You’re back, we’re back, let’s enjoy some serials, shall we?
I’ve been buying actual comic books because I want to support the stories that I think are interesting and I think I want to make some wall art out of some of them eventually. I’ve been reading Al Ewing’s Guardians of the Galaxy and I have to say that it’s my favorite Marvel Comic in a while, probably since Ewings’s Ultimates. I love Marvel cosmic stories, but before the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and since the Infinity Warps event from a few years back. I get why they’re not using Thanos as a villain, he’s very overused in cosmic stories, but I’ll admit that I at least need a cameo. Thanos the Mad Titan is my favorite comic book character so he should always be in a good run of something, written by a good writer like Ewing is. You can tell a lot about a comics writer by the way they write Thanos. But even without Thanos, the current Guardians run is very interesting and it made Star-Lord cool in a way that he’s never been before. Before MCU Star-Lord, he was cool, but his swagger came from being an intergalactic war veteran who gave his life to save the universe more than once. Now, he’s the literal Star Lord and it’s so weird and interesting. Ewing deserves to be able to geek out with Marvel characters, he’s hands down the best and he seems to like the same characters that I do. I am also following Kieron Gillen’s Eternals, which does have Thanos in it, so I’m very happy with weird Marvel comics right now.
Far Sector by NK Jemison just wrapped up and I have all 12 of those issues. It’s an interesting story that really feels like it takes place on an alien world. I recommend it if you’re a noir fan, or if you like Green Lantern, or if you’ve been alive for the past five years or so; it’s delightfully topical. The artwork is really good, though I’ll admit that some of the panels were hard for me to make out what was happening. Overall the artwork is really nice and it felt like an awesome introduction to a very interesting character that I would definitely follow in other comics. Since that ended, I’ve been buying the new Wonder Girl by Joëlle Jones. I saw preview pages of it and I had to get it just based on the art alone. It’s a stunning book. I only have one issue so far so I can’t speak to the story, but I do want to know what happens next and I can’t wait to see the artwork.
I was buying Bitter Root by David Walker, but I think I want the bigger volumes of that one. I definitely enjoy binging that story and the art there is good too.
I could go on and on about comics, but I won’t. Enjoy the serials and we’ll see you next month!
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This week:
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I’ll say this for Leeland, he seems like the only type of stranger that I ever want to meet; he tries to be very open minded and he has manners. But this Dreamland seems like a horrible place. He’s trying to make the best of it, though, even if the natives of this land are very strange to him.
The Black Dream Cycle: “This man with obscured eyes and horns was very intimidating, looking over me with the widest smile that defied the logic of the head. The head was human sized, but the mouth stretched wide under the nose, pulling the lower portion of the head to far points. His appearance was startling, but I recognized my human biases in the moment and decided to allow this man, this being of another world, the chance to demonstrate his intentions rather than assume them based on my experiences in a place foreign to him.”
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I think it’s crazy that in some cities and towns, you can’t see the stars in the sky at night because there’s so much artificial light that it drowns out the view of the sky. But that’s the age we live in, waste for the sake of the perception of security.
Electricity Sonnets: “Always on to keep the halls bright, ever/ Lighted for whose sake? Modern convenience/ And expectations of occupied…”
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There’s some good songs on the playlist so far and it only continues. What if there are second chances? What choice would you make if you were presented with a second chance after death? Be careful how you answer, and be careful what you wish for.
Shuffle: “Their surroundings were eerie, like the distance was filled with thick, bluish-grey smoke, and there were patterns of circles, like dotted lines, swirling and zipping past their field of view, sometimes glittering like stars and in various colors. The two floated there, side by side.”
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Wes sits with his father-in-law for some guidance and it’s always helpful to talk it out. But it doesn’t seem like the conversation makes his decision any easier. Also, I get a shout out and I’m excited!
Selections from Wes E.L.’s Dream Journal: “I had stopped at the Earth Fare because my friend, and fellow PRL Contributor, Roy, recommended that I try their peanut butter; there aren’t many Earth Fare stores, but there is one in Asheville and in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Roy talks about their peanut butter like it is the greatest thing in life; “You can grind it in the store!” he always says with the most enthusiasm that I ever hear him talk about anything.”
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Dr. Geoffrey is preparing for his first job in a long time. He is in good spirits and he is ready to put his medical training to good use so that he can help people. Everything is going well, very well. Dr. Geoffrey is ready.
The House of Sorrows: “From the time that he took the job, up until the day the first patient arrived, time seemed to whiz by for Dr. Geoffrey. He spent time in the large, singular building of Dix as it was being cleaned and renovated and he saw the entire two month process that transformed it from dark and abandoned into a bright and comfortable facility that felt like a place of peace and tranquility.”
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I really am jealous that I’m not in the V.I.V. writing collective. Maybe I can move to Ladoga and join up, then I can go to their summit next year. We should do summits here at the PRL, I’ll look into that. But I am woefully off-track. Did the Rarebit give anybody bad dreams?
Welsh Rarebit: “Everyone was up by ten the next morning and I was surprised that we went right into discussion of our writing business and no one brought up their dreams from the night before. We had agreed to discuss any strange dreams that may have resulted from the Welsh Rarebit we’d eaten for dinner the previous night, but I had slept peacefully and I assumed that everyone had as well.”
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It’s the PRL Serials Volume 1! Tomorrow may be full of doubt, but you, dear readers, can count on the PRL for the best serial fiction on the internet.
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PRL Serials 