@tdk_1997: Don't get me wrong, Merino is more than decent and this doesn't quite match the quality of earlier work I've seen from him, but Bueno's work is crisp and vibrant, matching the tone of the book almost too well, to the point that Merino's art seems simply serviceable even though it's better than merely that. I just hope the roster will be expanded a little and Tynion will remain consistent. I'm already not entirely sold on the Witching Hour, but hopefully it will be part of the larger scheme of things.

@entropy_aegis: Deathstroke/Silencer tying-in would make sense, especially given Slade's involvement in Silencer's book about Leviathan some months ago.

I only skimmed through the preview, I'd rather not have to read King's dialogue more than once if I can.

https://www.newsarama.com/42345-dc-comics-january-2019-solicitations.html

Solicits are out, was not expecting them this week but welcome nonetheless.

Tomasi's Tec sounds AWESOME. We might even be getting a follow up on Nobody.

Creature of the Night is back...Hell Yeah.

Silencer is going beyond 13 issues.

Batman Who Laughs actually sounds good

Catwoman will be picking up the Penguin plot from King's Batman which is a direct continuation of the Bane plot.

Old Lady Harley which is an Old Man Logan ripoff has a future where Bane's twin children rule Bludhaven ... WTF. Now I have to read it lol.

Slade is still in Arkham

Now on to the depressing news:

It looks like Red Hood will part of the crossover. The Underlife, Wingman, these are all Leviathan links.

The amnesia bull in Nightwing is apparantely ending and Scarecrow is getting a redesign closer to his Pre Flashpoint looks.

Batman is filler for the whole month it seems. Come on.

Teen Titans connects with Red Hood which means it and Nightwing have the greatest potential to get caught up un the crossover particularly because Lobdell has been chill with the Superman editorial.

Still looking forward to seeing Damian engaging with Bruce and Jason though.

Wonder if Joker will kill Matt in Beyond? I hope not.

Outsiders...meh, looks and sounds too 90's

Batgirl...eh

Edit: Oh and Batman is showing up in Damage.

Follow up on the status of Black Label:

Black Label

WOW, and I notice that Other History of the DC Universe is not part of the imprint either. This line is dead on arrival, Snyder's project will probably come out intact as I doubt he ever intended to use nudity but as I remarked earlier it probably spells trouble for Johns 3 Jokers (HAHAHAHA) because Johns was hyping up its dark and mature content...it was the only thing about it that he was teasing as opposed to ya know actual story.

I still don't understand what's this fuss is all about. This label was created for that very purpose, to be able to show stuff that is for readers that are 18+. Complaining that is does exactly what it was created for, seems pointless to me.

If it invites laughter and scorn from the media and the general population then its obviously going to be problematic. Its the same problem that affected Snyder's films. Dark and gritty instead of coming across as mature just comes off as juvenile, almost stunt like to drive sales.

Batman Damned simply put was not the story that should have launched this line. There's nothing wrong with that the imprint is supposed to represent but as they say "first impression is the last impression". Damned's basic plot is vague and frankly non existent, despite having 48 pages it sure did come across as if nothing happened, it sells itself entirely on controversial scenes.

Same goes for Johns, he keeps bragging about how 3 Jokers is the darkest thing he's ever done and all that. Yeah we get it, its a f*cking Joker story, ofcourse its going to be dark.

@morpheus_: Yeah, now I am starting to get your point. Bueno is just too good imo. His art style is simplistic in a way, not adding too much details but at the same time he manages to capture everything required for a good interior page or a cover. I became a fan of his since I first saw his artwork in 'Tec.

As for the solicits:

Batman sounds back to its terrible roots. It seems like we will yet again try to "swallow" that "amazing, entertaining" new character from King.

'Tec sounds more than intriguing and I just can't wait to see Mahnke's interiors.

Slade still in Arkham makes me wonder where Priest is going with this plot and what will be th eevnetual outcome.

Nightwing sounds mediocre at best but I think it might actually be good.

Batman Who Laughs actually managed to wake my interest.

Batgirl, Catwoman, Outsiders and Teen Titans, as much as I want to be interested by their solicits it just doesn't happen for me. THey sound too dull, mediocre and cringey. I am not sure what I want to think of them.

@tdk_1997: Yeah, I dont know what King thinks he has contributed to the mythology that he just keeps drowning us with filler comics.

Its amazing how there seem to be only 4 proper length arcs so far in a 56 issue run. Even counting the arcs with Freeze, Beast and Talia as important its still a pretty bad situation to be in. Its frustrating that he keeps his actual story on hold till he gets to some big number(someone needs to tell this guy that big numbers are only big if something actually happens) and while its on hold he writes pointless stories involving "Master Bruce".

@entropy_aegis: FINALLY CotN issue #4. I need to re-read it in time, it’s been a while lol.

@entropy_aegis: I get what you ate saying and I don't necessarily disagree with you, still think though that people made a bigger fuss about it than needed.

Grim Knight, huh? Like the name, could be an interesting, if not that original, idea.

Tom King reteams with NIGHTWING artist Travis Moore to create a sequel to their masterpiece of dark horror from BATMAN #38.

Hahaha. You know, it's very easy to label everything you publish a masterpiece, but that's usually a distinction others should make.

@entropy_aegisFinally you get Creature of the Night after so many months. I love Busiek, but in all honesty I did not follow the series since I knew it was bound to be delayed.

Still not really thrilled by the BMWL and Punisher-Bats.

Pleasantly surprised to see a reference to Ducard (even Henri) after such a long time. An additional reason to look forward to Tomasi's run. Also, did I miss something? Is Tec going to be published thrice per month once Tomasi's tenure kicks in?

Deathstroke seems to be stalling, but we already knew this would take 5-6 issues.

@morpheus_: LOL

Yeah, the delay between 3 and 4 is that of 9 freaking months.

Its twice monthly, the third issue is compensation for the sole issue out in December.

@entropy_aegis: Damn, I hadn't realized it took so long. Busiek's schedule tends to be erratic but even for him this is too much. Have you read Superman: Secret Identity? That's pretty much the vibe I'm getting from Creature of the Night. If it matches it in quality, it's going to be a modern Batman classic.

Ah, makes more sense. I was enthusiastic at the prospect of getting a Tec' issue almost every week for a while there.

And another Damian vs Jason coming up.

@morpheus_: Funnily enough the first 2 issues came as solicited. Then the third was released after a 4 month break and so on lol.

Yes, I've read it and yes COTN is a spiritual successor to that book. As for quality, COTN is definitely go down as a top tier Bat story but based on the 3 issues I would say that Secret Identity beats it. Which isn't surprising, SI had the novelty factor going for it.

LOL, I think Tec may plant the seeds for Morgan's return or Henri's revenge. We're finally getting a follow up of some sort.

Ofcourse Damian will win, its tradition at this point haha. Its one of those in which Jason is going to look bad regardless of the outcome. Same as Batman vs Superman.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/10/16/where-in-the-world-has-poison-ivy-gone-dc-comics/

rich back at it again.

king destroyed the character. the end.

@entropy_aegis: Secret Identity is uplifting while it immerses you in a sense of unease, waiting for the other shoe to drop - that never happens, which adds another layer of surprise when Clark lives a wholesome life. I think I'll still wait until #4 is released (if it happens on time) before I get to COTN.

The issue with that is that, great as Morgan was, Henri viewed him as a failure after Bruce defeated him back in the day. It could be a matter of pride for him to avenge him, but I doubt Henri would care that much. For symmetry, Henri going after Damian would make the greatest sense.

I'd honestly rather see Jason win soundly. Damian shouldn't be as good as Jason or Dick. And Lobdell has been very decent in giving Batman great respect every time he writes him, Jason deserves the same treatment from other writers.

@eto: I have no idea why this guy has decided to become the sole spokesman for one fan.

He should stick to writing articles about Batman's penis.

Agreed! 100 points Morpheus lol.

Ivy can be great when she is properly written - but that is a rarity. The only Bat related story with her at the forefront over the past 8 years that has been good was Snyder's All Star.

yeah, he can be a real pain in the neck sometimes smh.

lol, thanks to him Black Lable won't even last smh.

@morpheus_: Yeah, its the book other Superman writers should be required to read when they take on the job.

I dont think Henri is going to go after a 13 year old. Besides Gleason already told that story in Son of Batman with Maya. In terms of recruiting Damian to his side, that angle was obviously utilized with Morgan himself so both plot lines would be quite unoriginal. I'd rather Henri becomes a sort of recurring guest star in Tomasi's Tec and is built up to lead to a major story and one that hopefully culminates in Morgan's return. Speaking of promising villains who expired before their time to fully shine the f*ck were Waid and Soule drinking when they decided to kill Ikari and Muse over in Daredevil? Ikari's death was just insulting.

I cannot be certain about how Glass will approach the situation. Damian does planning and scheming in this run so thats one angle which he can play with to Damian's favor without chumping Jason. Its Emiko who has become the combat expert and the arrogant assassin brat now.

@entropy_aegis: Curious if Bendis has read it.

There was lingering tension with Maya and Damian's on-going camaraderie and friendship, which is what fueled that plotline - I don't believe Henri would hesitate to abduct or hurt Damian - especially if he learns Damian killed Morgan. Morgan's return is something I've been clamoring for, well, basically since he was killed off years ago. He just feels too good and multifaceted to perish so quickly. And haha, are you catching up on Daredevil? Ikari is probably the ultimate standout DD villain of recent times, I was also baffled by his fate. Muse was creepy but I did not care for him nearly as much.

I haven't kept up with that run. Prep and an ambush would be a good counter for Jason's skill and physical advantages over Damian, I'm curious what Jason will do that will prompt Damian to go after him, though. Informing Batman of any misgivings, perhaps.

@morpheus_: Probably not lol.

Well the good thing is that unlike the Court of Owls he didn't fizzle out so thats a plus point.

I've actually read Waid's run(mostly) and followed Soule till the Mayor Fisk arc. But yeah been doing some reading when I can. Read Return of the King, Lady Bullseye, Murdock Papers and Devil in Cell Block D some months ago and the new Bullseye mini some months ago oh and the Punisher Max Bullseye arc( this guy is mad). Agreed on Ikari, strange so that Waid chose to spare Bruiser. I'm sure he'd have looked equally good on Kraven's wall lol. Still I think Muse was a breakout street level villain from either company during the last 2-3 years, equalled by maybe only Raptor from Nightwing who also died too soon imo.

I think Jason will screw over Damian during the Bat cave break in or they may end up being manipulated by

either Bane or Talia depending on which event Glass wants his run to connect with. Its a King and Bendis world.

@entropy_aegis: Snyder's mistake was having Batman overpower Cobb, he was the vanguard of the Court. If a poisoned, half-crazed and malnourished Batman can defeat the most accomplished Talon, the rest of them just seemed like an afterthought. Simply in greater numbers. Morgan's brilliance lies in how menacing he is in terms of skill, prowess and intellect. Truly a dark reflection of Batman. The Court was... underwhelming and largely faceless.

Soule's run is OK, I'd say the quality deteriorated over the past six months, it used to be more tightly written. And since you brought up Batman being replaced recently, Daredevil probably will be, as well. You just can't go wrong with Brubaker's Daredevil (or Captain America), though, an amazing story from start to finish.

And if you want to be really confused, check out Bendis' Daredevil, you'll believe the guy writing Superman now is someone impersonating him, like a Skrull. I actually never read the conclusion of Raptor's arc in Nightwing, but had fun seeing him clashing with Slade. I loved that connectivity with other series back then. And maybe Waid simply wanted Ikari to be his own character, excluding other writers from using him. Then again, given the ties between DD and the Hand, that's the closest thing to a Lazarus Pit in the Marvel universe.

@morpheus_: 5 was pretty much where my love/hate relationship with Snyder's Batman started. Loved the first 4 issues of that arc disliked the remaining 7 . Talk about a 180° turn lol. Felix Harmon was the only good thing to come out of the Court and Snyder never even used him on Batman.

Yeah, Bru's run that I've read of is great as is Bendis based on MPs and End of Days. Yes I'm aware of how the current volume is ending. I think its worse than what King is doing. Atleast King will tell his own story while Charles Soule is dumping it on some hapless soul no pun intended.

Raptor was cool from start to end, shame he had to go.Seeley was probably following the Waid line of thinking.

I dont think Ikari is returning. His death was too humiliating and final for a return.

@entropy_aegis: I liked the Bat-Court war, but it just felt like an escalation to a conflict that was mostly resolved climactically when Batman defeated Cobb. And the entire idea with March did not really go anywhere, for something seemingly so important. I had to google Felix Harmon, I had no idea who he was, he looks fearsome.

I'm not sure if Soule will just end the run with Daredevil missing/dead, it's likely the title of the storyarc is misleading, so any upcoming writer could work with a clean slate. And hey, at least the Black Panther or Spider-Man won't get shot in Daredevil's solo and appear as amnesiac vagrants in their own on-going without warning. :P

I don't believe Ikari will return, either.

@morpheus_: Yeah, Felix was creepy as hell and easily the best Talon. He showed up in the Talon series by Snyder and Tynion which still remains the best work Tynion has ever done. Incidentally the second arc (which has a prologue in Tec 19) is a damn good Bane story. It really reminded of O'Neals Angel and Bane arc.

I read the first issue, looks like he may follow up on that Elektra tease from ages ago. The solicits dont seem to suggest a clean slate though and touche on King lol.

Batman was...something I guess. The last 2 issues felt like a poor mans version of I am Bane (18 and 20) and I didn't quite understand the point of that folk tale, as disturbing as it was.

The ending made Batman look both idiotic and hypocritical.

@entropy_aegis: I have only skimmed through a couple of issues of Talon (the one where he briefly encounters/tries to flee from Batman) which explains why I have not seen Felix at all. Angel and Bane was brilliant, that's a very flattering comparison and high praise for Tynion. I'll have to give it a shot.

Daredevil will have a five issue mini-series focusing on other characters and his own on-going has not been solicited yet, so most things could be wrapped up in the mini or anything Marvel announces. It's what they did with Diggle's run before Waid took over, and that mess post-Shadowland was worse.

I'm baffled by today's Batman. It's a better brand of storytelling than King's usual drivel, but extremely out of character for Bruce to break the Beast's neck and just leave him there, while counterintuitively refusing the latter's offer to reveal the identity of his employer.

The tale is there as midirection and shock value. King interjects the story with it to supposedly offer insight into the Beast's mind, then use it as a twist when we realize that's Batman's past.

@morpheus_: I wont say it was on that level, Bane himself was used rather sparingly in that arc but the way he was used was incredibly effective and he had a powerful presence.

Yeah that mini was what I was referring to. Seems like a replacement character is making their debut but we'll see I guess.

I still dont get it lol.

@entropy_aegis: Speaking of replacements, there is a new Nightwing.

I'm sure a connection could be drawn if we really tried, but I just think the tale is there as a distraction - there is no deeper value or meaning to it relating to the core plot.

This has been a long running tradition for Daredevil where writers deliberately end their runs with DD in a really tough situation and let the next writer resolve it. When Charles Soule came on DD he had to resolve the issue of Matt's secret identity becoming public at the end of Waid's run. So in this case at least it is being done deliberately.

In King's case though, not only is he ruining Batman with his awful writing, he does not even seem aware that he is doing so. His shitty writing has been infecting the Batman books more with every passing month, and I fear by the end of his run things will be left irrecoverably damaged. So I personally prefer the DD approach.

@morpheus_: He's probably just fodder for Scarecrow to kill and force Ric in to becoming Dick.

Yeah, I'll leave it at that.

@enzo991: It started with Bendis IIRC. But you have a point.

Well, this week was tragic in terms of Batman related comic books.

King's Batman clearly seems to be improving but it still makes you wonder if King is actually writing Batman and if he actually knows that he is writing him. The issue on its own was good, had some very strong storytelling(not so much for the dialogue, but that is a common thing now in King's run), very good artwork from Tony Daniel and the fight was simply entertaining. However, the issue makes you wonder about two things: why was the story with the animals needed, why was it included in the issue; and second and tbh the more serious question - what the h*** was that ending?! I get it, King wanted to basically remake that classic moment from KGBeast's history, but it wasn't really needed and as many sites are saying it, it's hypocritical.

This week marked the start of Snyder's Drowned Earth crossover/mini-event or whatever you want to call it. Apart from the artwork, there wasn't anything good or even promising about it. The concept is the most basic thing you can get, the cliffhanger wasn't good(like at all) and the villains choice is rather cliché. I hope that Snyder decides to do something with a twist in the next few issues cuz for now it's as generic as you can get.

And now, Nightwing…*sigh* Nightwing… I really don't know what to say about it. Last week's special anniversary issue, the one with the change and all was actually quite grabbing. Made me want to read more about 'Ric Grayson' but this month's issue took all the joy away from the character. We are going into a well-known direction(to say the least) and the twist at the end was more than obvious. It's rather ridiculous because everyone knows it won't stick even for a whie, but hey, DC need to try it(or at least they think so).

All in all, pretty terrible week for Batman fans and readers. Let's hope that next week will be better.

Snyder Interview

The Grim Knight is a Punisher and Iron Man hybrid.

I like how Snyder confirms he's not going to stop writing Batman as long as he has good ideas.

I'm on the fence about that mini-series and Grim Knight. Snyder will have to work a lot on the BMWL to manage to change my mind, though. The, "Batman who always wins and is crazy" isn't a character, it's a gimmick.

It seems that Snyder unlocked his inner child giving this interview LOL. The way he was describing what makes The Batman Who Laughs special and what this story will be about, sounded like a 10 year old kid explaining his favorite cartoon to some of his friends.

On a serious note though, the story doesn't sound too bad. I will most definitely give it a shot, because it's Batman, not because it's Snyder.

What made me laugh real hard though is when he said he didn't want to overstay his welcome. Dude, you overstayed your welcome a long time ago. However, it is indeed dire times for Batman and being a Batman fan when the only escape from reality is if you actually have to read Snyder's stories and enjoy them because you otherwise have King, Robinson and Batman's editorial team as a whole.

One of the current issues with Batman's line is that Snyder has, for better or worse, spawned proteges and imitators that want, or at least try to, write the way he does. Unfortunately, only Snyder has managed to make that style work in the N52 era, Tynion, Higgins or whoever else just failed on Batman. We'll have to see if Williamson will ever get a crack at a Bat book, he seems to be a cut above the rest.

I wouldn't say he overstayed his welcome, though. He had a story to tell and did it, now he's only writing Batman in JL or mini-series. He isn't at fault that Batman's on-goings are subpar after he left.

The funny thing is that while Tynion, Bennet and Higgins aped Snyder, he in turn never really bothered to acknowledge their work in his own books.

Grim Knight is the only reason why I'm even interested in that series. He's really coming across as a Deathstroke Batman.

@morpheus_: That problem exists because Snyder is the one that actually inducted most of them in the DC Universe with DC's Talent Showcases, because he is one of the main runners of the project. Also, due to the creative power he has in DC he might be choosing his proteges as the logical continuation to his Batman legacy.

I would love to see Williamson try writing Batman or at least a mini. When he was writing Bruce during The Button he did a great job and to this day, even though it's a shared story, this is my favorite Batman story since Rebirth. Incredible writing and a good story with great artwork.

It's a bit like Starlin and Thanos. He says he's finished with the character, he has told his story and that his current one is his last but after some time he is like "No, I have more in store and you haven't seen nothing".

@tdk_1997: About Snyder's continous presence the issue is that he's changing ideas.

For example, he had stories planned for Afua Richardson, Paul Pope and Lee Bermejo in All Star Batman but then he just lost interest. He clearly had a story about Batman and KGBeast planned involving that private island that he never got to tell. Instead he fell in love with this abomination called the Batman Who Laughs because he looks like the Joker.

first arc of All Star Batman you mean? If yes, then yeah. Would have liked to see more KGBeast but alas.

@tdk_1997: Inducting them is one thing, sustaining them is another. Higgins didn't do well at all, be it in Nightwing or Deathstroke. And Tynion used to write back-up stories in Snyder's Batman run before he was handed the reins of crossovers (Batman/TMNT) or graduating in his own run, which was just a nostalgia cash-in. Much like Hill's Outsiders will try to be.

Basically, Snyder is the intro point, numerous writers would love to have the chance to write Batman for one storyarc and all the people that have been given the opportunity so far are just the diet Coke version of Snyder. No reason to do that; I just blame DC's editorial, Snyder's influence is significant but if he was the only one to have a say and hand over assignments to his lackeys, neither King nor Tomasi would be helming the core Batman on-goings now.

Snyder genuinely believes he has new stories to say, Starlin envisions imaginary slights to his creations and swoops in to the rescue in order to retcon bad showings and restore Thanos' honor. It's useful in a way, but bad storytelling over the past 25 years or so.

So I watching Daredevil season 3 and it really got me thinking that the original Wrath(not the New 52 Iron Man lite) really could have been the Batman version of Bullseye. I know Deadshot's basic gimmick is similar but I dunno I think Wrath really could have brought a similar type of villainy to the Batman franchise. Even now the spot of psychopathic hitman extraordinaire whos bit of an evil twin is still open. Zeiss is never going to be used and Deadshot obviously has the Suicide Squad franchise so Wrath has the space to move through the Batman rogues gallery. Also while we're at it can the writers just move on from Penguin, Black Mask and those other unthreatening/uninteresting crime bosses? Its really shocking that DC's ultimate crime fighter does not have the ultimate crime boss as a villain. Thats an epic fail. Now I dont want Kingpin knockoffs like Blockbuster 2 or Tobias Whale but they've got f*cking Bane. He can easily be positioned in to Kingpin's place without being a knockoff. No one buys Penguin as a serious villain and Black Mask is just a rubbish character. Thats one thing I do admire about King's run. He really is getting Bane there.

@entropy_aegis: Is there any particular reason you don't believe Zeiss will be used other than people forgetting about him? N52 Wrath was a complete waste of time, a stark contrast to Bedard's Confidential version.

I don't believe there is a character in either company that can quite do what Bullseye does without being labeled a rip-off at this point. It's not just accuracy or trick shots, but being lethal with literally everything at his disposal, from regular weaponry like a gun and arrow to toothpicks, cards or actual teeth or nails.

King Snake, Silver Monkey or even Constantine Drakon (always thought he'd be an amazing Bat villain) would had been nice additions to the rogues gallery, but nobody is paying them any mind.

As for Bane, his goals always seem more intricate than simply gaining power, influence or money, which is why I don't think he'd be a good crime boss. King surely pushes Bane, but to me it's more like an archetype, I don't have a clue who King's Bane is in terms of personality despite being constantly at the forefront or background of the entire run.

@morpheus_: I dont think anyone other than Brubaker ever used him. He just seems...so forgotten despite being being more recent than many other villains.

Indeed he was and then Tynion made it 100x worse.

I wouldn't want Wrath to be a marksman on that level but a sadistic evil Batman who aids criminals and executes law enforcement officials on a free lance basis could work. I think there is space for that type of character.

The original Knightfall era Bane was the ultimate crime boss type. Ofcourse after that he became more of an opportunistic wandering lone wolf type then anti hero and then a militant commander during the New 52 thanks in large part to the Nolan film.

King I'll admit seems to be juggling all of these but I do think his endgame is the full fledged restoration of the original Knightfall Bane. I consider I am Suicide as the literal deconstruction of the militaristic Nolan Bane and I am Bane as the first step back towards OG Bane with Batman 50 and till 75 as the second.

@entropy_aegis: Honestly, even during Knightfall most of his activities felt like a means to an end, an infiltration and subjugation of local infrastructure to achieve the desired goal. Granted, he didn't just stop after he broke Batman, so that applies.

My confusion isn't about which version King desires to adapt or mold, but rather that his Bane has no true identity. At first he just wants someone to coddle him and tell him he is not reliant on venom anymore, then when he loses that crutch he immediately retreats into becoming a venom addict on a roid fueled rampage of vengeance, now he somehow became a mastermind that manipulated everything from the start. No cohesion, no progression, just King telling you that's Bane doing smart things, when they aren't clever, just moronic.

@morpheus_: Well he was profiting from every criminal enterprise in the city at that time. Sure he used crime and fear to rule Gotham because thats how he believed that city could be ruled but those qualities were what attracted him in the first place. I do believe that the original Bane was intended to be a "what if Doc Savage was a crime boss".

As for King, like everything with him the execution sucks hence the disconnect you cited. But I cant help but feel that he wants to move Bane from warlord to crime lord. The upcoming 3 issue arc with Penguin will be the first real test. Its directly following up on Bane's storyline. I dont have much hope but his run is tolerable by his standards lately so lets see.

I think when it comes to Wrath the problem is that it has been way to long since his original appearence, and that there is with Prometheus a way bigger villain who has afaik a very similar origin.

When it comes to Bane, I allways had the problem that his motivation for being in Gotham and going up against Batman is imo really weak.

I have returned now that I got my laptop back. Going to start reading RHATO soon [A couple weeks most likely], might read COTN while I'm at it lol.