Extra Evil - My Announcement Exists

Today’s Fortune: Buying funny books wards evil spirits.

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Newsreel

Trump’s indicted for his sixth loudest crime.

A tie-in film made money, brace yourselves for franchising.

America’s credit rating isn’t good enough for an American apartment.

Lizzo’s dancers didn’t feel good as hell.

India’s rice export ban may ruffle fans of food.

A notable clown has a new book coming.

Today's Mood

War Journal

Check it out:

It’ll be fun. More details as they crystalize.

Victory lap later. Let’s talk sci-fi.

Multiverses are having their pop moment. This tracks. I wrote a novel draft (not the one getting published) about one in 2013, and have no sense of timing.

As a longtime comics head, I have an old quibble with multiverse stories. Not all of them. About a quarter, and their evil doubles. So half.

Evil clones are fine. I get it. Moral dualism’s in the water. It’s wired into us, like not eating red moss. Delicious, delicious red moss.

But for a story, the evil goatee clone should reflect something in the hero beyond their haircut. Otherwise, the device means nothing. You’re just playing with reskins, and that’s only good for provoking reactionaries.

Remember Red Son? The rare good Millar story? And the even rarer quality evil Superman? Red Son works because he’s just one step off Superman’s personality. It’s not just What if Superman bad? It’s What if Paternal Protector Had Different Context? A longform look at the “American Way” chunk of his name.

In our mirror universe, Good Dennard agrees.

I mean every word in this interview, including my shonen dream of becoming voice of the Anthropocene. Possible? Smart? Who knows. But that’s what we’re aiming for, and I’m grateful to everyone reading this, and everyone that’s taken a chance on me.

Like millions avoiding primary news, I double-featured Barbie and Oppenheimer. I dressed like a BlerdCon Timmy Turner and set out to watch the world explode.

I liked all of Oppenheimer, and loved half of Barbie.

Barbie is essentially eight slick comedy sketches. Then they got a note demanding a full movie, and panicked. At it’s best, it’s Lego Movie 3. Or 4, considering Lego Batman.

Speaking of Bruce Wayne, Oppenheimer is rich in Nolan’s pet topics, tones, and techniques. Including the ponderous ones. I like Nolan, so that’s fun for me. Though I started expecting Bane to pop up.

Which one’s better? They’ll revoke my degree for this, but the doll. Peak high, die young.

The Present

I got to answer a few questions at Jane Ratcliffe’s excellent newsletter.

Academia is a strange dimension.

Thanks for showing this New Yorker bit so much love.

A day in the mayor's pocket.

Warm up for How to Dodge a Cannonball with Everything Abridged.

The Past

A crossover special? More likely than you’d think.

The Future

My next 1900HOTDOG lob’s on the lighthearted side. People probably need that.

Alright, no more playing coy. I’m trying to get a comedy sketch podcast going, and I’m buried under everything else. Hopefully, I get a pilot to you this month to test the waters.

Substack has a sci-fi award, and I don’t have one . Time to tilt the windmill.

One Sentence Reviews

Barbie: Half killer, half filler. (4/5)

Oppenheimer: A serious meditation on man-made Armageddon, and one hilarious flub of a sex scene. (3.5/5)

Sex Criminals Vol. 4: Feels a bit less inspired. (3/5)

Sex Criminals Vol. 5: There we go. (3.5/5)

Promare: Still a weeb, no apologies. (4/5)

Open Question

Signing off

Thanks for reading Extra Evil, the newsletter with bayonet jokes. Share it to avoid the charge.

-DD