Books #48+49

"Hands Off!, Volume 5" by Kasane Katsumoto

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The series is becoming darker and darker with each volume. Akira's messing with Kotarou and Koutari is making Tatsuki's life a living hell. It gets so bad that Tatsuki runs away from home. Kotarou goes after him only to fall in the hands of kids who used to bully him at his old school.

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"Hands Off!, Volume 6" by Kasane Katsumoto

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

At this point, almost all the humor is gone and the series turns really dark when Koutari, in an attempt to get rid of Tatsuki, kills someone really close to both Tatsuki and Kotarou. And Kotarou, not knowing the truth, blames Tatsuki which makes Tatsuki spiral out of control completely. Tatsuki's powers grow stronger too - he gains telekinetic powers to his post-cog - and he becomes a real danger to himself and to others.

The Avengers

You know, directors and writers out there should realize that it's not just action and explosions that get people to love a movie enough to go and see it multiple times and/or buy it on DVD, it's the characters! Just like Fast&Furious is first and foremost about Dom and Brian or XMFC is about Charles and Erik, The Avengers are all about Tony and Pepper, Clint and Natasha, Thor and Loki, Bruce, Steve, Fury, Maria and Phil. It's these people who you want to learn more about and hang out with again and again. And I think that's why the movie was so successful.

I mean, don't get me wrong, the action was amazing. Thor's fight with Hulk on the helicarrier will never not be hilarious. Tony's idea of a "party" - leading the leviathan to the others. All of them standing together, side by side, for the first time, facing the Chitauri. Natasha and Clint's "You and I remember Budapest very differently." Hulk saving the Iron Man... All that stuff was amazing and the CGI was simply superb. I loved it!

And yet, what really made an impact on me? Steve's loneliness. Bruce's confession that he had tried to commit suicide once. Natasha's determination to save Clint. Thor's profound sadness after Loki stabbed him. The little bit of domesticity between Tony and Pepper... That's the stuff that comes to my mind first and foremost when I think of The Avengers. And I really want to know where Steve went after the movie ended. If Tony showed Bruce the labs in Stark Tower. How Thor and his family dealt with Loki's betrayal. If Loki ever turned a leaf and accepted the love Thor kept offering so freely. If Clint and Natasha ever went to Budapest again...

Lovely, lovely stuff. I really can't wait to see Phase 2 which promises to be super awesome. And seeing the trailer for Iron Man 3 made me even more excited. Marvel? You rock!