Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every weekend.

BOOKS

Morgan Matson Book 6 (goodreads)

Morgan recently released the title of her upcoming book as well as a release date. Take Me Home Tonight will be out May 4, 2021. We know it takes place all in one night, and revolves around a friendship. Morgan has described it as Adventures in Babysitting meets Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist so it sounds like it is going to be fun.

The cover and other details should be revealed soon-ish so I'll share them once they are available.

Cover of Lore by Alexandra Bracken (goodreads)

I did not know much about this book until I saw this attention grabbing cover.

Amazing right? It immediately draws your eye and stands out. The book, obviously, involves Greek mythology and the cover perfectly captures that. I am looking forward to this now and am so glad it came to my attention because of this amazing cover.

TV/MOVIES

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 trailer

I loved season one of this show so much. I love the dysfunctional family dynamic mixed with superpowers vibe that it has got going on.

This trailer makes it look like we're in for the same great combo of incredible action with some great humour. I hope we get just as much focus on the family bonds as we did in the first season. This show works because we care about the characters so I hope that is continued.

Lucifer Season 5 trailer

It was just announced that Lucifer will be getting a sixth and final season which made me really excited. I was even more excited when they released the trailer for the upcoming season. 

The fact that they are willing to spoil the twin reveal means that it is probably not a secret for long which I am happy about. This trailer makes me confident that they can pull off another great season that is comparable to the fantastic fourth season and I cannot wait to end the summer with this.

 What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every weekend.

BOOKS

Cover of Christina Lauren's In A Holidaze (goodreads)

This is the first book that Christina Lauren has written that is set during the holidays and I was super excited to see how cute the cover is!

This is perfect for the holidays. It's bright and cheerful in the way that you associate with that time of year. I predict many people will be enjoying it as a means to destress after holiday shopping.

TV/MOVIES

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Release Date Announcement

I loved season one of Umbrella Academy and have been eagerly awaiting news on when season two would be released. Netflix just recently shared this adorable video that announces the release date as July 31!

Those have watched the first season will recognize that they are sort of recreating the iconic dance scene that uses the same song. It's perfect and I love this cast.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

The Umbrella Academy: Volume 2 by Gerard Way

The Umbrella Academy: Volume 2 by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá, and James Jean
Release Date - September 16, 2009
Publisher Website - Dark Horse Comics

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  192 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**borrowed from library**

** Spoilers For Volume One ** 

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The team is despondent following the near apocalypse created by one of their own and the death of their beloved mentor Pogo. So it's a great time for another catastrophic event to rouse the team into action. Trouble is - each member of the team is distracted by some very real problems of their own. The White Violin is bedridden due to an unfortunate blow to the head. Rumor has lost her voice - the source of her power. Spaceboy has eaten himself into a near-catatonic state, while Number Five dives into some shady dealings at the dog track and the Kraken starts looking at his littlest brother as the key to unraveling a mysterious series of massacres… all leading to a blood-drenched face-off with maniacal assassins, and a plot to kill JFK

I was eager to dive into the second volume of The Umbrella Academy after thoroughly enjoying the first one and devouring the Netflix television show. Sadly, some of the things I loved about the first volume felt missing in this follow up. I wanted more character stuff and instead got a plot heavy story that didn't quite connect with me in the same way.

The art of Gabriel Ba, once again. captures the imagination. It is bright, vivid, and done in way that matches the comedic and violent elements of the story Gerard Way has written. They work together with the art enriching the story. The panels scream out for you to linger and examine them and is one of the highlights of this volume.

Vayna had something really traumatic happen to her at the end of the first volume. I anticipated and looked forward to that being dealt with or addressed in some way. Sadly, Vanya gets very little mention in this installment. We don't deal with the fallout of what she did to Rumor or what was done to Vanya. It felt like a lost opportunity to deepen the relationship between the characters and a major plot point that was just left hanging without any real payoff (at least in this installment).

Luthor (Spaceboy)'s plot is mainly used to highlight how awful he feels and for some laughs. Klaus (Seance) gets some more to do but it doesn't quite feel fleshed out enough. Number Five gets a large part of the story arc and it really works when focusing on those parts. The plot involving the assassination of John F. Kennedy is, I felt, the strongest part of this story arc. I just wish the plot had given us some character moments. I didn't feel the sibling connection the way I did in the first one and I missed it. A large part of what I love about this comic is the Hargreeves siblings and I want to see them interact and have conversations in ways that matter.

The addition of Hazel and Cha Cha was delightfully fun. I loved them as much as I did in the Netflix series. They're larger than life, vivid characters who offer comic relief and the type of antagonist that works for the tone of the overall story. Their sugar obsession is just one of the many things I loved about them. They're fun villains in a story that needs its villains to be as fun as its heroes.

This is a rare case where I think the adaptation has surpassed the source material. I can appreciate them both for what they are but the television show focuses on the character development instead of just running with a plot at breakneck speed. I predict many will love this comic more than I did, but while I found the plot engaging enough, I was left wanting more from the other elements of the story.

The Umbrella Academy: Volume 1 by Gerard Way

The Umbrella Academy: Volume 1 by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá, and James Jean
Release Date - July 22, 2008
Publisher Website - Dark Horse Comics

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  184 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**borrowed from friend**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world."

These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.

Collecting: The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite 1-6, as well as out-of-print short stories and an expanded sketchbook section featuring work by Gabriel Bá, James Jean, and Gerard Way

I am still rather new to reading graphic novels, comics, and manga. I have only just begun to dip my toes in and am still learning the differences between them. I typically am nudged to take the plunge by others or jump in out of curiosity when a show or movie is announced. I decided to read the first volume of The Umbrella Academy because of the Netflix show but, much like my foray into graphic novels and manga, I discovered I really liked this media of storytelling as well.

Superhero stories are something I enjoy. Superheroes with family baggage are even better. The Umbrella Academy takes these kids who grew up being superheroes and examines the trauma that might come with that. They are a thrown together 'family' that feels more like kids put together in a boarding school at times. It makes their connections more interesting and alters the dynamics. They are the closest thing they all have to having someone who can understand what they are going theough even when it gets complicated between them.

The first volume of this story builds the world that these characters inhabit. It also begins to show the reader who these characters are and their various bonds. Reviewing one of these from the perspective of someone who usually reviews books feels strange. It feels like reviewing part of a book even though there is a complete story with this volume. There is so much more character development to be done in future volumes that the story feels incomplete. It doesn't quite feel like a book series but it is close.

I am a fan Gabriel Bá's art style. It suits the world being created and fits the tone of the story. I felt that the story idea and artwork blended together perfectly to convey what the various creators wanted it to. The characters are also wonderfully crafted. The creation of these characters is equal parts the artwork and the story on the page. The White Violin is particularly striking visually and I love how she was drawn.

I enjoyed the story arc set out in this first volume of The Umbrella Academy and all the family dysfunction it possesses. I am eager to continue my journey with the Hargreeves family and see where the story takes me. It also made me even more excited to check out the Netflix show as I see a lot of potential from this first volume.