Thursday Morning Superhero: Farewell Edition

 As I ponder this month's post I have a range of emotions I am experiencing. I was brought into this team over 10 years ago and have written about treasure hunts, conventions, comic books, board games, and more.  It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, but it is time for me to bid adieu to the Nerds of a Feather team.

I was initially brought in to provide coverage of San Diego Comic Con as I had been attending for a number of years.  They liked me enough that I have remained and they accepted my idea of Thursday Morning Superhero.  If you didn't know, I am also a big sports fan and am a fan of the phrase Monday morning quarterback.  The plan was to review comics on a weekly basis, but wait until Thursday to post and consider comics that I should have picked up based on other reviews.

While I deviated from that format quite a bit, comic book coverage remained central to what I wrote and I hope someone picks up the torch moving forward.  I have enjoyed everyone I worked with here and consider them part of the family.  I will return from time to time and hope to share a holiday gift guide, and wish everyone some happy Joe Hill reading and board gaming.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Treasure Hunt Edition

I am going to take a small departure from your regularly scheduled program to discuss a hobby that has kept my attention for a number of years.  The hobby is treasure hunting and I was introduced to it by watching an episode of Expedition Unknown where I learned that there was possibly a treasure buried in my hometown of Houston in 1981.

The aforementioned treasure hunt was from a book called The Secret by Byron Preiss in which he hid 12 casques across North America and wrote a book that contained 12 verses and 12 images.  The goal was to pair an image with a verse, decipher the clues hidden in both, and it would lead you to where one of the casques is buried.  Fast forward 40 years and only three have been found and an avid group of searchers have continued to find where the others are buried, albeit unsuccessfully.

This opened the door to other treasure hunts that I have enjoyed working on, despite not having discovered a treasure yet.  I am currently working on The Incredible Hunt, which features six treasures worth $10,000 each, The Hope Chest that features a $50,000 prize and involved finding tags in multiple states, and The Golden Apple: 40th Anniversary Tribute hunt that pays tribute to another treasure hunt from the early 80's that remains unsolved.  Your prize for the apple hunts is a golden and jewel encrusted apple.

These hunts have introduced me to a number of online communities, have allowed me to flex my problem solving skills, and given me an incredible hobby to share with my son.  We have, with permission, used probed a spot in Houston that we thought held promise and ventured to Louisville to explore a park in the quest of another treasure.  I don't hold out hope that I will find one, but it has been a fun journey and I don't see myself losing interest in this hobby any time soon.

In a brief New Years Resolution update, I finally got Wingspan to the table and can confirm it is worth the hype and also pulled off a nice win in the World Series of Spades.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: New Year's Resolutions

 It is hard to believe that it is 2023 and I have another round of nerdy resolutions that I hope to keep in the new year to ensure 2023 is a good year. 

Improve My Spades Skills:

This may seem like an odd one, but I was asked to participate in the World Series of Spades season by a friend and we have been doing pretty good thus far.  It hadn't played Spades since high school and I was impressed at how quick I got back into the swing of things.  Despite that, I learned of more common rule sets for Spades (I never played with Jokers growing up) and realized that I have some growth to do if we want to make a run in the playoffs.  

Watch More Anime:

My son will turn 16 in 2023 and we have been enjoying watching more anime thanks to our Crunchyroll subscription. In 2022 we watched Neon Genesis Evangelion, Spy x Family, and caught up on Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and Attack on Titan.  We also just started Chainsaw Man, so that will be on the list for 2023.  In addition to keeping up with the series we are enjoying, I want to watch the Trigun reboot, Black Butler, Akira, and Tomadachi Game to name a few.  I still have a lot to learn in terms of manga and anime, but it has been fun going on this ride with my son.  I will add that my entire family loved Spy x Family. 

Read Fewer Comic Books:

This might sound counterintuitive, but I almost only read comic books in 2022 and want to try to even out what I read with some proper books as well.  I got Heretic: A Memoir by Jeanna Kadlec and Fairy Tale by Stephen King for Christmas and am loving Heretic thus far.  Fairy Tale is on deck and the fact that Locke and Key artist, Gabriel Rodriguez, did the art in the book may have been the motivation to add it to my wish list.  I will still pick up my weekly pull list at my local comic book store, but I want to broaden what I read for 2023.

Establish a Gaming Group:

I was able to play more board games in 2022, but would like to get a regular gaming group set up.  We can start at once per month, but I would love to get it scheduled on a weekly basis.  I have some games on my backlog that I am desperate to play and if my current gaming trend is any indication I can make this happen and finally play Wingspan and Return to Dark Tower.

Cheers to a happy 2023!  May it bring you many nerdy endeavors!

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Holiday Gift Guide

 We are approaching the end of 2022 and it is time for my annual holiday gift recommendations.  Per usual there will be gaming, collectible, and comic book related gifts that will hopefully put a smile on someone's face this holiday season.

For the collector:

Troy McClure Simpsons ReAction Wave 2 set from Super7

You may remember Super7 action recommendations from the past, including their M.U.S.C.L.E style toys, but this set puts a massive smile on my face.  Featuring Fuzzy Bunny's Guide to You-Know-What, Meat and You: Partners in Freedom, and Someone's in the Kitchen with DNA, you would be a Grade A moron not to pick up this set for someone you love.  Super7 has been blowing it out of the water with their Simpsons lines and you can check this one out here.

Genuine Thoughts and Prayers Collectible Toy from Death By Toys

Who wouldn't be flattered receiving 100% genuine thoughts and prayers from you this holiday season! Death by Toys makes an assortment of incredible art toys and I have really enjoyed each one I have in my collection. The quality is top notch and I laugh out loud frequently when I admire them in my office.  You can order your own thoughts and prayers here.

For the gamer:

Werewords Deluxe by Bezier Games

A mash up of 20 questions and the social deduction game Werewolf, Werewords is always a delight when it hits the table.  I have played this game with kids as young as six and after a quick round that lasts only a couple of minutes everyone should have a solid grasp on how to play.  I highly recommend getting the deluxe edition as it supports more players.  This game is an absolute delight every time it hits the table and we most recently brought it out here after Thanksgiving dinner.  A great casual game to share with your non-gaming friends.  You can pick it up here.

Marvel Villainous by Ravensburger

In Marvel Villainous, you assume of one of the baddies from the Marvel Universe and attempt to accomplish your specified goal before your competitors do. Each player has their own individual board that determines your action.  When you move to a new space, you take the action on that space.  What makes it more difficult, is that some cards are designed to be played on your opponents board further limiting their ability to take key actions.  It is a tense back and forth and the specific goals and actions are very thematic.  There are also Disney and Star Wars versions of the games so hopefully you can find one that fits the fandom of someone in your life.  You can pick it up here.

For the comic book reader:

Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'edera, and Miguel Muerto

I was late to the game on this Eisner Award winning series.  James Tynion IV, who is no stranger to horror, delivers a thrilling series that if it isn't in development for a series or movie will likely be soon. When children in a community begin disappearing, a mysterious woman shows up in town who truly understands the horror this community is dealing with.  This is one of my all-time favorite horror series and I would put it up with Locke and Key which is about the highest praise I can give any series.  You can pick up Volume 1 at your local comic book shop or here.

The Siver Coin from Michael Walsh

I am on a role with horror comics so I might as well go with a book that truly surprised me when I started reading it.  Eisner Award winning artist Michael Walsh developed an anthology comic that features a wealth of incredible writers.  The book follows a mysterious silver coin that feels similar to the monkey paw in that it grants its users wish, but at an extreme cost.  Each story features a different individual who found themselves in possession of the coin at various points of time in history.  There is a level of cohesiveness from each story, but each stands on its own and is reflective of its author.  I cannot recommend this one enough and you can pick it up at your local comic book shop or here.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

 Halloween is behind us, but it is not quite time to get into the holiday spirit.  My family reserves that for after Thanksgiving and us comic book fans have a lot to be thankful for this month.  I recently learned that Wednesday, November 23 is Local Comic Shop Day! 

Local Comic Shop Day is a special day sponsored by ComicsPro with a goal of getting fans out to support their local comic book store.  The day will feature 14 unique comics that you can check out here. While I don't plan on picking up all 14, I will definitely pick up a few when I swing by to pick up the comics from my pull-list.  Here are my top three choices from Local Comic Shop Day.

Friday #1 by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martin, and Munsta Vicente

Brubaker is one of my favorite creators and this book sounds extremely interesting.  It focuses on Friday Fitzhugh, a young woman who spent her childhood solving crimes and is trying to move on from her past now that she is in college.  Unfortunately she discovers something odd happening in her home town and is dragged back into the past she sought to leave behind.

Joy Operations #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stephen Byrne

Set 55 years in the future, this book focuses on Joy, a special agent who has driven herself to perfection much to her own detriment.  A voice pops in her head causing her to question everything and given that it is compared to Akira, I am guessing that this includes some bio-enhancements via some sort of government experiment. 

House of Slaughter #1 by Tate Brombal, James Tynion IV, Chris Shehan, Werther Dell'Edra, Jae Lee, and June Chung

You had me at horror and Tynion IV, but toss in the other wealth of talent on this book and it becomes a must have. This book follows Aaron Slaughter, prior to his current role in Something is Killing the Children. This provides a glimpse of Slaughter as a teenage during his training with the academy and I can't wait to uncover more about his journey as Something is Killing the Children is one of my current top books.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Stop Bad Idea!

The bizarre marketing stunts for Bad Idea have returned alongside their return for another round of incredible looking comics.  In addition to encouraging 200 protestors to picket their booth at New York Comic Con in exchange for exclusive comics, they launched a Kickstarter yesterday that will supposedly lead to the end of Bad Idea as we know it if it raises $2.6 million.

The Kickstarter surrounds one of their titles from the first round from the dynamic duo of David Lapham and Matt Kindt, The Hero Trade. The first issue showed up at comic book stores with no mention of who created or published the comic. Some of these comics ended up in the trash, but people quickly caught on to the stunt.  While the story appeared in parts of other Bad Idea books, and even another promotional surprise with the Passive/Aggressive storylines, the Kickstarter is the only way to get future chapters of the story collected in an impressive looking hardcover.  There is even one tier to get a hand-painted cover by Matt Kindt.

It is important to note that the Kickstarter goods will be delivered even if the $2.6 million stretch goal is reached, but it puts the round two books that have been pre-ordered blindly by myself and others at participating stores.  For the second round of Bad Idea's books, fans were encouraged to pre-order the titles blindly, but given how much I enjoyed the first round I was not hesitant to pre-order these books.  It will be interesting to see how the 20 day campaign goes and I am sure there will be some surprise updates along the way.  

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Essex County Edition

Essex County by Jeff Lemire

The amount of comic book adaptations that have flocked to the small screen has been welcome, if not surprising in what titles have been selected.  The most recent news that has me incredibly excited is the upcoming adaptation of Essex County by Jeff Lemire. Lemire is a masterful storyteller and Essex County had a profound impact on how I view the comic book medium.

Essex County is set in Canada and features interconnected storylines associated with a farming family with an underlying hockey theme as it explores themes of grief, isolation, family, and was very close to making it on the required reading list for the sport and culture course I used to teach.

While the story centers around Jimmy LeBeuf, a former professional hockey player whose career was cut short, but we meet his brother Lou, an imaginative child named Lester, and his Uncle Kenny who he resides with after the death of his mother.

The series is an emotional ride, but Lemire’s ability to evoke emotions from his art draw you in and connect you with the characters who often say very little.  Hockey as a metaphor for theses characters life in Canada is front and center and demonstrates how we structure sport as a reflection of the society for which it resides.  As a sports and comic book fan, this book is the perfect marriage of why I elected to study sport academically.  It is beyond the wins and losses, but how it impacts people on the human level, provides an escape from the pains of daily life, and is a universal language with the ability to connect us all.

The six-episode miniseries was announced by CBS and it is estimated to debut in the Winter of 2023. It will be a long wait, but at least I have Paper Girls and the final season of Locke and Key to help tide me over.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: SDCC Edition

 After a multiple year hiatus, San Diego Comic Con welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans the opportunity to return to its annual four days of nerd-fueled paradise.  I took things a bit easy this year and am going to split this up into winners, losers, and notes for next year. Despite other conventions not being as careful, SDCC required proof of vaccination or negative test in order to make it anywhere near the convention center.  They also required masks in the convention center and I am pleased to report that the vast majority of individuals adhered to this mandate and my son and I felt safe throughout our experience.

Winners:

Funkoville was quite impressive

Funko:

Funko's presence on the floor was like nothing I have ever seen.  After acquiring Mondo shortly before the convention, Funko took over a wealth of real estate on the convention floor and created Funkoville.  Funkoville hosted numerous photo opportunities and the Funko, Loungefly, and Mondo booth.  The attention to detail was second to none and in addition to Funkoville, they returned to a successful in-person Fundays and closed things out with a phenomenal panel in Hall H on Sunday featuring William Zabka, Rosario Dawson, and Simu Liu.

My workstation at Lumon Industries

Severance:

While I am sad I did not get to attend the panel, I was lucky enough to experience Lumon Industries in the Severance offsite.  It was one of the hottest tickets at the convention and the immersive experience was one of the best third party activations I have attended in over 10 years of going to SDCC.  It created a lot of buzz and will hopefully bring more viewers to the critically acclaimed show.

The Dungeons and Dragons Tavern

Dungeons and Dragons:

The Dungeons and Dragons movie also had an offsite that generated a lot of buzz and had people lined up around the block for the entire convention.  In addition to their panel, the Dungeons and Dragons tavern featured a free drink (alcohol or alcohol free), some wonderful character actors who populated the tavern, a cool gelatinous cube photo op, and a dragon attack.  

Losers:

Convention Exclusives:

With the amount of uncertainty in the current environment, it felt that a lot of typical exclusives were either missing (Lego) or available online for purchase by scanning a QR code (Hasbro).  I think the move to purchasing exclusives online may be the wave of the future, as it dramatically reduces the workload at the convention and saves fans from having to Tetris their suitcases with all of the toys and swag they got.  Having said that, it feels odd and less exclusive to make online purchases and the amount of people selling the QR code was pretty entertaining as well.

Line Management:

It is critical to understand that SDCC relies a lot on volunteers and part-time event staff and this is in no way a criticism of these individuals.  They are doing the best they can with limited information, but at this point SDCC needs to clearly specify where people can start lining up early for Hall H.  While I am not someone who is willing to camp out with a team to make it into Hall H, there are a lot of people who are and groups were told a lot of conflicting information.   It is expected to have a few bumps returning to an in person event, but I know some people had a pretty negative experience, particularly the ADA line at Hall H.

Notes for Next Year:

I am going to keep this one simple, but one thing that was apparent from the get go was that the overall attendance was lower.  This was felt, in a good way, walking the convention floor and trying to get into panels.  While I am not going to hold my breath, it would be wise to reduce the number of badges sold to keep the numbers where they were a few weeks ago.  To my knowledge, this was due to SDCC rolling over people's badges from when it was canceled due to COVID. If you couldn't make it this year, you had the option for a refund. People thought there might be a general sale after the refunds were issued, but it never happened and there were clearly smaller crowds this year.  Not to say it wasn't crowded, but there was noticeably more space to walk around.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

Way back in 2002 Vertigo launched Fables, a series from Bill Willingham that was built on the premise that the famous characters from our favorite fairy tales were living in the human world after having to escape their homelands.  It was an interesting premise, had numerous spin off series, spanned 150 issues, and won fourteen Eisner awards.  After a seven year hiatus, Fables returned last month and picked up where the long running series ended.

Fables is a series that helped bring me back into comics when I was in my anti-superhero phase and the main series holds a place near and dear to me. Having the good fortune of living in Austin at the time, the creators frequented Austin Books and Comics and I was able to attend a small Fables convention, meet the creators, and really immerse myself in the community that embraced this series.  While not all of the spin-offs were as good as the original, I quite enjoyed Peter and Max which was set in the Fables universe. 

Fables has graduated from Vertigo to the DC Black label and is a 12 issue story called "The Black Forest".  After seven years, I needed a refresher as this series really does pick up right after issue 150. The new series centers around Bigby (the big bad wolf who is a human in this world as are all Fables), Snow White, and their cubs along with the introduction of a new villain.  

It oddly felt extremely familiar and easy to find myself back in the Fables universe and it is clear that Willingham and Mark Buckingham would not have returned to this series if they didn't feel like it would be up to the same standards. The new issue has me excited about this series for the first time after my failed attempt to get my son on board with it.  We can save that story for another time.  Without spoiling anything, I should add that Fables immortality is built on the strength and popularity of their story.  Something to keep in mind when you reach the first twist at the end of this issue.

While I don't think I would be up for another 150 issues, because in all honestly there were some arcs that didn't capture my interest, if the other eleven issues are as good as this one I would not be sad to see another story outside of the Black Forest.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Free Cmio

We are rapidly approaching the first Saturday in May which means that it is almost Free Comic Book Day!  I will be celebrating in a new city and am curious how things are going to flow, but at the end of the day I am going to enjoy free comics and support my local comic book store.  Here are my most wanted books and to find a store near you click here.

Year of Valiant 2022 - I will admit that I have fallen behind on the Valiant universe and have been a bit underwhelmed by their foray into the movie theaters, but I feel it is time to revisit some amazing characters.  This book features original stories for Bloodshot, Archer and Armstrong and Ninjak. It is rated Teen so you may want to keep some younger eyes off of these titles.

Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters - This is a reprint of a fantastic all-ages series that centers around Rainbow's quest for her missing sister, Jonna.  There are mysterious monsters that appeared right around the time of her disappearance who are now roaming all over.  Volume two came out recently and it is a great time to introduce this story to your younger readers.

Fuzzy Baseball - This book is a fantastic example about why I love Free Comic Book Day.  I don't know if I would normally explore a topic like this, but it has animals, baseball, ninjas and robots all in one title.  I enjoy all of those things and this is from John Steven Gurney who illustrated the Bailey School Kids books in addition to some other amazing titles. 

Avengers X-Men - Not to leave out any of the big studios, this title had me on board when I saw it included a story from Gerry Duggan.  It is the set-up for the big summer event, and while I am typically not too interested in the big events, they do manage to find their way to my shelves at home and I am entertained in the end.

10 Ton Tales - This book promises a modern day Gumby and Pokey, a story about a freed Genie and the people who attempt to enslave him once again in his oil lamp, and a prequel to an upcoming Foo Fighters autobiographical comic that features Dave Grohl between his time with Nirvana and before the Foo Fighters were formed.

There are so many other amazing books.  See the full line-up here, and consider buying something when you enjoy Free Comic Book day because the books are free for us, but not participating stores.  They foot the bill to allow us to enjoy the wonderful world of comics.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

This past weekend market the official return to in-person conventions as WonderCon appeared to go off successfully and it has me feeling like I might be ready to attend something like this in person soon.  Under the same umbrella as San Diego Comic Con, WonderCon is a smaller version hosted in Anaheim, California.

WonderCon supports just under 70,000 attendees and offers fans a better opportunity to schedule their convention as panels are less likely to have long lines and the creators that attend are more accessible.  Highlights from this weekend included Funko's presence at the convention, a massive booth from Bandai including a wealth of Demon Slayer collectibles, and guests including Becky Cloonan, Kevin Eastman, Kevin Smith and more.

One thing we will have to get used to as we return to in person conventions are COVID protocols.  WonderCon did require proof of a negative test or vaccination and face masks were required.  From the photos I saw from my computer in Illinois, it looked like masks were worn appropriately and makes me feel like I might be comfortable attending a similar event.  I am currently looking into C2E2 in Chicago and Gen Con in Indianapolis.  My return to the Midwest has me excited about the convention opportunities in my general area. 

While conventions might not feel quite the same and we will have to live with COVID protocols for the foreseeable future, I am excited about the opportunity to attend a convention and feel safe.  I am not sure I am ready for something the size of SDCC, but I am getting closer. 

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

The first Thursday of the month is here and that brings us another installment of Thursday Morning Superhero.  Life is hectic on my end as I am moving to a new state in two weeks!  I have already identified my new comic book store and the timing couldn't be better.

I live about 30-45 minutes away from my preferred comic book store depending on traffic and don't get to go as much as I would prefer.  As someone who has moved around more than I would prefer and someone who used to read a lot of comic books in the dark as my kids fell asleep, ComiXology has been a tremendous asset.  When Amazon bought ComiXology a few years back, I was worried, but things continued pretty normal for the most part and I was a happy digital comic book reader.  My son and I love ComiXology Unlimited as it has granted us access to more comics and manga that we would have not read otherwise.

It saddens me to say that with the recent update of the platform I am going to have to cancel my subscription.  I have spent a lot of money on digital comics over the years and will still read those books, but with a move to a smaller town I am going to focus on buying exclusively physical books. 

Prior to making the changes of a full Amazon integration, ComiXology did not consult with readers or publishers.  In an attempt to provide a single Amazon-style interface, the old ComiXology site was taken down and fans felt the impact immediately.  The site was difficult to navigate and some people couldn't access all of the books in their library or the new releases.  In addition, swaths of old articles and comic book reviews had their links impacted and no longer accessible.  The process of trying to update this to prevent readers from clicking dead links is an onerous task that, if I did link to ComiXology, I won't be updating.

With the announcement of Epic Games acquiring Bandcamp yesterday, I am always a bit cautious when a large company acquires a smaller one.  So far things have been good with their acquisition of Mediatonic and the Fall Guys franchise, but all seemed well with ComiXology until an unexpected change that nobody outside of Amazon was looking for.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: Banned Books Edition

 One of my favorite graphic novels made headlines in recent weeks, when a Tennessee School Board voted to remove Maus from its shelves.  Not too long ago My Friend Dahmer was banned by a school district about 30 minutes away from where I enjoyed the book for the first time.  As some school districts are getting more aggressive in removing books from their libraries, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some banned books that are worth sharing with your kids.

Maus by Art Spiegelman:

Maus is a story about the atrocities that Jews faced in Nazi concentration camps, based on his own parent's first hand account.  In the book, the Jewish people are depicted as mice and the Nazis are depicted as cats.  This book won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 and is a difficult, albeit, important read.  Parents cited concerns about profanity and nudity in the book, but Spiegelman doesn't pull any punches in this first hand account that his own parents experienced.  Maus is a fantastic graphic novel that can be serve as a great educational took to share with your kids.

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf:

I have written about this book in the past and it remains one of my favorite graphic novels and Backderf remains one of my favorite creators.  My Friend Dahmer is a collection of first hand accounts of people who were high school acquaintances with Jeffrey Dahmer.  It is a chilling tale about Dahmer's life prior to him becoming a serial killer.  Backderf, who went to high school with Dahmer, conducted a lot of interviews with his friends to put this story together.  The story doesn't actually contain any murder, so I am guessing that the book was banned due to its discussion on the issues Dahmer faced being gay and closeted when he had fears he wouldn't be accepted.  This book is extremely upsetting, but one that I ensure I read every year.

Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan:

While this wasn't technically banned, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was informed in 2015 about a student at a school in California attempting to ban this book, along with others, as they were "pornography" and "garbage".  While the second point is subjective, Y: The Last Man is not pornography and is a book that I am about to share with my son who is in eighth grade.  It is a post apocalyptic story in which a plague kills all of the men on earth, with the exception of Yorick. This book introduced me to Vaughan and is a series that I highly recommend.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: New Year's Resolutions

 I hope I am not stepping on any Nerds of a Feather toes by posting my own resolutions, but they are multi-faceted and since I only post once a month these days this felt right.  2021 was an interesting year that marked what felt like the end of the pandemic, only to see it extend into 2022.  I watched a lot of anime with my son in 2021 and that proved to be quite the blessing.  I expanded my comic book reading into additional indie titles and read a lot more manga.  My board game playing was sadly down, but I have plans for 2022.

Resolution #1 - My first resolution is to expand my manga reading even further. I am currently working my way through Attack on Titan, but want to visit Black Butler and Prince of Tennis at a minimum.  I recently subscribed to Crunchy Roll and manga is part of that service so I am hopeful I will find some titles worth exploring.

Resolution #2 - I would like to re-establish a regular gaming group.  The pandemic made this difficult, but I was able to play Detective from Portal Games remotely and want to make a solid commitment to game with a consistent group on a monthly basis at a minimum.  My family is moving from Texas to Illinois and I think we have enough friends that this should not be a problem. This will allow me to reduce my pile of shame and play some of the games I love more.

Resolution #3 - It has been a long time since I have read some of my favorite Captain America arcs and this might call for 2022 to be the year of Ed Brubaker.  This would account for me reading his masterful work on Captain America, and revisit some of his earlier works. Scene of the Crime is about a slacker detective and I have sadly never read his work on Batman.  I should cap off the year reading his collaboration with the legendary Darwyn Cooke on Catwoman.

Resolution #4 - This is going to be my most difficult resolution, but I would like to start to cull the amount of collectibles I have.  This process has started in preparing to move, but I want to focus on the items that I feel I need to have.  I recently sold some of my Funko Pops in order to fund a Simpsons Arcade1up cabinet, and I feel I can purge more and become more active on eBay.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year and I remain optimistic about what it has in store.  While I wanted to put a return to in person conventions, I am not sure I am at the comfort level for that type of engagement currently.  

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

It is officially October and horror season has arrived. In addition to some amazing spooky comic adaptations hitting Netflix in the near future (Locke and Key season 2 and Sandman), ComiXology is celebrating with exclusive Scott Snyder books for Scottober! If you are a horror fan, I wanted to share some recent comics that I have really been enjoying that are well worth your time. If you are looking for some older classics you can do no wrong with Locke and Key, The Sixth Gun, Harrow County, Nailbiter, and Baby Teeth.

I can't help myself.  I am far too excited about the second season of Locke and Key and wanted to share the new trailer here before delving into some new books.

We Have Demons - Only available on ComiXology from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

I was introduced to the dynamic duo of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo when the New 52 launched with their incredible Court of Owls run.  Scottober features eight exclusive, creator owned books from Snyder in a partnership with ComiXology.  This book features Lam, a pastor's daughter, discovering that there is more to her father, and the world she lives in, then she previously understood. This includes a secret society that I cannot wait to learn more about and of course it also involves demons given the title.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and cannot wait to read more.

Silver Coin - From Michael Walsh and an amazing cast of collaborators

Michael Walsh has teamed up with a variety of a-list creators in this shared universe that revolves around the mysterious silver coin and stories associated with it throughout the ages.  The first book was set in the 70's and focused on the impact the silver coin had as a guitar pick for one of the band members, and others have included tales of summer camp, home invasions, and future scavengers.  The only spoiler is that things don't tend to end well for those who are connected with this cursed item, but I have loved the range and depth of stories that have been featured thus far. They connect, but each can be enjoyed on its own and the trade just dropped this week!

The Lot - from Marguerite Bennet and Renato Guedes and the good folk with Bad Idea 

Centered around a cursed soundstage, Aviva Copeland makes the grave mistake of unlocking the door of this studio asset for the first time in 50 years.  She is unaware of its violent and satanic past and unleashes an unknown horror that grown restless in all of these years locked away.  This book might be a bit tricky to track down, as it is only in print and sold at certain retailers, but you should be able to find it online. The art from Guedes is stunning and this book is horrifying and a lot of fun. 

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

 It is September and 2021 is rapidly working its way to the end along with the grand Bad Idea Comics experiment.  While I have heard that the burden placed on comic book retailers was difficult, from a reader's perspective I have thoroughly enjoyed the Bad Idea ride and have been fortunate to find ways of obtaining these amazing books online. 

Final Five:

In July Bad Idea announced that readers could prepay for its Final Five books in hoping to obtain an exclusive sticker that would grant them special powers.  This past month it was revealed that it has to do with the Hero Trade Passive/Aggressive.  If you recall, Bad Idea sent Hero Trade ashcans to comic book stores with no information that it related to Bad Idea or was from the all-star team of Matt Kindt and David Lapham.  This built buzz around the title, and it wasn't until readers picked up their copy of Hero Trade Passive/Aggressive that they learned it is actually two titles, and that their local book store only got one.  Stores either received the Passive or Aggressive books, and readers were left scrambling to pick up the other title.  If you were lucky enough to get a golden sticker, you had the option to redeem it for the other title. 

I was fortunate enough to get a golden sticker and it felt a bit like ordering something from the back of a comic book back in the day.  I sent my money order and address and will be waiting until my copy of Passive arrives in the mail.  Readers were mixed on this approach, but sales quickly went up on eBay and it created the typical buzz that Bad Idea has received throughout their journey.  Whether it was clicking a button a billion times, secret ashcans, or announcing that this grand experiment truly is over this year, Bad Idea may have lived up to its name, but if you were lucky enough to pick up some of the books you were treated to some impressive titles.

Cowboy Bebop:

While not related to comic books per say, the internet was abuzz last week when Netflix released some of the first images from its upcoming live action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop.  When John Cho was announced as Spike I had a good feeling that Netflix might be able to pull this off and felt reassured when the early images were released. While it still seems odd to make a live action remake of a series that is nearly perfect, I am hoping that it will bring a larger audience to this amazing series and look forward to checking it out.  Ed is very absent from the early images and I am hopeful that they will remain an integral character, but they stated that this is an adaptation and not a shot-for-shot remake so only time will tell.  

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

 July just wrapped and I would normally be writing a recap of San Diego Comic Con, yet despite it wrapping up its second SDCC at Home last month, I realized that I am suffering what I will dub virtual con fatigue.  This has nothing to do with the panels that SDCC put together or the effort that organizing such a large event takes, but more to do with the fact that I work remotely and would rather spend my time away from work not watching panels on YouTube or participating in Zoom sessions. 

SDCC at Home:

As an educator, SDCC at home featured panels featured a wealth of education panels including, but not limited to, Teaching and Learning with Comics, Graphic Novels are the new Text Books, and Educational Role-Playing: Breaking the Mold with the Game Academy, but I haven't been able to bring myself to the point of watching the panels.  This is coming from someone who was going to include Essex County as a required book for a sociology of sports course prior to moving to a job at a different university.  For a full line-up of SDCC at home click here.

Exclusives:

Despite the virtual conventions, exclusive items have had the door opened to any fan that has access to the sale.  I consider this a good thing overall, but it also questions the exclusivity of said items.  Funko addressed this currently as there is a Pop! that is only available in person in their current FunKon, but otherwise these "exclusives" are available world wide.  I don't have an issue with this, but it does question the value of convention exclusives moving forward. 

Future of Conventions:

As someone who loves attending conventions, I wonder how COVID impacted the allure of attending conventions.  Are big studios less likely to spend big dollars for conventions if the return of streaming has similar results? If a company that sells convention exclusives is able sell out online what is the value of attending a convention? I feel that the end goal of conventions is to inform the largest audience as possible and wonder how the virtual format will impact conventions moving forward.

Summary:

As we move forward in a post-COVID world, I feel that there will be a strong desire for in-person conventions, but that large companies will realize the value in online sales and that a combination of convention exclusive news/products will result in a market/convention that is more online in nature.  I think that some convention exclusives will remain intact, but the majority will move to the online environment. 

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero: When your favorite books become shows

I have been blessed to share some of my favorite comics with my family as two series that are in my top five of all-time have graced the small screen recently.  While sharing Locke and Key and Sweet Tooth with my family has been an absolute delight, it has been an interesting experience removing myself from my comic fandom to a show marketed to a mass audience. I want to be clear that I really did enjoy both shows despite the editorial changes that make sense given the new target audience.  Not all adaptations can be Invincible and deliver the over-the-top cartoonish gore with one of the best casts assembled.  Having said that, I think I prefer the adaptations to the direct translation from page to screen.

How can you not immediately fall in love with Gus

Moving from an R rating to PG-13:

Given the content of both Sweet Tooth and Locke and Key, these were shows that I wanted to screen prior to sharing them with my kids. After reading more about the Sweet Tooth adaption and seeing the tone of the trailer prior to its launch, we actually gave that one the green light even though my daughter never gained interest.  Both series have scenes related to sexual assault and have moments that are extremely violent. The decision to tone these down might not have resonated from the hardcore horror fans, but I think it is savvy decisions like this that allowed Locke and Key to get renewed for a second season.  In addition, the call to make Gus' dad more likeable and less crazy than his comic book counterpart also maintained the more lighthearted feel to this series, minding that it does take place after millions have died to an incurable virus, children are being born as human/animal hybrids, and you can't trust anyone.  When I first started watching these shows I felt a little disappointed, but as the series progressed and my family was able to share in these stories that had such a huge impact in my life it made sense and I was able to enjoy them in the medium these changes were made for.

I cannot wait for season 2!

Leaving out a lot of detail:

With any adaptation, there are going to be moments from the pages that have to be cut.  There is no avoiding it for a multitude of reasons. I am not one to cry foul if a scene I enjoyed in a book doesn't make it to the screen, but the amount that it occurred in Locke and Key compared to Sweet Tooth took some reflection for me to understand.  There are moments from almost the entire Locke and Key series in one season of the show.  This was jarring, but it did a nice job of providing closure in case the series wasn't renewed, and allows for those scenes to be incorporated in future seasons. This is less of an issue with Sweet Tooth, but it did impact the character development of certain characters in Locke and Key.  Prior the the show launching I also remember reading an interview with Joe Hill where he talked about the need to maintain some relatively strong differences between television shows and comic books, as it allows for the reach of a larger audience and keeps those who enjoyed the comics on their toes.

The end credits:

It is easy to get reactionary when an adaptation is different than what you expect, but valuable to reflect on the differences and to appreciate it as a separate entity from the material it was derived from.  There are times where the adaptation falls flat and leaves you disappointed (NOS4A2), but at least it encouraged me to reread the book and that was a positive experience.  Despite the editorial changes that are necessary and the varying levels of influence from the original creator, there is value in trying to judge each work of art separately and I hope that other comics that I have enjoyed find their way to the small or big screen in the near future, particularly the Sixth Gun and the Underwater Welder.  I cannot recommend both of these series enough (and Invincible to the right audience), but will hold off on sharing the books with my son until he is a bit older.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

This month's entry in Thursday Morning Superhero is going to feel a bit different and I feel obliged to cram some comic book news before I hop into this month's post.  I started reading the Demon Slayer manga after being blown away by the series and the movie that was released recently.  Koyoharu Gotōge does a phenomenal job of bringing humanity to this otherwise gruesome series, about a young man who is attempting to save his sister after his family is murdered by demons. This series effectively mixes the tragedy of human loss with the gore that you might expect with a series featuring demons, sprinkled with humor.  I started watching the series with my 13 year old and have really enjoyed sharing this experience with him. The violence and gore are quite intense, but the story is sweet and it is my current comic book obsession. 

The Secret:

Outside my world of comics, which still include the phenomenal books from Bad Idea and the Locke and Key crossover with Sandman, I have had my live consumed by The Secret by Byron Preiss.  It is a book about the fair folk and hidden treasure that was published in 1982.  Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law watching Expedition Unknown on the Discovery Channel this mystery found its way to my cell phone.  The book weaves a tale of the fair folk making their journey from their homelands to North America and the 12 treasures that they hid.

On the surface this isn't that exciting, but as I delved deeper into the lore and the message boards online I quickly realized that one of the treasures that was buried in 1980 or 1981 was located in Houston.  This is the city that I grew up and currently don't live too far from.  My family watched the episodes about The Secret on Expedition Unknown and I have now tasked myself, with the help of my family, with finding where the treasure in Houston is buried.  

This image paired with a cryptic verse should lead to treasure!

There are 12 casques in total that were buried in parks across North America that contain keys that can be exchanged for precious gems.  The casque in Chicago was found shortly after the book was published, but it wasn't until 2004 when the second casque was found in Cleveland and 2019 until the third was unearthed in Boston.  The remaining nine are thought to be in San Francisco, Montreal, Houston, New Orleans, St. Augustine, Milwaukee, Roanoke Island, Charleston, and New York City.

A lot has changed in the nearly 40 years since the publication of The Secret which makes this task quite difficult, but the idea of a hidden casque not too far from where I reside has captured my interest.  If you have any thoughts or theories on The Secret feel free to hit me up on Twitter at @newhousebailey.

POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.