Author Details
Steven Blackburn brings more than 10 years of journalism and marketing experience to Screen Rant. Steven has a Master's in Writing, Rhetoric, and Media Arts from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Email: steven.screenrant@gmail.com. He also exclusively writes about romance and non-action/adventure anime on Medium:
https://medium.com/@steven.wyman.blackburn.
Industry Focus
Steven writes mainly about anime/manga. For manga, he covers Black Clover, My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball Super, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Dandadan, Chainsaw Man, Undead Unluck, and Choujin X. He also writes about Sonic the Hedgehog, including Archie Comics and IDW Publishing. He occasionally covers Star Wars, Star Trek: TNG, and is anxiously awaiting the return of Transformers: Beast Wars.
Favorite Media
In anime/manga, Steven's current preference is romance series, specifically shoujo and josei. Action/adventure shounen with heavy romance are appreciated as well, including Sword Art Online, Black Clover, and Chainsaw Man. His all-time favorite manga/anime, interestingly enough, is Berserk. In the Sonic franchise, Steven has been a self-professed "Archie Boy," growing up with Archie's Sonic series and preferring the world with the Freedom Fighters over the Resistance/Restoration. But he's recently come to appreciate IDW's Sonic series, specifically with the start of the Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome miniseries and the main continuity's Sonic #50 onward.
Goku's Best Training Scene Was in Dragon Ball, Not DBZ or Super
The circumstances surrounding Dragon Ball chapters 87 to 90 single-handedly one-up every training arc in Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Z.
12 Craziest Combo Attacks from Sonic the Hedgehog's Current Series, Ranked
Sonic the Hedgehog's current comic series from IDW Publishing has seen some pretty impressive combo moves. Here are some of the craziest.
Sakura is Naruto's Most Misunderstood Hero, & Her Powers Prove It
Two incredible metaphors in Naruto actually prove just how deep of a character Sakura is and, consequently, how misunderstood and underrated she is.
13 Best Sonic the Hedgehog Story Arcs From IDW Publishing, Ranked
Screen Rant presents a comprehensive, ranked list of every arc from IDW Publishing's ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series. Spoilers below!
Sword Art Online's Gaming Trope Gets Unexpectedly Literal in New Anime
New anime And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online? is the unlikeliest series to tackle a powerful metaphor popularized within Sword Art Online.
Blue Lock’s Second Part Never Delivered What It Promised
Season one of Blue Lock is almost over, and the subversive soccer anime isn't giving fans all of the unexpected twists that it has been promising.
Even Dragon Ball Fans Missed The Real Reason Vegeta Became A Villain in Super
Vegeta became a villain again in Dragon Ball Super, but this actually has a great explanation and it's connected to Destruction and Ultra Ego.
Naruto Proves That Boruto's Disappointing Villain Is Even Worse Than Fans Think
Code is considered a lackluster villain in Boruto, and his actions are even worse if fans connect them with Naruto's final villain, Kaguya.
Dragon Ball Super Foreshadowed Its Most Controversial Twist Earlier Than Fans Think
A new type of Dragon Ball Super wish that revolutionized where villains came from was hinted during a brief exchange in an earlier saga.
The Real Reason Bakugo Bullied Deku in My Hero Academia is secretly Heartbreaking
In chapter 322, Bakugou Katsuki reveals the real reason why he began bullying Deku so long ago when they were kids--and it's not what fans thought.
Dragon Ball Super's Latest Arc Falls Flat, & the Series' Opening Chapters Prove it
How the opening chapters of the Dragon Ball Super manga adapted Battle of the Gods and Resurrection 'F' should have served as Super Hero's template.
Dragon Ball's Biggest Goku Problem Started Long Before Z
How Goku always saves the day in almost every single arc in Dragon Ball Z actually started long before – in the original Dragon Ball series.
Cute Crunchyroll Anime Proves How Even Slice of Life Can Tackle Dark Subject Matter
A Centaur's Life masterfully tackles major issues such as diversity and inclusivity while also exploring darker issues like discrimination and racism.
Darth Vader Turns on Palpatine as the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis Takes on New Meaning
Star Wars: Darth Vader #38 revisits the tragic tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise, this time wiht a very different outcome than Palpatine intended.
Vegeta Already Abandoned Ultra Ego In Dragon Ball For One Perfectly Good Reason
Vegeta knows he'll never be able to master Destruction and Ultra Ego, and that's why he has already moved on to a different type of technique.
Black Clover Proves How Great My Hero Academia's Original Ending Could Have Been
Considering My Hero Academia's original ending is the plot of Heroes Rising, similarities can be drawn to Black Clover's recent developments.
Pokémon's Anime Already Settled Its Biggest Controversy In The First Episode
The concept of capturing and forcing Pokémon to fight might feel a little controversial, but the anime actually addressed this problem immediately.
Junji Ito's 10 Most Horrifically Relatable Stories
Crunchyroll's Junji Ito Collection and Netflix's Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre sometimes hit too close to home in their scares.
Berserk Finally Reunites Guts With An Old Friend In His Darkest Hour
In chapter #374 of Berserk, Guts finally has a reunion with another former member of the Band of the Hawk, and it couldn't happen at a better time.
Boruto's New Rasengan Has Already Been Explained (But Only In The Anime)
The new Rasengan Uzuhiko seen in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #2 may have been explained in an important "filler" episode in the Boruto anime.