Geek Out

Writing Brain Dump: August 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Friday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another writing brain dump. I’m still going through a mountain of edits with my own work, and I’ll share more of that in the coming months. The “Ber” season draws near. The “Ber” season refers to all months ending in “ber.” These are the months I pour more work into my fiction, poetry, and essays. Yes! I love this time of year. Can’t wait. Until then, I’ll leave you with some musings on writing hooks. By my count, each novel has two hooks: an external hook and an internal hook. We’ll discuss these two hooks and why I believe romance may be the best genre to read for crafting an internal hook.

The Two Types of Writing Hooks

Like I said, there are two types of writing hooks: an external and an internal hook. While external hooks are the ones that get readers through the door, internal hooks keep readers going. Let’s use Dungeon Crawler Carl as an example. Dungeon Crawler Carl’s external hook is “A dude in his skivvies and magic toe ring traverses an intergalactic dungeon with his talking cat who hurls magic missiles.” Cool! I love this hook by Matt Dinniman. I reached for this book at the store because of its bonkers premise. External hooks can vary wildly. These are the hooks that need to stand out and grab your readers. But I finished Dungeon Crawler Carl because of its internal hook: I cared about Carl and his talking wizard cat Princess Donut. While external hooks vary, typically, internal hooks revolve around the reader caring for a story’s characters. We need to feel a connection.

While writers should read the genre they intend to write, I believe every writer can benefit from reading romance novels/stories. I don’t know when I cared about Carl and Princess Donut. I gave Dungeon Crawler Carl (and I do the same for stories with great external hooks) more leeway because the book had more to share than “do I care about the characters.” For me, I tend to side with vulnerable characters. Since this is the case, I connected with Carl early on. Princess Donut gaining the ability to talk made her instantly likeable as well, but I’m a cat person. I was going to side with the cat whether she talked or not, but I will say that Princess Donut shined more as a character toward the end. She showed that she cared for Carl. She says as much. I’m sold. But I give romance novels/stories less time, and that’s because of the kinds of romantic hooks.

Why Writers Should Read Romance

Often, a romance novel/story internal hook and external hook are the same. If they aren’t, a romance novel’s external hook doesn’t tend to be as thick as other genres. This makes pinpointing the moment you care about the characters easier to do. I might give Dungeon Crawler Carl a good twenty to thirty pages for its characters to grow on me. I’m not as generous with romance novels/stories. If the main thing is the relationship between two characters, I need to care for these characters as soon as possible. Because of this, I may never write romance. I’m too scared. Every writer swims. Romance writers swim with fewer garments. Eek!

But this makes romance novels/stories easier to read for the craft of writing. I should be able to see how and why a romance writer gets me to care about their characters. Or how and why they fail to do so. I don’t read a ton of romance. If you don’t intend to write romance, I don’t suggest reading a lot of romance either. But if you’re struggling with getting your readers to care about your characters, sprinkle in some romance to your to-be-read pile. Typically, every seventh or eighth book I read is a romance or has strong romantic elements. Reading romance novels can help writers find their internal hooks. These are the hooks that make your reader finish your novel. External hooks are only half the battle.

And I figured I’d mention romance novels and internal hooks this month because I’ve been meeting up with my various writing groups again. After all, Ber Season is right around the corner. Many of my fellow writers–at least the writers in my writing groups–look down at romance. Sure, romance has been a top three genre for most of the past fifty years. It’s a popular genre. Perhaps the most popular genre for about half a century, but that doesn’t mean one should discount popular books.

Perhaps it’s the fact that romance novels/stories put their internal hooks (make the reader care about the characters) near the surface that makes them popular. My internal hook theory is one possibility. There could be plenty more, like the promise of a happy ending. Writers delivering on a promise (with the readers) can be powerful. One shouldn’t deride romance because it’s popular. Since romance is so popular, one should study how and why it has popularity.

That’s my writing brain dump for this month. I should have more progress to report next month (Septem”ber”). Woot! Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Watching: August 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been watching over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching over the past month because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get the post started with what I’ve been watching over the last month.

Kyra’s Movies

Netflix has some true crime documentaries that are wild, and then there’s Maternal Instinct. This may be the most bizarre true crime doc on the streaming giant. Maternal Instinct follows the actions of Taylor Parker. Before the events of this documentary and Parker’s crimes, Parker had two prior children. She wanted a third. Fun fact: Parker had a hysterectomy. She couldn’t get pregnant, but that didn’t stop her from catfishing her fiancé.

Yeah. Maternal Instinct gets strange. Throughout the documentary, I thought she must have had a mental illness. The doc briefly explained she has frontal lobe dysfunction, frontal lobe syndrome, which can cause cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. But like I said, Maternal Instinct glosses over this fact. Parker would get caught and go to trial. Her legal team didn’t use the not guilty by means of insanity plea. That makes sense. Most insanity pleas get denied. To date, only two people in the United States have ever received a not guilty verdict by means of insanity: one of them is Ed Gein. And in terms of how over-the-top it gets, Taylor Parker’s story sounds a lot like Gein’s.

So, Parker catfishes her fiancé, making him think she’s pregnant. She orders pregnant belly bumps from Amazon. She even springs for one that simulates a baby kicking. But at some point, she’s going to have to “produce” a baby. Months before she “became pregnant,” Parker served as a photographer at Reagan Simmons Hancock’s wedding. The two formed a bond and hung out every month or two after the wedding. Parker knew Hancock was pregnant soon after her wedding. Hancock’s pregnancy coincided with Parker’s fictitious due date. Well, Parker missed her “due date” by a couple of weeks. So, Parker YouTubed how to perform a C-section, drove to Hancock’s house, killed her, and took the baby still inside her womb.

Yikes! Parker’s case is bizarre. I don’t know if I’ve seen a more upsetting Netflix true crime documentary than Maternal Instinct. It’s up there with the most disturbing. But that makes me wonder. If Parker’s defense team chose to plead not guilty by means of insanity, would she have been the third person in United States history to do so? But Maternal Instinct glosses over Parker’s mental impairment. It didn’t factor into the trial. But I say that Parker’s case reminds me of Gein’s because she did things out in the open, in broad daylight. She pretended she “miscarried” the baby she cut from Hancock’s womb. She had to know a doctor would examine her. Her hysterectomy would be in her medical chart. Yikes! Just yikes.

I’m a sucker for small-market professional sports teams, so I follow the Portland Trail Blazers quite a bit. The “Jail Blazers” of the early 2000s were one of the most intriguing teams of that era. They came dangerously close to winning an NBA championship, challenging the Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers. I put the name “Jail Blazers” in quotes because the few members of the team who got in trouble with the law got caught with marijuana possession, which is now legal in Portland. “Jail Blazer” is a harsh term. Even at the time, I wondered if one of Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, or Damon Stoudemire had done anything worse than getting caught with weed. I did like how Untold: Jail Blazers showed the Dave Chappelle clip lampooning Wallace and Stoudemire getting pulled over by the cops. That clip is iconic.

Untold: Jail Blazers was eye-opening. I had no idea what happened to Damon Stoudemire after his encounter with the police that night. Afterwards, they raided Stoudemire’s house. Stoudemire is from the area, and still, Portland treated him like an outsider. Portland was unkind to the trio of players who brought excitement to the Pacific Northwest. They all but chased them out of town, not in small part because the young basketball stars had houses in predominantly white neighborhoods. Untold: Jail Blazers shows these young Trail Blazers as young. They made mistakes because they were young. Some of those “mistakes” of the early 2000s wouldn’t be mistakes today. And yet, the name “Jail Blazer” persists.

Before watching Untold: Jail Blazers, I used to refer to the early 2000s Portland Trail Blazers by that moniker: “Jail Blazers.” I did so out of affection. I never thought they were “Jail Blazers.” The term was a shorthand for remembering a stellar young team that had all the tools to win an NBA championship but fell just short. After watching Untold: Jail Blazers, I won’t refer to the early 2000’s Portland Trail Blazers by that moniker. Stoudemire, Wells, Wallace, and Zach Randolph deserve better. Fortunately, Portland has celebrated its early 2000s team. I don’t blame Rasheed Wallace for refusing an offer to return.

X-Men 97 Season 2 A Force to Be Reckoned With Jubilee

Kyra’s Show

I won’t go into too much detail with X-Men ’97. Season and I have been reviewing the series as it airs. I will say that X-Men ’97 is the definitive X-Men adaptation. While I liked the first season, X-Men ’97’s second season is stellar. Some of the best storytelling in animation. It’s a love letter to the original X-Men: Animated Series. Whenever Geekly does another Top 10 Animated Shows based on Comic Books List, X-Men ’97 will be near the top. I’m calling it now.

Those are the shows and movies I’ve seen this past month. Let’s see what Skye has been watching.

Skye’s Movies

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure has been on my radar for a while. Recently, I inherited a hefty chunk of time to watch whatever I wanted, so I finally took initiative and watched Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. Overall, I’d call Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure “lovably goofy.” It’s a nice combination of creative, wacky, sentimental, and mysterious that you don’t find in most other kid’s films. Only once the credits started rolling did I notice I had never stopped smiling, and that’s a sign the movie’s doing something right. While it’s not a film that’ll blow your mind, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure is still a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

I’ve had my eye on the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk. Put simply: every year, 50 young men from all 50 U.S. states are selected to participate in a challenge where they’re forced to walk or die. Setting aside the physical impossibility of being forced to walk nonstop for days on end, I found myself invested in the relationships that formed among the walkers onscreen. While some participants were more competitive, others tried forming bonds with their fellow man and make the most of the situation they were forced into. I’m still hung up on the technicalities of The Long Walk, but the film itself portrays brotherhood and companionship in a special way.

I’ve seen Labyrinth several times, but during my time in surgery recovery I was feeling nostalgic. Luckily, I had films like Labyrinth to scratch that itch. Specifically, an itch for something familiar, creative, and odd. It also helped that I ate peaches when I decided to watch it. If you’ve seen Labyrinth, you know what I mean. Even if many of the details about the film don’t add up, Labyrinth is still a movie that offers children an endless supply of food for their imaginations, classic Jim Henson puppetry, unique scenarios, and David Bowie. That last one is very important. If you haven’t seen Labyrinth in a while, pop it in again to relive those memories; and if you haven’t seen it at all, then you’ve got some homework for this weekend.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are the movies and shows our writers have been watching this past month. Let us know what you’ve been watching, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Superhero Theme Board Games

Top 5 Superhero Board Games

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 list, and this one’s a little bit of an update. I shared a similar list over a decade ago. Yikes! It may be time for an updated list. Board games fall in and out of favor, and a decade is a long time for a board game. I’ll share a game’s previous rank in parentheses to show how far a game fell or rose over the past decade. Thousands of new board games are released each year and plenty of them have superheroes as their theme. Let’s see which games made our list of Top 5 Superhero Board Games.

Honorable Mention: DC Deck Building Game & Marvel Legendary (Previously #2)

During the deck builder boom, the superhero game genre saw a ton of deckbuilding games. Every board game theme saw a ton of deckbuilding games. Heck, I backed a Care Bears Deck Building Game last year. Eek! And of course, Marvel and DC Comics received the deckbuilding treatment. Both games have their strengths, weaknesses, and supporters, who will rough you up if you say the wrong thing about their game of choice. For me, I prefer Marvel Legendary’s flow. It held our second spot over a decade ago, but recently, I’ve played Marvel Legendary with 5-players, and never again. It’s borderline unplayable. The DC Deck Building Game offers more of a story. Players feel like they’re playing as a character, but the rules can get clunky.

Again, I prefer Marvel Legendary’s flow, but DC Deck Building Game presents a fun alternative with more of a story.

Honorable Mention: The Reckoners

The Reckoners didn’t quite make the list for one simple reason. I have yet to play it. I’ve watched demos and caught others playing this game, so I know it’s a good one. The Reckoners even has a great score on BoardGameGeek. I had to mention this simultaneous play, fast-action romp of a game. But I haven’t personally played The Reckoners. I could easily see this dice chucking game claim one of the top five spots in the coming years.

One last note before we get started. We’re not including games with a superhero theme if they’re part of a system that didn’t originate with superheroes as its theme. So, systems like Unmatched, which have plenty of superhero options, won’t make the list. And other games like a Marvel Monopoly or 5-Minute Marvel or even a Marvel Codenames, won’t make the list. Funnily enough, that would disqualify Marvel Legendary. The Legendary series of deckbuilding games began with horror franchises like Alien and Predator, which are fantastic by the way.

5: Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition (Previously #1)

Honestly, Sentinels of the Multiverse may have been our number one over a decade ago, but if it wasn’t for a definitive edition, it may have dropped to an honorable mention. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the original, but the original Sentinels had a lot of glut. Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition trims the fat and even fixes some rules issues. Sentinels still offers a unique gaming experience. It’ll always hold a special place for me. But if I’m playing Sentinels, I prefer the Definitive Edition.

The quality of life changes make all the difference. Reminder tokens are just the tip of the iceberg. If you have yet to purchase Sentinels and you’ve always wanted a copy, I’d buy the Definitive Edition. It accomplishes what its name suggests.

4: Batman: Gotham City Chronicles

Relive some of Batman’s most iconic stories with Batman: Gotham City Chronicles. This game’s asymmetric play (the villain player’s turn differs drastically from the hero players’ turns) is a joy. Hero players use dice to control their characters. I like a good dice chucker, and playing as a hero in Batman: Gotham City Chronicles is a fun dice chucker. But I love how the villains’ turn works. The player controlling the villains controls them with a villain deck and an ever-shifting river of villain tokens in the “River.” Activated villains during a turn move to the end of the river, and the further down a villain is from the front of the river, the more action points it costs to activate the villain. This takes careful playing by the villain player. While you could activate Joker on turn one (typically, he begins at the end of the river), it may serve the villain player best to activate a different villain. Maybe Harley Quinn.

Character models are ripped straight from comic book panels. Batman: Gotham City Chronicles even offers a website with uploaded content to take your game further. Is there a new Batman tale you’d like to relive? There may be a fan-created or even a Monolith-designed campaign for that story. Batman: Gotham City Chronicles is a blast to play, but it may be one of the more difficult games to acquire from this list.

3: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures: City Fall and Change is Constant

While I just praised Batman: Gotham City Chronicles for its asymmetric play, Gotham City Chronicles took a lot of inspiration from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past. The game began to show its age, so IDW updated Shadows of the Past with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures series. Both boxes are standalone games, but you can combine the two for double the heroes in a half shelf fun.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures edges out Gotham City Chronicles because it lowers the barrier of entry by just enough to make the game more accessible. TMNT Adventures is by no means a simple game. It offers almost as many story options as Gotham City Chronicles, and you can even customize your heroes, taking advantage of a map’s terrain. I’ve played the opening scenario for this game numerous times and love it. I’ve never progressed that far in the game’s story. I may need to rally my gaming group to finish a campaign.

2: Marvel Champions: The Card Game

Spoiler alert: Marvel takes the top two spots in this list. I can see people flipping the two games at the top of this list. Some will like Marvel Champions more than the next title, but I like the next title slightly more than Marvel Champions. Clearly, both opinions are valid. The two games top this list. I love Marvel Champions’ inclusion of alter ego play. I rarely see superhero-themed games include anything about alter egos. When you play Spider-Man in Marvel Champions, you’ll have to balance his exploits as Spidey and finish his homework as Peter Parker. Brilliant!

Since Marvel Champions is a living card game by Fantasy Flight Games, it offers plenty of story and deck customization. I’d advise players to become familiar with Marvel Champions’ base rules before fiddling with deck construction, but that is another option. If I didn’t go all in with Marvel United (our next entry), I may have done the same with Marvel Champions. My only concern is that I rarely feel like I’m doing what the card says. Usually, I’ll say to my teammate that I have X-amount of blue, and they’ll respond with I have a X-amount of green, and we’ll deal with threats based on color/number. Despite this, Marvel Champions is a lot of fun and deserving of the second or even top spot.

1: Marvel United/United Game System

I love Marvel United. It edges out Marvel Champions for me because it’s easier to onboard players and remember how to play the game. Few games on this list can boast that. I’ve played a lot of Sentinels of the Multiverse, but I’d have to refer to the rules a few times if I were to break out the game again. Marvel Champions has a ton of fiddly rules. I don’t need to do consult the rulebook with Marvel United. The graphic design is perfect. You could look at the symbols and guess what the game wants you to do. Other games on this list function like modern video game consoles in that one must log in, download software, and register products before playing a game, while Marvel United is plug-and-play.

And Marvel United happens to be our only game system on this list, but the system originated with the superhero theme. DC Super Heroes United releases later this year (hopefully), so we should get the chance for some awesome crossover battles between Marvel and DC Comics. Even though CMON Games has yet to announce another follow-up series, my guess would be Star Wars United. That’d be dope. Regardless of which direction the United Game System takes, the United System offers countless hours of play. The only issue I have with this game is that I never know who I want to play. I have so many characters. I placed everyone into a randomizer.

That’s Geekly’s list of the Top 5 superhero-themed board games. We’ll have to see what changes in the next ten years or so. Let us know your favorite superhero-theme board game in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: August 15, 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News.

Whisperwood is a bag-building game for 2-4 players of druids harnessing the power of the elements and the natural world to restore a forest. Each round players simultaneously summon magical energy in the form of tokens and plan the incantations they will perform. The players then perform their incantations in turn order, restoring air, water and earth, partnering with wildlife, inscribing runes and awakening the Guardian Golems to perform magical tasks. The land is strewn with corruption and the druids must absorb and purify this corruption to heal the forest – but take on too much corruption and your magical abilities will be compromised!

Thank you, Cardboard Alchemy, for the description. Whisperwood had me at bag building. The game’s production (above is a picture of Whisperwood’s prototype…just the prototype) has me sold. Publisher Cardboard Alchemy has a good track record (Flamecraft and Creature Comforts, anyone?). So, Whisperwood is definitely on my radar. At first, I thought Whisperwood was a cooperative game, but I may like it more as a competitive game. The tiles look amazing. Their irregular shape could yield some interesting maps (if Cardboard Alchemy intends to keep tiles in its final product). I’m a sucker for simultaneous action selection. It doesn’t have the hectic nature of real-time, but it still speeds up play. Whisperwood offers pledges between $99-$249. If you’re interested in Whisperwood, check out its KickStarter page.

The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives Launches on KickStarter

In The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives, players serve as Evaluation Commissioners within B.A.R. Playing solo or as a group, they open classified dossiers, examine physical evidence, compare conflicting testimonies, decode hidden information, and reconstruct the lives of individuals known as Signators, each connected to an anomalous event. No game master is required.

Across seven interconnected cases, players must issue binding rulings: who remains human, who has become Altered, and what must be contained. Branching choices and blind-bag token management carry the consequences of each ruling into later cases, while containment breaches are resolved through tactical card play. To win the campaign, the commissioners must resolve the linked investigations and contain the final threat shaped by their accumulated decisions.

Thank you, Tin Universe, for the description. I haven’t seen a deduction/mystery board game with as much hype as The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives in decades. It’s been a while. Many of my favorite influencers have been promoting The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives. Personally, I love the fusion of Sci-Fi and Mystery. Yes, please. Mrs. Geekly is a huge Clue (Cluedo) fan, so I may need to pick up a copy. The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives offers pledges in the range of $56-$238. If you’re interested in Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives, check out its KickStarter page.

My Boardgame Logbook Launches on KickStarter

I love the idea of My Boardgame Logbook. I struggle to keep track of which boardgames I play, so My Boardgame Logbook is a nice addition to my boardgame library. Haven’t played a game in a long while? My Boardgame Logbook will show which games you’ve played the most and least over the past several years. I feel a purge coming. Can you feel it? But My Boardgame Logbook goes one step further. You can catalogue each play of your boardgames. With this book you can say without a doubt that one member of your gaming group wins a particular game more than anyone else. Look at the scoreboard.

While I like the idea of logging in game scores, I’m more interested in logging the games themselves. My Boardgame Logbook may be a good tool to determine which games should stay in rotation and which need to leave. My Boardgame Logbook offers multiple pledge levels $13 to $313. You’re sure to find the perfect logbook for your games. If you’re interested in My Boardgame Logbook, check out its KickStarter page.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns Releases

The legendary medieval strategy adventure has returned – enhanced for a new generation of knights. Conquer provinces, raise armies, storm castles, and influence the balance of power through bold strategy and action moments.

The classic Defender of the Crown video game series returns. The series is known for being obtuse (difficult to learn controls and win conditions), and while Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns addresses this issue, the game is still difficult to get into but offers a wealth of strategic goodness. Can you lead your knights to victory? Find out in Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns, available on PC.

Rivage Releases

Rivage is an immersive sci-fi puzzle adventure set aboard the A.R.E.S. space station trapped in a space phenomenon. Wake up as Miranda, forced to explore, solve intricate puzzles to unravel the fate of your missing crew.

Ah! Rivage returns to the roots of a walking simulator. I don’t know if the publisher/developer would think that was a diss, but it so isn’t from me; I even shared a list of great dark walking simulators (I love this genre of game). Miranda is trapped on a space station and must solve intricate puzzles to find her missing crew. Yes, please. I immediately wishlisted Rivage on Steam. This looks like an indie hit Geekly covers. Let us know if you’d like a review. Rivage is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Duskfade Releases

Shatter the shackles of time as you jump, swing, and slash through a fantastic world in this love letter to classic 3D action platformers. Zirian, accompanied by his mechanical Cuckoo, must save his sister from a mysterious Clock Tower that has plunged the land into eternal night.

Platformer video games are not dead. Games like Duskfade prove this to be the case. I love the premise, the action portrayed in the images and videos I’ve seen, and the fact that Duskfade is a world in perpetual night. Duskfade is another game I immediately wishlisted on Steam. But you may not need to wait that long. Duskfade is offering a 20% discount for the next two weeks. Duskfade is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.

Servant of the Lake Releases

Begin your new job as a servant at the mysterious Vanderboom estate. Solve puzzles, serve the family and uncover their dark alchemical secrets in Servant of the Lake, a single-player point-and-click adventure in the Rusty Lake series.

Servant of the Lake is yet another puzzle-heavy video game, and I’m loving it. Servant of the Lake has received great reviews. I can see it. This is another great entry in the Rusty Lake series. Automatic wishlist. Servant of the Lake gives me mad King’s Quest vibes and I’m here for it. I love that indie games have taken over the video game landscape. I hope more game like Servant of the Lake can dominate sales. Servant of the Lake is available on PC.

That’s all the Geek News we have for this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest” Review

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a review/reaction of X-Men ’97’s season two finale, “Survival of the Fittest.” If you want to read our view of last week’s episode “The Dead Man’s Hand,” check out this link. We’ll only discuss this week’s episode, “Survival of the Fittest.” I’ll kick off this review with my thoughts.

Kyra’s Take

“Survival of the Fittest” does a great job of tying up enough major story threads for X-Men ’97 season two and introducing new threads to explore next season–and next season looks to be another doozy. Obviously, we’ll have spoilers for “Survival of the Fittest.” You’ve been warned. If I’m being honest, I nodded along with the first half of “Survival of the Fittest.” The episode played out like a checklist of the story threads that needed to be concluded. “Survival of the Fittest” began like a workman episode. But X-Men ’97 season two’s finale hit its stride with its second half. Raising the stakes (Rogue striking a deal with the same Celestial that gave Apocalypse his power and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice) made all the difference.

Before I commit to jumping to “Survival of the Fittest’s” second half, let’s discuss the episode’s first half. I like the symmetry to X-Men -97’s second season. The season began with Apocalypse and the Celestial, and it ended with Apocalypse and the Celestial. Clean and tidy. X-Force and X-Factor joined forces and fought against the X-Men. This made sense. The two groups’ goals aligned, and underneath this partnership, one could see the American government distrust Charles Xavier and his X-Men–something that will rear its head during “Survival of the Fittest’s” mid-credit scene (more on that in a bit). The audience was even treated to a Gambit-X-Men reunion before Cable shoots Gambit, allowing Apocalypse to take over Remy. This felt inevitable.

Honestly, I could see this outcome a mile away, but that’s a good thing. “Survival of the Fittest” did a great job of setting up this ending. Once Gambit loses consciousness and Apocalypse assumes complete control, X-Men ’97 hints at The Huntsman storyline I mentioned a few weeks ago. Again, this was expected but in a good way. I’d wager most of the audience hasn’t read The Huntsman/Weapon XII. For those of us who have, X-Men ’97 did a good job adapting elements of this story to the second season’s finale. My favorite moments during “Survival of the Fittest’s” first half were the reveal of the Celestial ship, and Cable fighting his parents, uttering the line “Have you met my parents?” Priceless.

I didn’t know how X-Men ’97 season 2 could top Magneto’s death in the middle of this season. The middle of this season? Wow! Magento’s been out of commission for half a season. Nothing could beat the shock of Apocalypse disintegrating the Master of Magnetism. And “Survival of the Fittest” didn’t try to match that moment. Rogue and Gambit are star-crossed lovers. “Survival of the Fittest” set up a scenario where Rogue would have to sacrifice herself for Gambit. The story demanded it. It looked as if the episode delivered on this promise, but after Rogue saved Gambit, she didn’t die. X-Men ’97 had one more trick up its sleeve. Nightcrawler substituted himself for his sister. Brilliant and heartbreaking. I should’ve seen this coming, but that’s what makes X-Men ’97 such a good series. It takes risks, it lulls viewers into one reality, and subverts expectations.

Season won’t take this ending well; she’s a self-proclaimed Nightcrawler fangirl. But this move makes sense for Nightcrawler’s story arc and character. X-Men ’97 has been building Rogue and Nightcrawler’s sibling relationship over two seasons. Nightcrawler would sacrifice himself so his sister could have a chance at love. This sacrifice is what makes Nightcrawler who he is. This sacrifice is what makes someone like Season a Nightcrawler fangirl. He’s awesome. We all know it. And I didn’t prepare Season before she watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I just told her to have the tissues ready. After Magneto’s death, she was ready for anything. Anything except this. Again, I love how X-Men ’97 keeps viewers on their toes.

Season three looks to be another banger. The mid-credits scene shows Graydon Creed becoming President of the United States. Yes, the same Graydon Creed reintroduced during “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Mystique’s other son, Graydon Creed. And we catch a glimpse of Mystique grabbing her file during this scene. I didn’t realize we hadn’t seen Mystique in an X-Men ’97 episode. Two seasons of the show, and this is the first time we meet her. This goes to show the X-Men ’97 cast’s depth. Season Two featured a fair amount of Summers’ family drama. I’m down for Season Three featuring Mystique-Rogue-Graydon Creed drama. After all, The X-Men’s greatest enemy may be humanity.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest.” Season hasn’t yet watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I’m sure she’ll have thoughts and may write down her take in a future post. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Reading, Geekly: August 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been reading over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading over the past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started by sharing what I’ve been reading this past month.

Dungeon Crawler Carl Book Cover

Kyra’s Fiction

I’ve been catching up with various novels I started but never finished. Dungeon Crawler Carl is one of those novels. Yep! I may need to lower the number of novels I begin at once. I should’ve read Dungeon Crawler Carl straight through. Like The House in the Cerulean Sea, I picked up Dungeon Crawler Carl’s sequel, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario. Dungeon Crawler Carl is dumb fun. I can see why it has a massive following. Sometimes, you just want to laugh. I love Princess Donut. She’s a talking Persian cat who can fire off Gandalf-level magic missiles. The dungeon’s bosses are puns in the best possible way. I belly laughed during Carl and Donut’s fight with The Juicer, a roided out lizard man. “I’m proud of you, bro,” he said. “You fought through the pain.”

Dungeon Crawler Carl reminded me that writing and reading can be fun. Does it have a larger message to share? Probably not. I’m sure some readers will find some meaning in the text, but that doesn’t matter. This is a fun book, and I hope, a fun series, because I intend to read the next novel in the series. It also doesn’t hurt that Princess Donut is a tortoise shell Persian. My cat, Cinder, was the exact same breed and coloring. And if Cinder had magical powers and could talk, she’d most likely sound like Princess Donut. Donut is my queen.

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com Book Cover

I said that this past month featured numerous finished novels that I started earlier, and I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com continues that trend. This one didn’t stick the landing. I loved the earlier three-quarters of the novel, but quickly remembered why I put down the book: the sex scenes. I still marvel at how well Lemming writes sex scenes. I don’t know if I could pull off scenes like hers. And I had fun with these scenes during the earlier portions of I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com, but the scenes came out of nowhere, detracting from the action Lemming had set up. The book didn’t have “too many” sex scenes. But I couldn’t suspend disbelief with a sex scene occurring during the middle of a dinosaur chase scene. What?

And of course, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com included a large sex scene after the events unfolded, but by this point, I grew tired of the scenes. Again, these scenes are well written. I just wanted to see what would happen next on the planet.

Speaking of a story not sticking the landing, I finally read Scott Snyder’s Batman: The Court of Owls Saga. Snyder is notorious for writing an amazing first three-quarters of a story, and then the story falls apart. I enjoyed most of Batman: The Court of Owls Saga. This graphic novel features a lot of interesting storytelling methods. At one point, artist Greg Capullo turns the panels ninety degrees, not once, not even twice. This simulated Batman’s disorientation. I won’t say any more than that and risk spoiling the story, but this was highly effective. And Snyder’s writing up to this point was solid.

And then an M Night Shyamalan twist occurs at the three-quarter point of Batman: The Court of Owls Saga. I groaned. Out loud. Ugh! The worst part was that I could see the twist coming. Still, I enjoyed most of this graphic novel. The Court of Owls is a great addition to Batman’s rogues’ gallery. So much was working at the beginning of the graphic novel. I loved the opening. The ending doesn’t ruin the entire graphic. I’d still recommend Batman: The Court of Owls Saga.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight has an interesting premise. It sets Batman’s story in the turn-of-the-century United States. Weird. I wanted to like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight more than I did. The art is fantastic. Mike Mignola lends his Hellboy style to Batman. What’s not to love? But again, the stories (there are two short stories in this collection) left me wanting. The Jack the Ripper story was odd and clunky. The second story was slightly better. The Master of the Future is a bombastic take on Ra’s al Ghul. The two aren’t a perfect one-to-one, but they share enough similarities that I wondered if The Master of the Future was one of Ra’s’s children. He has more children than Talia. As far as I know, The Master of the Future doesn’t have a connection with Ra’s.

Despite the Jack the Ripper cringe of the first story and the goofy Ra’s wannabe in the second story, I can see why Batman: Gotham by Gaslight was a huge Elseworlds (alternate universe) hit. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight predates DC Comics’ concept of Elseworlds. This is one of the comics that started alternate reality versions of DC Comics characters. Without this graphic novel, we may not have the excellent line of Absolute DC Comics.

That’s what I’ve been reading over the past month. Season and Skye are taking this month off for watcha reading, so feel free to share what you’ve been reading over the past month. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.