Geeky Recommendations, 9/25/19

Weeb Stuff

It's been a long time since I've shown appreciation for anything Asian, hasn't it? Well, this week, I managed to watch two beautiful movies from that particular corner of the world that definitely deserve recommendations here.

Your Name

The way the opening scenes of this film handle the anatomical and emotional differences between men and women is so irrepressibly charming (and so out of bounds in the West right now, sadly) that I honestly thought I was settling in for a clever body-swap comedy -- until that twist in the middle. I refuse to spoil it, but Holy God, did that take me by surprise! After said shift in tone, what emerges is a deeply moving spin on a popular sci-fi trope that made me cry like the dickens.

A Silent Voice

This movie, meanwhile, is probably the best anti-bullying story I've ever seen. Why? Because it focuses on the bully and his crippling sense of guilt. Because it accepts the possibility that people can change -- especially when they're children and thus have a great deal of maturing left to do. That's really refreshing to encounter in a world that seems obsessed with vengeance instead of redemption and forgiveness.

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Comics

Iron Man: Legacy of Doom, David Michelinie, Bob Layton

The 1978 Michelinie/Layton run on Iron Man is one of the best runs (if it didn't cost a bazillion dollars, I'd buy the hell out of the omnibus) -- and as this miniseries reveals, this team still had The Gift decades later. Looking for a giant bottle of Volume 1 nostalgia? Yeah: this - Tony Stark and Doctor Doom once again facing Arthurian legends - is what you want to read. Also features: Demon Howard Stark, a giant eyeball monster, and one panel that was so hilariously drawn that I laughed for five minutes straight.

Captain America & Iron Man: One Night in Madripoor, Cullen Bunn, Barry Kitson

Let's repeat what I said on Facebook: This little volume personally attacks me with its Stark-brand improvisation and high-level IronCap bromance. I loved this almost as much as I loved the '98 annual.