"Swallow."

OK, it feels like I haven't done one of this style strip in a while, although I probably have: where we visit a bunch of characters briefly and see if by random chance anybody moves the plot forward or if they're all part of the same problem. It's a good excuse to dig up a ton of figures, which I maybe have to organize now. 

Moon Knight's sword is from real current continuity in his book, and it's great! Well worth grabbing. Gwenpool has obviously seen the second season of X-Men '97: I have not yet! But I know what happens and am okay with it. I'm kind of hoping in a season or two they speed-run Amazing X-Men. Also, pink fills! Ah, I didn't miss those.

I feel like there's a better MCU Valkyrie figure, and I have the MCU Sif as well but really prefer this Simonson-style look. Although, I seem to associate it with just before Simonson's run, where Sif seems to slowly realize her extremely long-term boyfriend loves stupid Midgard and its stupid people, maybe more than he loves her.  Also, I like the Sylvie figure from the Loki show, except for her coat-cape thing: it makes her look hunched over, doesn't it? Sadly, I also think hers was not a well-selling figure; you might be able to find her on discount pegs still. 

Gorr's cloak maybe does him less favors than Sylvie's: her articulation was perhaps hindered a bit, but Gorr's is buried. But I like the idea of Gorr more than the execution: Thor: Love and Thunder is kind of a mess tonally? The scene of Gorr scaring children and seemingly having a ball doing it, kind of undermines any sympathy for the plight that drove him to kill gods. Anyway, finding Gorr was strictly an accident, but a good-enough excuse to use him, largely for ridicule. Couple weeks back, the great Poe Ghostal showed off a new Elric figure; that I completely missed the bus on; the aftermarket is not gonna be forgiving on that one. But it reminded me that Gorr, Knull, Dagon Gera from some Star Wars; there's a lot of Elric-lookalikes out there. (Generally they're pale with an evil sword: the bad guy in Hellboy II: the Golden Army is very based on him.)

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"Expected."

We started "Seasonal Affective D'spayre" back in October; I don't think the despair has let up in the slightest, but here we are. Personally, I often wonder if I have depression, or just everything just suck? Like, I don't have depression, I've got late-stage capitalism.

Tony refers to the "get-along shirt" Gwen put him and Captain America in, in Gwenpool Strikes Back! #5: I thought he was more put-out about it, but he seemed to have a sense of humor about the whole thing, like enjoying seeing other people like the Hulk punched in the face. (Steve does not see the humor in any of Gwen's shenanigans there!) (Written by Leah Williams, art by David Baldeon, color art by Jesus Aburtov & Guru-eFX.) Gwenpool is crazy powerful that whole series, as well as a bit crazy because she thinks her story was coming to an end. Nope! You may notice, though, her figure doesn't have her usual phone, since I dropped it on the second shot and have yet to find it again... 

Next week, um, we conclude the She-Hulk/Hawkeye storyline from last September! Which I interrupted because I was more interested in the D'spayre one. But, H noticed something about Amadeus Cho, that will come up next week...

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"Wahoo."

Gwenpool! Yes, Gwenpool was always intended to show for the wrap-up of "Seasonal Affective D'spayre," but since this went on (and on...) we didn't get to here, until after the new Gwenpool series was announced. That was after the teaser, of the dug-up grave of Gwen Stacy; who appears to have returned as a Wolverine-like killer. I don't know why either. This could just be for shock value, or maybe they're going somewhere with this. Spider-Man guest-stars, and I'm not sure fans are loving the current run of books there either. Then again, Jeff the Land Shark guests too, and everybody loves him from the Marvel Rivals game, if not just because. 

 We've seen that one cop before too: it's the Joseph Gordon-Levitt Mattel Movie Masters GCPD Blake figure. Who seems to get jerkier every time he shows up here. Huh.

Man, I haven't seen the Exorcist in a bit. But, like Gwen says, I don't have an exterior shot for the bar!

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"Dealing."

I think the last thing Gwenpool was in involved Julie Power and setting Gwen up as kind of an asexual icon; but I'm positive she's not going to get to play any sort of role in the current Fall of Krakoa stuff, since that feels pretty serious for a modern comic and won't have any space for about the funnest character in recent memory. Ooh, actually, the last thing I remember seeing her in was the trade for the 2020 Kelly Thompson Deadpool series, where a teary Gwen kinda knows she's being written out and wants to make sure Jeff the land shark has a good home, so gives him to Pool. It's meta-depressing, and while I love Jeff I'm not sure I'm thrilled that he's more popular than Gwen now. (That whole run was interesting, but also felt like they thought they were going to have all the time in the world for plots, and instead a new direction and writer started after maybe ten issues.) Anyway, I miss that weird little girl; I don't miss the pink and yellow fills!

Dogpool doesn't get any lines, but he's basically intended to sit on the back of Deadpool's scooter, and not much else. Lady Deadpool didn't have a ton of range, either: in Gwen's last panel, I had been trying to get Lady petting Dogpool in there, but no dice. Still, I can't believe Marvel hasn't got Deadpool Corps rings out there: just feels like an easy lay-up for Marvel.

Also, conveniently enough, Gwen's robot staff was actually from a NYC comic shop: I got  the Nacelle Company's Robo Force Maxx Steel and Wrecker from Forbidden Planet NYC for a song! I wasn't overly familiar with the old Robo Force line, but these are nice figures with weird suction cup feet. They feel like they were made by fans of the old toys, for fans.

Speaking of for fans, the Ciegrimites are of course from Bob Layton's Hercules, still pound-for-pound one of the most entertaining mini-series Marvel ever did. They were little snail guys, brewers and distillers, and I kinda feel like a lot of the universe would rally to their defense when they need it.

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