Critical Reads!

Critical Reads | BentBox Comics | Father of An Angel | Writer | Outdoorsman | Weight Lifter | Gamer | Dog Lover | Irrigation Manager |

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Life has been so sweet lately. I had no idea how empty I was until my daughter filled that void. Comics can continue to wait. Looks like the same shithole I remember taking a break from anyway.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

@J0hnADouglas Thank you, sir.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Life has been so sweet lately. I had no idea how empty I was until my daughter filled that void. Comics can continue to wait. Looks like the same shithole I remember taking a break from anyway.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

@petersimeti Love you, Pete. Keep your head up.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

I used to be in Camp B. Now I’m in Camp A.

Why?

Because I’m tired of reading bad comics and continuing to support creators who consistently put out mediocre work... especially after being in the space for more than three years.

At some point, growth should show. Craft should sharpen. The work should evolve.

This isn’t about being mean or tearing anyone down. It’s just my honest opinion. I care about the medium. I care about the quality of the stories being told. I want the medium to last and provide value to the readers. If I’m going to invest my time and money into something, I want it to support that vision.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

@fullerjustinl Hell yeah! Thank you so much for the support, @fullerjustinl. I'm glad you liked it as well!

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Most comics lose readers in 3 pages. Not page 20. THREE pages. If your story starts with homework instead of a hook, readers will swipe left. Watchman #1 and Saga #1 are great examples of this. What’s an Indie comic that hooked you instantly?

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Sorry for the long post, but I had some time to kill, and your point is valid.

The internet is to human interaction what processed food is to nutrition. Nothing online is raw. Every post, image, comment, or interaction has been filtered by algorithms, social incentives, editing tools, performative self-awareness, and the knowledge of being watched. Even “authentic” posts are curated authenticity.

Just as processed food is engineered for convenience, shelf life, and dopamine response rather than nourishment, online interaction is engineered for engagement rather than truth, resilience, or depth. It is optimized for speed, reaction, and validation, not consequence.

Over time, a steady diet of processed interaction rewires expectation. Real life becomes harder to digest. Face-to-face conflict feels abrasive. Silence feels hostile. Boredom feels unbearable. Like someone raised on sugar and salt struggles with whole food, people raised on mediated interaction struggle with reality’s friction.

This is where the loss of grounding occurs.

Real-world situations demand presence, restraint, courage, and the ability to tolerate discomfort. Online spaces remove or soften these demands. Mistakes can be deleted. Identity can be edited. Conflict can be escaped by logging off. Reputation can be rebuilt with a new account. There is no equivalent escape hatch in physical reality.

As this gap widens, many people—particularly men, who historically were socialized through physical responsibility, risk, and consequence begin substituting symbolic expression for embodied action. Performance replaces practice. Opinion replaces competence. Identity replaces character.

This is not a claim that men are “becoming feminine” in some biological or moral sense. Rather, it is that traits required for online survival emotional signaling, verbal defensiveness, image management, avoidance of physical consequence are increasingly rewarded over traits required for real-world competence, such as decisiveness, accountability, and calm under pressure.

Social media becomes a refuge from consequence, but refuge slowly becomes dependency. The less one inhabits reality, the harsher reality feels. The harsher it feels, the more one retreats. The cycle feeds itself.

Like processed food, the internet should be consumed sparingly. It is useful, even sometimes necessary, but it cannot be the foundation of a healthy life. A culture that confuses representation for reality will eventually produce people who are rhetorically fluent but practically fragile- well-fed on stimulation while malnourished in experience.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Astro doesn't hold back in Wingless #2 and the first four pages say it all.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Well, I’m back on social media with a quick book update!

The lettering on Wingless #2 is so close to being finished. I honestly can’t express how much I love this book and this series.

If you’re a backer, the book will be heading to the printer very soon—and into your hands shortly after! We’re still on schedule for the January release.

Take a look at another teaser page… things are about to get real dark. After all...

“It’s just a bird, Charlie.”

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

The reason why I have been absent from social media. The reason why I may remain absent from social media for much longer. Don't worry, Wingless is being produced and will be fulfilled on time. I just don't care about much else right now other than spending time with my family.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Aubrielle first smile was caught on camera while I was taking a picture of her with my Xbox controller 🤣 my heart is full.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

For the past four years, I’ve felt so lost. It’s hard to put into words, but it was like being a father who never got the chance to BE a father. After Ari passed, I started struggling with imposter syndrome—something I had never experienced before. I felt like I wasn’t who I was supposed to be. A father without a child to father.

But now, everything's changed. I finally get to BE what I always was. For the first time in years, I feel like myself again. I feel whole. I feel fulfilled.

Thank you to everyone who has been here for me and my family. I don't think I'd be here without the grace of God and your support.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

@JoshAnimator We lost our first child. She was unexpectedly stillborn full term. Rainbow baby means the child that comes after a pregnancy loss. It's been a hard few years, but God blessed us with this beautiful girl.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

It's been a crazy few days, but please welcome Aubrielle! My rainbow baby! Much love to all who have been there for me over the past few years. You know how much this means to me.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

@Amanda_B_4 Thank you for sharing this, Amanda!

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

This world is not my home. I'm just passing through. See you on the other side one day, Charlie.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

I just broke down in tears inside of a store and had to walk out. I'm truly shaken up over the shooting of Charlie Kirk. All we can do is pray. Pray for him, his family, and this backward country.

God help us.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

@HWDesper I'm so freaking angry, man.

[Critical Reads! @Johnwritescomix]

Only 34 hours left to back Wingless: Fowl Play on Kickstarter! Don’t miss your chance to be part of this epic tale of vengeance and redemption. https://t.co/y34mYCleln