024: State of the Fandom Address #3

Welcome back everyone. I felt like we were long overdue for a State of the Fandom post. I like to do those every few months to report on the things coming up that interest me. If I had written this post a month ago like I planned, it would have been a very different post. I’ve been debating whether or not I should write this post for quite a while. Like I said, I felt the need to update, but with everything going on in the world, it just didn’t feel right. I decided, after much thought, that I have this platform, so it would be wrong to not use it.

Those of you who are frequent readers know that the only current events I usually mention here are entertainment related. But I have to make an exception now. Without getting too far into it, I’ll just say that 2020 has been rough. (I know, one understatement to rule them all, right?) Normally I don’t get into current events on my blog or social media. I long ago decided that The SoraRabbit Hole was meant to be a diversion. A haven of positivity in a world filled with negativity. I try to look on the bright side as much as possible… a practice that’s becoming more and more difficult in light of a global pandemic, political strife, and racial injustices. It’s the latter that I want to address right now.

Things have to change. We can no longer continue with the racial injustices endemic in our society. No one should be mistreated, hurt, or murdered on the basis of the color of their skin.

We must treat each other better. It’s time to make a lasting change down to the DNA of our country and humanity as a whole. Everyone needs to do their part. I truly believe that an important part of this change is in art. Representation matters, it sets a precedent, it changes minds. It normalizes equality, and I cannot stress enough how important that is. It’s not the only catalyst for change, but it should never be undervalued, either.

Terrible things have been— and continue to be— done to people who did not deserve them. And just because the news isn’t always reporting on these things… because there isn’t a trending hashtag and you don’t see it on your feed… that doesn’t mean it’s stopped. People will continue to be mistreated, hurt, and murdered, until things change.

I have rewritten this piece several times, editing and rewording. Every time it doesn’t feel like enough. Not strongly worded enough, not as well crafted as I would like. It just feels like it’s not enough. And that makes sense. It’s too much to cover in one blog post. I’m not writing an essay. I’m just stating my position. I’m hoping to get people thinking. I’ll leave changing minds to those better suited for the task. But it’s important to try. To make the attempt. We all need to do our part. Staying silent is not an option. I was silent for far too long, and that was wrong of me. Silence doesn’t get the job done.

One of the most important things you can do— especially when it comes to racism— is to admit when you are wrong, and learn from it. Improve. Learn all you can. Do not add to the problems. Work towards the solutions. Do all these things on your own, and together. Give to charities. March in protest. Talk about it. Educate people. Call people out on their racism. Change their minds. It’s not going to get better unless we all do our part.

I have, like many of you, been deeply effected by the tragedies that have been brought to light recently. The tragedies that continue to happen every day and have been happening long before we were born. I’m holding onto the faith that justice will be served. That through all these tragedies, we’ll come out the other side better, stronger, more unified, and more loving. I need that to be true.

Racism in any form is not tolerated at The SoraRabbit Hole. I will continue to strive to make this site a safe space to explore fun, thought-provoking entertainment. This blog and my social media accounts will serve as a vacation, a meditation, a break. But when there are serious things to talk about, I’m not going to let my own self-doubt keep me silent. Not anymore. I truly hope I succeed in these resolutions. If I ever miss the mark… if I’ve missed the mark this time… I’m sorry. I really am. I’ll do better. That’s all we can do as humans… try constantly to do better. Do better by ourselves, and by each other.

Endless gratitude goes out to my wife (alias: Cocoashade) for gently letting me know when I wasn’t going far enough and when my words weren’t hitting right… Anything I worded incorrectly here is not due to her… the mistakes and missteps are my own. I continue to learn from her, and that’s everything to me.

And with all that said, let’s move on to more current events.

The greatest Kaiju of all time. And a monkey. (Credit: Legendary Pictures.)

What We Have to Wait For

So, as mentioned in the intro, 2020 brought with it a pandemic. As everyone struggles to change their day to day lives in order to stay safe and keep others safe, many plans have been pushed back. Among those plans were slated movies, TV shows, and video games. Godzilla Vs Kong was pushed to next year. (A fact that I’m still sad about.) The premiere of Marvel Phase 4 was delayed. In fact, there will only be one Marvel movie in 2020, which is hard to believe with the rate they’ve been coming out. Black Widow is slated now to be released November 6th. (Of course that may change as well. Time will tell.) All the planned movies have been pushed back. There is no news yet on whether these delays will impact the Marvel Disney+ shows, but everyone assumes so, since they’re all part of the same story arcs. The movies get pushed back, the shows will also need to be pushed to accommodate them.

There are many other delays. New movies involving Batman, Wonder Woman, Shazam, and the Matrix have all been pushed back. In video games, many releases have been delayed. Most notable (for me) were Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road and The Last of Us II. Both are out now. The Last of Us Part I came packaged with my PS4, but I have yet to get around to playing it. (It’s on my ever-growing list.) KH Dark Road came out yesterday as of the writing of this post. I love it already. The story promises to reveal a lot of as-yet unknown details about Xehanort and his descent into darkness. The game play is fun and easy to pick up. It reminds me of what Union Cross was in the beginning, before the power creep set in… before the game play got more complicated and the story more convoluted.

So, yeah… lots of delays so far and likely more to come. But delays we can live with. We have to remain positive. It's been a rough year for entertainment, but hopefully all this tragedy and struggling will bring about lasting positive change. It’s hard to imagine “getting back to normal”… and maybe it’s better that way. Nothing can be the same after this year. Maybe nothing should be.

Epic. (Credit: LucasFilm Animation and Disney)

What We Got

Some things have gone ahead. Episode 1 of the Final Fantasy VII remake was released on April 10th to positive fan reception. The long-awaited final season of the Clone Wars hit Disney+ in late February. (I’m still on season two, so I have a ways to go before I reach this season.) The Mandalorian Season 2 wrapped in early March, so that will air on time. Some familiar characters will be making an appearance: Bo-Katan Kryze and Ahsoka Tano— both from Clone Wars and Rebels— along with some dude named Boba Fett. Perhaps you’ve heard of him?

Adventure Time will be making its return soon on HBO Max with four special episodes collectively titled Adventure Time: Distant Lands. It looks fantastic. (Honestly it’s the only thing that may get me to temporarily subscribe to yet another streaming service.) The creator of Adventure Time, Pendleton Ward and comedian Duncan Trussell released a new series called The Midnight Gospel on Netflix. I’ve talked about The Midnight Gospel a bit on Twitter. It’s layered and very deep. The concept is original and the under-arcing story creeps up on you through the course of the eight episodes. Very well done and worth a watch. Anything that gets people thinking is good in my book. Steven Universe Future ended in March, concluding the entire series.

Hehe, Onion is creepy. (Credit: Rebecca Sugar)

Steven Universe Future was amazing. It’s a proper continuation and conclusion for the series and deals with the lingering plot threads in a satisfying way. It has a focus on trauma and healing. I won’t get into it more than that here, because it deserves its own post. I plan to do several posts on Steven Universe soon, beginning with the video game adaptions.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Speaking of something I plan to do more with soon… in a time of voluntary quarantine, a gift came down to us in the form of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. For those of you who don’t know what Animal Crossing is— hard to believe with how widespread it is these days— you play as a human character on an island populated by quirky anthropomorphic animals. The game plays in real time, with events and visitors changing as the days progress. This game landed on March 20th, 2020 and caught on like a wildfire. During a time period where many of us felt isolated and lonely, Animal Crossing gave us something to look forward to each day. It provided an alternate way to visit and bond with family and friends. The multi-player aspect gives home-bound families something fun to do together. It is a meditative, relaxing game. A brief escape during dark times. It really did come out at the best possible time. I am planning a full-length post on New Horizons and the series as a whole, so keep an eye out.

Alternate cover for Issue 1. Dream team up. (Credit: Marvel Comics.)

What I’m Looking Forward To

In a time of uncertainty and change, it’s important to look forward. There are several things I’m excited about coming up. The return of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of movies and television. Both the sequel and spin-off of Detective Pikachu. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. The returns of The Haunting of Hill House, Umbrella Academy, and Tuca and Bertie. Bill and Ted Face the Music. The new Pokemon Snap game. The list goes on.

Kingdom Hearts has had some interesting reveals this year. I already mentioned Dark Road. There are some changes coming to Union Cross, but those haven’t been elaborated on yet… just that they will make the game more accessible to new players. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory will be released this Fall. It will be a rhythm game revisiting many locales and characters throughout the series through the iconic music of Kingdom Hearts. It is a proper entry into the series, so there will be plot involved. From what I’ve seen, Kairi is the focus of at least part of it, which she’s long overdue for, in my unpopular opinion. (What? I like Kairi. I will not apologize.) Also— and take this with a grain of salt since no official announcement has been made— but the rumor mills are claiming Kingdom Hearts will get its own CGI series on Disney+. From the very beginning, Disney and Square Enix intended for KH to be a multimedia experience, so it’s about freaking time. I hope it's true. Stay posted to my social media and any news I dig up will be posted there.

In Ultraman news, the character will soon make his debut in the Marvel Universe with the comic book miniseries The Rise of Ultraman. It hasn’t been revealed yet if these are stand-alone stories, or if he will interact with Marvel heroes. Time will tell. (Please let him meet Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. That would be awesome.) Shin Ultraman is an upcoming movie that will bring a new and modern spin to the franchise. The most recent Blu-ray collection announced by Mill Creek is a huge set collecting Ultraman Ginga, Ultraman Ginga S, the Ginga S movie, and a miniseries entitled Ultra Fight Victory. And, finally, the newest series Ultraman Z is being simulcast in Japan and in America (with subtitles) on YouTube.

The PlayStation 5 was revealed and I’m excited for it. It features limited backwards compatibility with PS4 games. One of the games announced is the sequel to Insomniac’s Spider-Man starring none other than Miles Morales! Other games I’m looking forward to on the new system: Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Marvel’s Avengers, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. I’ve already started saving money!

Comic book time! (Credit: Marvel Comics. Writer: Robert Morales. Art: Kyle Baker.)

Comic Books

Another industry hit hard by the Pandemic was comic books. New comic book day (traditionally every Wednesday) was put on hold for months as publishers ceased production and distributors shut down. New comics are trickling back now, but it’s a slow plod. And sadly for some of us the focus seems to be shifting to digital releases. (I miss my Ghost Spider… sob.) Free Comic Book Day, normally the first Saturday in May, was postponed to an as-yet-undetermined date in late Summer. I worry how the comic book industry as a whole and local comic book stores especially will be impacted long-term by all this.

Bringing us back full circle to the beginning of this post, Marvel has made several comics by black storytellers free on their Marvel Unlimited App. This is a great opportunity, and you don’t need a subscription to read them. Among the titles included are several Black Panther arcs. I have been reading the Ta-Nehisi Coates run from the beginning and it's fantastic. Coates gives us deep, complex storytelling that weaves a fantastic political drama about tradition and the inevitability of change. And there’s plenty of superheroics and science fiction in there as well. Wakanda will never be the same when Mr. Coates steps down. Shuri is a story told with a lot of heart and funny moments. The aim of this series was to bring the comic book version of Shuri into line with the younger, quirkier Shuri we met in the Black Panther movie. They accomplished this very well without losing the core of the character. Ironheart’s solo series was a whole lot of fun, delving into the character much more than was allowed in her time as the star of Iron Man and member of the Champions. I do hope her series comes back after the “Outlawed” and “Iron Man 2020” storylines are over.

These are just a few examples of the featured comic books. There are many more excellent stories to be discovered. Right now I'm reading Marvel Voices and Truth: Red, White, and Black. Voices is an adaptation of a podcast, utilizing short form comic stories along with essays by black creators. It’s touching and inspiring. Truth: Red, White, and Black tells the story of three black men in World War II and an experiment to recreate the formula that gave birth to Captain America. Both titles are amazing and I highly recommend them.

Conclusion

So those are the items that struck me as interesting so far this year. Unless other things come up, this will likely be the only Fandom Address of 2020. What sort of things have you enjoyed this year? What are you looking forward to?

In closing, I just want to say: Be kind, be safe, and let’s make our world better. I leave you with the words of someone much more skilled than me. One of my heroes put it best way back in 1968 in one of his concise editorials.