Author Archives: Bizarre Brunette

Critical Role’s Horror TTRPG – Candela Obscura

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by

Call of Cthulhu was my first introduction to tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPG). I spontaneously drove to a game store where someone agreed to hold a one-shot for Call of Cthulhu. I was mesmerized by the setting along with the balance between a character’s death and a character losing their sanity. Horror TTRPGs aren’t for everyone as they are often extremely high stakes. When I heard that Critical Role was going to do live shows based on their horror TTRPG, Candela Obscura, I was thrilled. I just watched the second arc “Chapter Two: The Circle of Needle and Thread” and it was so thrilling to watch.

In “Chapter Two: The Circle of Needle and Thread”, there are five Candela Obscura investigators who are finishing a mission on a train. The five investigators include Marion Collodi (played by Luis Carazo), a medium who can occasionally see visions of the future, Dr. Jinnah Basar (played by Zehra Fazal) a medical doctor who is an asset to Candela, Sean Finnerty (played by Brennan Lee Mulligan) a soldier, Auntie Bee Monroe (played by Marisha Ray) a criminal and friend to Sean, and Nathaniel Trapp (played by Travis Willingham) an investigative journalist. After completing their mission on the train, they are assigned a new mission to look into these creatures that have gone after another Candela operative, Allison Suarez. Things quickly get out of hand as the five investigators struggle to keep control of the situation.

The GM (Game Master) in this three-episode arc is Spenser Starke, who helped write and design Candela Obscura. I was watching Spenser’s Critical Role Instagram takeover before the third episode was released. Spenser’s background is in film which I feel comes out in the episodes. I mentioned above how the five investigators started the episode on a train. The way that Spenser described the scene, it felt like I was listening to a Mission Impossible opening. Additionally, Spenser would open each episode with a detailed description of some horrific event and I’m not going to lie, it was unsettling at times. Spenser is such a good GM and really knows his stuff when it comes to crafting a horror story.

Besides the GMing, I liked what each person brought to the story. I think that Brennan Lee Mulligan stole the show. The way that Brennan / Sean talked about his vivid flashbacks from the war and all the things he was forced to do, my heart broke for him. There’s a quote that Sean says, “No Ma. I don’t wanna play soldier no more” in the third episode and I started tearing up. Brennan created this conflicted, interesting, and morally ambiguous character that I think had a lot of depth. The other characters were interesting in their own right. Auntie Bee plays a pivotal role in the final episode. It’s easy to not take her as seriously since she is supposed to be an older character, yet she can hold her own if she needs to. There’s also a good roleplaying dynamic between Dr. Basar and Marion that develops throughout the episodes. I think the cast was a huge highlight in bringing the world of Candela Obscura to life.

I was reading some of the comments and someone had suggested that Spenser was “too harsh” as a GM. There are moments where Spenser will hand out injuries to the characters if they don’t roll well. I personally didn’t think that Spenser was being too harsh. I think horror TTRPGs are supposed to create this feeling of being on edge. There are real consequences to a character’s actions and that should be taken seriously. I’m sure the cast had conversations with Spenser before the episodes were filmed, so I think everyone was on board with that. I like Spenser’s GMing style and I hope he decides to GM any future Candela Obscura arcs for Critical Role.

I’m looking forward to what Critical Role will do with Candela Obscura. I’d love to be able to sit down and play the game sometime, maybe at a future Gen Con perhaps?

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Review

Posted in Gaming by
[Image is a video game cover. It says Marvel Spider-Man 2. On the left is Peter Parker in the traditiona Spider-Man look. On the right, there's Miles Morales in the black and red spider suit.]

I felt like it was a race against time as I played Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. I needed to finish the main story before having the story spoiled for me online. When I played Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, I found myself exploring downtown NYC and completing several side quests. I’d end up playing for hours without completing one of the story missions. I finally decided to get serious and I ended up playing Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for close to 12 hours straight, but I completed the story without being spoiled. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was nothing short of amazing and it’s easily the best game I played in 2023.

Spoilers Ahead – You Have Been Warned

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 takes place shortly after Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Peter was recently fired from his physics teaching position for abandoning the class to stop Sandman. Miles joins Peter and quickly the two despatch Sandman. From Sandman’s reasoning, it’s alluded to the fact that Sandman was being stalked by someone, but it’s not revealed who. Meanwhile, Harry Osborne, Peter’s childhood friend is revealed to be feeling better as he had an experimental exosuit put into his body that’s supposedly cured him. As Peter and Miles are overseeing a prison transfer, they meet Kraven and his followers who abduct Martin Li and Scorpion. If that wasn’t bad enough, Harry’s exosuit (aka. Venom) transfers to Peter which changes his entire demeanor. Peter and Miles team up to put an end to Kraven’s hunt along with trapping Venom for good.

The story for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is so good. Peter struggles with his Spider-Man persona especially when his relationship with Mary Jane is getting serious. Miles has his own battles especially when it comes to Martin Li. Martin Li is directly responsible for the death of Mile’s father and Miles ends up saving Martin Li in the game. While Miles doesn’t forgive him, Miles doesn’t let his anger get to him or let himself seek vengeance against Martin. Both Peter and Miles have their time to shine throughout the missions and side quests.

I can’t talk about the story of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 without addressing the villains. Kraven, in my opinion, was such a good idea to include in the game. Peter and Miles are powerful, but not from a physical strength perspective. I think Kraven keeps Peter and Miles on edge as I think they know that Kraven is a formidable opponent. Kraven’s boss battle was intensely challenging and I died a few times before I figured out how to get past him. I think the way the game handled Kraven’s story arc was awesome. Having Venom violently kill Kraven shifted the focus from Kraven to Venom being this formidable enemy. Speaking of Venom, being able to play as Venom was so cool. Venom being able to whack all of Kraven’s guards was satisfying. One of my favorite missions was when Venom (Harry Osborne regaining the suit) had to escape Oscorp after he injured Peter. Jumping from platform to platform, grabbing Oscorp guards, and unleashing havoc was so fun. The last mission that was a complete surprise to me was Mary Jane becoming Scream! I’m so glad that wasn’t spoiled for me. I read the Scream comics and I wasn’t anticipating to see Scream in the game.

Besides the story, there’s so much to do in NYC. In this game, there are more areas to explore which I liked. The side quests include Sandman’s memories, helping Mysterio with his virtual reality simulations, along with Kraven and Venom hideouts. I’m at 89% right now meaning I haven’t finished everything in the game, although, since I spent so much time on side quests earlier, I don’t have a whole lot to do. I am fully planning on unlocking every trophy in the game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is everything I had hoped for and more. It’s the best game I played in 2023 and I can’t wait for Insomniac to make more Marvel games. I rate Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 5/5.

Disney meets Horror in Dark Ride

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[Image is a comic book cover. In the top left corner, it has the big I for Image. It says Dark Ride at the top with the dot in the eye being a skull. There's a big red devil mascot with wings. He's smiling creepily and there's blood dripping out of his mouth. There's a mom and son behind him looking at the rollercoaster.]

It’s been a hot minute since I last went to my local comic book store. I try to get there every other week if possible although, I think it’s been a few months since my last trip. Since it’s been a while, I ended up purchasing quite a bit to read. One series that stood out to me on the shelf was Dark Ride. The image for the first cover is this red, menacing, devil mascot with a roller coaster in the background. Based on that, I could gather that this is a horror series that takes place at a theme park which piqued my interest. Dark Ride was so interesting to read and kept me on my toes with what would happen next.

Dark Ride takes place at Devil Land, a horror theme park. The theme park was created by Arthur Dante and his idea to create an adult theme park experience. Arthur’s current whereabouts remain unknown which has caused a lot of fans to speculate. There’s also something sinister with Arthur as one of his wives mysteriously disappeared. The first issue follows Owen Seasons, a new employee at Devil Land. He’s in training and meets Sam, Arthur’s son, who is trying to keep the park afloat even though it’s losing money. From there, Sam’s sister, Halloween, shows up at the park which angers Sam. The issue takes an even darker turn towards the end when it’s clear that none of the characters are safe from the secrets at Devil Land.

I loved reading this series. One of the other reasons I picked up Dark Ride was because it was written by Joshua Williamson. If that name rings a bell, Joshua Williamson wrote Nail Biter, which is another series that I enjoy. Without spoilers, this series went in a completely different direction than I anticipated it would. I thought I knew who the main character was and how they would interact with the characters in future issues and then this series did the exact opposite. From a story perspective, I’m curious to see what happens in future issues.

Besides the story, I liked the art. I think the art fits in well with the series. The covers are beautifully designed and clearly captured my eye when I saw the series on the shelf. I liked how at the end of the first issue, there was a map of Devil Land that broke down all of the attractions at the park. I think it helped me feel more in tune with the story.

Dark Ride might be one of my favorite comic series that I discovered this year. Usually, when I see a new comic series, I don’t buy more than two issues in case I don’t like the series. I wish I had bought all the Dark Ride issues because I think there were at least the first five consecutive available. With that being said, I do plan on visiting my local comic book store again because I want to find out what happens in Dark Ride.

Characters I Want to Cosplay As

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As 2023 comes to a close, I am looking ahead to 2024. There are a few trips that I want to plan, goals I want to accomplish, and new conventions that I want to attend. I had this post pre-written for a while as I wanted to have a few new cosplays to start thinking about going into next year. I wanted to come up with a running list of characters that I want to cosplay as. I split this up into various categories, so it wouldn’t become an unorganized list.

[Image is a photo of me dressed as Kylo Ren. I have a red scar on my face. I'm holding a lightsaber next to R2D2]

Gaming

Liliana Vess – Magic: The Gathering

Image is a Magic the Gathering card. It says at the top "Liliana, Death's Majesty" It shows a woman in a purple dress, she has a black fan nearby her. It seems like there are servants nearby her. It says below the art "Planeswalker - Liliana".

In Magic: The Gathering, there are certain characters known as Planeswalkers. Planeswalkers are creatures that can walk between planes or walk in between worlds. Liliana is the necromancer meaning her abilities often involve raising the dead or a player’s graveyard. I like Liliana’s look. She has this purple lace dress, a gold head band that holds her hair back, and purple arm bands that help summon her undead powers. I love her whole aesthetic.

Meren of Clan Nel Toth – Magic: The Gathering

[Image is of a Magic the Gathering card. It says at the top Meren of Clan Nel Toth. It shows a woman with a glowing black skull and her hand on black dragon. It says below the image, Legendary Creature - Human Shaman]

Meren is based off a Legendary Creature card in Magic: The Gathering. Meren, similar to Liliana, has abilities that revolve around a player’s graveyard. Meren is a card that has a special place in my heart because Meren was one of the first Commander decks that I played when I was starting to get back into the game. I think what would be cool about cosplaying as her is that there are a lot of different ways to complete the cosplay. I like being able to have my own spin on a cosplay and I think with Meren, there would be a lot of different ways to put the cosplay together.

Keyleth – Critical Role

When I first watched Critical Role, I felt myself drawn to Keyleth. She’s awkward, wants to do the right thing, and at times doesn’t make the best decisions. I’d highly recommend looking up “Keyleth Goldfish” as it’s one of the most hilarious moments in Critical Role. It’s funny, I have an orange wig in my closet that I haven’t figured out what to do with and Keyleth is a character that I could put the wig to good use.

Imogen Temult – Critical Role

Imogen is a Sorcerer in the third campaign of Critical Role. I’m playing a Sorcerer in my Dungeons & Dragons game right now and it might be my all-time favorite class that I have ever played. Imogen’s look is feminine, yet gives off this archaeologist look. I like the purple hair contrasted with the pale blue dress.

Comics

Scarlet Witch

[Image is a comic book cover of Scarlet Witch The Last Door. It shows Scarlet Witch with both her hands pointing at red circles which represent her powers]

Scarlet Witch was the first character I thought of when I decided to put this list together. I love her. I’m reading the current Scarlet Witch comic run right now and I am really enjoying it. I think the Scarlet Witch look I love the most is Elizabeth Olson’s look in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Another look I like is Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Endgame when she flys down to fight Thanos in the final battle. Similar to what I said about Meren, there would be a variety of different ways to cosplay as her.

Kraven

Since playing Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, I’m obsessed with Kraven’s look. The shark tooth necklace, the skull on the shoulder and the fur vest. I think it would be neat to take that look and make it my own. I could see finding a brown body suit, brown khakis, brown combat boots, adding the shark tooth necklace, the fur vest etc. I think this would be fun to do, I’m not sure if anyone would recognize it as Kraven, but I think it would be a blast to do it.

Doctor Aphra – Star Wars

Doctor Aphra would be one of the easier characters to cosplay as. It would feel more like taking my regular clothing and adding a few things to it. Sometimes it’s nice to have an easier cosplay in between the cosplays that are a bit more complicated to put together. I could see Doctor Aphra being an easier, casual cosplay.

Film / TV

Padme

Padme (besides Scarlet Witch) is the second character I thought of when I put this list together. As a fan of the prequels, I loved Padme and I think her character doesn’t get the recognition that other Star Wars characters get. I think my favorite Padme look is from Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones when she’s in the arena on Geonosis. It’s a classic look. The white crop top that’s torn in the back, the white pants, and her blaster on her hip. Another nice thing about cosplaying as Padme is that I wouldn’t have to wear a wig, which would be a nice break.

Nightsister – Star Wars

I have been adding images to my Cosplay board on Pinterest. I found the coolest Nightsister cosplay that I pinned to my board. The one concern I have with cosplaying as a Nightsister is working with body paint. The Nightsisters have gray skin and I would want to be accurate if I were to cosplay as a Nightsister. The nice thing with cosplay becoming more popular is that there are tutorials everywhere! I’m also in a local Minnesota cosplay group, so I think I could find some resources there.

There are so many characters and so little time. Knowing me, I will probably end up cosplaying something that’s not even on this list, but I’d love to start challenging myself to cosplaying as these characters that I have listed. I can’t wait to attend my next convention in 2024.

Hawkeye (2021)

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by
Image is a poster from the TV show, Hawkeye. It shows Clint and Kate as front and center. To the left is Yelena. Underneath is the track suit gang who wears red track suits. There's Echo in the center below Kate and Clint. There's Kate's mom and finally Lucky, the golden retriever wearing a Christmas hat.

In my Freshman Year of college, I had two posters in my dorm room. One was a movie poster of The Bourne Legacy and the other was of Hawkeye from The Avengers. If you couldn’t tell, I had a crush on Jeremy Renner at the time. Hawkeye was one of the Marvel characters in the film franchise where he was forgotten about at times. He appeared in the various Avengers films, but didn’t get the same spinoff treatment as the other characters did. It’s a shame because I felt there was a lot more to explore with his character. It’s a surprise to me that it’s taken me this long to watch Hawkeye considering how big of a fan I am of Hawkeye as a character. Watching Hawkeye was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

Kate Bishop (played by Hailee Steinfeld) witnesses the attack on New York which put The Avengers on the map. She sees Clint Barton (played by Jeremy Renner) falling off a building and grappling himself to safety. Since then, Kate is determined to never feel helpless again and decides to take archery lessons. Flash forward to the present, Kate is in college and gets in trouble after destroying a clock tower. She comes home for the holiday break and is forced by her mother to attend a charity event. Kate investigates a secret auction which puts her in a perilous position. She’s saved by Clint, who has taken his kids to New York for the holiday. Clint realizes that Kate is in way over her head and agrees to help her investigate further.

As someone who read Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye comic run, it’s clear this series takes inspiration from the comics. There’s the appearance of Lucky, the dog Kate Bishop runs into, who becomes a close companion throughout the episodes. The way that Hawkeye and Kate Bishop’s costumes look which were designed by LARPers. As a comics fan, I love how this felt like an adaptation of Matt Fraction’s series.

I thought Kate and Clint had a good working partnership together. Kate is similar to Kamala as she’s been a big Hawkeye fan. Clint, from his experience with S.H.I.E.L.D., is professional and is wanting to wrap this up as quickly as possible, so he can spend the holidays with his kids. For only six episodes, I thought Kate developed a lot as a character. In the first episode, she’s naive, immature, and spoiled. She doesn’t realize that Clint is giving up the potential to see his kids on Christmas to help her. I do think Kate comes around and is grateful for Clint’s help along with taking her role more seriously.

Can we also talk about the LARPing? I loved how Clint and Kate ended up teaming up with the local LARPing group and how they ended up designing their costumes. Also when Clint needs to retrieve his suit, he shows up to claim the suit at a LARPing event. How fun! I thought it was cool to see them team up together in the final episode.

If all of that wasn’t enough, the guest appearances were top notch. For not watching Hawkeye for two years, it was not at all spoiled that Wilson Fisk (played by Vincent D’Onofrio) would make an appearance. I was shocked in the best possible way. I am a big fan of the Marvel Netflix shows and Wilson Fisk was a standout. I liked how this was tied into Kate’s mom. Besides Fisk, I liked Kate’s banter with Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh). I knew that Yelena would appear in Hawkeye which I thought tied into Clint’s backstory. With Yelena discovering the death of Natasha and how she blames Clint for it. Clint, accepting Natasha’s death and how he couldn’t have prevented it. I thought it all came together nicely in the end with both Yelena and Clint accepting Natasha’s death and learning to let it all go.

Hawkeye, in my opinion, did justice for Clint Barton along with tying up various story elements from the other films. I would love to see more of Yelena, Kate, and Clint working together. I hope this isn’t Jeremy Renner’s last portrayal of the character.

Spooky Ghosts on a Train – Vagrant Song

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At Gen Con, I stopped by the Wyrd Game’s booth. As I walked around their booth, I kept looking at a game they had on display called Vagrant Song. The art on the board game instantly reminded me of Bioshock, one of my all-time favorite video games. I contemplated purchasing Vagrant Song solely on the art alone. One of the people working at the booth approached me and gave me a quick speech about what Vagrant Song was about. I bought the game shortly thereafter. Vagrant Song is a Spooky, Cooperative game I’m glad to have in my board game collection.

Image is a bird's eye view of a board from the board game Vagrant Song. There is a Humanity track at the top with numbered hearts from 0 - 25. In the middle of the board are different panels or train carts that serve as spaces for the characters to move. At the bottom it says "Vagrant Song" with a musical note in the middle of the O.

Vagrant Song is a cooperative game which means the players will work together to achieve an objective. Each character is a vagrant on a train called the Silver Ferryman. Vagrants will partner together to set free ghosts (called Haints). Once a Haint gains enough humanity, the Haint will be free to go into the afterlife. Each Haint has special abilities that impact how Vagrants can interact with it. Vagrants can gather items, use their skills, and gain material to aid them in their quest to stop the Haint. If the Vagrants are Westbound (meaning the Vagrants are killed by the Haint), they lose the game.

The art was what drew me to Vagrant Song in the first place. The rule book and the scenario book are beautifully illustrated. There are pictures of a gritty brown train car with the bright blue ethereal Haints flying out and about. The game board has this old-fashioned feeling to it with the way the train cars are designed. When I play board games, I don’t pay much attention to the art, but Vagrant Song was clearly an exception. The art is exquisite.

Image is a character sheet from Vagrant Song. It shows a character board. There's a cartoon like woman looking angry. She's drawing what appears to be a sword from her hip. It says at the top "Empress the Driven" with a star to the left. On the right, there are 8 hearts which indicate her health. There's some writing below that. At the bottom, it shows five skills: boot, sack, punch, investigate, and patch up. There are three mini cards next to her. There are two skills with two stars on them. There's also a Makeshift Radio below.

Another highlight for me was the characters. Each Vagrant has their own style which still falls into this old-fashioned cartoon look. For my first few playthroughs, I played as Empress The Driven who is supposed to be an army general of sorts. She is skilled in “busting” a ghost aka. giving it a good punch. Another character one of my family members played included a dog which had humanity benefits to help defeat the Haint. I’m curious to play as the other characters, so I can fully decide on which character I like the best.

The final thing I wanted to touch on with Vagrant Song is replayability. With some board games, there aren’t a lot of different gameplay options. If I play the same game over and over again, it might feel repetitive and I might need to take a break from playing that game. With Vagrant Song, there are a lot of options. This is partly due to the scenario book. The scenario book is separate from the rule book, but it lists all the different Haints that players can go up against. I love this! It creates a different gameplay experience every time. Plus, if I were to somehow have the time to defeat all the Haints as one Vagrant, I could do it again with a different Vagrant and that would change my gameplay experience. I’m not exactly sure how many scenarios there are, but the book is thick, so there has got to be more than 30 at least.

Vagrant Song is the first board game that I have reviewed using my new rating system. I would rate Vagrant Song 5/5. I would always be in the mood to break out this game and I love the aesthetic of the game itself. Wyrd Games is a board game company on my radar now and I would play another one of their games in the future.

Reading Goals – 2024

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Image is a selfie of me smiling at the camera. Behind me is a huge dark academia type library. Photo was taken at Trinity College in Dublin.

I can’t believe 2023 is already almost over. There were so many memorable moments from this year. The one thing that I will say about 2023 is that it wasn’t the best reading year for me. I mentioned this before how I started 2023 in a reading slump. I somewhat overcame that halfway through the year, but it felt like I lost my drive to read. I started so many books that I later ended up putting down to read something else. With 2023 wrapping up, I wanted to come into 2024 with a reading plan. I wanted to share a few goals that I have for next year.

Going Back to TBRs

In previous reading years, I used to plan out my TBR (to be read) books far in advance. This way, I knew what I would be reading ahead of time, so it helped to keep me organized. This year, I found myself picking up whatever book I was in the mood for. That may work for some readers, but I don’t think it works for me. I like having a plan because it’s easier for me to stick to it.

Additionally, I am going to aim to read 3 books a month. I think that’s doable. I read before I go to bed and I tend to do most of my reading on weekends. On top of the 3 books I pick, I will be reading graphic novels, manga, and single issue comics as well.

One Book on my TBR has to come from the Library

This is the goal I am looking forward to the most. I started using my local library this year and it’s been a game changer. I can request holds from the app on my phone which I think is the coolest thing. This way when I go to the library, I can quickly get my books and get back into my car to run my next errand. There have been several books that I rented from the library and read this year where I am glad I didn’t purchase the books for my own collection.

Speaking of which, I have been noticing a pattern in myself when I buy books. I tend to buy books, read them, and then when I’m done, I donate them. While this isn’t a bad thing, it’s something I do want to cut back on. I want to stick to a budget and I have to be honest with myself that buying books is where I tend to spend a portion of my disposable income.

Using my local library will help save money, but if I end up really loving a book I read, I can always buy it for my bookshelf at home.

Completing Reading Challenges

To help keep myself engaged, I want to set a few reading challenges to complete throughout the year. I already have one reading challenge planned. I want to pick the ten books that have been on my Goodreads TBR shelf the longest and read them next year. I think most of them are graphic novels which is something I could easily do next year.

Reading challenges can keep some spontaneity in reading which I think will help to read more than I read in 2023.

Reviewing My Bookshelves

When we moved into our house in 2022, I packed away my books, but I didn’t end up going through them like I wanted to. There are several books on my book shelf that I haven’t read in a few years and I never continued in the series. I either want to pull them off my shelf and re-read them or I want to donate them to make space for other books I want to collect. I want to make sure that the books on my shelves are books that have meaning to me and if they don’t, this will help to free up precious book shelf space.

These goals are ambitious, but I think they will help get me back on track. I love to read and I want to make reading more of a priority in 2024.

The Marvels (2023)

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by
Image is a movie poster for The Marvels. It shows the three main stars (from left to right) Monica Rambeau, Carol Danvers, and Kamala Khan.

I have talked about how excited I am about The Marvels. This is one of the few Marvel movies I was really looking forward to. When The Marvels released in theaters, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone that the movie was getting negative critique. This wasn’t necessarily from movie reviewers, but from other fans. I was able to see The Marvels before the Thanksgiving holiday and I loved it. The Marvels was such a fun film to see in theaters.

Carol Danvers (played by Brie Larson) is roaming space with her alien cat sidekick, Goose. She’s notifed by Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) about an anomaly created when Dar-Benn (played by Zawe Ashton) recovers a magical band that looks eerily similar to Kamala’s. Meanwhile, Monica Rambeau (played by Teyonah Parris) also investigates and when she touches the anomaly, all three of the Marvels switch places when they use their powers simultaneously. The trio are forced to work together to prevent Dar-Benn from creating jump points that could destroy the barriers that protect multiple realities.

I loved how Monica, Carol, and Kamala have to work together. Kamala finally gets to meet her hero and Monica, who hasn’t seen Carol since she was little, has to work through those feelings of abandonment that she feels from Carol. Carol misses Monica and reckons with the consequences of being gone from Earth for so long. All of these dynamics interweave throughout the story and I find it really interesting to see how the three work together. As always, I loved Kamala. Iman Vellani is too precious and I hope to see more of her in future Marvel adaptations.

There were so many great scenes throughout The Marvels. The beginning battle where the enemies appear at Kamala’s house and all three are rotated in throughout the fight was so entertaining. I loved Kamala’s parents and brother attacking one of the guys with a mop and a broom. Another fun scene involves Flerkens and multiple of them. I won’t say too much more than that.

Another thing that I liked was how this was a shorter Marvel film. Most films these days are 2 1/2 hours which is time consuming to watch. The Marvels is at 105 minutes which isn’t even two hours. My attention span is short at times and I liked how this was a shorter film.

While I loved The Marvels, I understand that not everyone did. There is nothing wrong with differing opinions in fandom. If someone comments on this and says they didn’t like the film, that’s fine! We are all allowed to like different things. With that being said, I find that some negative critique from this film includes insulting Brie Larson or Iman Vellani or throwing in the word “woke” or talking about how diversity is ruining comics or Marvel. These are the types of opinions that go beyond having a respectful opinion. I don’t stand for insulting others or trying to debate the importance of representation and telling stories from all backgrounds. If you don’t like the film, that’s fine, but don’t use that as a shoe in for being a jerk.

The Marvels was so fun and I want to see it again in theaters. With the after credits scenes, I feel hopeful of seeing more of Kamala in the near future.

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

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[Image is a book cover. The book says "My Roomate is a Vampire" Jenna Levine. The book is split vertically down the middle. On the left, there's a window which shows a vampire hanging down. On the right, there's a woman standing in the window painting. She appears to open the door to the vampire's room]

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! I always look forward to the holidays because even though I’m busy, I tend to find enough downtime to catch up on reading. This holiday was no different as I brought two books to read while staying with my inlaws. One of the books I read was My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine. My Roommate is a Vampire was a paranormal romance that hit my expectations.

Cassie Greenberg is an aspiring artist who is currently juggling multiple part-time jobs. Living in Chicago has proven difficult as she’s been incapable of paying her rent on time. As a result, she’s evicted and needs to find a new place to live. She answers an ad in the paper for “$200 rent” on a beautiful home near Lake Michigan. She is introduced to Frederick J. Fitzwilliam who appears to be friendly and not a serial killer. As Cassie moves in, she realizes some quirks that Frederick has. Cassie quickly realizes that Frederick is a vampire who has been asleep for a century. Living with a super hot vampire doesn’t at all get complicated for Cassie.

Starting with the characters, Cassie wasn’t my favorite to read about. She’s passionate about her art, but that’s all I know about her. Cassie is written as being in her early 30s, but I felt that her demeanor aligned with someone in their early 20s. Frederick was definitely the highlight of the book. He has his awkward moments which I think helped to bond Cassie and Frederick together as a couple.

With that being said, I don’t think Cassie and Frederick would be a good couple long-term. There were a few comments that Frederick made towards Cassie that didn’t sit right with me. For example, Frederick goes through Cassie’s Instagram and sees a picture of her in a bikini. He makes a comment something along the lines of how she’s showing off a lot of her body. I get that Frederick was asleep for a century, but I felt there were better ways to demonstrate that than having him make comments towards Cassie’s body. I don’t feel that Frederick supports Cassie like I’m made to believe by the end of the book.

My Roommate is a Vampire takes place in Chicago which I loved. Chicago is one of my favorite cities to visit and I liked being able to picture where Cassie and Frederick were at any given moment. I thought it made the book more enjoyable to read since it isn’t often where I can picture the setting as I read the book.

My Roommate is a Vampire met all of my expectations. I wanted a paranormal romance that was easy to read and that’s what this book was. While I don’t fully ship Cassie and Frederick together, I enjoyed reading their story. I rated My Roommate is a Vampire three stars on Goodreads.

Reviewing Board Games and Video Games – Future State

Posted in Gaming by

I’m in a spring cleaning mindset even though it’s the beginning of winter. I recently dug through my closet and donated two big bags of clothes that I wasn’t wearing. I found myself staring at my board game shelf along with two boxes of unpacked video games in our spare bedroom. It got me thinking about how when I write board game or video game reviews, I never rate what I play. I write reviews on what I read, but that doesn’t translate to gaming. Going forward, I will be rating board games and video games that I play which I hope will help organize my gaming collection in the future.

Before I dive into my review scale, I wanted to share some backstory. I’m a collector. Being a collector, I tend to hold on to things if they provide any sentimental value. When I pick up that board game or a video game, I find that it prompts memories of where I was when I first discovered that game or where I was in my life when I was playing through the game. It’s more difficult for me to donate a board game than it is to donate clothing. I think part of the reason I feel this way is that gaming is a hobby that has stuck with me for a long time. It’s a hobby that’s gotten me through the toughest of times along with making me feel happy and content. I know for a fact that gaming will be a hobby that will stick around in the years to come.

With that said, I wanted to share how I will rate board games and video games in future posts. I will follow a five-point scale to help keep things consistent. If I rate a board game or a video game 5 out of 5, it means that it’s the best thing ever and I’m obsessed. For board games, I will want to bring it to every family or friend’s board game night. If it’s a video game, I know that I will replay the game again. If I rate something 4 out of 5, it means that I really liked it. It’s a board game that I’m glad that I own so I can play it whenever. For a video game, it means that it was great, but I probably don’t have to replay it until a significant amount of time has passed. If I rate something a 3 out of 5, it means I liked it, but I may have to be in the mood to play it. I think this applies to both board games and video games. If I rate something 2 or less, it means that I didn’t like it, it’s not for me, or I don’t see a reason to own it.

The first half of this post was more personal than I originally anticipated this post to be. I’m looking forward to my future gaming reviews and being more organized in writing gaming-related content. I have a board game review sitting in my drafts which will be the perfect way to kick off the new rating scale.