Daryll B's Musings-StarDate 031916 A/K/A The Blackfinity Gauntlet Afterglow

Still in recovery from our Philly excursion and here I lie typing wondering how I can put my excitement into words. Then I saw this guest article over at Black Girl Nerds:

http://blackgirlnerds.com/growing-biracial-nerdy/

THIS! ALL DAY YES! The best part of Blackfinity Gauntlet aka The Black Podcasters meetup at Ariell Johnson's Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse was that I wasn't alone anymore. The feelings of being the only out and out ebon nerd. I mean I know that I'm not and I know that I'm surrounded on the show and from peeps I have met since joining the Afronerd crew 7 years ago that blerds are plentyful.

Still, years upon years of bullying and being the butt of people/peers' jokes have left scars on me and even though I know..I KNOW now that I am not alone, those doubts and fears I still fight with everyday. Things like this go a long way to help me fight off those ancient demons. A lot of people that were there are posting about the positivity and the brother/sisterhood experienced at the summit. I wanted to share with y'all that this affected me on a deeper level. I hope next year we get double the turnout and that some of the bystanders witnessing this become brave enough to take the leap and start putting themselves out there too.

A list of us represented can be found at http://theblackgeeks.com/podcasters-blackfinity-gauntlet/

Meanwhile in more geeky fare, Black Nerd Problems published this right before we went to the meet-up:

http://blacknerdproblems.com/miles-morales-vs-spider-man-when-you-and-your-blackness-disagree/

I have to take the other side on this one BNP. Miles just had the fight of his life. Not against Blackheart but against Peter Parker! He established his place (if only for the moment) as Spider-Man in Peter's eyes. You get the victory over BH and a renewed sense of self with your mentor to come home and see this fan geeking over the fact that Spider-Man is black. Older, Miles could take it in stride BUT remember he is still a teen. His ways/views of the world haven't solidified yet. So of course he got emotional and said "I don't want to be the Black Spider Man! I'm Spider-Man!" It isn't an affront to me, especially after my previous stated years of alienation. I may disagree with their thinking here BUT BNP here definitely has merit! Do yourself a favor and read it over and over.

On the same vein, check out this article by the upstarts:

http://blacknerdproblems.com/ms-marvel-ripping-apart-a-poster-of-captain-marvel-in-civil-war-ii-is-all-of-us/

Who's side are you on? Be careful. Choosing a side might reveal your heroes' true selves! Go out and vote people! (see what I did there?)

Books!

I think there's something deeper going on within Dusu #2 by Sebastian A. Jones, Christopher Garner, and James C. Webster. Layers of mystical mystery now are intertwined with Dusu's interactions with the other tribe. Anger and whatever that wolf spirit animal represents is starting to cloud up the situation.

Clean Room #6 by Gail Simone and Jon Davis-Hunt caps the first madcap storyarc with bullets, lots of blood, and a very unusual gentleman caller highlight this issue which brings Chloe to the very edge of madness. I know. Nothing new given what has gone on in the series so far BUT Simone and Davis-Hunt are killing it! And that gentleman caller? EWWW!!!!

James gets out of one deathtrap in James Bond 007 Vargr #5 by Warren Ellis and Jason Masters and sets out on a mission of revenge. Yeah. This'll go smoothly. Anyway, I still don't have a clue what it is spreading to London and how to stop it...and the problem is, neither does Bond.

The Weirdworld Saga continues within Squadron Supreme #5 by James Robinson and Leonard Kirk. The team's dynamic changes bigtime as Druid's motivations proceeds in earnest. Nighthawk once again proves that he can out-think most people in the room. And Doctor Spectrum creeps me out. Seriously.

Answers and revelations come out in Titans Hunt #6 by Dan Abnett and Stephen Segovia as Mr. Twister uses Herald to make music. Nightwing, Donna Troy, and Aqualad have their hands full with an enraged Mammoth. And Lilith comes clean as Hawk and Dove rumble with Gnarrk and Arsenal. With all this chaos going on, I still have to wonder about Bumblebee's baby. Wall to wall intrigue folks!

Luke Cage catches on fast in Power Man and Iron Fist #2 by David Walker and Sanford Greene while Danny is literally a ditz throughout. They're not a team but everyone pokes holes all through that jibber-jabber. The guys' banter is much better than this plot BUT in terms of the plot, everything from Dead Presidents to Pulp Fiction to Venture Bros was homaged/referenced to here. Black Mariah's plan is explored and Tombstone starts to rip the city apart to get back what was stolen from him....

Steeljack continues his investigation in Astro City #33 by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Alex Ross. Pure noir feelings here as he uses all the little tricks learned from both sides of the fence to gain info on the mysterious thieves/killers. Still think he's being set up for a huge fall BUT this wouldn't be a true noir tale if we didn't have a gumshoe blinded by a pretty dame right?

Then add the books I picked up at Blackfinity Gauntlet:

Green Lantern Corps: Edge of Oblivion #2 & #3 by Tom Taylor and Ethan Van Sciver sees the lost Lanterns still trying to find their way out of a dying universe while dealing with hostile forces AND a seemingly malevolent planet. Tale will have some fans mad because of possible losses to the cast BUT I will say Simon Baz looks great here and it is good to have Guy in green again.

So you survived your superheroes all going homicidal at the same time and got out of that madhouse of a city. What do you do next?Surviving Megalopolis #1, #2, & #3 by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore has the survivors from the first series GOING BACK IN! What the F?!?!?!?!? Seems there's a wealthy son stuck in the city and mercenary/security forces need their aid to go back in and find him. Yeah. This isn't going to end well...

There you go...Part 1 of a hectic blog week! Part 2 coming up and all I can say is "Movie Edition!" Hehe 

Thanks For Reading Folks! Until then, Keep Fantasizing!!!

It's Been a Minute, But the Musings of Afronerd Radio's Daryll B. Have Returned! Daredevil is Almost Here! Oh, #Claire4Chesire!

When this gets posted, I'll have 4 days until Daredevil Season 2 starts and I'm stoked! But I interrupt that geekiness for a time for an important message:

*Steps on soapbox*

My mind is in several places as I type this, so let me state this for the record: I am just a dude stating his opinions and highlighting news. I'm not a role model. I am not the dregs of of society. I am not holy nor am I a heretic. With that being said, I remind all my readers, whether they love me or loathe me, to use your own brains in terms of entertainment, politics, music, art, society, religion and just about everything.

This country, not matter how bogus it was at the time, was founded on the principle that every person has the right to think and believe what they want without having those thoughts persecuted. What I have seen in the media and spouted by politicians is scary and threatening to take us back to a period of unenlightenment.

People should not be hated on for their skin, sexual orientation, age, heritage, or gender. This is the United States of America. I have fought for the rights of everyone. I have seen friends and foes die to protect those rights. No matter where you decide you are going to vote, do your research before you do. If you feel comfortable with your candidate stance, then stand behind him/her.

So I couldn't go full geeky and as I said on yesterday's show, I had to get a lot of my chest. I'm scared for my fellows. You should be too. This is 2016

Do not vote from a position of ignorance. Do not vote from a stance of hate.

Do yourself a favor: Be Smart. Be Better!!

DO BETTER!!!!

*Steps off soapbox*

2 Weeks of Books to Highlight!

If you thought last issue looked hopeless well things get even more iffy in Guardians of Infinity #4 by Dan Abnett, Carlo Barberi, and Juan Doe. The three Guardians teams are stuck in a melee of galactic proportions. A member thought lost returns and, well, I did say more iffy. In the 2nd Story by Gerry Duggan and Rafa Garres, Johnny Storm goes out to meet Ben Grimm and ends up on an adventure with Venom instead. Symbiote teaming with a hero that uses flame as a weapon. Yep.

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen continue in Dreaming Eagles #3 by Garth Ennis and Simon Coleby as we hear about the group's difficulty in finding respect from their own military within and a good fight without. Bonus nugget: finding out about the group's efforts in Italy which was only briefly touched upon in the movie adaptions. Once again, Ennis' war knowledge wows me just as much as his ability to craft characters.

The fight against Anti-Matter turns bad in A-Force #3 by G. Willow Wilson, Kelly Thompson, and Jorge Molina as the Un-Team is getting their butts outside and the lack of harmony between teammates is tearing them apart from within. Singularity comes to a sober realization, but not before the cruelest blow is struck.

From Stranger Comics comes another entry in the African Mystical Universe in the form of Dusu #1 by Sebastian A. Jones, Christopher Garner and James C. Webster. It explores the plight of two brothers/best friends who are bonded by love, hunting, and loyalty to the tribe until one event starts to strain that bond. Needless to say that there's a little friction...

A trial, a new mystical ally?, and a sort of explanation for what the heck actually happened at the end of issue #1 highlight Niobe #2 by Amandla Stenberg, Sebastian A. Jones, and Ashley Woods. Our titular hero may find that politics of the tribe harder than the mystical mumbo jumbo at the end of the day. Then again, she is quite handy with a spear...

Speaking of politics, did we just see the beginnings of the Civil War II turmoil within Spider-Man #2 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli? In addition to Blackheart, Miles has to contend with Peter Parker and the police while getting grief about the cover. Ganke has a Ganke moment and all that doesn't compare to the challenge awaiting him on the final page. Let's just say it is fearsome enough that his dad tried to WARN him. Yeah. Every ethnic comic fan has had to face this at one time or another. Be strong Miles!

Heroes Godsend #1 by Joey Falco and Roy Allan Martinez kicks off the next prequel chapter by switching coasts from LA to NYC and focusing on Farah Nazan, the invisible woman. Unfortunately, we also start with one of the most fateful days in NYC's history, 9/11, and how that event affected her and her family/friends' lives as Arab/East Indian Americans. Pretty good first start by script writer Falco here...

I didn't see the target of the team in Agents of SHIELD #3 by Marc Guggenheim and German Peralta coming. I know that this character hadn't been seen since the universe "re-began" but I shook my head at what he has become. Credit to Guggenheim because the way the character acted was EXACTLY how he was "pre-gamma". The Lola issue sort of gets resolved for Coulson in this Standoff tie-in before all heck breaks loose at the end...

We answer an all important question or 2 or 3 in Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams III. Does Bats like pizza? Is skateboarding allowed in Wayne Manor? What is up with Casey Jones? And where exactly is The Joker in all of this? Plus, Donatello gets a crack at the Bat-Computer and Raphael has a heart to heart with Batman. All of this I haven't even gotten to Ra's plan...ooh look I'm out of time...

A war/disaster council is formed in Earth 2 Society #10 by Dan Abnett and Jorge Jimenez because of the fuel/supply crisis happening on the planet. Val-Zod Fans, I advise you not to miss this one. Meanwhile, Batman gets into a timely problem while investigating the illegal fuel situation. And as if things weren't bad enough, Hawkgirl discovers that the Amazons have more help than anyone expected. And I was worried about lack of tension/action...

Cosmic entities and goofy teamups abound in Howard The Duck #5 by Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones. Being a nexus point certainly hasn't made life dull for our favorite sarcastic duck as the Collector is determined to have him, whatever the cost. Meanwhile, we can add Scout to the amount of strange ladies in Howard's orbit. AND if that wasn't enough, a beautiful face from the past reappears on the last page...

We have come full circle in Voltron From The Ashes #6 by Cullen Bunn and Blacky Shepherd as the team is still in the afterglow of their 1st victory last issue. Unfortunately, The Witch Haggar isn't in much of cheery mood and releases her ultimate RoBeast for an attack. Good Luck New Voltron Force! You might just need it.

Ok this idea of Kamala's REALLY didn't go as she planned in Ms. Marvel #5 by G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon. So what can you do when hundreds of yous invade your life at home, at school, and in public? How the hell can you keep your secret identity after this? Heck how can you recapture them all and where exactly can you put them all if you do?

We see a worn out, weary detective in Shaft Imitation of Life #2 by David A. Walker and Dietrich Smith. So what does Shaft do when he's burned out by recent cases? Take on an easier job that won't force him to do anything unsavory. At least that was the plan when he takes up a job as a consultant on a film about...Shaft?!?!?!?!? Yeah. This'll end well...

Our last show where I lost my mind...and once again I apologize:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/afronerd/2016/03/12/final-cap3-trailer-lot-travels-back-2-bias-usa-paul-feig-on-gb-reboot-sat6pm

But I have to include this: #Claire4Cheshire.... We can make it happen people!!!! Hahahaha!

Thx for reading and bearing with me. Power Man and Iron Fist #2, DUSU #2 highlight next week's Daryll book choices so be prepped for that. In addition, I have a bunch of ideas for R Rated tales that Marvel Studios can do but never will. And on top of all that, we are on the verge of Batman/Superman. That means I have to give you my top 5 frenemy moments of the 2 titans.

Until Next Time, Keep Fantasizing!