Feralia.net blog. episode 68: The Slug Queen Chronicles, Season 1 by S.O. Thomas

Posted on December 24, 2019 by feraliabooks

A good while back I blogged about an upcoming book that I got to read a review copy of, but couldn’t say much about because nothing had been officially announced. Well now the wait for the release is finally almost over. The Slug Queen Chronicles, Season 1, the debut novel by S.O. Thomas will be released on February 1st, 2020. I really enjoyed the advance copy and can’t wait to grab a copy of the finished product!
Slug Queen Cover
I had a blast reading it and highly recommend it! Check it out or pre-order for February 1st!

-Clint

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Feralia.net blog. episode 67: Classic Review: Essential X-Men vol. 8

Posted on December 23, 2019 by feraliabooks

essentia lxmen vol 8.jpg

Next up on my journey to catch up on all of the major X-Men stories is Essential X-Men vol. 8 (ISBN 978-07851-2763-5). It is printed in black & white, 544 pages, and collects Uncanny X-Men 229-243 & Annual #12, and X-Factor #36-39.

One thing to note right away, is that this collection includes some of the Inferno storyline, but not all. Inferno starts at around halfway through this collection and runs to the end, including the parts from both Uncanny X-Men (#239-243) and X-Factor (#36-39).

Since I’ll be reviewing Inferno on its own, I’m not going to focus on it here, but rather in my next review, of the full color Inferno trade paperback (which includes all of the other Inferno issues not found in Essential X-Men vol 8). That’s not to say that the issues included here aren’t good. In fact they’re really great. Their inclusion makes this yet another Essential collection that’s a great value. However, if you’re going to read the Inferno trade paperback (which is a major storyline which shouldn’t be passed up if your reading all the important stuff), I’d recommend skipping it here and reading it in full color with the rest of the story.

All that aside, I picked up this volume because it bridges the gap between the Fall of the Mutants and Inferno storylines. Originally I’d skipped this volume and went on to Inferno, but I decided to go back and see what the team was up to in between. I’d have to say that there’s really nothing major here before Inferno. You get to see the team in their new home in Australia, albeit after they’d moved there (I was personally more interested in seeing exactly when they made the move, but it’s not a huge deal). Also featured is the return of The Brood (their original saga is one of my favorite X-Men storylines so far) and an early storyline featuring the country of Genosha, which is a nice set up for the X-Tinction Agenda later, and Genosha also goes on to be an important place much later on as well.

So, would I recommend this volume? If you’re only catching up on major storylines, then no. You’ll miss some stuff in between, but nothing major, or anything which would hurt while reading future stories (again, meaning the first part of the volume, the pre-Inferno stories). Also, if you’re reading it for Inferno, no, I’d skip it and read those same issues in full color with the rest of the trade paperback.

If you wan’t to grab these stories for completion and at a good price (these Essential volumes can be found for really cheap if you shop around), then yes, it’s a nice volume to have in your collection.

3/5

-Clint

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Feralia.net blog. episode 66: Sorry critics – we (the fans) disagree with you. Again.

Posted on December 20, 2019 by feraliabooks

Why is that that so many critics always hate on stuff that the fans love, and love what the fans don’t? I totally respect opinion, but it gets to be ridiculous. Such is the case with Star Wars at the moment (again). Look at he stark contrast in reviews from critics vs. fans from both The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker so far in the pics below:

Screenshot captured early on 12/20/19

Of course, it is very early. But if this is any indication, it looks like the scores are going to be very different once again.

My conclusion? Ignore the critics. Especially if you’re a fan of the series, or even just movies in general.

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Feralia.net blog. episode 65: Spoiler-free first reactions to The Rise of Skywalker

Posted on December 20, 2019 by feraliabooks

So I’m not going to post a review for a while because I don’t want to risk anything remotely near a spoiler. But I will say that my family and I walked out of the theater last night both excited and happy. I’m so thankful for the experience of sharing it on opening night with my wife and daughter. It was really special and I’ll never forget it. I loved the movie and I think that all of you other Star Wars fans out there will, too.

We’re off to see it again this evening!

Lost my ticket stub, but here is my daughter’s, lol

-Clint

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Feralia.net blog. episode 64: Frozen II is wonderful for fantasy fans! (Spoiler-free review)

Posted on December 5, 2019 by feraliabooks

Last weekend my wife and daughter and I went to see Frozen II. Having been a pretty big fan of the orginal, I really didn’t know what to expect in a sequel. In fact, since the original was so good I didn’t get my hopes up at all for the chance that the sequel would be anywhere near as good. So I was taken by surprise when I enjoyed it even more.

While the first movie had a great fairytale feel to it, I felt that Frozen II had more of a fantasy feel. There’s more time spent away from Arendelle, with the focus being on the world outside its borders. The colors, sounds and atmosphere are rich and dark, taking the viewer away to an even more epic world than was seen in the original film. The creatures are more fantastic as well, helping the story reach an even grander scale.

The early going is a bit slow, but things soon pick up, taking us not only deeper into the fantasy setting, but also establishing a much deeper mythos and background as well.

The animation and voice acting are right on par with what we’ve come to expect from these movies, and the sound was of the usual impressive quality as well.

While I felt that the collection of songs in Frozen II weren’t quite as solid or instantly classic as the original, they’re still really good. In fact, the songs Into the Unknown and All is Found are now my favorites in the series – I even enjoyed their closing credits renditions, which I’m not usually into. It was and extra special treat to hear themes running throughout the movie at different parts and songs. Hearing the voice from Elsa’s perspective and then incorporated musically was amazing. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack with my daughter (and on my own) ever since seeing the movie, and we laugh at Olaf’s When I am Older every time.

In conclusion, Frozen II was a great story and a fun experience, and I’m already looking forward to the home release so we can watch it many more times. If you’re a fantasy fan – even if not a Disney fan – you definitely need to watch it.

5/5

-Clint

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Feralia.net blog. episode 63: John the Swamp Dude: Who killed Mobie Graye? -Review

Posted on December 5, 2019 by feraliabooks
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Cover art for John the Swamp Dude: Who Killed Mobie Graye? ©PLB Comics.

So I picked this issue up over the summer at Dover Comic Con, but with my crazy schedule, I wanted to wait until I had some time off from conventions so I could read it at a relaxed pace and get more out of it. Here we are almost four months later, but it was worth the wait, and was a real treat to read.

Published by PLB Comics, this story runs 48 pages and has some nice bonus material which follows it. (Story, pencils & inks by Josh Shockley and letters & edits by James Dufendach.)

One of the first things I noticed was the high quality of the product overall. The extra thick, full color cover is really nice, and the pages are good quality as well, presenting the story in black and white.

That brings me to one of the big points of this review: how good the story looks as a black and white comic, and how easy it is on the eyes. I’ve been reading quite a few Marvel Essential collections lately, and the presentation of this PLB Comic is so much better! Of course, a collection of reprints at a value price is a much different than that of a comic that is originally black and white and on much better paper, but going from one to the other reminded me of how great black and white comics can be, and was really refreshing. Everything in John the Swamp Dude contrasts perfectly. I had no trouble telling what was going on in any of the panels. The lines on the drawings are nice and clean, and the lettering is very easy to read as well.

The art style is cool and fun, and always sits well with the backgrounds. There are a few backgrounds in particular which have really nice detail. It’s obvious that a lot of work went into it. I enjoyed the character design as well, with the villain Kcered being one of my personal favorites.

As usual, I won’t say too much about the story for fear of spoilers. But I will say that I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun, and by the end, it comes around full circle. I personally found it be be a satisfying ending while still leaving opportunity for stories to come. The John the Swamp Dude stories got their start in the PLB Halloween Specials, but even if you haven’t read those, this is still a good story that you can jump right into without having read the earlier tales. The bonus stuff at the end gives a nice look into the creation of the title. (Those of you who like to draw or write will definitely appreciate it.)

In conclusion, I feel like this is a solid issue, and I highly recommend picking it up!

5/5

-Clint

 

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Feralia.net blog. episode 62: Classic Review: X-Men: The Fall of the Mutants (vol 1)

Posted on November 15, 2019 by feraliabooks

fotm 6in
Next up in my X-Men reading order is The Fall of the Mutants, part 1. The edition I picked up is ISBN 978-0-7851-6744-0, which is in full color, and collects Uncanny X-Men #220-227, Incredible Hulk #340, and New Mutants #55-61. [Note that the X-Factor issues of this storyline are not in this collection, but can be found in both Fall of the Mutants vol 2 and Essential X-Factor vol 2.]

As far as content, this was the first big event that I’ve read that I found myself just a bit disappointed with. I won’t spoil anything, but I felt like it didn’t live up to the major stories before it, and was pretty anti-climactic despite the sound of its title and in comparison to the previous big story, The Mutant Massacre. That being said, however, I would recommend it if you’re reading all of the major X-Men stories like I currently am, because there are some important moments, and it is one of the big events. I found this collection easy to find, and at a very reasonable price, which brings me to the next important thing to note…

A note on part 2: Unlike part 1, I was unable to find The Fall of the Mutants, part 2 at a reasonable price. Probably because it’s out of print at the moment (and maybe rare now?). The prices I found were ridiculous. Considering that Essential X-Factor vol 2 includes the X-Factor stories from the storyline, and that The Fall of the Mutants, part 1 includes what’s going on with the rest of the main X-characters, I decided to pass on The Fall of The Mutants, part 2.

So, while I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as previous stories, I’d still say it’s good to include it because of being one of the big storylines and a few key moments.

3/5

-Clint

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Feralia.net blog. episode 61: Classic Review: Essential X-Factor vol 2

Posted on November 15, 2019 by feraliabooks

exf2
Next up in my X-Men reading quest is Essential X-Factor vol 2 (ISBN 0-7851-2099-8. See the above cover image for the collected issues.) It’s 544 pages, and black & white.

Like volume 1, this collection has a lot of the early, important stories going on. My favorite thing about it is the continued story of Angel’s transformation into Archangel, which ties directly to one of my favorite villains, Apocalypse. Also featured are Cyclops and Jean Grey’s relationship, Cyclops’ son, and events that lead into the Inferno storyline. And not to mention, some important, long awaited moments for Beast!

Another big plus that deserves mention is the inclusion of the X-Factor issues of The Fall of the Mutants storyline. I’ll get into this more as I review that collection in an upcoming review, but this ended up being important for me because the trade paperback collection (or, part 2 of it, to be exact), which includes these issues is at the moment out of print and very expensive. So being to read those issues here in Essential X-Factor volume 2 was a big help despite having to read them in black & white.

As far as reading order, I read Incredible Thor #378 and X-Factor #17-29 and Annual #2 in Essential X-Factor vol 2, then jumped over to the trade paperback of The Fall of the Mutants so that I could complete that storyline, before finishing the rest of Essential X-Factor vol 2. (One additional note is that the last issue in Essential X-Factor vol 2 – X-Factor #35 – is included in the next story collection, Inferno, so you could skip it here and read in in full color if you’re reading that collection next.) I have all that broken down in my X-Men reading order.

In conclusion, this is another collection with really great, important stories, especially for the original 5 X-Men.

4/5

-Clint

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Feralia.net blog. episode 60: Currently Reading!

Posted on November 11, 2019 by feraliabooks

Just a quick reading update. In between work and writing my third story, I’ve been all about the X-Men (in case it wasn’t obvious from recent posts). 😉 Right now I’m working on Essential X-Factor vol 2 and the trade paperback collection of The Fall of The Mutants.
exf23 fotm 3H
What books/authors are you currently reading? Let me know in the Facebook comments!

-Clint

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Thanks Southern Maryland!

Posted on November 11, 2019 by feraliabooks

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by at Southern Maryland Comic Con! Next up will be my last show of a long 2019 con schedule (and one of my personal favorites) – Ocean City Comic Con, on December 14th! I’ll post again with more info as the show draws closer.

-Clint

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