Mountains for Days – ABQ

Posted in Life Lately by Bizarre Brunette

I am back from my road trip to New Mexico! I was gone all last week, and it was a recharge for me. Originally, I had planned this road trip as a solo road trip, but at the last minute, my mom was able to come with me, and I appreciated the company. I had underestimated how much driving this trip would entail, so it was nice to talk to someone, especially when driving across Nebraska. With my travel posts, I like to split them up, so I don’t have one extremely long post. This will be a three-post series; the first post will focus on Albuquerque, the second post will focus on Santa Fe, and finally, the last post will be on all the miscellaneous stops on the trip.

Albuquerque is the city we spent the most time in, so I figured I’d start with ABQ! Albuquerque is stunning! The Sandia Mountains surround the city, and in the sunlight, they are a bronze or golden color. I couldn’t get over how beautiful the mountains were; no matter where we drove, they were always within sight.

Image is of Old Town ABQ. The pathways were all brick. There are tropical plants on the right. On the left are several older buildings. — Photo taken by me.

For every trip, I like to pre-plan an itinerary, so I don’t miss anything. One of the first places we went to was Old Town. Old Town is slightly north of downtown Albuquerque and is filled with shops, restaurants, and art galleries. The reason Old Town is worth a visit is that all the buildings are historically preserved. Walking around Old Town, it feels like you are walking in what used to be a Wild West town. If that wasn’t enough, someone had a pet kitty that would walk around the shops, and it was friendly. It would come up to tourists looking for pets. I’m a cat person, so that’s an added bonus.

Image is a photo of Old Town. There are several clay, brown buildings. There are colorful flags hanging. There is a fountain and several benches seated nearby. — Photo taken by me.

Image is a photo of the outside of The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. It shows an atom off to the left. — Photo taken by me.

Besides shopping, one museum I wanted to visit was the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. New Mexico is filled with history since it is the U.S. state where the Manhattan Project was housed and where the first nuclear bomb was tested. The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History was well worth the trip. There were several sections within the museum that I found fascinating. There were items from the Los Alamos gate, which is where the scientists would gather and test their findings. While this museum heavily focused on the Manhattan Project, I liked how it talked about how nuclear science shaped medicine and how nuclear energy has been a focus for renewable energy. There was so much to see and learn, and I felt like I learned something new.

Photo taken by me.

Another thing that we did was check out Sawmill Market. Sawmill Market is adjacent to Old Town, and it’s an indoor market with various vendors. We had the best Mexican food at Flora. We split Chicken Enchiladas, and they were so good! Speaking of, we ate a lot of good food on this trip. That’s another reason I love to travel. I love trying new restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, and other local places. I do not limit myself when I travel, and I think food is such a great way to connect people together. I could go on and on about all the food we ate, but this post is already getting long as it is.

The final thing I wanted to add about ABQ was all the breweries! ABQ has a lot of breweries, which I wasn’t expecting. I have always liked the atmosphere at a brewery, and since the weather in ABQ was so nice, I was specifically looking for breweries with an outdoor patio or seating area. In total, we went to four different breweries in ABQ specifically. I wanted to mention one of my favorite breweries that we stopped at, Bow and Arrow Brewing Co. Bow and Arrow is a woman and indigenous-owned brewery. If you’re thinking to yourself, who cares? Let me tell you. Doing a quick search, breweries are primarily owned by men. I think it’s great to see more women getting into the craft beer industry. With Bow and Arrow, their beer is brewed on Native Land, and proceeds from Bow and Arrow go directly back into Native non-profits specifically. If that wasn’t enough, Bow and Arrow has a lovely tap room and their beer rocked.

Photo is of me smiling at the camera. I'm standing in the middle of Old Town in downtown ABQ. — Photo taken by my mom.

To say that I enjoyed ABQ would be an understatement. I have wanted to explore the Southwest for a long time, so I’m glad this trip happened. For my next post, I will share a summary of our trip to Santa Fe, which is about an hour Northeast of ABQ.

18Apr2024

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

Posted in Reading/Books by Bizarre Brunette

It should come as a surprise to no one that I’m reading witchy books in spring. Why should I only read spooky-themed books in the fall? I discovered The Ex Hex series a few years ago, and it’s basically Charmed meets Gilmore Girls with a romance at the core of each book. I had The Kiss Curse, which is the second book of the series, on my TBR for far too long, so when I needed to make a last-minute switch to what I was going to read last month, I figured this would be a good choice. The Kiss Curse was as good, if not better than The Ex Hex.

Gwyn Jones is in a good place. She has formed a new coven in Graves Glen, she’s mentoring students from the local college, and she’s helping to run her business, Something Wicked. When Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow returns to Graves Glen and sets up a shop right on the street from hers, Gwyn can’t help but be ornery about it. Gwyn and Wells agree to a truce as they feel a dark source of magic brewing nearby. While investigating dark magic, Gwyn can’t help but develop feelings for Wells, especially because he isn’t everything she thought he was.

With romance book series, I think it’s essential that each book builds on the others. In The Kiss Curse, there’s more revealed about Graves Glen as a town and who has it out for Gwyn and Viv’s bloodline. I think it’s easy to discount The Kiss Curse as a smutty, witchy romance; I feel that doesn’t give the series enough credit. I did like Gwyn and Wells together as a couple. Wells is more serious; combined with Gwyn’s boisterous personality, they work well together as a couple. I thought this book had a nice balance between romance, sex, and plot.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I loved how this book was shorter. I’m all for believing that two people are the be-all/end-all, but sometimes I want things to cut to the chase. I feel like The Kiss Curse was perfect because there was build-up, the plot thickens, they have sex, and there’s an epilogue, all within 306 pages.

The Kiss Curse was short, cute, and witchy. For someone who loves Halloween as much as I do, this series caters to my spooky soul. I rated The Kiss Curse five stars on Goodreads.

15Apr2024

Carnivals, Schenanigans, and Frumpkin – Mighty Nein

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by Bizarre Brunette

Trying to get caught up on Critical Role is a daunting task. I finished Vox Machina last year and started watching Mighty Nein, Critical Role’s second campaign. In between watching Candela Obscura and Critical Role’s Daggerheart content, I needed to take breaks due to burnout. Since I have now gotten back into watching Mighty Nein, I wanted to share my initial thoughts about the story, the characters, and my overall thoughts on the campaign thus far.

I’m currently on episode #18, which doesn’t feel that far into the campaign, but I think it’s safe to say that I’m already picking or gravitating towards a few of the characters. I think the standout characters for me are Fjord, Jester, and Caleb. Fjord (played by Travis Willingham) is such a departure from Grog in the best way. I recently watched the moment where Matthew Mercer guided the players out of the room, so Fjord could have a moment to himself. He swallowed his own sword, and I’m sitting here watching it all play out in shock. I am curious as to how Fjord’s story unfolds. Jester (played by Laura Bailey) is such a delight. I think she brings levity to the table. Clerics seem to have stereotypes associated with that class, and Jester kind of blows everything out of proportion, which I adore. Laura seems so happy to play Jester, and I think it’s fun to watch. With Caleb (played by Liam O’Brien), he has the personality of a Wizard. He is focused on learning new spells, and the way that Liam describes Caleb’s spell casting is so descriptive. While Fjord, Jester, and Caleb are my favorites thus far, I am curious to see how the other characters interact amongst themselves.

As far as the story, I am not sure if Mighty Nein has a story arc going on right now. I think what makes Mighty Nein different than Vox Machina is that Mighty Nein is shown from the beginning, whereas Vox Machina is a home game that transitioned into online streaming. As such, it feels like Mighty Nein doesn’t have story arcs since each character’s backstory needs to be revealed, and the characters are getting to know each other. It’s clear certain things are important (Mollymauk being called Lucien), but I don’t exactly know what the Mighty Nein are doing at this point in time. It’s not a bad thing; it feels more casual versus having a set list of tasks that need to be done, which Vox Machina follows more of that format.

From what I have watched, I like that Mighty Nein has a darker magic feel to the story. The fact that the campaign began at a carnival set the tone for the campaign, which I find interesting. I think Mighty Nein is more chaotic in a lot of ways, which has been a blast to see how these plans work out. I feel excited to continue each episode because I think the cast seems excited to be playing their characters, and there’s enough going on where I don’t want to be left on a cliffhanger.

I’m curious to see how Mighty Nein continues. I have been spoiled by certain events that happen, and I know I’m getting close to one of them. However, it doesn’t take away the joy of watching Critical Role. With every episode watched, I’m getting closer to being caught up on all things Critical Role.

12Apr2024

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Posted in Reading/Books by Bizarre Brunette

I read Legends & Lattes, the first book in Travis Baldree’s series, last year, and I loved it. It felt like I was reading a TTRPG, except the players chose to open a coffee shop instead of fighting people at a tavern. Travis Baldree released Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes and details Viv’s prior adventures. This might be an unpopular opinion based on everything I have heard, but I enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust more than Legends & Lattes.

During a battle with Varine, the Necromancer, Viv is injured and taken to the town of Murk to recover. Rackam’s Ravens, Viv’s mercenary group, leave her where they intend to finish Varine without her. While Viv recovers, she meets Fern when she stumbles into Thistleburr, Fern’s bookstore. Viv helps Fern redesign her shop and starts to develop a bond with both Fern and Potroast, Fern’s pet. As Viv makes herself at home, she sees signs that point her to the fact that Varine might return. Can Viv recover quickly enough to protect Murk?

One reason why I preferred Bookshops & Bonedust to Legends & Lattes is that there was more of a driving plot in this book. Varine is clearly evil, and there are signs of her return throughout the book. In Legends & Lattes, I found the pacing to be slower at times because it felt like I was reading about Viv brewing coffee, which is fine, but I wanted more going on in the background. In between Varine’s return, I liked the friendships she formed, especially with Maylee. I won’t spoil it, but I thought Viv and Maylee’s relationship was cute, which ended up tying into the book’s epilogue.

With Bookshops & Bonedust being a prequel, I think it helps to read Legends & Lattes first. There are several name drops, and this book illustrates how Viv met one of her party members. I thought her name was familiar, so I read the first chapter of Legends & Lattes. Sure enough, she was a friend and partner to Viv. There’s also a nice reveal about Viv’s sword and how she found it, which I think helps to provide more worldbuilding in Viv’s story.

Bookshops & Bonedust was such a delight to read. I don’t know if Travis Baldree will write more books in the series, but I hope he does. This has quickly become a series that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. I would be slightly offended if I recommended this to someone and they didn’t like it. I rated Bookshops & Bonedust five stars on Goodreads.

9Apr2024

Bioshock in Space – Judas

Posted in Gaming by Bizarre Brunette

Playing video games will always be a hobby of mine, but the way that I play video games has changed. I don’t have nearly as much time as I used to, when I could sit down and play a game for hours. It’s an inevitable part of growing up, paying bills, and being a grown adult. When I reflect on all the hours I spent playing video games, BioShock is a game that I reminisce about. I could talk about BioShock for hours, but for me, it was one of the first games I played after taking a break from Halo 3. I recently found out that the creator of BioShock is coming out with a new game called Judas, which will take place in space. I know nothing about this game, but I’m here for it when pre-orders are open.

Judas is a first-person shooter taking place on a crumbling spaceship. Making alliances and being on the offensive is the only hope to survive. I don’t have permission to share the screenshots for the game, but in scrolling through them, there’s definitely some BioShock inspiration to them. It appears that the main character will have powers as one of the screenshots features someone charging blue lightning to shock an enemy. Speaking of enemies, they all have this mechanical and robotic look. In one screenshot, a robotic chef is attacking the player character. Their face is painted in this horrific smile that would appear in my nightmares. I think that Judas has more of an animated tone than BioShock, based on the screenshots I’m reviewing.

There isn’t much else that’s been released about Judas. If Judas is a carbon copy of BioShock or it’s a “BioShock 2.0″, I wouldn’t care. I’d still love the chance to play the game. I don’t normally pre-order video games, but I would make an exception for Judas.

6Apr2024

Westerns and Space – Vacation TBR

Posted in Reading/Books by Bizarre Brunette

I am thrilled to announce that I will be taking a trip this month! I have been getting the travel bug since our trip to Europe last year. I have a note on my phone listing all the places I want to visit. I chose to do a road trip to New Mexico! I am not a stranger to road trips, and I find driving to be relaxing. To help get into the mindset, I picked books that I felt resembled where I was going or books that I thought would be quick reads to bring on vacation.

To recap last month, I ended up reading two books in March. The first book was Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree. It was lovely and cozy, which is what I anticipated the book to be. It took a bit longer to read Bookshops and Bonedust, so I only ended up having a week left in March to finish another book. I decided to swap out Vox Machina Kith & Kin and read The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling. This is the second book in The Ex Hex series. The Kiss Curse was only 306 pages, which I thought was more doable to read at the end of the month. While I ended up changing things last minute, I still felt that last month was a successful reading month. With that being said, I’m excited to share the books that I picked out to read this month.

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Kate Thompson is out for blood. Her father is murdered, and the journal that he found is missing. The journal revealed the location of a hidden gold mine that many people are after. Kate goes off on her own, and in her quest, she meets several unsavory people who stop at nothing to get their hands on the gold.

I have had Vengeance Road on my Goodreads TBR since March 23rd, 2015. I thought the concept was neat; it feels as if Mulan and True Grit were in a book, that’s what I expect Vengeance Road to be. I thought this book felt fitting since I’m driving out west.

Dead Space by Kali Wallace

Hester Marley works at a security company based in the Asteroid Belt. She spends her days investigating crimes, which in turn helps her company profit. One of Hester’s friends reaches out to her with information about an event that occurred in Hester’s past. Before she can learn more, her friend is murdered. Hester is motivated to figure out what happened to her friend and goes to a mining station to investigate. Secrets are buried, and now Hester is stuck in the depths of space with nowhere else to go.

Okay, so technically, this book is labeled as sci-fi/fantasy according to the library, but based on the premise, this seems more like horror. Being stranded on a space station knowing that someone killed your friend, talk about terrifying. I picked Dead Space for this TBR since there’s a lot of history with New Mexico and potential extra-terrestrial life. I think it adds to the TBR theme I’m going for.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Rachel Krall is the host of a popular true-crime podcast that helped free an innocent man. Fresh off her popularity, Rachel is looking for the next case to cover. Rachel is drawn to a small town where a young boy is accused of sexually assaulting the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. While investigating, Rachel is harassed with mysterious letters that seem to point Rachel in the direction of another case. Rachel is investigating both crimes and feels that she’s asking questions without getting straight answers. Are both cases related, and will Rachel get caught in the balance of revealing secrets that have long been buried?

In picking the books I read on vacation, I usually lean towards thrillers or romance. The Night Swim might feel like an outlier on this TBR; instead, I figured it would be an easy book to read whenever I have downtime.

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks

Alix plays hockey and finds that she is the target of bullies. Alix gets into a physical fight with Lindsay, which could hinder Alix’s invitation to a Hockey Summer Camp. Alix meets Ezra, one of the local theater kids at their school. Alix asks for Ezra’s help to control her anger. Alix and Ezra get closer, and their feelings for each other develop into something deeper.

I wanted to start tackling my graphic novel TBR on Goodreads, so when I pick out my books for the month from the library, I see if my library has any copies of the graphic novels that I want to read. I am the first one to admit that I purchase most of my comics and graphic novels brand new, but the issue with that (no pun intended) is that I might read something I’m not a fan of and end up donating it. I’m trying to stick to a budget, and I think it would be beneficial for me to rent more graphic novels and manga from my local library.

As a side note, all the books in this TBR came from the library! I have a few books from my shelf that I plan on reading later in the year, so I wanted to exclusively read books that I rented from the library. I am looking forward to reading everything I picked out, and I hope that with being on vacation, I will read everything on this TBR this month.

3Apr2024

Purple Peeple Eater – PEEPS Art Exhibit

Posted in Life Lately by Bizarre Brunette

Easter isn’t a big holiday in my family, so every year, my husband and I drive to see his parents for the weekend. One event that we always make time for is the Racine Art Museum’s (RAM) International PEEPS Art Exhibition. Every year, the RAM accepts art donations, and the art has to be inspired by or made out of PEEPS. I think it’s the wildest concept, and I’m here for it. I wanted to share this year’s submissions and share the art that I liked the best.

Image is a parrot, but lining the parrot's back are blue, pink, and yellow peeps. — Photo taken by me

Image is a yellow peep made out of LEGO — Photo taken by me.

Image is a sculpture of Medusa in a dark black and green. On the ends of her hair are green peeps. — Photo taken by me.

Image is a huge purple monster with one eye. In the cauldron are peeps. There's a skeleton peep and a few green Frankenstein peeps. — Photo taken by me.

There were a lot of great submissions this year. At the end of the exhibit, you can vote for your favorite, and the winner will earn a prize. I voted for the Purple PEEPle Eater, which refers to the Purple People Eaters, which is a term for the Minnesota Vikings. I liked how the Purple PEEPle Eater was spooky. My husband voted for a PEEP display that was a take on The Jetsons. Another fun art piece that was submitted was PEEPS with Solar Eclipse glasses looking up at the sky. I believe there was also a Barbie PEEP submission as well.

This year’s PEEP exhibit did not disappoint. I’m curious to see what next year’s submissions will be.

31Mar2024

Daggerheart – Initial Thoughts

Posted in Gaming by Bizarre Brunette

There has been a lot of exciting news released regarding Critical Role and Darrington Press’s TTRPG that they have been developing called Daggerheart. Critical Role released several videos discussing the Daggerheart open beta, along with the rules of the game. Critical Role did film a one-shot with the Daggerheart system, which I was able to carve time to watch. Without knowing much about Daggerheart before the videos were released, I wanted to share some things I noticed while digging into all the Daggerheart content.

As a side note, Daggerheart is in their open beta, which means that the game is currently being playtested by real players and gamers. This means the rules can change once the open beta period is completed. The game is set to be released in 2025, according to Daggerheart’s FAQ page.

Before reviewing Daggerheart in-depth, I wanted to share a bit of background if you have no idea what I’m talking about. Since Critical Role first aired, each of their three campaigns utilizes Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition rules. Ever since the OGL License controversy, there’s been a lot of discussion over the future of Dungeons & Dragons, since many fans disagree with how Wizards of the Coast has been handling the situation. This directly impacts Critical Role since they have worked with Wizards. There have been rumors that Critical Role is making Daggerheart so they can move away from Wizards as a company. I’m not sure how true that is since Critical Role hasn’t commented on this directly, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this was the reason behind creating Daggerheart.

I haven’t played the Daggerheart open beta, and I don’t know if I will have time, but I wanted to share my first thoughts from what I have seen. Daggerheart is a D12 system, meaning that instead of using a 20-sided die to roll in Dungeons & Dragons, Daggerheart will use a 12-sided die instead. Players will have two 12-sided dice to be aware of. One of the dice will be a Hope die, and the other will represent Fear. Players will reveal to the DM what they rolled while noting which die they rolled the highest on, either Hope or Fear. I’m intrigued by this Hope vs. Fear concept. I don’t use my d12s often when I play Dungeons & Dragons, so I think it will be a nice change from other TTRPGs I play.

Another interesting concept in Daggerheart is character creation. Players will have cards that they will pick from, which highlight their powers and abilities. I have read critiques of this, but I actually think this is neat. It feels like a mixture of playing a TTRPG and a board game. I like having everything laid out in front of me versus trying to flip through the rule book to find what I’m looking for. Another thing that I’m looking forward to is all of the choices. Daggerheart has several classes and race options, which means there’s a lot of customization during the character creation process. I’m partial to the Faun or the Fungril. The Fungril are a mushroom species, and I think that would be something I would enjoy roleplaying.

From everything I have watched thus far, the combat in Daggerheart is something that I’m skeptical about. For combat, there isn’t a player order like there is in Dungeons & Dragons. Instead, players pick and decide who gets to go first. When a player rolls and their roll is higher on their Fear die versus their Hope die, the DM gets to take their turn. I personally like having an idea as to who plays next. For example, if I’m last in the initiative order, it helps me write down essential notes from the session because I know I’m going last. The idea that there’s no order to combat in Daggerheart, it feels like it will be unorganized and chaotic. The other thing that I feel nervous about is what if a DM or a player is rolling extremely well. If the DM rolls well and gets to take many turns in a row in combat, players could feel defeated. If the reverse is true, where players are rolling well, DMs might have to think more on the fly to make combat encounters challenging. If there were a rule that stated that players or the DM can’t have more than three turns in a row, that might quell my skepticism. I could be completely overthinking Daggerheart’s combat, so maybe this isn’t an issue. I am curious to see if Daggerheart’s combat will be modified once the open beta is complete.

I think Daggerheart as a system seems intriguing, and I would be open to playing a one-shot. I don’t think I will have time to play in the open beta, but if anyone is curious and wants to try out Daggerheart, the open beta can be accessed through Daggerheart’s website.

28Mar2024

Punisher, Critical Role, and Snot – Graphic Novel Reviews

Posted in Reading/Books by Bizarre Brunette

I have been on a roll when it comes to reading comics. I have settled into a routine where I sit in my comfy reading chair every Saturday after my workout class and read a graphic novel or a comic. It’s gotten to the point where I have read so much that I haven’t been able to write individual reviews for everything that I have read. I wanted to share what I have read and loved recently regarding comics.

Image is a stack of three graphic novels with their spines showing. The graphic novel list from top to bottom: Snotgirl: Green Hair Don't Care, Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Vol #2, and Punisher: The Complete Collection #1. — Photo taken by me.

Snotgirl: Green Hair Don’t Care Volume #1 – Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung

Lottie Person is a fashion blogger based in LA. She has millions of followers and attends all the coolest events. Deep down, Lottie struggles with her allergies, and one of her friends calls her “Snottie”. After pushing her in anger, Lottie sees that her friend hits her head. Believing that she killed her, Lottie flees the scene. Lottie juggles the guilt of potentially murdering her friend, balancing her fashion blog, and trying to find a way to cure her allergies.

The best part about Snotgirl is the art. I’m a big fan of Leslie Hung. This book is so aesthetically pleasing. The way the art perfectly aligns with Lottie’s internal thoughts, I loved the layout of everything. I would read Snotgirl simply for the art alone. Besides the art, I think the story was easy to follow. There’s a big cliffhanger at the end of the volume that helps set up future issues. The only thing that I would say is that Lottie, as a character, is really unlikable. She is the epitome of the worst of influencer culture. I think that there’s potential for Lottie to develop into a better person, but sometimes she is aggravating to read about. I rated Snotgirl Volume #1 three stars on Goodreads.

Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Volume #2 – Mercer, Houser, Samson, Msassyk, and Maher

Vex, Vax, Grog, Scanlan, Keyleth, and Tiberius are drinking at Stilben. Tiberius takes off on his secret mission while the rest of the party sleeps. In the morning, they notice that Grog is missing. Upon further questioning, they meet Pike, who agrees to help locate Grog. In their quest, they find Grog, but he’s part of a mysterious ritual by a lich. The lich is defeated, but it’s clear that the threat is still looming over Grog’s body and soul.

I am amazed at how good these graphic novels are. It feels like I’m returning to the first campaign, and I can hear the cast in my head as I read each of their lines. I loved how Pike and Percy were introduced and how they met the rest of the group. I liked how Grog was the center of this story, as I feel that he can sometimes be a background character to the other character arcs within Vox Machina. I’m looking forward to reading the future volumes. I rated Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Volume #2 five stars on Goodreads.

Punisher: The Complete Collection Volume #1 – Ennis, Robertson, LaRosa, and Fernandez

From 2003 – 2008, Garth Ennis worked on The Punisher, and the stories he wrote have been bound into collected volumes. In Volume One, Frank’s military career is documented when he finishes his service in Vietnam. The story flashes forward to when Frank is taking down various crime bosses, along with partnering with British intelligence. Frank’s mission is always the same: kill those who mean harm to others.

I loved everything about this. I think Garth Ennis’s take on the character is spot on. He creates these violent stories, but also highlights why Frank does the things that he does. I think what makes Punisher so interesting as a character is how he is willing to cross the morality line while others do not. He is going to use the same tactics that the gangs use, and the gangs start to fear him. I found myself reading several issues in a row because I couldn’t put the book down, which I think says a lot about Garth Ennis and the way he writes his stories. I rated Punisher: The Complete Collection Volume #1 five stars on Goodreads.

I’m looking forward to reading more graphic novels and comics in the months to come. I still have quite a bit of a graphic novel backlog, but I’m motivated to keep chipping away at my collection.

25Mar2024

Cosplaying as Padme – Star Wars Intergalactic Space Mom

Posted in Cosplay by Bizarre Brunette

Image is a photo from Planet Comicon. There are five people in costume. From left to right, there was a Storm Trooper in white armor. There's a red guarrd covered in a red cloak and mask. Emperor Palpatine is in the middle sitting in a throne. I'm next to Palpatine, holding a foam blaster. On the end is an Imperial Officer. — Photo taken by someone at the convention on my phone.

I can’t believe it’s taken me ten years to cosplay as Padme, but here we are. As I was planning what I wanted to cosplay for Planet Comicon, Padme popped into my mind right away. I always liked her look from Attack of the Clones, where she’s in the battle arena on Geonosis. It’s functional, yet sexy, and I think it looks very recognizable. I am thrilled with how the cosplay came together, and I wanted to share how it came to be.

When I started planning out this cosplay, I was contemplating buying a Padme costume from Amazon. However, once I started reading reviews, I turned away from this because many of the reviewers stated that the costumes were pretty cheap-looking. The nice thing about Padme’s arena look is that it’s easy to put together as separate pieces. I found a white crop top, white leggings, white boots, a white fanny pack, and a foam blaster. In total, I ended up spending about $110 on everything, which wasn’t that bad considering everything that I purchased.

Image is a photo of me and Darth Vader. — Photo taken by someone at the convention on my phone.

The white crop top was soft and comfy. It wasn’t as cropped as I was expecting, which I felt worked out better than I had hoped for. The white leggings were awesome! I ordered one pair of leggings in medium and one pair of leggings in large. The medium was the better fit as I felt the large were a little bit too big in the waist, although I ended up keeping that pair to use as comfy leggings. I will say, the leggings were pretty see-through. It’s to be expected since they were cheap leggings from Amazon. If I were to make any upgrades to the cosplay, I’d invest in white leggings that were thicker. The white boots were another awesome purchase. They weren’t great to walk around in during the convention, but they looked exactly like Padme’s boots that she wore. I wore the boots to work and received compliments from coworkers about how cool the boots looked.

Image is a photo of me holding a blaster smiling at the camera. — Photo taken by me.

The one other thing that I wanted to point out was the gray armbands. I could not find any gray arm bands that I liked on Amazon. Thankfully, one of my friends is crafty, and she graciously agreed to help me and made the armbands for me. She did such a great job! The arm bands were comfortable and not too tight. The material she used was gorgeous, the gray was shiny, which I think made the arm bands look expensive. She did such a great job.

I am so happy with how everything came together and how accurate it was. I had a few people come up to me wanting to take a picture with me, and I had a lot of fun taking photos with other Star Wars cosplayers. I will definitely cosplay Padme again in the future.