NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: Tom Holland, Zeke and Marvel Comics
Sep 5, 2019, 6:42 am
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!
Let's finish this week strong!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
With Hurricane Dorian going strong, and the first images coming in from the Bahamas, its important to be donating to the Red Cross and other aid agencies around the country. These guys are going to need it.
I'M CALLING BS
Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics just held an interview with a big comic book website and when asked about what he could do to improve, he said nothing. He thinks everything is going great. That's crazy talk, there's always room to improve. The former editor in chief, Joe Quesada used to move from project to project, fixing thing after thing. He brought in Grant Morrison to fix the X Men, and then Brian Michael Bendis to fix the Avengers, then when it was time to redo the X Men afterwards he had Bendis do House of M and change everything. He moved from "issue" to "issue" building up characters and creating opportunities and now the new guy doesn't see things that need to be addressed? That feels like he just wasn't being honest or he isn't being honest with himself. I'm hoping it's that he didn't want to get into a public list with the website but honestly it's likely to be that he thinks it's all blue skies.
MORE MONEY, MORE PROBLEMS
Both Zeke Elliot and Jared Goff got contract extensions announced yesterday. For both of them this now means we're past the "yeah, they're good but how good are they" phase and onto the "will they win Super Bowls" phase. The pressure has shifted; if Zeke is the best running back in the NFL then winning is the only acceptable outcome and with the Rams, as good as they've been, Goff was awful in the Super Bowl, so now it's up to him to step up in those post season moments. $50 million in the first four years? Way to go Zeke.
THE DIVA OF COMIC BOOKS
Rob Liefeld, the true diva of comic books, is one of the guys who co-founded Image. He was also the first founder to be "fired" or "left" or whatever. He made millions during the speculator bubble and then spent the next 20 plus years burning tons of bridges and just being the worst guy possible. There are some in the industry who consider him a Rockstar and perpetually support him in all things he does. But over the last few months he's been in controversy after controversy, from outing a secret DC project about a potential DC/Image crossover, to losing control of Youngblood, to now blaming fellow Image co-founder Todd McFarlane for killing their big project Image United, where each founder was going to draw their characters into the same book written by Robert Kirkman the guy who made Image cool again. I'm honestly over this guy, he recently worked with Marvel on some stuff and I hope Hickman immediately retconned it out of existence. This guy has always been the worst guy in comic books that I've ever heard of and none of this new story makes him seem better.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
I feel bad for Tom Holland at this point, he was asked about the Marvel issues in in GQ and he had to give the ultimate "I love both parents" answer. Now the reality he has to love working in the Marvel universe because he got to work in this crowded but friendly world. There's no way he's more excited about making a third movie with Tom Hardy than he would be making a movie with Sebastion Stan, Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth, you know? I feel like this was a massive let down for him.
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.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. 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!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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