1. Got my new toy - the 10th Generation Ipad - perfect size and syncs well with the iphone. Now just have to figure out how to draw on it. I've an idea for a new story that involves drawing, and writing, but we'll see if I can get it to work.

I've decided to try my hand at illustrated works for a bit and see how that flies?

2. Finished Fool Me Once - the limited series adaptation from a Harlan Coben novel/ I've never read Corben, not my genre. He writes what my father used to call airplane thrillers - nicknamed for the ability to read them in their entirety in the space of time it takes to fly from point A to point B, often with airport layovers in between. My father read a lot of them, and tried his hand at writing a few - starring business men like himself - because he felt that most of the books lacked that reality. Sorry, certain things remind me of my father and I feel compelled to tell people about it. Kind of feels like keeping his memory alive or something?

We miss him. My family. He was a big presence in our lives. And now...there's just a hole or gap remaining, filled with disjointed memory.

Anyhow, the series was okay. Fairly uneven in writing and performance, some of the performances were better than others. The lead Detective was good, but the rest? Uneven.

It held my attention for the most part, but I felt the plot got away from the writers, or writer (not sure how close it is to the novel - haven't read it). Tried to do too many things and I lost track of it.

Also I wasn't sure if 18 years later - the daughter of the protagonist (Maya) marries Maya's closest friend Shane or Shaun Tessler who is old enough to be her father, most likely partially raised, and has a kid by him named Maya (or if she had the kid by someone else)? Because if so? Eww.
I'm sorry the older man/ younger woman trope has always squicked me on a certain level. Older woman/younger man doesn't bother me quite as much - mainly because it doesn't seem to be an uneven power structure? Unfortunately, we still don't quite have gender equality in our society - so the power structure between the gender's is skewed. Father/Daughter trope emphasizes the uneven power structure. Mother/Son - less so. Not really a fan of either.


I liked it, but I wouldn't recommend it.

3. Finished a few comics...which was among the reasons I got the Ipad. It works better than the Amazon Fire, which I've had for about ten years, and is crappy now. It doesn't down load well, and doesn't do much more than work as a kindle reader. I can read books on Kindle on Apple Ipad, computer, and phone just as well - if not better. Plus get Marvel Unlimited. And draw and write on the ipad. Going with the Ipad. And they cost about the same now. So made sense to get an Ipad as opposed to trying to upgrade the crappy Amazon Fire HD.

I think I'm done upgrading my Kindle devices. I have a Kindle Paperwhite which works well enough.

* X-men 1 by Jed Mckay and Ryan Stegman

For the most part? Good start for X-men from the Ashes.

The art is different than previous issues and takes a little getting used to, but overall above par. With comics, it’s always about the art first, the writing second. The dialogue pops for the most part. And the characters make sense. I rather like the scenes between Cyke and Logan, Hank and Cyke, and Magneto. Also it makes sense that after being tortured and put through hell - Cyclops would retreat to his birthplace, Alaska, and take the mutants who can’t blend in with humans, or are ostracized with him. The team up works for me - we have people who are deadly, former assassins and villains, which again works well with Cyclops, a character who believes in second chances. Only quibble - is the villains feel kind of stale? I was never a fan of the U-Men. But I’ll give it a chance, the rest is working for me so far.


* Phoenix by Stephanie Phillips

Better than expected. Finally someone who loves and appreciates the character - is writing and handling the art. Better yet? We have a female writer as opposed to the endless line of male writers handling the character. Male "comic" book writers don't always handle powerful female superhero characters well. In the previous series on The Phoenix - the male writers turned her evil, had her first love, Scott, save her from herself, and she sacrificed herself on the moon for them all. It was the 1970s. What can you expect? Gender politics was just gearing up for a fight.

Now, decades later, or rather a century later - we have a cosmic heroine, and we're largely in her point of view. Also the antagonist or unreliable narrator is also female. We're navigating the ethics from a female perspective. Jean's powers are not belittled. She's allowed to be awesome and to save lives. If anything, it's her humanity that lets her down or does it? Chasing redemption, in a universe where it may not exist or be possible. None of the characters are clearly black and white so much as grey. And the writing is rather deft. We get all sides of Jean - her long-distance relationship with Scott, although they are able to be rather intimate telepathically. Her relationship with Nova of the Avengers, and her relationship with the Cosmos. We also get to see her through the lens of an alien woman on a distant planet who was adversely affected by Jean's decisions.

The art is loving wrought, and well painted, and the dialogue is in character and held my attention. I've always loved the character of Jean Grey and the Phoenix, but didn't always feel the character was written well? Previous writers seemed intimidated by her or didn't quite know what to do with her. And too often she fell into either the horrible Mary Sue category, or the category of the girl-friend/dead wife, or refrigerated girl-friend trope. And far too many people, mainly men, felt she should have stayed dead - furthering male characters arcs as opposed to her own. Worse? She's been resurrected too many times, to the point of cliche - and each time? She rejects the Phoenix or sacrifices herself because she can't claim that power - while Xavier and Magneto can claim theirs.
So, it is a bit of a relief - to FINALLY see a story that doesn't go in that direction, and Jean Grey is allowed to embrace the Phoenix and be one with the universe. She's allowed to be like Captain Marvel, Superman, and Thor. Powerful in her own right.

* X-Men: The Wedding Special (2024) #1 - Celebration of Pride Month (the Wedding of Mystique and Destiny)

Mystique is a bisexual transgender character, and Destiny is equally bisexual. Both are usually portrayed as female. But Mystique is a shape-changer.

Uneven - mainly due to the multiple stories within it? It's an anthology. The stories that focus on Mystique and Destiny are stellar, and I recommend - those I'd give four stars and higher. But I skimmed over the Logan, Captain Britain, and Remy stories for the most part. Losing interest quickly and being a little annoyed by the uneven artwork.

Read it for Mystique and Destiney's wedding, which doesn't quite go down as expected. Their couple counseling by...Emma, which also contains an entertaining surprise. And X-Factor #9 Annual included at the very end, where Mystique mourns Destiny's death. (Destiny was resurrected on Krakoa against Moira McTaggert's wishes). Added bonus Chris Claremount's interview, and the history of Mystique and Destiny's romance, among the first LGBT romances in comics, and how they jumped around the pesky 20th Century Comics Code to tell it. (Now it's not an issue, since the Comics Code has long since been disbanded.)

Skip the bit on Logan, Betsy and Remy...or skim it. You won't miss much. I'm not sure I understand why they included the Logan storyline - unless it was a shout-out to good LGBTA teachers? But Logan doesn't come to mind as a teacher of well anything? Kitty, yes. Even Xavier? Or maybe Emma? But not Logan. It felt off and out of character. Iceman's romance is included for the male gay audience, but I'm not sure it was absolutely necessary? And it's a reprint? Also everyone looks like they are twelve?
Remy and Rogue? Equally unnecessary, and the art was not the best.

So an uneven read - as is true with most anthologies. It is however worth a look for Destiny and Mystique among the best romances in comics - a romance between two female rogues.