This is actually the first of two posts I plan on making today, so this one is going to be on the shorter side.
Yesterday, I visited the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, OH. It was a snowy day, so there wasn’t a lot of people walking around, and it was really pleasant. I filmed a vlog when we were there, and I want to share it here!
I really love walking around Zoos and Aquariums, they are some of my favourite places to visit, even when the weather isn’t the best – I still had a good time.
Some highlights of the day include petting the stingrays, watching the sharks swim in the Aquarium and getting to see a Brown Bear up close. What is typically your favourite animal when you visit the Zoo? I’m always looking forward to seeing the sharks, but I really love seeing the Manatees at Columbus as well.
If you’re interested in checking out the Zoo for yourself, you can check out their website here.
Be on the lookout for my snapshot post from my visit in the coming days, I’ll also have a post of Little Red’s Adventures at the Zoo coming as well.
I’m going to do my best to continue sharing my video content on here more often.
If you’re interested in checking out more of my video content, you can find my YouTube Channel here!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and that the coming week is everything you want it to be! I had a fairly good weekend, and just got home from a trip that I took!
Naturally, I’ll be finishing the week as I always do – by rounding up all of the comic books that I added to my collection since last Sunday! I have individual issues and collected editions to share with you this week.
So let’s dive right in!
As always, I’ll start with the individual issues:
Batman #357 Facsimile Edition.
Batman #357 Facsimile Edition. Metallic Variant Cover.
I had to add this one to my collection, as it features the very first introduction of Jason Todd – back when he used to be a circus performer instead of a street kid!
The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #6
The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing. Issue #6. Regular Cover.
The plot continues to thicken as we spend some time with the Joker who had been living in LA.
There’s also a lovely panel of Jason in this issue where he isn’t wearing his jacket, so that was definitely a plus!
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent. Issue #1. Variant Cover by A.L. Kaplan.
I’m really excited for this one – mainly because we’ll be heading back into the Injustice universe!
Dead Boy Detectives #3.
Dead Boy Detectives. Issue #3. Regular Cover.
That’s all for the individual issues this week, so we’ll move on to the collected materials! I’m really happy with the ones I was able to get my hands on this week!
Li’l Gotham: Calendar Daze.
Li’l Gotham: Calendar Daze.
I’ve been looking for this for a while, I just think the art style is so cute! I only picked this up yesterday, so I haven’t had the chance to read it yet – but I am so excited!
Batman Beyond 2.0. Volume 2.
Batman Beyond 2.0. Volume 2: Justice Lords Beyond.
Completed my collection by finding these at a comic book store that I visited over the weekend. I am especially excited about this one because it contains art by Dexter Soy, who is one of my absolute favourite artists!
Dark Nights: Death Metal. Deluxe Edition.
Dark Nights: Death Metal. Deluxe Edition.
I really enjoyed reading through Dark Nights: Metal, so I am looking forward to seeing what the sequel has in store!
Nightwing (Rebirth) Deluxe Edition. Volume 3.
Nightwing (Rebirth) Deluxe Edition. Volume 3.
Last but certainly not least is this. I’ve been looking for this deluxe edition for months now, and I finally came across it at a comic book store yesterday, so I had to grab it!
Nightwing is one of my favourite characters in DC, and I’m really happy to have added this to my collection!
And on that note, that is it for this week’s comic book haul! Did you see anything that you’ve read before?
Do you read comics? Do you have any that you would recommend? If so, I’d love to hear about them!
If you’d like to see more of my nerdy life, you can check out my Instagram and my TikTok! I’m always sharing photos and videos!
Happy Monday! I hope that your week is off to a decent start.
I had meant to get this post out sooner, but things got really hectic for a moment, and I had to put it on the back burner.
Do any of you enjoy visiting Botanical Gardens or Conservatories? I love walking around Botanical Gardens and seeing all of the colourful flowers and plants that they have on display.
One of my favourite Botanical Gardens to visit is Phipps Conservatory. You can check out their website here! I visited there a little while ago, while their Bonsai and Orchid show was going on.
Today I’m going to share some of my favourite snapshots from that visit – I hope you enjoy!
Just as a preface, and for some further information, all of these photos were taken on my iPhone 12 and were edited using the VSCO app.
I adore this display – I think mostly because this is how I would love to spend my days if I could; working on my journal while surrounded by beautiful plants!
The continuation of the photo above. Including some gorgeous Lady’s Slipper Orchids.
This statue is one of my favourite permanent features of Phipps Conservatory. She greets you as you enter the main conservatory building. I think I take a photo of her every time.
Grabbed this photo through the rails of a fence around the display. I love the cute little fruit growing here.
A cute succulent display in a pot from the Desert Room. These succulents are some of my favourites – I’d love to keep some in my study.
As with the statue above, this wall is one of my favourite features at Phipps. The plants kept in the pots changes depending on the exhibit that’s going on, and it’s always interesting to see how they change with each visit.
The way these Orchids are lit up, they remind me of a singing group out on the stage.
The Orchids must have just been misted, as I was able to get this great detail shot of water droplets on the petals. I think this is my favourite of all the photos I took during this most recent visit.
A Calamondin Orange bonsai tree. There was a sign warning everyone that the fruit from the tree is bitter – which makes me wonder if anyone has tried to pick it before?
The last photo I’m going to share is this beautifully formed Chinese Banyan bonsai tree. I absolutely adore the way this tree flows out of the pot and down toward the ground. Like a waterfall formed of leaves and branches.
Do you enjoy looking at Bonsai trees?
And that is it for my snapshots from Phipps Conservatory! I hope you enjoyed the photos that I chose! I tried to pick out a variety that really gives you a taste for how pretty this place is!
If you’re interested in seeing more of my photography, check out my Instagram!
Let me know what else you’d like to see from me, I’m always happy for suggestion!
Thanks again for checking out this post, and until next time, stay nerdy my friends!
This issue has a lot of really good Red Hood/Jason Todd content that we’ve been missing from the run so far! I put a couple of my favourite panels up on my Instagram!
The Riddler: Year One #3.
The Riddler: Year One. Issue #3.
I’ve really been enjoying the glimpse into the Riddler’s character that this run has provided so far, and I’m looking forward to digging into this issue and finding out more.
Tim Drake: Robin #6.
Tim Drake: Robin. Issue 6. Regular Cover.
Tim Drake: Robin #6.
Tim Drake: Robin. Issue 6. Variant Cover by Dan Mora.
I couldn’t resist picking up this variant cover as well, I’m weak for Dan Mora drawing any of the Robins, including Stephanie.
And that’s it for this week’s haul! Did you pick up anything this week that you would recommend? Which is your favourite cover from the ones I picked up!
If you’re interested in more nerdy goodness, you can check out my Instagram and my TikTok!
First things first, my apologies for the delay in getting this post out! The past couple of weeks have been super hectic, so I am getting this out a day late after missing last week entirely. I am sorry about that!
Next thing is next, how was your weekend? Did you get everything done that you wanted to? I certainly hope so. I went to our local Botanical Gardens over the weekend, so expect to see some snapshots from that soon!
And without further ado, let’s get right into the haul!
As per usual, I will start with individual issues and follow up with collected works!
Batman: Beyond the White Knight #6.
Batman: Beyond the White Knight. Issue #6. Regular Cover.
Ticked another issue of this series off my list over the past couple of weeks. I absolutely adore this cover as it features my two favourite comic book characters; Jason Todd (Red Hood) and Dick Grayson (Nightwing).
Batman: Beyond the White Knight #8.
Batman: Beyond the White Knight. Issue #8. Regular Cover.
To follow up the previous issue, I also picked up issue 8 of this series. This is actually the last issue of this storyline. I just love the composition of this cover!
Harley Quinn: Legion of Bats #5.
Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Legion of Bats. Issue #5. Regular Cover.
Another cover that features Nightwing’s butt, which amuses me to no end. I really enjoyed this issue, seeing things unravel for Harley and Ivy; and getting to see some of Dick’s insecurity that is hinted at in season 3 of the show.
(P.S. I really want to see Red Hood appear in this series! I’m continuing to keep my fingers crossed!)
Nightwing #101.
Nightwing. Issue #101. Variant Cover by Jamal Campbell.
Can you believe this is the only copy of Nightwing that I picked up this month? This was the only cover that was really doing anything for me for this issue, I’m always a sucked for Jamal Campbell’s work!
That’s it for this single issues, so time to move on to the collected works.
Dark Nights Metal Omnibus.
Dark Nights Metal Omnibus by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
I’m so excited to have this in my collection. This collects all of the Dark Nights Metal (not Death Metal) storylines into one volume that is in order and easy to read!
Batman Beyond 2.0. Volume 1: Rewired.
Batman Beyond 2.0. Volume 1: Rewired.
I’m relatively new to Batman Beyond media, so I’ve been picking up what I can here and there. I’m looking forward to getting into this one, mostly because of older Dick Grayson, and learning more about Terry McGinnis!
I also love that the cover art is by Sean Murphy who is the main creator behind the White Knight series – some of which are mentioned above!
Batman Beyond 2.0. Volume 3: Mark of the Phantasm.
Batman Beyond 2.0. Volume #3: Mark of the Phantasm.
Came across this at my local comic book store and picked it up. I won’t be able to read it until I find volume 2, but I’m glad to have it in my collection regardless.
And that’s my comic book haul for the last couple of weeks! Some fun stuff that I’m really excited to read.
If you’re interested in following me further, you can check out my Instagram!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Did you do anything fun or exciting? I’ve been working hard on cosplay all weekend, though I did get to enjoy a couple of lunch dates with my wife!
It’s Sunday – which means its time to end the week with another comic book haul! As always, I’ll start with individual issues and then move on to any collected works!
Let’s get to it!
Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #5
Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing. Issue #5. Regular Cover.
I loved this issue! I read it as soon as I got home, we’re finally getting some developments in the mystery of the two Jokers, and we got a lot of Red Hood in this one as well!
Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution.
Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution. Regular Cover.
This is a one shot. It’s interesting to see where DC is heading as Batman vs Robin comes to an end. As always, love getting more Red Hood content.
Poison Ivy #9.
Poison Ivy. Issue #9. Variant Cover by Jessica Fung.
I’ll be honest, I only picked this up for the cover.
Dead Boy Detectives #1
The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives. Issue #1. Regular Cover.
A new series (for me) that I am excited to read. I love horror stories, throw in mystery and you’ve got me hooked! I’m also excited as this is part of the Sandman Universe.
Dead Boy Detectives #2.
The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives. Issue #2. Regular Cover.
Issue 2 of this new series that I’ve picked up. This looks so good and I’m looking forward to getting into it.
That’s it for individual issues! I picked up some fun stuff this week, I’m always happy for more Jason Todd, and I definitely got that this week.
Next, we’ll move onto collected works!
Batman by Grant Morrison: Omnibus Volume 1.
Batman by Grant Morrison: Omnibus Volume 1.
It finally came in! As I mentioned in last week’s haul, this is the volume I was waiting on so I can finally read this run! I’m looking forward to it!
And that’s everything for this week’s haul!
As a note, I may have to post next week’s haul on Monday as I will be attending a convention over the weekend, and I might not have the time to get the post out!
I hope you enjoyed this little haul – have you been reading anything fun recently? Doesn’t have to be a comic book!
I hope you have all had a fantastic weekend, whether you went out, or stayed at home and binged your favourite show!
I’m back again with my comic book haul for the week! This one is relatively small, but there is still some good stuff to see.
As always, we’ll start with the individual issues I picked up, then we’ll move on to collected works such as graphic novels and omnibuses.
With that being said, let’s jump right in!
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding. Part 2.
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding. Part 2. Nightwing vs Hush. Regular Cover.
I’ll start off with a couple of back issues that I picked up from a local half-price bookstore. I have the graphic novel that collects all of the Batman/Catwoman preludes together, but I spotted this and just had to pick it up.
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding. Part 4.
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding. Part 4. Red Hood vs Anarky. Regular Cover.
I couldn’t pick up Nightwing without grabbing Red Hood as well. I just love that he’s swinging a champagne bottle.
Batman: Legends of Gotham.
Batman: Legends of Gotham. Regular Cover.
I’m actually kind of sad that this is a one-shot because I really enjoyed it, but I’m always happy for some good Red Hood action. I absolutely love this cover, the action is so dynamic.
That’s all for the individual issues that I picked up this week, so we’ll move on to the collected works.
Teen Titans (Rebirth). Vol 2: The Rise of Aqualad.
Teen Titans (Rebirth). Volume 2: The Rise of Aqualad. Softcover edition.
My local comic book store had this in, so I picked it up just in case it disappeared again. It’s enjoyable seeing Damian interact with people who aren’t the Bat-Family.
Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus: Volume 2.
Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus: Volume 2.
I ordered all three of the Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus editions from Amazon, and I can’t start reading them until they have all arrived. So naturally only volumes 2 and 3 have showed up so far.
I’m interested to read about Dick Grayson’s stint as Batman, as well as the Dark Knight’s travels through time.
Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus: Volume 3.
Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus: Volume 3.
As mentioned above, I can’t read this until the first volume arrives. I really like the cover on this though, it’s a really cool art piece.
And that’s it for this week’s little comic book haul! Did anything look interesting to you? I’ll be back next week with another!
Happy Friday! I hope you have all had a good week, do you have anything planned for the weekend? I’m going to be working on cosplay and getting ready for Katsucon!
I finished reading The Story Raider by Lindsay A Franklin a couple of days ago, and really enjoyed it. I am working on a more in-depth post about that, but in the mean time, I thought I would share the next book I am reading.
Book 2 of 2023 is The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern.
The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern.
My wife actually picked this up for me at out local half-price bookstore, and it’s been sitting on my shelf for a little while.
From what I know, this is the novelization of the storyline “The Death of Superman” from Action Comics, published in 1992. It also expands on this story and adds information around Superman’s death and return. I’m really excited to get into it.
Below is the blurb from the inside cover:
“On November 18, 1192, the news of Superman’s death stunned the world. The issue of Superman that chronicled the Man of Steel’s final battle with the monster called Doomsday made headlines all over the world and sold four million copies in a matter of days, making it the fastest-selling comic book of all time. No-one suspected at the time that the story of Superman’s death would soon be eclipsed…by the incredible news of his return. Yet in all the excitement and fanfare surrounding the spectacular revelations of Superman’s death – and life – many questions have remained unanswered. Until now. In this new novel Roger Stern – author of the Superman: The Man of Steel Sourcebook and writer for Action Comics, the oldest comic-book series in the world and the longest-running of the four monthly Superman comics – utilizes details available nowhere else to reveal the complete story of the events leading up to Superman’s tragic end and the extraordinary occurrences that followed. Here for the first time is the story behind the story of the cataclysmic battle with Doomsday and the dark days following Superman’s funeral when all the world stood still; of the mysterious Superman sightings in the skies above Metropolis; and of the fate of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Ma and Pa Kent, Justice League America, and the others on involved in this magnificent drama. Here, too, is the truth about the four super beings who simultaneously appeared in the city shortly after the Man of Steel’s death to usher in the Reign of the Supermen, each claiming to be the true last son of Krypton. With never-before-published background material and exploring the story of Superman’s battle with Doomsday, his death, and his return to life on Earth in greater detail and depth than possible in any other form, The Death and Life of Superman offers an exclusive inside look at the man, the legend, and the comics story of the decade.”
I’m really looking forward to reading this, it seems like a good time with my current DC hyperfixation.
I should have the review of the Story Raider up soon, then I will post my thoughts on this one after I’ve finished with it.
Does anyone else enjoy reading comic book novels? I love novelizations of comic books, video games and certain films, I just love reading how the author tells the story that we see in a visual medium.
That’s it for this Book Corner post – until next time, stay nerdy my friends!
I hope you all had an excellent weekend, whether that was relaxing or getting up to something exciting.
I visited my local Natural History Museum over the past weekend, and thought I’d try out something new on my blog. Essentially I am going to take my favourite photos from a day out and compile them into a blog post.
Photos will either be taken with my iPhone 12, or my Olympus Pen E-PL10. I do some light editing for white balance and colour correction using the app VSCO on my phone.
With all that being said – let’s dive right into it!
Just to make things a little easier on myself, I will be posting these in the order that you would see them walking through the Museum.
Dryosaurus (Herbivore) and Ceratosaurus (Carnivore).
First up we have the fossils of an unsuspecting Dryosaurus being hunted by a Ceratosaurus. I really enjoy this display because of the way it so succinctly shows the food chain. The herbivore eating the plant and the carnivore preying on the herbivore.
Allosaurus.
Next up with have the head and neck of an Allosaurus. These guys are more closely related to Velociraptors than larger carnivores like the T-Rex. I enjoy the perspective of this photo thanks to the positioning of the Sauropod in the mural.
Skull of Edmontosaurus with flowers.
Above is the skull of the Edmontosaurus that lays as the prey in the T-Rex display. It’s widely considered that these large herbivores were quite adept at avoiding larger predators such as the Tyrannosaur, but that doesn’t mean some unlucky fellows could not have met the same fate.
I just thought this photo looked quite poignant with the flowers in the foreground.
Tyrannosaur Pair.
The last of my dinosaur snapshots. The Tyrannosaurus pair is probably one of my favourite of the dinosaur displays in the museum. I just really love the staging, with the two facing off over a kill. Which would have been victorious I wonder?
Irish Elk.
Above is the upper skeleton of an Irish Elk. This extinct species is the largest species of deer to have ever roamed the Earth. I love the antlers of this creature, and I love the thought that it influences Irish folklore in some kind of way.
I like this photo because of the shadow the Elk casts across the ceiling. It’s almost spectral in appearance.
A Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed.
This display is from the Hall of Botany, which describes the importance of various ecosystems that can be found in North America.
One such importance is butterflies and their role as pollinators, allowing plants to thrive, and how certain kinds of “weeds” attract butterflies. An example of this is Milkweed, which butterfly larvae like to eat.
I just happen to think that it’s also a really pretty plant.
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sitting on Dogwood flowers.
Another from the Hall of Botany shows a close-up of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sitting on the pretty yellow-white flowers of the dogwood tree. I really like dogwood flowers, they look like the edges have been touched with a small flame.
Red-Shouldered Hawk
From the Hall of North American Wildlife is this Red-Shouldered Hawk, holding a field mouse in its beak. I adore birds of prey, and the plumage on this species is especially pretty.
Peregrine Falcon.
The last part of the Museum that I will be sharing snapshots of is the Hall of Birds.
The first of these Peregrine Falcon, which is actually my favourite species of Bird of Prey. There used to be a family of them that lived on the mountain behind the house I grew up in, and you could catch sight of them every now and again.
Dodo
Dodos have fascinated me for years, and I would love to visit the island of Mauritius to learn more about them. These birds went extinct in 1662, thanks to over hunting and habitat destruction by humans.
Atlantic Puffin and Chinstrap Penguin.
The last photo I’ll be sharing today is this one of an Atlantic Puffin and a Chinstrap Penguin.
Atlantic Puffins are really amusing birds who essentially have no fear, due to having no natural predators. If you haven’t already you should look up Puffin interactions with photographers, it is some of the cutest stuff you will see.
As a nerdy side note, Porgs actually exist in the Star Wars universe because of Puffins being present while some scenes were being filmed. It was then cheaper for the VFX artists to turn them into something else instead of edit them out.
And that’s it for my first snapshot post. I hope to do more of these in the future with other places that I visit, and maybe I’ll try the format to share some convention adventures.
I hope you enjoyed and until next time – stay curious, and nerdy my friends!
Happy Sunday, I hope you all had a good week, and that the weekend has treated you well.
It’s time for another round up of the comic books I picked up this week. We’ll jump right in!
I didn’t pick up any new graphic novels this week, so it is all going to be individual issues – I’m going to start with a couple of back issues that I picked up, then we’ll move onto the new stuff.
Teen Titan (Rebirth): Annual #2.
Teen Titan (Rebirth); Annual Issue #2. Regular Cover.
I’ve only started to read the Rebirth run of Teen Titans where Damian is the Robin of the Teen Titans. I’m not at the point where I can read this, but I thought the cover was really cool, so I picked it.
Red Robin #10.
Red Robin. Issue #10. Regular Cover.
I’m slowly trying to piece together the Red Robin run of comics, so I can learn more about Tim. I found this one at my local comic book store this week, so I grabbed it!
Tim Drake: Robin #1. Variant Cover by Jorge Jiminez.
Tim Drake: Robin. Issue #1. Variant Cover by Jorge Jiminez.
I’ve been looking for this variant cover since DC started printing this series, and I’m so glad that one of my local comic stores still had a copy!
Batman: Beyond the White Knight #5.
Batman: Beyond the White Knight. Issue #5. Regular Cover.
Another series that I’m trying to piece together while I can, as I’ve recently become somewhat obsessed with it. This is the first of 2 issues of this series that I picked up this week.
Batman: White Knight presents: Red Hood. Issue #1.
Batman: White Knight presents: Red Hood. Issue #1. Variant Cover.
The last of the back issues that I picked up this week, this is the first of a 2-part mini spin off that takes place in the White Knight universe.
I will admit that as much as I like Jason Todd in this universe, I really don’t care for his Robin. Her character really just didn’t vibe with me, even if I see what the writers were going for. I also don’t care for them art style of this as much as the rest of the White Knight comics.
Next we’ll get into the new/current releases that I picked up this week.
Batman: Beyond the White Knight #7.
Batman: Beyond the White Knight. Issue #7. Regular Cover.
I won’t be able to read this until I’ve picked up the rest of the issues that I’m missing, but I’m looking forward to it.
Batman – Gotham Knights: Gilded City. Issue #4.
Batman – Gotham Knights: Gilded City. Issue #4. Regular Cover.
Finally Red Hood makes an appearance. I’m really enjoying this tie-in to the video game!
Batman – Gotham Knights: Gilded City. Issue #4.
Batman – Gotham Knights: Gilded City. Issue #4. Variant Cover.
Of course I couldn’t resist the Nightwing variant cover for this issue.
Nightwing. Issue #100.
Nightwing. Issue #100. Variant Cover by Jamal Campbell.
This is the last variant cover for Nightwing #100 that I wanted to pick up, and I’m so glad I was able to find it. I’ll admit that the entire reason I wanted this cover is for Jason Todd and his little white streak. He looks so pretty in Jamal Campbell’s style.
Tim Drake: Robin. Issue #5.
Tim Drake: Robin. Issue #5. Regular Cover.
And that’s it for this week’s comic book round up. I’m always looking for new things to read, so if you have any recommendations based on what you see here, I’d love to see them!
White Elorda’s Nerdy Lifestyle Blog 