We're Halfway Through April, Aren't We?

It's been about a month. I've been consuming a lot of media. What else is there to do? I'm trying not to let my disappointment and frustration with the vaccine rollout in Canada keep me down. It's hard though.

I also wrote a piece for the Diversity and Inclusion group at my day job. I know that based on what the word count limits are for communications, it's going to get cut down. I also tried to temper the emotional aspects of the piece. However, I have my very own blog. I'm going to give it a little edit and post it here later this week, I think.

What have I consumed and enjoyed in the last month-ish?

I read...

Mexican Gothic. Yes. So good. Read it. I'm really feeling the gothic genre right now. Gothic in 1950 Mexico!

Luck of the Draw and I cried. A lot. It was so sad, though maybe I was releasing some other emotions too. Because it's a romance, I was happy at the end.

Artificial Condition, the second installment in the The Murderbot Diaries. I still love Murderbot. I want to know where their adventure is going to take them next!

Immortal In Death, the third In Death book. I definitely have heart eyes for Eve Dallas and Roarke I wonder if when JD Robb wrote about Eve's engagement, she imagined there would be 50 more books after. 

I watched...

WandaVision <3

Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I <3 Bucky.

Zack Snyder's Justice League. I think my heart fluttered a little when Barry saved Iris.

Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. I'd seen both already, but my daughter was in the mood, so we watched all of Korra again and a few favourite episodes of Avatar. I love those series.

History of Swear Words on Netflix. It's really good. Interesting in a way I didn't expect. 

Dota: Dragon's Blood. My friend recommended it. It's like a cross between The Dragon Prince and Castlevania. At least that's what I thought as I watched. She called it "The Dragon Prince for grownups." 

Star Trek: Lower Decks. I really needed that show.

I submitted a couple short stories. Got a rejection. Good times.

I ate some Popeye's and it was SO GOOD. I'm really appreciating Skip the Dishes lately. 

How has your spring been so far?

3 Stories - Fantasy, Mystery & A Marvel Comic

Things have gotten busy lately, so instead of writing three separate posts, I thought I would smash my last three reads into one. I want to consider what each book taught me, whether about what makes a good story, people, life or whatever. There still might be a little, "Ahhhh!" because my last three reads were amazing. I've been pretty good with choosing some fantastic reads this year and I hope it continues.

Children of Blood and Bone

That was an unexpected ending. Just wow. I immediately searched for when the sequel was coming out when I finished. Children of Blood and Bone is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Not only did I love the characters, I loved the interpretation of magic and world that Tomi Odeyemi created. Odeyemi wove magic into the world in a way I really enjoyed. Something about the world she created called to me. I found Odeyemi, her world and her characters inspiring.

One For The Money

Stephanie Plum is amazing. She is smart, funny, witty, and maybe a little too confident sometimes. The pacing in One for the Money was perfect. There was action, but also emotional, frightening moments as well. This was another book I stayed up much too late reading. I’ve already put the second book on hold at the library. I think this would make a great television series. I looked it up and saw that a movie was made. I also saw the reviews and ratings it received. It makes me a little sad. There is so much great material. There are awkward situations, tension and cliffhangers. Janet Evanovich created a sensational hero and cast of supporting characters. Her parents and grandmother are amazing.

A small side note, this novel is very 90s. There were so many situations where a cell phone would have been extremely useful. There’s a car phone that’s used, which is a small source of tension. I wonder how Stephanie changes her tactics as the years progress. Will cell phones and texting become part of the story? Will technology change her cases? This is a series that will give me years of enjoyment.

A-Force:Warzones

One look at the cover and I couldn't resist picking up A-Force: Warzones. Just look at She-Hulk. She means business. A-Force:Warzones is like the other Warzones comics I’ve read. It takes place on Battleworld where Doom is god. A-Force taught me that anyone can be a hero. It’s about need and home and love. It’s about fighting for what you believed in and for what’s right. This edition just reinforced my desire to read the Thors Warzone comic. What makes them the way they are? There’s so much to learn there.

That’s three! What will my next three be? I wonder what genres I’ll be choosing and what each story will teach me.

Captain Marvel: Rise of Alpha Flight

I need to know more about Abigail Brand. I’ve only see on her in bits and pieces. I know she has green hair and wears green glasses all the time. I’ve seen the character on Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and in the Spider-Woman motion comic, Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD. She’s pretty wicked. She is hard and strong and smart. I’m also pretty sure she’s not human. She’s the boss though, but not of Alpha Flight. Captain Marvel has been given command of this station. A desk job? Low key? Maybe, maybe not.

I feel like Carol is barely there for a day when there is a problem. There is a delegation to deal with, but also problems on the station. There are explosions, goo, weird creatures, and the dead. Captain Marvel barely gets time to get her feet wet. Brand tries to get Carol to focus, but she's not one for standing around. When it is time for Alpha Flight to meet a threat head-on, Captain Marvel flies out there with them.

I loved the characters I got to meet in Rise of Alpha Flight. I knew who Sasquatch was, but I had never read a comic with him in it. He's great. So is Aurora. I loved Puck. I loved Wendy. I want Wendy to be around forever. The aliens were certainly interesting. Some people just don't listen. It's nice to know the Kree's reputation spans the universe.

Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas did a fantastic job. I really connected to the art of Kris Anka and Felipe Smith. The comic covers were amazing. Captain Marvel: Rise of Alpha Flight was full of humour, emotion, excitement, and Carol Danvers' amazing attitude. It is the book I needed to read.

Avengers Assemble: Science Bros.

Avengers Assemble: Science Bros. was hilarious. There were so many funny moments. There were so many pages where I had to show my Hubby. I kept saying to him, "You have to read this." (I also may have mentioned that this collection is by Kelly Sue Deconnick, who wrote all those Captain Marvel comics that I love.) The relationship between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner was fun. It was easy, like I think it aught to be, like two people who have known each other for a long time. I really enjoyed the first interaction with them and "The Captains". They're just making breakfast, talking about science stuff, and Bruce Banner calls Tony Stark's science, "razzle dazzle". Captain Marvel just eggs them on. Then they talk about a colleague who is missing, then there is a bet. Then they go on an adventure, with Thor and Spider-Woman. Again, like with the Captain Marvel books I've read, I loved Spider-Woman. I loved her attitude, her humour, her relationship not just with Captain Marvel, but with Hulk too. If I'm going to start reading any new comics, they will definitely be Spider-Woman (not counting the Deadpool and Wolverine books my Hubby picked up). The end though, with Wolverine and especially Spider-Man, was just great. Yay!

Let's razzle dazzle!

The actual Science Bros. adventure is just the first part of this collection. A wonderful amazing part, but it's the only part of the collection I have a problem with, even though I really, really don't want to. The problem is not with the fantastic story. It's not with any of the scenes or plot. It's with the way the first artist drew/coloured/designed Spider-Woman (I'm not really sure how it all works in the comics world). I kept asking myself (and sometime the Hubby), why was it necessary to show her butt-crack? Is her suit so tight, it is constantly going up her butt? Is her suit painted on? The same artists did not do the whole book, and for the first time, I was happy about it. I was tired of seeing Spider-Woman's cleavage through her full-body suit. I really don't want to complain about the art too much, not in a book that I otherwise loved. The expressions on the faces of all the characters throughout the story were amazing, really showing their feelings, their anger, annoyance, fears, and caring. Just when one image had Spider-Woman looking practically like she didn't eat, with skinny arms, no hips and belly button indent, I thought my head was going to explode. When the artist changed, I could easily tell, mainly because Spider-Woman no longer looked like she was sporting body paint. 

(My rant is done.)

We get to see more than just those first few Avengers. We are also given a Black Widow adventure, which gives us hints into her past with Hawkeye, and a deeper look into the "red in her ledger". It was a fascinating, interesting story, which included some (needed) support from Spider-Woman). Afterwards, we get a visit from Vision. We find out about the aftermath of the end of his relationship with Scarlet Witch. He's hurting, a machine, but so much more. He's in pain. There were parts of their story I didn't know about, like what happened to his children, so I had to look it up. I really enjoyed his conversation with Captain Marvel, and I really liked the end. It makes me want to read the New Avengers.

One of the best group shots ever!

Science Bros. is definitely a book I could read again. If I need a laugh or some light in my day, it is not a long read. Like the last Avengers Assemble I read, Science Bros. had many of my favourite characters that I could be engaged by, entertained by, but not overwhelmed. There was never too much going on, it was all just enough. Watching Captain Marvel and Wolverine share popcorn was a great moment. I enjoyed Spider-Man's cheekiness. Science Bros. has easily become one of my favourite graphic novels, the second in a series I am thoroughly enjoying.