Weekend Reading: Planes, Trains, and The X-Men

While we at Kill Screen love to bring you our own crop of game critique and perspective, there are many articles on games, technology, and art around the web that are worth reading and sharing. So that is why this weekly reading list exists, bringing light to some of the articles that have captured our attention, and should also capture yours.

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The X-Men and the Legacy of AIDS, Jackson Ayres, Los Angeles Review of Books

The X-Men, in their inception, are commonly understood to be an analogy for the bigotry against people of color, but the comparisons of racism and fear of people who can control fire are at best ill-fitting. Jackson Ayres reflects on a chapter of the Marvel saga that was much richer and subtle about social commentary: the 80s AIDS crisis and the 90s Legacy Virus saga.

Danny Brown Cares About Rap More Than You Do, Ross Scarano, Complex

With Atrocity Exhibition, the latest album from Danny Brown, it seems like the Detroit rapper has gifted us yet again. With a vivid profile of the artist, Ross Scarano explores the slow burn success of Brown, and the uncanny world the artist has built around his craft.

Japanese Rail Sim 3D: Journey to Kyoto, after the real thing, Mathew Kumar, Tiny Cartridge

For players abroad, rail simulators are a snapshot of another person’s commute, but for Japan, where these games gain popularity, the simulation is of something woven into the fabric of daily life. Somewhere in the middle, Mathew Kumar shares a personal reflection on one of these passageways, and how a simple videogame took him back there.

The Age of the Instagram Eyebrow, Leigh Alexander, How We Get To Next

Beauty tips used to be written in stone in the pages of hundreds of different magazines. Social media, Snapchat, and Instagram, in particular, have certainly chiseled at the tradition of where trends are popularized. Leigh Alexander explores eyebrows throughout generations and the ascension of a defined Nike checkmark above thousands of eyes.

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