NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: Ninjas, Justice League and nerding for charity
Oct 17, 2019, 6:06 am
NERDS AROUND TOWN
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
This week Nerd Thug Radio sets up our plans for Extra Life which will be Nov. 2. It's 24 hours of gaming for a good cause. The donations go towards Children's Miracle Network of Hospitals it's being a nerd and being a good person, it's awesome. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AND DONATE IF YOU CAN.
So "Dawn of X" kicked off this week with the release of X-Men #1 and that is very cool and exciting stuff and over the next few weeks five more books will debut. Each of them picking up on interesting concepts and questions that spin out of the idea that now that ALL MUTANTS are citizens of the island nation of Krakoa there will be changes to the world. Such things as X-Force is now the CIA of Krakoa and Marauders is the book about how The X-Men handle the high-seas in this new world (yes, an actual X-Men pirate book!) but my dark horse pick for all of this is Fallen Angels. It comes out a little bit later in this release of titles but it's about three particular outcasts in the world of X-Men, Cable, X-23 (an altered clone of Wolverine) and Kwannon (it's way to complicated to explain but the short of it is that Psylocke used to be a white British chick before she swapped bodies with an Asian ninja assassin, Kwannon, whose mind is now back in the proper body) all three of whom are reminders of dark times in the mythos of the X-Men. This is going to be the surprise hit of the launch.
If you're looking for something fun to read with just big crazy moments, and most importantly mind blowing art, you need to be reading Justice League these days. Francis Manapul is the artist and he's hitting a new gear on his issues of Justice League. Right now they're in the middle of a crazy war against Lex Luthor and there's massive things happening that I can't even begin to explain properly but honestly, check it out. The visuals are nuts, the Justice Society is back, so is Kamandi the last man and just about every character in between.
So with Watchmen about to debut on HBO, and Preacher wrapping up on AMC and Walking Dead spinning out a third show and The Boys season two coming soon and Runaways season three and Cloak and Dagger season two and… I think you get it, the question becomes what's next? I'd like to nominate Else Bloodstone for Disney+ to consider making into a show, think a modern Buffy but British with guns. For the Warner Bros I nominate Manhunter, the early 2000s version, it's awesome female vigilantism at its finest with a hint of court room drama. For Amazon I nominate my own comic book Another Day at the Office. It's a comedy about a cop in a city full of superheroes and it's absolutely worth checking out on IndyPlanet at an affordable $3.49 for the digital and $3.99 plus shipping for a physical copy. These are my picks, not the networks, I doubt they'll happen but if you trust me at all, check these characters out, they're worth spending some time with.
Picked up another gig, I am super stoked to be able to keep opening doors with writing and pursuing the opportunities it presents me. Nerd Thug Radio started me on this journey over three years ago and honestly it's been great. Now if I could just trick a beautiful woman into thinking I had my stuff together I'd be next level.
Feel free to check out my brand new comic book Another Day at the Office or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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