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: New Year's Resolution Edition

 We all hope that 2021 is better than 2020 and I remain optimistic that it will be and have planned on another set of nerdy New Year's Resolutions.  Without further ado, here are my resolutions for 2021.

Support my LCS:
While I try to do this on a regular basis, I live pretty far from my local comic book store and often buy my books on ComiXology.  I love ComiXology, subscribe to its unlimited service, and highly recommend the platform.  Having said that, I know that COVID has been very hard on comic book stores and it is critical that we help support them throughout 2021. My LCS switched to an online pull-list and I my plan for 2021 is to add more books to it and to pick up other items when I pick up my comics.  I know that everyone can't do this for various reasons, I encourage those who can to continue to support your LCS.

Read more Manga:
I have dabbled in Manga previously and have enjoyed series like Death Note and Attack on Titan, but there is a wealth of amazing stories sitting on the shelf that I really should be reading.  My son recently started reading Fairy Tail and encouraged me to do the same.  I am enjoying this series and inspired to research other series that I should read next.  As someone who doesn't know a ton about Manga, it is definitely intimidating.  In 2021 I will do my best to research and read more Manga.

Work on my Game Pile of Shame:
Sadly this has grown from a boardgame pile of shame to a game pile of shame.  I am including video games that I have started, enjoyed, and not finished yet.  I'm looking at you Luigi's Mansion!  I am happy to report that I have already played most of the board games I got for X-mas and my son and I are really enjoying Marvel: Villainous.  If I can organize and put forward a plan I know my family will help me with this endeavor. 

I am sure that there are other items I could add to my list, but with everything that is going on in the world I wanted to keep things simple and focus on things that would bring me joy.  Here is to wishing you a happy 2021!

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

Thursday Morning Superhero

Happy New Year!!  This is the first of the monthly posts in the new Thursday Morning Superhero and I thought that setting some New Year's resolutions would be a good way to start. 

Valiant Cinematic Universe:
Valiant has big plans for 2020 in terms of licensing its properties for the big screen. Its first feature film will debut in 2020 when Bloodshot will visit your local movie theater this spring.  Featuring Vin Diesel, I am hopeful that the Valiant Cinematic Universe will be a success.  The full plan includes five feature movies, and I hope that the public will support these efforts enough in the theater to allow Valiant to complete this project.

Stream all of the shows:
I am notoriously bad at wanting to watch a series and then not following through.  I am hopeful that my successful viewing of Watchman is a sign of things to come.  I am most excited about the Locke and Key series on Netflix that kicks off next month, but want to support the Marvel offering on Disney Plus and finally watch The Boys on Amazon Prime.

Support Local Comic Book Conventions:
Last year marked my final trip to San Diego Comic Con much to the disappointment of my son. There are still some good shows in my neck of the woods and I want to make an effort to support more independent writers and artists who are trying to catch their first break.  Staple is at the top of my list and I will see what else pops up on the schedule.

Read Older Comics:
I get a lot of my books via ComiXology and have subscribed to ComiXology Unlimited and have yet to properly take advantage of its huge library of comics.  There are so many good books that I pass on due to a busy week and I should try to revisit some series that I know I will enjoy and some that I am not sure if I will enjoy.  Maybe a new feature of this column will be a look back at some comics that you may have missed.

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

Tabletop Pile of Shame: New Year's Resolution Update

Welcome to the first entry in my attempt to play through my pile of shame.  With International Tabletop Day right around the corner, I thought it would be good to starting working on one of my resolutions.  For those who don't know what this is, I am happy to explain.  A lot of people in the board game hobby tend to purchase games at a quicker rate then they play them.  I often fall victim to this trap as I am prone to purchase games and then struggle to get my group together to play.  One problem with a pile of shame is that as soon as you take a game off of the pile, another one or two find their way to the bottom (this happened to me as I added Clank! to my pile of shame earlier this week).

One of the New Year's Resolutions I set for myself in 2017 was to play 10 games from my pile of shame and that journey started last week as I played both Abyss by Asmodee and Colt Express from Ludonaute.  These two games were both published in 2014 and were huge hits.  Colt Express even won the Spiel des Jahres as the Game of the Year.

Abyss by Asmodee - Abyss is a simple set collection game that is wrapped up in some of the most impressive packaging I have ever seen.  A clever game from famed designer Bruno Cathala, players find themselves acquiring various allied race cards in order to gain the favor of important Lords who help you control key locations in the kingdom.  On the surface this clever little game feels like it could be created for half the cost, but the over the top production value fully immerses you in this underwater world.  From the pearls that you use as currency, to the stunning unique artwork, and the custom molded clam shell bowls, Abyss is a game that will catch people's eye when you set it up for a quick game.  Really looking forward to getting this to the table again.

Colt Express by Ludonaute - In Colt Express players are bandits attempting to pull off a daring train heist.  Complete with 3-dimensional train and adorable outlaw meeples, this programmed movement game is less strategy and more semi-planned chaotic fun.  Each round players will play cards in order to establish their movement for the round.  Sometimes you see what your opponents are planning, but if you are going through a tunnel the cards are played face down.  I tested this out a second time with my son and it is a fun game as long as you aren't too competitive.  You will be shooting your opponent and sending the deputy after them as well.  I could see some people getting pretty frustrated, but it is a fun little game that looks great on the table.



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