Hercules #4

So in a quick change from the other posts, I wanted to highlight a single issue of a comic instead of a number of them. Hercules, which was launched as part of the All-new, All-different Marvel Universe, has been very entertaining so far. It is a fun play on the legend of Hercules. He is in modern times trying to still be as best a hero as he can be. 

This issue picks up in the middle of the story arc going on. As of now, we have seen ancient mythical creatures, immortal beings and other stuff of legend being scared of what is referred to as "The Rising Storm".  Hercules makes it his mission to try and stop whatever is plaguing these creatures. 

Hercules finds that his friend Gilgamesh has unknowingly got himself into some trouble. Gilgamesh is captured by a clan of ancient creatures who plan to sacrifice him for a ritual to stop the storm. Now, Hercules must figure out where he is and save him in time. 

While all of this has been going on, an ancient friend of Hercules's, Tiresias, had been attacked in a previous issue. Tiresias is a seer and warns Hercules of the strength of "The Uprising Storm". Hercules's landlord and friend, Sophia, goes to stay with Tiresias at the hospital. 

When we check in on Tiresias at the hospital we see a member of The Uprising Storm, Horoscope, at her bedside. Horoscope is about to finish the job when Sophia walks into the room. Horoscope quickly makes her appearance look like a nurse and exits the room without killing Tiresias. 

Eventually, Hercules finds that Gilgamesh was taken to a building that is under construction. Hemomentarily stops the ritual and a fight ensued. The leader of the ancient clan grabs Gilgamesh and is about to sacrifice him when two members of "The Uprising Storm" showup. They introduce themselves as Cryptomnesia and Catastrophobia, the God of Tech and the God of War. These are the new gods who are attempting to replace the old legends. 

Hercules is unimpressed with these new gods and begins to provoke them. This leads to them showing Hercules just how strong they are. Catastrophobia blows up the bundling they are standing in and that is the end of the issue. 

Overall, this issue did a lot for this story. While we have been hearing about the strength of The Uprising Storm since the beginning, in this story we got to see it. Without a second thought, they demolished a building and stopped a ritual aimed at stopping them. If that was not enough, we also see why the ancient creatures are afraid of them. The storm can get to them wherever they are. The one who finds Tiresias is the hospital shows that no place is safe. It wi certainly be interesting to see what Hercules is going to do to stop them. At this point he seems gravely outmatched. 

Books of the Month: Thor Vol. 1 The Goddess of Thunder

Let me, first, get this out of the way. This book is not about Lady Thor or Thor Woman. It is about the Thor. Odison, the former holder Mjölnir, has been deemed unworthy. He is no longer Thor. So who is the new Thor? 

We begin this story with an array of Asgardian characters on the moon. This happens to be where Mjölnir went after Thor was deemed unworthy. All of the Asgardians, including Odin, try to pry the hammer from the surface. None are able to. 

While the attempts to lift the hammer are happening, there is an invasion of Frost Giants on Earth. Odin says that it is not an Agarsian issue and leaves. Odinson decides to try and save Earth even though he does not have the hammer. This does not end well for him. He loses his left arm in the battle and the Frost Giants continue to attack earth. 

While this battle wages on, we see someone new lifting Mjölnir from the moon's surface and heading to earth. This is different than what most expect as Thor is now a woman. She possess Mjölnir and all the power that comes it. 

Once back on earth, she confronts the Frost Giants, who are being led my Malekith the Accursed. Malekith is the leader of the Dark Elves and always has an alterior motive. The Frost Giants are looking for the head of their ancient King Laufey. He fell in battle many years earlier on Earth and his remains were never found. Until Roxxon Corporation, an evil corporation, discovered them at the bottom of the ocean. 

The attacks is taking place at Roxxon Corporation Headquarters. The CEO of Roxxon, Dario Agger,  is not all that he seems to be either. It turns out he transforms into a Minotaur. He, eventually,  locks himself inside the vault where the skull is stored. Eventually Malekith makes his way inside the vault and the two of them fight. 

While Malekith and Dario fight. The Odison shows up to confront Thor. He says she stole the hammer and they end up doing battle. They fight until Odinson realized Mjölnir has chosen this new Thor. He decided to trust the hammer and fight alongside her. 

After they have defeated all the Frost Giants, Thor enters the vault and smashes the skull. She says of that's what they're fighting over, neither will have it. Malekith leaves and burns Odinson's severed arm. Dario tells them to leave his property. We later see Dario and Malekith discussing a deal for the real skull. The one that was destroyed was a fake. 

Back on the moon, Thor is about to place the Hammer down when Freyja, shows to warn her. Freyja is the wife of Odin and the mother of Odinson.  She warns Thor that Odin will come for the hammer and that she should be prepared. 

This ends the tale of the Frost Giants' attack on earth but does not end our story.  There is one last part to cover. Back in Asgard, Odin has called upon his brother, Cul Borson to act as his minister of justice. Cul is the God of Fear and has previously tried to take over Asgard. Odin is so desperate he has decided to trust him. Odin wants to know the identity of Thor and wants the hammer returned to, who he believes, is its rightful owner. Our story ends with Cul and Odin looking at the destroyer. This is a metallic robot like Asgardian weapon that is very powerful. Cul plans to use it to find Thor, reveal her indentity and return the hammer. 

While Odin is appointing a new minister of justice, Odinson is in one of the halls trying to narrow down his list of who Thor could be. He approaches Lady Sif, who he had a relationship with. He asks her if she is the new Thor, she gets offended by this notion and throws mead in his face. She storms off while he continues to drink mead. Eventually, he is led out of the hall by his warriors three. 

This story is a great read. It has a lot of action and a lot of great storytelling. The establishing of Thor being a woman and not being a version of Thor is new and interesting. They establish her story really well. She is a strong courageous person. She won't back down from a fight and she's resourceful. 

This story incorporates a lot of well know villains, heroes and side characters from the history of Thor. It is also a good introduction as it provides a lot of details so there is not a lot of information missing on past events. Especially when it comes to what actually made Odinson unworthy. No one knows what was actually whispered. 

I have read the next volume of this story as well. It only gets better. Please check out Thor Vol. 2 if you want to know how this story plays out!

Also, please check out the Book of the Month for February 2016: The Chew Vol. 1 from Image Comics

Uncanny Avengers #1-#4

As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel, they have launched a new Uncanny Avengers team. The Uncanny Avengers team was originally compromised of mutants and humans to show that both could, not only, coexist but thrive when working together. This Uncanny Avengers team has humans, mutants and inhumans.  Both mutants and inhumans are now both feared and hated by ordinary people. There is a virus spreading called m-pox. It's a direct result of inhumans releasing a terrigan mist that causes the inhuman change. It can have a lethal effect on mutants. 

A quick introduction to the team. In the first issue we are introduced to Steve Rogers who is no longer Captain America, Rogue, who is part of the X-Men, Deadpool, the merc with a mouth, Johnny Storm, the Human torch from the Fantastic Four, Jericho Drumm aka Dr. Voodoo, Synapse, recently changed inhuman and Spider-Man, the original Peter Parker. By the end of the first issue we have a chance to the team Spider-man quits as he does not feel he can work with Deadpool. Spider-man does say however that if Deadpool leaves the team, he will rejoin it. 

So now on to the story. This story takes place in the Boston area. It involves a recently turned inhuman who is trying to wipe out the human race. He sees humans as the biggest problem facing the earth. Part of his plan involves spreading a virus and the other part has plant based animals attacking anyone that stands in his way. Obviously, the Uncanny Avengers respond the attack and we go from there. 

As the story is progressing we get the introduction of a new member to the team, Cable! Cable is the future son of Scott Summers, Cyclops, and Madelyne Pryor, a Jean Grey clone.  He travels back in time because where he is from the Uncanny Avengers have failed to stop this villain. He wants to change that. 

This story has a lot of great interactions among the characters. The actual story is pretty great as well. Without giving away the too much, we find out the real reason this team was assembled as well! I highly recommend picking up these issues and reading them. 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0

This week's comic of the week is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0.  This book has all the feel of the great 90's show with a slightly updated feel. It's really a great way to relive the show in all its glory. 

The book itself comes in seven different covers. One for each of the rangers during the show. However, the Green Ranger and White Ranger covers are limited variants. I myself picked up a Red Ranger cover. 

Now, on to the story. The story takes place just after the Green Ranger joins the team. He was originally and evil ranger controlled by Rita Repulsa. Eventually, he is freed from her control and decides to fight against her. 

A warning before reading this. They have modernized some of the technology in the story. The rangers have cell phones and use computers. It is a slight change from the show, but it doesn't take away from the story. 

Also, included in this issue are two short stories. One feautures Bulk and Skull. The other one features the Power Rangers in another story that takes place shortly after the Green Ranger joins the team. 

This story is an introduction to what will be an on-going series beginning in March. I know I'm going to keep reading it. I hope you check it out too!

Star Wars Chewbacca

I said each week would contain a review of a single comic book issue, but this week I wanted to take time to highlight a mini-series produced by Marvel. As part of Disney acquiring both Star Wars and Marvel, the comic license for Star Wars is back with Marvel. They've published a few different series now that they have this license but this one is my favorite. 

This series takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi. Chewbacca's ship has issues and he has to land on a nearby planet to find a replacement part for his ship. It turns out he doesn't have enough credits to afford the part and goes for a drink at a cantina. 

Meanwhile, Zarro and her father are forced to work in the minds after they can't pay their debts. Zarro escapes the mine but is chased by the henchmen of the mine owner. She runs into Chewbacca in the cantina and he hides her. 

After the henchmen are gone, Zarro asks Chewbacca for help to free everyone at the mine. Chewbacca is reluctant at first but eventually decided to help her. This sets off one of the most enetertaijing adventures I have read in comics. 

If this sounds interesting to you, I suggest checking it out. It gets 5 out of 5 from me 

Welcome to 2016! Updates! Comic book of the month! And Schedules! Oh my!!

Happy New Year! With the start of 2016 comes more content from Whoosh! Let's start with some updates. 

First, I started a comic book of the month club in November and promised another book for December.  With the craziness that the holidays bring, I decided to wait until the new year to choose a new comic book. So without further adieu, the choice for this months comic book is, Thor: The Goddess of Thunder Vol 1. 

Secondly, my next big race is the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Glass Slipper Challenge. This involves the Dinsey Princess Enchanted 10k on Feb 20th and the Disney Princess Half Marathon on Feb 21st. Last year, I ran the 10k only and I have to say, it's a great race. While yes it is definitely not the most masculine race to run, it's still an amazing time. I would recommend a RunDisney race to any runner. 

Well anyways, be on the look out for a review of a single issue comic once a week in the new year, as well as running updates when applicable and the review of the comic book of the month on the first Monday of each month. At the end of each review I will announce the choice for the next month. 

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.

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