” In my experience of watching sports anime, that was the first time I’d seen a microaggression being addressed, especially by a Black character. The voice actors for Inomata (Tasuka Hatanaka), Aran (Jun Kasama), and Musa (Hideaki Kabumoto) specifically use softer voices and are portrayed as wholesome characters and are devoid of the masculine tones other VAs use.

There is no right or wrong way to voice Black characters. However, it is important that the acting isn’t ridden with stereotypical portrayals of Black people. Killer Bee from Naruto raps as he speaks, uses shortened words (yo, ya, da), and omits the ‘g’ in ‘-ing’ verbs, similar to a Southern American dialect in the English translations. His character is aloof and eccentric in nature and provides comedic relief (although “comedic” is subjective), which can correlate to how Black characters are treated in American

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This is shown through male African athletes in sports anime, being recruited to play on Japanese teams due to their height and athletic ability. Kuroko no Basuke and Run with the Wind are animes that highlight this trope given their sports of basketball and track and field, sports in that Black people typically excel. Foreigner characters usually speak in broken Japanese and have an intimidating demeanor. In an episode of Kuroko’s Basketball, one of the opposing players, Papa Mbaye Shiki, picks Kuroko up and says, “Little boys shouldn’t be on the court,” despite him being a key figure on the team as well as a short character. The voice acting reflects the foreigner concept and masculine behavior by casting actors with deeper voices, such as Suwabe, Hiroki Yasumoto, Tomokazu Seki, and Kenta Miyake.

(being the comedic relief or wingman to the main character). The voice actress of Cho Cho from Boruto gives her a higher-pitched tone that comes off as very confident. In the series, she overcomes her concern about losing weight and maintains a happy-go-lucky personality that Ryoko Shiraishi perfectly encompasses in the role.

However, there is nothing wrong with masculine voice acting for darker-skinned characters; it depends on the anime and the role of that character. Elfman from Fairy Tail and Chad from Bleach, both voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto, have masculine personalities to fit the voice. Kenta Miyake fits Muhammad Avdol due to the manly nature of Jojo characters, yet he still retains a jovial and childish essence. Aomine Daiki

from Kuroko’s Basketball has a stereotypical teenage boy nature that reflects his influence of Black American basketball but, thankfully, doesn’t depict any racist tropes of the culture.

To ensure Black characters aren’t type-cast, it is important for mangakas not to write stereotypical characters in the first place. With the newer sports anime, it’s refreshing to see Black and dark-skinned characters with softer roles that debunk tropes that Black people are put into. However, that may not carry over into mainstream action shounen anime. If the characters have dark skin or are characterized as Black, it’s best to minimize the eccentric vocalities and perform how the character is portrayed in the original story.

- Tia Monte

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PUKE, MILKING AND

MAYHEM The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles aren’t the only mutants lurking around New York

By Mzati Banda Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is simply fantastic! Amidst the shell-shocking shenanigans is a story that is heartwarming and relatable. The movie pays homage to the history of the turtles while bringing something fresh to the table.

The first thing that strikes you about the movie is the art style.

"Mayhem" is one way to describe it.

There are portions of it that seem unfinished and rough. Faces and character models are often not symmetrical in a world that is dark and dingy. Light rays look like crayon squiggly lines, and if this were any other movie, one might assume that the art style is the result of a last-minute attempt to finish the film. However, that is not the case because it fits the movie so well. In many ways, it's like Mob Psycho 100's art style. If Jujutsu Kaisen had Mob Psycho's design, it would look terrible in the same way that this movie's art works well for it but would not work for Across the Spiderverse. The synergy between the art direction and the world of mutants we are introduced to just hits home. All the mutant characters in Mutant Mayhem come from chaotic and random circumstances, yet they must find their way beyond that. In many ways, the art speaks to this.

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Speaking of mutants, this cast runs deep with them, from Rocksteady and Bebop with their iconic looks to the utterly gross Scumbag. I do feel like, in many ways, there were too many mutants to fit in the film, with many of them feeling like background characters for most of the movie up until the third act. Only then do we see them play a major part in the story's actual events. All of the villains outside of Superfly are just really flora and fauna until they decide they are not really feeling the villainous lifestyle anymore in the third act. Then, we finally hear more of the ensemble that was brought together to bring these characters to life. Considering that the cast has Giancarlo Esposito, John Cena, Hannibal Buress, and Maya Rudolph, it was a shame that most are barely featured or say anything memorable. The mutants, with ample attention, knock it out of the park.

The four titular turtles are fantastic; this might be the best interpretation of them I have ever seen.

For the first time, the turtles feel like actual teenagers, not what adults think teenagers are like. Before someone comes at me, it must be noted that my experience of TMNT begins with the 2003 version and onward. The turtles aren't teenagers in the 2003 and later

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Michael Bay version. Sure, they like pizza and video games, but they don't listen to music, talk about girls, banter about sports, or anything that actual teenagers do. These turtles change that. Yes, they still like pizza, but Donatello likes anime, Michelangelo wants to do comedy, Raphael wants to go viral, and Leonardo wants a girlfriend.

The voice actors bring life to each of the turtles and make them feel authentic.

Micah Abbey's Donatello still sounds smart but adapted to a generation that now accepts nerd culture as cool. He comes off as intelligent without sounding exaggeratedly nerdy. Michelangelo, voiced

by Shamon Brown Jr., is charming and nonchalant in a way only a little brother can be. Brady Noon's Raphael is aggressive, with a slight rasp to his voice that's fitting for a teenager, not a chain smoker. Nicolas Cantu's performance as Leonardo makes him as the pack leader sound strong without making him seem too grown up.

The turtles sound like brothers in every interaction they have; they repeatedly roast Leonardo for having what would be his human last name, "Nardo." This familial effect results from producer Seth Rogen having them voice act in the same room, which is a masterstroke. Pair the turtles with Jackie Chan's Splinter, and you have a perfect match. Every line Chan has is perfectly delivered with humor and oozing with energy: Whether it's him telling the turtles how he found them in a pool of ooze or warning them about the dangerous humans who will milk them for their blood, he is excellent.

Ice Cube's Superfly, the main villain, is the only person who upstages Chan's Splinter. Ice Cube is just so cool and tough as a super fly who is supposed to protect Baxter Stockman's mutant children.

His voice has a threatening tone and offers a lot of "badassery" to the character.

Everything he says has a deep underlying anger, even when he happily says, "Y'all some tortoises." When he first encounters the turtles, there is just a slickness and danger to it. Ice Cube was born to voice Superfly (a sentence I never thought I would write). The most relevant human character we see throughout, April O'Neil, is voiced wonderfully by Ayo Edebiri. She fits the teenage tone of the turtles so well while being much more mature than them. She is her own character as well; she has her motivations separate from the turtles while still fitting the theme of the overall story.

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All the characters are so well connected to the story's theme: acceptance. The turtles want to be regular high schoolers, and April wants to be accepted. On the flip side, Splinter wants to hide his family from the world that didn't accept them, while Superfly intends to remove the world that didn't accept him. When all of these ambitions collide, there is great action and humor. Some action set pieces marvelously pay homage to the beat-em-up 2D arcade games of TMNT's past. Splinter has the best action sequence where he uses chairs and all sorts of environmental props to fight just like Jackie Chan…only he's a rat.

The movie is also hilarious but veers into the realm of gross at times with its love of puke. The turtles also have a scene where they overuse the phrase “bacon, egg, and cheese," which is annoying to me but probably funny for an iPad kid.

Considering that the film has to satisfy modern young audiences and an older crowd, it makes sense that some jokes may not land for certain groups. And though it is not a big deal breaker, the way Superfly's family turned on him so quickly at the end was a tad jarring. It is hinted throughout the movie that they enjoyed being teenagers with the turtles. Though they were okay with Superfly's plan their whole lives, they side with the turtles, who are strangers to them. Superfly had protected his family since they were babies, so the turning of a new leaf just didn't hit for me.

What does hit, though, is the soundtrack, which has songs for the older crowd like M.O.P's "Ante Up" and A Tribe Called Quest, and newer songs like "Wake Up in the Sky" by Gucci Mane. Superfly's theme, like the character, is dangerous and fly. In conclusion, although the Turtles have been teenagers since the 80s, this movie definitely adds to their timeless legacy.

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Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse Going BEYOND in Animation Across the Spider-Verse continues to revolutionize and go BEYOND the world of animation. Following the Oscaraward winning 2018 film, Into the Spider-verse, Across the SpiderVerse delivers to fans yet another cinematic gem that leaves many questions open on the future state of Miles’ Spider-Man. However, with Beyond the Spider-Verse, set to release in Spring 2024, fans will finally get the answers they so ever crave (and hopefully more Hobie Brown).

Both critics and fans have unanimously praised the film, earning an impressive 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 96% audience score. The sequel film continues to break box office records, earning $120 million in its opening weekend almost tripling the previous film's $34.4 million box office earnings. The sequel movie made a massive $208 million globally and is among the most successful sequels ever made. The official soundtrack album also created a buzz around star producer Metro Boomin heading the

project. The album spans a melting pot of artists like Lil Wayne, Asap Rocky, Offset, Lil Uzi Vert, Coi Leray, JID, Swae Lee, and introducing new artists Ei8ht (Silk & Cologne), Rosie (Am I Dreaming), Dominic Fike (Mona Lisa) and James Blake (Hummingbird/ Nonviolent Communication). Metro showcased the artists as various Spider variants, including announcing his surprise cameo in the film.

Across the Spider-Verse is a beautiful film that threads the needle in animation, characterization, and multi-dimensional travel. The journey of Miles (voiced by Shameik Moore) as he learns to control his powers while balancing school and personal life is relatable to people of all ages. In addition, the movie delves into the personal challenges faced by Gwen Stacey (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) following the death of her Peter Parker, as well as the

The Flash Revitalizing the Flash Paradox & the Multiverse

his internal demons tied to a new timeline in the process. This event not only his mother's enigmatic demise; he eventually became a monumental our grip on forces beyond our "The Flash" stands as one of the occurrence in Flash comics uncovers the concealed truth behind his superhuman final movies in the DCEU, alongside control. It's a lesson that many but also marked the Speedsters have learned and the upcoming feature "Aquaman: inception of the New 52 era. abilities. However, due to The Lost Kingdom." While fans can implemented in various ways.

Beyond transforming heroes Barry's unresolved emotions Adapted from the anticipate Blue Beetle's inclusion in into villains and exploring the and his eagerness to mend everything, the narrative James Gunn's DCU, "The Flash" has Flashpoint comics mini-series by ramifications of the speed Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, the chosen the Flashpoint storyline force, it imparts a lesson on effectively highlights how this tale follows a grief-stricken Barry approach can lead to as the apt choice to reset the how even well-intentioned Allen who struggles to come to terms franchise. This storyline also actions, driven by personal catastrophe, especially when with his mother's childhood demise. intertwined with grief. illustrates how fear, grief, and grief and a desire to right He ventures back in time to prevent The narrative takes certain love can lead to darker versions past wrongs, can lead to that fateful day, unwittingly of ourselves if we fail to release unintended and far-reaching liberties from the comic book generating storyline like Barry losing his disruptions in the fabric of reality. Not to mention epic powers and having to fight fights against all time villain his past self, in this case with young Barry (played by Ezra speedster, Reverse Flash.

Directed by Andy Muschietti, Miller). However, it goes a different route by having this "The Flash" serves as a be Chekhov’s gun -without multiversal, nostalgic journey Eobard Thawne. While this across DC's extensive approach fits ok with the portfolio. Picking up after the story's intention of unveiling events of "Justice League," another aspect of Barry's Barry Allen (portrayed by Ezra character, which Miller's Miller) continues his role as performance effectively the Flash, safeguarding showcases, turning the Central City. While battling metaphorical concept of

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conflicts that arise between her and Gwen's artistic expression was supported by her father due to her role as Spiderpastel colors, creating emotionally captivating Woman. It gave us a better scenes. understanding of how Gwen fits into Across the Spider-Verse wouldn’t be the larger picture and her role in the anything without the spectacular slew of Spidey story. The new villain, The Spot (voiced characters plastered throughout the film. Jess

by Jason Schwartzman), starts as an Drew (voiced by Issa Rae) brought an adorable unserious villain-of-the-week but motherly figure role on screen with underlying quickly changes the narrative by espionage vibes perfectly indicative of Spiderbecoming a worthy adversary for Miles Woman's comic book origins. and the future of the Spider-Verse.

The animation was the heartbeat of the film, with amazing artistic styles all swinging together in a beautiful work of art. It spoke to the uniqueness of each Spideys' personality and background as a hero.

Hobie Brown (voiced by Daniel Kaluuya), also known as Spider-Punk, is depicted with clip art animation outlines of British newspapers to represent London's punk rock scene Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (voiced by Moon and his rebellious nature of rejecting Knight star Oscar Isaac) was the perfect opposing the status quo. Pavitr Prabhakar aka force a film could ask for. Isaac's performance Spider-Man India (voiced by Karan demonstrates the character's complexity with Soni) had a vibrant color palette both a charming and a jaded tone. As an evoking Indian culture beautifully. authentic and daring Spider-Man, Spider-Punk However, the pastel watercolors of pushed the boundaries of authority, but his Gwen Stacey's universe were the constant pursuit of truth made him one of the making of every graphic novel fan's best of all time. In every way, Pavitr Prabhakar dreams. shone brightly among the other Spideys while bringing his own distinctive style as Spider-Man.

self-overcoming into a literal event didn't quite succeed in advancing Barry's character development. On the other hand, it was intriguing to watch Barry assume a mentoring role toward his younger self, almost referencing the dynamic Flash and Kid Flash duo.

Supergirl's DCEU debut and introduction to the ensemble seamlessly harmonizes, with Sasha Kale's portrayal capturing a powerful take on Krypton's last daughter. While not the gun-toting Thomas Wayne, Michael Keaton's depiction of the cherished Batman from the Tim Burton films injects just enough of

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the vintage Batman 99 essence to offset one of the most heart-rending moments in the Flashpoint Paradox storyline. Ben Affleck also delivers a robust performance, accompanied by some of the film's most captivating action sequences. The surprise cameos remain in tune with the film's nature, without becoming overbearing.

Although occasionally uneven, the animation infuses exhilarating action elements into each fight scene and character interaction. It also presents an imaginative interpretation of the speed force, akin to something out of a DCAU production. However, the innovative use of AI and some

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Being a Part 1 film, the ending seemed abrupt and might have been off-putting for viewers unaware of this fact before watching. Regardless, it was a great ride and set up for the final movie in the trilogy that’s currently set to release sometime in 2024, Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Now, with news of a Miles Morales live action film currently in the works, fans are even more restless to see our next journey into Sony's expanding Spider-Verse.

Between achieving rave reviews and getting fans even more excited to see a new Spider-Man project than ever before you could easily classify Across the SpiderVerse as a perfect sequel film.

- Ashanti Huland-El

cameos could have been employed more wisely.

In sum, "The Flash" serves as a commendable entry in the DCEU, effectively concluding the existing arc while smoothly transitioning into the new DCU.

- Ashanti Huland-El

15

The Next Afro Samurai?

With style and flair, Fist of the New Lands slices its way into the manga landscape.

By Mzati Banda

There has been an Afro Samurai-sized hole in the animanga

our main character, the Walking Vengeance. He is a man of

space for over a decade now. There was never a second

honor who only confronts when confronted, and boy when he is

season to the mostly well-received show from 2007; there was

confronted, things do not go well for his challengers. The

never even thought about giving the 2009 movie a sequel, with

Walking Vengeance is our vehicle through a world that is

the final nail in the coffin being the canceled video game

violent, funny, and immersive.

sequel in 2015. But, slashing its way into the Afro Samurai-

“Immersive” is truly the word that encapsulates Fist

sized hole is First of the New Lands by Boston-based mangaka

of the New Lands. The title page of the manga has “Fist of the

D.B. Supr.

New Lands” jutting out of the side of a cliff in a Mt. Rushmore

Fist of the New Lands is set in a world where "a

manner, catching your eye while adding to the establishing

catastrophic war ravaged the Earth for over half a century," an

shot without removing from it. Lettering like that effectively

event which led the remaining world governments to ban the

relays information while still being artful throughout the whole

use of firearms: No more pistols, assault rifles, and , and

manga. The regular dialogue has letters that vary in size to give

bombs. This new initiative leads to the end of wars and finally,

it a handwritten feel, which D.B. Supr does all throughout.

humanity lives peacefully in a perfect utopia... psych! Those

Deepening the immersion even further are the sound effects

who seek power return to "the old ways of hand-to-hand

by Taniplus1. Each sound effect is in the Japanese Kanji that

combat as an alternative means to oppose their rivals." In this

corresponds to the relevant onomatopoeia while also taking

new world, there is one warrior who stands above the rest –

the form of the origin of the sound. What I mean by this is

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is when a rock blows up and goes "Ka-boosh!" the kanji is not only accurate, but it takes the form of rocks. Like the title card, this thrusts you into the action even more, making noises feel loud and impactful while being a part of the art, not an outside addition to it.

Speaking of art, as I said above, D. B. Supr kills it! The action is on amphetamines due to how dynamic and full of life the art is. There are multiple spreads where D.

B. Supr flexes his artistic muscles; one features a beautiful landscape, the other sees some guts explode viscerally, and another sees some cybernetic attachments disassembled in the most beautifully violent fashion.

The characters are all well-designed. Amidst the flying blood and guts, it becomes evident that Footlocker is thriving in the New Lands. The Walking Vengeance rocks a pair of Jordan IXs, while the other

characters we meet are rocking Air Max 97s. The Walking Vengeance wears a roningasa on his head as a sign of his ronin status while wearing a kimono with the mark of his dojo on the back – a mark which carries a great bounty. The kimono is a clever way of showing us that he did not always walk alone.

The other characters are henchmen, so they wear a uniform like that of the standard Jonin uniform in Naruto. D.B. Supr does make sure that their hats, cybernetic enhancements, and dialogue make them easy to distinguish. One of the henchmen speaks in an Australian accent, shouting, "Oye! It looks lak you f'got bout me mate!" It keeps the writing fresh and immerses you further rather than having you robotically glance over basic vernacular. The characters represent a world that has so much hidden interest beneath the surface, which is great for a first issue. I caught myself asking all the right questions. Where is the Walking Vengeance’s dojo?

Why do people want to kill him? Are all the criminal organizations in the world there?

The only downfall of Fist of the New Lands is that it, at times, prioritizes the world over the characters. There is even a double-page spread that details how the New Lands came to be, which is wordy in a way that does not need to be. I understand that this is a first issue, and the exposition has to be somewhere, but it feels misplaced.

The information here is a lot to take in when you first open the book. Instead, it could have been tied into a character's history. Could it be a flashback from The Walking Vengeance's life? We could see an old master telling him not to forget the past and how it informs the present. Something of this sort would relay how deeply the society values the past and the current laws, and we would see a little bit more of our main character.

Unfortunately, The Walking Vengeance is eclipsed by the world. Though he lives by a code, is great at combat, and uses Eastbay catalogs (RIP) for his shoes, we don't get too much more about him. I really can't tell you what makes up The Walking Vengeance as a person.

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Though there isn't much to go off as far as characters and plot are concerned, it is a lot of fun, and I have high expectations for the rest of the series. We now have our new Afro Samurai.

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We don't get too much dialogue outside of his confrontation, and a lot of that seems very standard and generic for a fighting scene. The other characters we meet are expendable; they are basically extensions of the world as bounty hunters, which means that The Walking Vengeance is the only recurring character we really meet. This is a shame, considering the foundation to make The Walking Vengeance more than generic and standard is already there. The man chooses to fight in a pair of Jordan IXs as he roams the New Lands, so it would have been interesting to see him cleaning them or reflecting on what the shoes mean to him. Little things like that would make him more than just cool but relatable as well. D.B. Supr is a fantastic writer, so it seems like an oversight that none of that writing comes through The Walking Vengeance. I am sure as the series progresses; more light will be shed on the human aspect of the New Lands outside of the violence.

Fist of the New Lands is ultimately an enjoyable read.

The art and the lettering blend together well to give an immersive experience of the world D.B. Supr creates.

Though there isn't much to go off as far as characters and plot are concerned, it is a lot of fun, and I have high expectations for the rest of the series. We now have our new Afro Samurai.

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