Saga Vol 1 Review and Discussion

A month ago I announced Saga Vol. 1 as the first pick in my comic book of the month club. I chose this book because Saga was a story I had a lot about and it was by Brian K. Vaughan, who wrote Y: The Last Man. Saga is a much different story than Y: The Last Man. Anyways, on to the review!

Saga starts off with two characters Alana, from Landfall, and Marko, from Wreath. They were on opposite sides of war. Marko was a prisoner and Alana was his guard. Turns out they fell in love. This is very similar to Romeo and Juliet in space but a lot better.

The first thing we see is the birth of their daughter Hazel. We find out they are both now fugitives wanted by the armies once fought for.  After the birth of Hazel they are found by both Wreath and Landfall forces. They were sold out by the person who let them in to give birth to Hazel. This person is shot by the Landfall forces, lead by Prince Robot Iv, and in a last attempt to be a good person he gives Marko and Alana a map to the Rocket Ship Forest. This is a mythical place where rocket ships grow like trees. This map is the key to the adventure in this volume.

Alana and Marko go on a journey to find this forest. While they are doing that they run into the Horrors, which are ghosts on the planet and they are charged with protecting the planet. One of the Horrors, Izabel strikes a deal to help Marko and Alana as log as they take her with them. In order for her to go with them, she must bond her soul to Hazel. It took some convincing but Marko and Alana agree.

Also, they must battle mercenaries as well. They are The Stalk, a spider like creature, and The Will. The Will is the first and only mercenary to actually interact with Marko and Alana in this volume, The Stalk is at first scared away by the horrors and then, apparently, killed by Prince Robot IV as she is trying to capture them Marko and Alana again. Prince Robot the IV had tracked them down  again and was attempting to capture them as well. The will is seen passing a test to get the assignment of hunting them down. He is also seen rescuing a child sex slave. It appears the mercenaries will have a big role going forward.

Eventually, Izabel leads them to Rocket Ship Forest and they get the last ship that was grown there. They finally get the ship to launch and they get an unexpected visit. Alana immediately goes on the defensive, but Marko  stops her because they are his parents

I really enjoyed this book. Even though the story is such a familiar conch, space aspect adds so much. The horrors were a great example of the devastation caused by the war. The help to show traditions as well because they are guarding the planet as spirits because that is tradition. Also, the characters are great because you  can easily relate to them. I would give this story a 4.5 out of 5.

Let me know what you thought of this story!

Doctor Strange #1

Marvel had recently re-launched a lot of it's series as part of their All-New, All-Different line. This takes place after their latest big event Secret Wars. One books from this line that I would like to highlight is Doctor Strange #1.  It has been out for a couple of weeks now, but the book still deserves some recognition.

I recently read it again and was reminded how much I liked it. It's a fun and interesting adventure. It also helps to readers by giving a brief overview of Doctor Strange. It explains how he became the man he is and the responsibilities that come with it. 

Without giving away the story, you see just what makes Doctor Strange such a unique character in the Marvel Universe. He is known as the Sorcerer Supreme and he deals with problems that are outside the normal realms of super hero comics. He is not your typical hero but he certainly gets the job done.
 

If you're looking for a good introduction to this hero before the movie is released, this is the book for you! 

2015 Fenway Spartan Sprint

For the third year in a row, I ran the Fenway Spartan Sprint. I ran the race this year with Rachelle and Talia. They were awesome teammates and did really great job. This was Rachelle's third Spartan Race and Talia's first. All in all, I had a great time with some great company.

Some highlights from this race were that I did not slip on the monkey bars. There were release push-ups in the visitors' locker room. My last highlight is running the stairs on the green monster. These obstacles really help to highlight that we were running in Fenway Park.

The reason I highlighted the monkey bars is that The Spartan Race tends to use fence post size poles for their monkey bars and then spaces them oddly. Normally, I slip somewhere in the middle but on this course I made it all the way to the end. After the bars we were only a lap around the warning track away from finishing.   

The other two highlights, fall into the magic of Fenway category.  Even though it was only the visitors locker room its still a really cool experience. Also, running the green monster really gives you a great view of Fenway. Even though it's race, I always take some time to just look out over the park. It is just an amazing view.

If you have to pick any Spartan Race to run, I recommend doing this one. There is no mud and you get to enjoy being at Fenway Park!

B.A.A. Half Marathon 2015

Yesterday, I ran the B.A.A. Half Marathon for the second time. Last year, I ran it as part of the B.A.A. Distance Medley, which is when you run the 5k, 10k and Half Marathon. Yesterday'a race was way more fun than last year's race. I got to run it with Rachelle and Riley. Rachelle was running to beat some personal records and Riley was running it a week after running a full marathon.

All three of us started the race together. Eventually, Riley went ahead and did her own thing. Rachelle and I went on to beat her best 5k, 10k and half marathon times! It's was a great display of determination all around. 

An oldie but goodie of the three of us running the Triple Threat Half Marathon. (Left to Right: Rachelle, myself and Riley)

Some cool highlights from the race though are the scenery, the volunteers and the Franklin Park Zoo. The scenery for  race is amazing. You almost forget your running in such a big city. The volunteers were amazing. There was one particular volunteer around mile 10 who was so energetic she helped motivate all the runners when they needed it most. Lastly, running the zoo is always a highlight. We ran past zebras, wildebeests and warthogs to name a few. There are so many benefits to running this race. 

Whether it was overcoming calf cramps towards the end of the race or pushing through tired legs from long races so close together. We all made it across the finish line.  In running whether your first, last or dnf(did not finish), you had the courage to start.  That's what really counts! 

Comics on a Budget

Reading comics may seem costly but there are ways to do it without breaking the bank. Many libraries are starting to build up there graphic novel and trade paperback sections. (Note: a trade paperback is book that collects singles issues in the same story arc together). This is how I have been reading a lot more books that I was unsure on. Flea markets are also a great place get many comics inexpensively. Lastly, you're local comics hop may have a sail or may have $1.00 issues that the publishers have out released to introduce readers to the comics. 

I know the near me is part of a network of libraries. If it does not have a book, I can go on their website and request a hold on it. This is a great resource and something I wanted to point out before starting the Comic Book of the Month Club.  If you are unsure you will like the book, try checking it out of the library. 

If you are looking to collect single issues and older trade paperbacks, a flea market may be the place for you. You can grab older issues for a reasonable price. I have seen them priced from 50 cents and up. I pick up a lot of single issues from the flea market. This had led to me taking out the trade paperback from the library. 

These are just a few options to read comics while on a budget and I hope this helps convince you to join in the Comic Book of the Month discussion when we start! 

Art vs Story

The best part of comics is it combines two different forms of story telling. There are the words that tell the story but also the pictures. A good comic combines a great story with great art work. Some comics have great art work and a mediocre story and vice versa. It all depends on personal preference.

I bring up this topic because there's a comic, Guardians Team-Up #9, that has the potential to have a great story but the art in it does not appeal to me. I have debated buying this comic multiple times but I cannot get past the art work of.  The worst part is that it combines two comic characters I really like and should potentially be a great read. I wish the art was better and it is this that holds me back from buying. Maybe I will eventually cave but it is a real sticking point. 

Let me know where you are on comics. Does the art matter if the story is good or does the story matter if the art is good? 

Please share in the comments

Book Club Pick #1

 As I mentioned when I started Whoosh!, I really want to start a comic book of the month club. This will mainly be Trade paperbacks and graphic novels that have been released. Part of my growth as a comic reader was expanding beyond superhero comics. I have had the chance to read more than few great stories that did not involve superheroes. As such some of my picks for this section may venture outside the superhero realm as well. I hope this expands both my reading and yours as well.

Without further ado, my pick for the first book of the month is Saga Vol. 1.  This is a story I am very unfamiliar with. It is written by Brian K. Vaughan. Vaughan wrote Y the Last Man which was a story I greatly enjoyed. Saga is a space fantasy story about a husband and wife that come from warring alien races and how they are trying to raise their daughter while running from both sides of the war. This story has received a lot of praise and been on my list to read for a while. 

I'll have my review of the book posted here on November 24th! I look forward to seeing why you guys thought of this story.  

Spider-verse

The most recent story arc in comics that I read, I the Spider-verse story from Marvel. The main story took place in their Amazing Spider-Man comic. This was the part of the story I mainly read. I say mainly because I read a few of the books outside of the main story but not many. There are some events that take place outside the main story and they are chronicles in other spider related books like Scarlett Spiders and Spider-Women. The good news is that you don't need these books to follow the overall story, but they do supplement it.

Now for the story itself, it isms story about a family called The Inheritors, who hunt animal totems in all of reality. They are able to hunt them because the control the master weaver who creates the web of life. They are put on the hunt once again when Cindy Moon, aka Silk, is found by Peter Parker in Marvel's main universe. This sets off a chain of events that lead to one amazing story. We have appearances by a punk rock Spider-Man, British Spider-Man, and many more great alternate reality Spider-men. The whole cast of characters creates a wonderfully deep story.

This story does what you hope comics do. They tell a story and teach a lot of great life lessons and asking some great moral questions. Is vengeance worth betraying what you stand for? Can a person be so morally defeated that they cannot redeem themselves? It also teaches great lessons about leadership and teamwork.

This is another story that I like too much to include spoilers, but if you are a fan of Spider-Man this is absolutely a story for you and may be a future choice for the soon to start, Comic Book of Month Club.

Running

So since this blog is about running and comics, its about time for a running related post! The return of fall has me excited about running again. After suffering from being severely burnt out for running for a while, I am beginning to enjoying it again. I attribute this two to things and those are the cooler weather and running for fun again.

Let me start by talking about running for fun again. For awhile it felt like I needed to be a better runner than I was because people thought I was a great runner. I took some of that pressure on and kept trying to get better but not because I wanted to get better. I was jut trying to please other people with my running. Running is time I use to clear my head and relax, but I do push myself to be better at it. I am finally back to loving running again.

Now to talk about he Weber. As runner or any athlete will tell you, humidity is a killer. I always start to doubt my running ability in the summer weather because I slow down thanks to the humidity. There were more than a few days this summer where I struggled to catch my breathe after a run. With the cooler weather, I am no longer having this problem. It reminds me that I am not as bad of a runner as I think.

Official, well sort of, maybe kind of, announcement.

I am starting t enjoy it so much that I am 88% sure that I will be running the Cox Providence Marathon on May 6, 2015.

Superior Iron Man

As you can tell from my introduction Iron Man is my favorite superhero. When I was younger there was a cartoon on television. It did not last long on air but it grabbed my imagination. Iron Man is the alter ego of Tony Stark, a billionaire who owns Stark Industries. Something really cool about Iron Man is that he has a Hall of Armor which houses armors that can do just about anything you can imagine. He had suits to travel into space, dive deep into the ocean and anything in between. How could this not grab a child's attention.

I mention all of the above to say my perception of Tony Stark has changed since I was younger. I never noticed the ego or the demons of the man inside the armor. Tony Stark is a very arrogant man who has had his battles with womanizing and alcoholism as well. In Superior Iron Man his egotism and bravado are cranked up to ten. It was a very enjoyable look at Tony Stark and Iron Man with the hero restrictions removed. These restrictions were removed because of the evens of Avenger & X-Men: Axis in which the personalities of heroes and villains get inverted. The villains attempt save the day and the heroes are trying to take over the world.

After these events Iron Man, who avoided being reverted back to normal, decides to move to San Francisco and sell the ability to be perfect to the citizens living there. He start off by giving away a free sample of perfection, it's a free sample of the Extremis drug, through an app on their phones. Along the way he does battle with Teen Abomination, Daredevil, Pepper Potts and even himself. It's a great story with an interesting twist on such an established character. 

Have intentionally avoided any big spoilers as I highly recommend reading this.

Introduction

Hello,

If you are reading this then you probably already know me but just in case, my name is Louie. Two of my biggest interests are comics and running. I decided to start Whoosh as a way to broaden my blogging from just running. I used to write on a blog with my friend Riley called VS. The Road. This was primarily dedicated to all things running. Here on this blog I hope to provide updates on my running, new running gear, the comics I am reading, new comic movies and even start a monthly comic book club. Basically, this blog is all about fun in one form or another.

And for those wondering, I chose the word Whoosh! because in the comics it's sound effect used to indicate when someone starts running.

Thanks for joining in my next writing adventure and I hope you enjoy the ride!

PS. Iron Man is the best superhero. (Feel free to disagree)


WHOOSH!
Louie