I have a question: if I leave my comic in black and white, without any other change in style, content or reading order, can I call it manga? What happens is that I feel that a kind of bias has been created in the comics market in which if you don't do "manga" you practically have no access to young readers, and many authors from a more traditional school, like myself, they don't try to make "manga" because they think it would be inauthentic. But on the other hand, how authentic can your manga be if you're not Japanese to begin with? What is the criteria to determine if something is manga or not? Black and white seems to be the only constant. Pentagonal faces, spiky hair and big eyes? You can always bring Jojo, Berserk, Bastard, and Fist of the North Star to counter that. So, I guess my question is: if my comic is biologically Western but decides to make a cosmetic change and identify as manga, would they respect its pronouns?

I know, I know. I've heard it. "Don't devalue your brand" , "charge what you deserve" , it all sounds really nice but when things get tight, they get REALLY TIGHT. So I'm opening four slots for $15 commissions. That's 50% off on your full-color single character picture with background. The catch? Payment would be in advance. So if you still have some of that Christmas money left, you might get yourself something nice.

2022 is the year my heroes hit me with their bullshit.

One of the greatest thinkers of our time follows an idiotic diet that is going to get him killed.

The fiercest defender of actual womanhood believes an entire entertainment industry is Satanic simply because it doesn't appeal to him.

The best and most rational comics commentator on Youtube dabbles in AI pictures.

The Comicsgate creators split into opposing factions and spend their time attacking each other like the cliques in a housewives TV show.

One of the greatest action movie directors of all time can not tell testosterone from adrenaline, and hates them both anyway.

Man, I dread the moment the Rocketman comes up with something, but I know the day will come.

I am insane, for I keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. And the thing is reading comics by the same people.

I had purchased issue 1 of Murder Falcon, thinking the art was cool, the concept was interesting and the falcon's design was badass. But although the above was true, I didn't continue the series for 2 reasons:

1. The type is WAY TOO SMALL making it a freaking chore to read. You shouldn't need a magnifying glass for comics.

2. The mopey, whiny bitch of a protagonist didn't help. Didn't help at all.

Lately I've heard that the Beta Ray Bill miniseries was very, very good, so I broke my rule and started reading it without having the plot spoiled first. And while again the art is great, the story...

Spoiler alert: the Beta Ray Bill miniseries is the story of an incel looking for a glow up. Bill cannot switch back to his more humanoid shape, so Lady Sif (who never seemed to have a problem with the horse face before) doesn't want to shag him. So he embarks on a quest to find the way to regain the transformation power. And from there, we're in The Rise of Skywalker:

Somehow, Odin returned.

Somehow, Skurge returned.

Somehow, Surtur returned.

Damn, I know nobody stays dead in comics but at least space it out...

I'd say that Skurge's massive (and I mean MASSIVE) hard on for guns is the most fun aspect of the whole story and the only contrast to the whiny bitches that are Bill and the inexplicably tall Pip the Troll.

The artificial intelligence that controls the ship Skuttlebutt has a very prominent role, too. And it takes a twist that I won't spell out, but... Skuttlebutt has always been very loyal to Bill, sometimes with motherly devotion. And ships are refered to as female...

In the end, Bill gets what he wanted and even more. And it isn't even an ironic victory, he didn't have to sacrifice anything. And yet, he is still mopey.

Man, the Murder Falcon flashbacks are hitting me so hard...

The art is excellent, no doubt about it. The adventure is entertaining, Skurge is a blast, and the action is cool. But the story leaves me wanting, and not in a good way.

Bill has always been a tragic character but didn't come off as whiney, and the whole inciting incident makes both him and Sif seem incredibly shallow. Again, she had never had a problem with Bill's looks, she could see the warrior within, but she had to acquire that problem out of nowhere for the story to happen.

Conclusion: while beautifully drawn and thankfully not preachy or condescending, Daniel Warren Johnson's Beta Ray Bill miniseries suffers from the same illness as most modern mainstream comics: actual heroics are not important. What really matters happens in the hero's loins.