NERDS AROUND TOWN

Nerds Around Town: Ninjas, Justice League and nerding for charity

ART BY JESUS RODRIGUEZ

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!

​​GOOD DEED OF THE DAY

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.

FALLEN ANGELS

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.

BIG TIME ART

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.

WHAT'S NEXT?

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.

NOT THAT YOU ASKED

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.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Jalen Green weighed in on Harden's potential return to Houston. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Another NBA offseason, another Rockets lottery pick. Only this time, they lost out on one of three of the best prospects. Ending up with the fourth pick wasn't ideal. That won't stop the process. It may slow it down, but the train keeps moving. The only thing that changes is the track it's on.

This team is still working towards being a playoff contender. Rumors of a potential reunion with James Harden have been running rampant. From people in the know, it's being reported that Tilman Fertitta is behind the potential reunion. He must see it as a business move (boosting ticket and merch sales), as well as a basketball move. The latter comes in as the next phase is to make the playoffs. Harden can certainly provide all of the above, but at what cost? Resident Mr. Rocket Jalen Green sees it from both sides:

When Green agreed with Paul George's take that Harden's return could stunt his growth, it spoke volumes. Lots of fans are eager to see Harden come back to Houston. They want the 50-win seasons and playoff appearances. They want the Harden that was here before. Wanting Harden back is a normal thing. He's a great player and would definitely add value to this team. But at what cost? Green also sees the benefit of adding Harden. He knows this is a guy who's been “The Man” and can help him understand what that takes. Let's look a little deeper.

I feel like Green agreeing that Harden could stunt his growth is noteworthy. Not enough to the point where the organization needs to start consulting him on moves, but they need to take heed. Green hasn't earned that level of superstar status yet, but I think he's on his way. If this is a guy they want to build around, taking his thoughts and feelings into consideration comes with the territory. New head coach Ime Udoka has said he wants to take advantage of the young guys' skills as best they can. How does that jibe with adding a ball dominant guy who wants to be the man again on a playoff-ready/title contending team?

Being that Harden has been in the league 14 years now. He's been an MVP and accomplished a lot. He can help Green and others with the rigors of being a pro. Him showing them how to create space, get your own shot, set up your teammates, and other offensive skills. Imagine if Green developed the Harden stepback? Filthy! However, those are skills they can learn from others. They can also learn the rules of the road from others as well. Udoka is a former player himself. Plus, there are tons of former Rockets who can come in and mentor the roster.

I think Green was playing politics here. He may not have a preference one way or the other on Harden's potential return. He wants to keep all options open. If Harden comes, it'll be cool because it's a guy he's probably looked up to. The comment about him thinking it could hurt his growth can be settled with some good conversations between all involved. If Harden doesn't come back, it's a non issue. Showing some media savvy at a young age is promising. He was able to navigate a potential landmine by keeping all options open. Not many young guys can do that. This shows me Green is ready for a prominent role as the face of the organization. If he's showing he's ready, it's time to take the training wheels off.

Udoka has a plan for how he wants to use the guys already here. It's up to the front office to buy him the right groceries, so he can cook a proper meal. Too many wrong and/or bad ingredients could mess it up. Harden is like garlic. It goes well when used properly, but can overpower the rest of the meal if not. I love garlic. I use it fresh, minced, paste, and butter. However, I'm always aware of how much I use and what forms work best with which meals. Choose wisely, but most of all, pay attention to whom you're cooking for and what you're cooking with.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome