The Toad's Burrow

      Ok so yes I did go back and re-read through the whole Invincible series because of the show, and no I don't regret it. I once watched a video on the series in which someone described it as pastiche, and I think that's a perfect way to describe this comic series. It kind of does the evil superman thing for a little bit but it drops it pretty quickly. Also a lot of indie comics have done that anyways like Irredeemable , so just go read those if you really want that (I never did end up doing a review on that series). Anyways, this series is not like The Boys , yes it pokes fun at superhero tropes, but it usually does it from someone who has read comic books and still enjoys them. That is not to say that this series is perfect, but by making their character nigh invincible, it does allow Kirkman (who is a great comic book writer) to play with things that the big two never really would.     Let me start with the good, what this series gets right. I think while ...

      While I have written book reviews before, I watched and read this book at around the same time, so I felt it was fitting that I simply compile my thoughts about both into one post. Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've read the series, and after finishing the first novel, I have to ask myself why I was underrating it so much. Perhaps I had been too ASOIAF -pilled, excited at the prospect of all these common fantasy tropes being turned on their head, tropes that were most-likely popularized by this very novel I read. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It may be 500 pages, and fantasy might be my favourite genre to read, but honestly this novel was a joy to read. So often online do you hear people complain about Tolkien's writing and how he was more a "historian" than writer, and honestly I do not really see it. Yes, sometimes the books will randomly go on a tirade about certain random details, but other than the fact that they leave Boromir's d...

     I have read all of Invincible , so I come into this review, not as someone with a fresh mind, but as someone who is rediscovering what they already know, retreading ground to once again ignite my enjoyment for a franchise and see how this adaptation fares. Leading up to this season practically all the buzz was about how bad the animation for this show has become, helping blunt a lot of the hype that this show had built up in its previous two seasons. I suppose the show isn't exactly helping every time they hire another celebrity voice actor, at that point the joke just writes itself. Even still, honestly the animation never bothered me, it's like that meme about enjoying pizza when you don't have someone in your ear complaining to you about how bad it is. So, how did this season fare?     I am not here to tell people how their action/superhero pieces should play out. I am acutely aware of how pastiche Invincible  is meant to be, and how it also enjoys ...

    I'm not going to lie and pretend like I know anything about this band other than the fact that some people consider them Christian rock? My friend CJ seems to like them though and I liked what little songs I've previewed. Will it be better than other post-hardcore records from bands like Alexisonfire or Dance Gavin Dance? That range is pretty large so I'm going to say probably not. I also have schoolwork to worry about so frankly without further ado my track-by-track review. Define The Great Line - Underoath In Regards To Myself - 60/100 Kind of wish the ratio of rough to clean vocals was weighted more in the favour of clean vocals because the very few times they're present I think I enjoy them a decent bit. Not to say I don't completely enjoy the rough vocals on this track, I do enjoy that they're still guttural yet pretty easy to understand. Overall, I don't think I'm too crazy about this track but its fine enough. A Moment Suspended In Time - 75/1...

     After the glowing review I gave Sopranos Season 3 , I was hoping that season 4 would lose none of the momentum, I felt like the show was building, but considering the show was always about the characters and their relationships with one another, I should have known better. I'm not saying that this season was bad, it was just that it felt kind of abrupt. This season certainly does tie up some old threads, leaving room for much bigger, more ambitious plans. Though after the way last season ended, it does feel a little surprising that they'd just nip some of the seeds they've set so quickly. I hate to report that I once again took my random mid-season break this time around, and frankly I was not very compelled to come back either. Let's discuss why.     First of all, let's talk about Ralph. Realistically, I'm surprised he made it this long. He had dead man screaming all over him. He was a drug addict, he was pretty unlikeable to many members of not only Tony...

       Jean Dawson has always been one of those mid-tier artists for me when it came to artists whose careers I somewhat follow. Truthfully, this album, CHAOS NOW*, is really the only project by Dawson that I enjoy. His debut album really did not interest me at all, and his other two albums, Pixel Bath  and Glimmer of God , were alright. Nothing has quite managed to scratch that same itch that CHAOS NOW* managed to reel in though. True to it's name, it's a fantastic blend of rock and rap that really highlights the Dawsons multi-genre abilities. Frankly, the most disappointing part of this album was finding out that it's more of a one off rather than a sound that Dawson would have followed up on. Regardless, this album has really grown on me, which is funny because when it first came out I wasn't too interested in it, but eventually I gave it a proper listen a year later and I fell in love. So of course, as a pretty interesting album sonically, at least in my opi...

     Jesus Christ, talk about an elite season of television. I'm going to be honest, this might be my favourite season of The Sopranos  so far. It is that good. At this point the world is just coming to life on it's own, and I could watch them do anything. Which is exactly what happened with Pine Barrens, just watching Paulie and Christopher struggle to stick it out in the middle of a forest in the storm. At one point I took a bit of break, getting through the first couple episodes of the season, then really ramping it up again around episode 6 or 7, and boy was it worth it. It pretty much has everything I wanted, it has good mob drama: Ralphie is introduced as this sort of weirdo wildcard, Christopher is finally a made man, and Jackie Jr. is introduced. It also finally starts to build on the tensions at home that pull Tony apart, whether it be a new goomar or his children. Finally halfway through the show, I will not say that this is it's peak, for all I know it wil...

      I'm going to be honest, this movie was not on my radar at all. I didn't even realize that it was releasing until I had seen SZA post about it. Even still, my sister really wanted to see this movie, and even though I hadn't heard much about it, I went in with an open mind. And honestly, I'm glad I did, I was pleasantly impressed with it. It isn't some game-changing comedy, I don't think I'm fiending for more Keke Palmer and SZA comedies together, but for what it was, a short 90 minute film that has some pretty relatable working class struggles, it was well worth the price of admission.     I'll start off with the two leads holding it down together, SZA and Keke Palmer. At first, you'd be a little skeptical of the fit. Frankly, considering at times it feels like SZA can hardly stay a musician, I'd understand if you have some healthy skepticism about the duo working. Don't get it twisted, Keke Palmer does carry the film a little bit, and h...

      The Sopranos season two is for the most part the same quality television that you've come to expect from watching season one. Would I call it more boring? I suppose depending on your perspective on how TV shows operate it could be disappointing how self-contained it felt. Season 1 had clear ramifications, Tony was almost assassinated, and in one fell swoop he retaliates against his uncle, finally culminating in a satisfying finale where Tony alone sits at the top of the DiMeo family. His uncle basically neutered, his mother in a stroke, and life is good for him. In season two the ramifications of what happened feel more self-contained, Richie joins and dies pretty unceremoniously, Janice does much of the same ultimately leaving for the final episode, and the Big Pussy storyline almost feels cut short when it happens in the very final episode. Not to say that I disliked this season, just to say that I am interested to see what ramifications this season has upon the n...