My 2023 Reading and Viewing Stats

Happy New Year and welcome 2024!  The new year leads us to reflect back on the past year, and once again, I am grateful to @eyeoncanon who at the end of 2020 shared a short list of personal reading and viewing stats for the year.  I took his idea, which I wrote about here, and have kept my yearly stats since 2021.  Over the last few years, I have modified what I keep track of and added a few categories myself.  

                                                2023        2022            2021

Movies watched:              26            21              31
Rewatch:                         10             13             16
First time:                        16              8              15
Viewed in a theater:                 8                N/A            N/A

TV series (streamed):
Episodes:                      149            111            86
Rewatch:                        90              25            40
First time:                        59              86            46

Books read:                    18               13            21
Graphic Novels:                2                 4            6
Fiction:                           12                  8            12
Nonfiction:                        4                 0              3
Pages read:              4,703           2,895        4195

Books abandoned:            1                  2            0
Pages read:                  154               N/A

Podcast Episodes:          N/A              N/A        N/A
Fiction:                            
Nonfiction:
Time listened:              

Audiobooks:                     1                     1            3
Fiction:                                                    1            3
Nonfiction:                         1                    0            0

Short Stories:                                                         8
Pages read:                                                        244

Comic books read:          94                 142         164
Digital:                             30                   42           64
Print:                                64                 100         100

Book Titles:
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs
The Loop by Ben Oliver
Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves The Road to Neverwinter by Jaleigh Johnson
Dragons of Winter Night: Dragonlance Chronicles Book II by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Astral Adventurers Guide
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
High Republic: The Edge of Balance Vol. 1 (graphic novel)
High Republic: the Edge of Balance Vol. 2
Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith by Christopher Adam
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
Cleric Quintet: Book 3 The Night Masks by R.A. Salvatore
DragonLance: Dragons of Fate by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist
The Legends of Drizzt Visual Dictionary by Michael Witwer
Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake by Michael Witwer
Being Henry by Henry Winkler (audiobook)

Movie Titles:
Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Super Mario Bros.
Murder Mystery 2
The Speed Cubers
Inside the Mind of a Cat
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Air
The Little Mermaid
Across the Spider-verse
Glass Onion Knives Out
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Star Wars The Phantom Menace
Star Wars The Clone Wars
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
A Few Good Men
The Barbie Movie
Galaxy Quest
The Haunted Mansion
Aladdin
Miracle on 34th Street
Home Alone
Elf
Disney's A Christmas Carol

TV Streaming Series:
The Bad Batch Season 2
The Crown Season 1
The Crown Season 2
The Book of Boba Fett
Mandalorian season 2
Tales of the Jedi Season 1
Mandalorian season 3
Visions Season 2
Rebels Season 1
Rebels Season 2
Rebels Season 3
Secret Invasion
The Crown Season 3
Rebels Season 4
Ahsoka
X-Men 92 animated
Loki season 2
Marvel's What If... Season 2
The Crown Season 4

So, one day I will find a cleaner way to display the stats, but I think this shows them well enough to discover there are some interesting details in the numbers above.  My TV streaming and comic book reading seem to show an interesting trend over the three years.  

My TV streaming in 2023 has a sizeable jump.  My rewatches increased and I believe that is a result of rewatches to prepare for a new series.  For example, I rewatched the entire Rebels series to prepare for viewing Ahsoka.  Will this rewatch trend continue?  Hard to tell, but I am gearing up for a Bad Batch rewatch this summer in anticipation of season 3, so the magic 8 ball says "It is decidedly so."  

Comic book reading went down considerably.  It is true; I do not subscribe to as many print comics these days, but my subscription to Marvel Unlimited (not subscribed yet?  Read this) gives me easy access to over 10,000 issues!  What gives?  I suspect time.  I will say though, that the accuracy of reporting may be at fault here.  There are times I binge 10-15 comics (yes, that is a binge for me) over a weekend and I can't remember if I recorded them or not.  To not over-inflate numbers, I error on not reporting rather than double reporting.  I need to do better.  

Being a podcaster (CWK Pourover and Teachers in the Dungeon), I don't listen to nearly enough podcast episodes, so this year I added a podcast listening category to attempt to motivate me to do more listening to my peers.  There are some amazing podcasts out there, and I need to do a better job of listening.  

I also added in the movie category a place to record how many of the movies I watch in theaters.  After the pandemic it was really hard for me to want to return to the theaters.  I found myself just waiting for it to come out on a streaming service.  In 2023, I think I found the love of returning to the theater, but I am interested to see if I continue that trend.  Last year I even considered subscribing to a customer loyalty program at our local theater.  Maybe this is the year.  

To conclude, here are my 2023 favorites as heard on the podcast The Colby Cast where my good friend Colby and I talk about our favorites of 2023 among other topics.  Colby is great and so is his show.  These are all chosen from material I actually watched and read: 

Favorite Book:  Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs

Favorite Star Wars Disney + show:  Bad Batch season 2

Favorite Marvel Disney + show: Loki season 2

Favorite Marvel film:  Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Favorite Non-MCU film:  Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Favorite Non-MCU/Star Wars show:  The Crown season 4

Top 5 Marvel Collect Digital Cards of 2023

It is time to continue looking at the top 5 digital cards from Topps.  Marvel Collect is up and there were some really great sets and cards this year that it was difficult to keep up and not completely run out of credits.  These 2023 Marvel Collect cards all come from the rare variant and are, in my opinion, the Top 5 of my collection.  There are many, many more insert sets that I don't have that might very well be much more interesting or coveted, but I am only going with what I've collected.  That said, I may not have succeeded in completing the set, but they are cards that I pulled from those sets.  You might recognize those last three sentences because they came right off the post from last week when I looked at the Top 5 Star Wars Card Trader 2023 cards.  If you didn't get a look at that post, you can click right here and then come back for the Marvel Top 5.  

Here are the Top 5 Marvel Collect cards from the account of CYCLELIBRARIAN: 

5. Guardians of the Galaxy Collection, Major Victory, Series 1 - Galactic Heroes - Static 10,083 Global Count

Okay, so right out of the gate I did a little cheating.  This card is actually from the Uncommon variant, but I knew I had a Major Victory card.  Major Victory is a really cool character with lots of interesting history, and he doesn't make many appearances in the digital card world.  He had to be on my Top 5.  

4. Collector' Reserve '23, Moon Knight, Volume 1 - Across the Universe - Silver, 12,823 Global  Count

Why did this card make my top 4?  Take a minute to look at the art on this card.  It comes right off of the cover of a book or off of a framed picture on the wall.  It is beautiful artwork.  On top of the realism of the card, it has great action where we can guess where he is coming from and where he is going.  What is his next move?  You tell me!  

3.  Avengers/X-Men 60th Anniversary Box, X-Men #6, Series 1 - Anniversary Varients - Group 1 - Red, 12,223 Global Count

I had this cover back in the day, and it is a classic.  It is an appropriate card image for an Anniversary set.  I love the action of the X-Men as they move from left to right on the page with classic poses from Cyclops, Psylocke, and Wolverine front and center.  In the background, the title of the team and book are carved into the mountain, rock solid.  Just awesome!  

2. Artist Spotlight 2023, Cable, Kael Ngu - White - Volume 1, N/A Global Count

First, thank you, Marvel Collect, for this set highlighting the awesome artists of the cards which we love.  Second, thanks for the Cable card.  It is no secret that Cable is my favorite X-Men character, but Kael Ngu pulled the image of how I see Cable right out of my head and put it on this card.  This is why it is number 2 on my Top 5.  

1. Women of Marvel 2023, Elektra, Series 2 - Silver, 8,865 Global Count

This may be more of a tip of the hat to the series than necessarily this card, but I don't think many could argue that this isn't a great card.  That is really the standard of this set that highlights many women of Marvel like Ghost Spider, She-Hulk, Black Cat, Wasp, Magik, and so many more.  Anyway, this card of Electra is just, well, electric.  

I decided to highlight one more card.  It is more of a gold star of my collection as it comes from the highest variant that I have, Epic, and it is the lowest Global Count card in my 2023 collection.  

Artist Spotlight 2023, Spider-man, Gabrielle Dell'Otto - Gold Motion - Volume 1, 127 Global Count

Thanks for taking a look at what I think are the Top 5 Marvel Collect digital cards from 2023 in my collection.  What do you think?  Would you have chosen these cards too?  Do you collect Marvel Collect too?  Give me a follow on the app CYCLELIBRARIAN and give me a follow right here on Seeking Positivity in the Galaxy.  

2023 Reading and Viewing Stats First Quarter

The first three months of 2023 have moved along and there has been some really great content to devour! The following are my reading and viewing stats and note below that I have included the book, movie, and T.V. Series titles that I have consumed at the bottom. I will give a comparison to 2022 and 2021 in the second quarter (June) report to check my progress or regression from past years. Until then, I am looking forward to the Disney+ shows coming out and some theater shows like Guardians of the Galaxy, Air, and Indiana Jones. Every day, I look at the stack of books next to my recliner. I am currently reading the second Dragonlance book, Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Next up is Shadows of the Sith by Adam Christopher, book three of the Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore and I will probably get a few Y.A. books in there too.

Holy Cow! I haven't read a graphic novel in 2023, yet? That's going to change in the second quarter! Anyway, here you go, my first quarter of 2023 Reading and Viewing Stats!

Movies Watched: 5

Rewatch: 1

First Time: 4

TV series (streamed):
Episodes: 45
Rewatch: 16
First time: 29

Books read: 4
Graphic Novels:
Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 1
Pages read: 1404

Books abandoned: 0
Graphic Novels:
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Pages read:

Audiobooks: 0
Fiction:
Nonfiction:

Short Stories: 0
Pages read:

Comic books read: 23
Digital: 2
Print: 21

Book Titles:
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs
The Loop by Ben Oliver
Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves by Jaleigh Johnson

Movies:
Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Super Mario Bros.
Murder Mystery 2

Series:
The Bad Batch Season 2
The Crown
The Book of Boba Fett
Mandalorian season 2
Tales of the Jedi
Mandalorian season 3

Plan 99: Tech's Sacrifice - a reflection

Note: I wrote this immediately after I finished watching Episode 16 of The Bad Batch after clearing my eyes.  

I don't know what I expected would become of Clone Force 99.  Did I think they would find themselves retiring on a tropical island on Scarif or opening a hunting lodge on Endor?  I don't know.  After Episode 13, Pabu, I actually thought the tropical island might become a reality.  Heck, in episode 16, Plan 99, it was a dream just steps away.  

The final two episodes of The Bad Batch season two, The Summit and Plan 99, left me emotionally drained and feeling quite miserable.  I suppose this is just good storytelling.  This truly feels like that moment when we finish the last page of a book and immediately miss the characters.  

I found a connection to all the characters in the Bad Batch, but Tech is a character I seem to have the strongest connection.  Season two has strengthened those connections as many of the episodes seem to place a focus on him and his difficulties understanding human behavior and emotional connection.  This is shown in his growing relationship with Phee Genoa.  She challenges him to see things through different eyes, and it seems to be catching on when we see him pause to look after Phee before they leave on their final mission.  We can almost see the gears turning in his head as he wrestles with the logical and emotional side of relationships.  Tech has also become more connected with Omega in season two as well.  He is seen teaching her the art of flying the Maurader with so much patience and understanding.  He seems to also be taking on the role of the teacher in other areas as well allowing Hunter to become more the father.  In the final, heart-wrenching episode when Tech, in his dire situation, declares Plan 99, it holds much weight because of the growth and relationships we see Tech build.   

This dire situation is when Tech hangs by a single cable as the Imperial forces hammer the cable runner Clone Force 99 is in hanging over the deep, foggy chasm.  Tech finds himself in this position as he goes to restore power to the cable car by running along the cable cog back to the last tower where the power was shorted out by Saw Guerrera's terrorist bombing of  Tarkin's Imperial Base.  There is a lot going on here that adds to the tension of the scene.  As Tech hangs, it becomes clear that if he doesn't release the crumbling cable car that is holding back the rest of the car Clone Force 99 is on, everyone will perish.   They don't have time as Imperial fighters are coming around for another run to blast the car off the cables.  Tech declares a code they apparently were given, Plan 99.  When that becomes clear to Wrecker and Omega, they yell desperately for him not to follow through.  In fact, Wrecker orders Tech not to follow Plan 99.  Tech says, "When have we ever followed orders?"  He fires his pistol to break the final cable holding the damaged section of the car, including himself, away causing him to fall to his end.  

Source: The Bad Batch Episode 16 Disney Plus

This image and moment are frozen in my mind.  

I couldn't believe that someone or something wouldn't swoop in to save Tech and the Bad Batch.  How could this happen?  I honestly thought somehow that Saw  Guerrera's team might be the ones to come to the rescue. No one came, no solutions were presented, Tech made his sacrifice to save his friends.

I.was.stunned.  

How is it that animation can have such an impact?  These are characters drawn in a fictional story played out on a screen!  Isn't animation storytelling just stories that are presented like Saturday morning cartoons of my childhood?  When and how did animation start to hit me so hard emotionally?  Not just in Tech's instance, but over and over again: Ahsoka walking away from the Jedi Order, Maul's final ending at the blade of Obi-wan Kenobi on Tattooine, and Kanan's sacrifice.  

It seems that the format isn't as important to the message as the message itself.  Sure, the animation draws and colors the pictures and that has a visual impact on us, but the story is the key.  Whether it is animation, live action, pictures on a page, words in a book, or orally shared, what makes the emotional connections and draws the reader or viewer is simply the story.  An amazingly well-written story with compelling characters and meaningful conflict can make the listener, reader, or viewer sink into and buy into the story.  

Understandingly, everything falls apart for the Bad Batch after this event.  One might ask was Tech's sacrifice in vain?  The Bad Batch is eventually captured after betrayal from Sid. Right before this betrayal, Hunter and Omega talk about life on Pabu.  They talk about hanging up the weapons and adventure, so Omega can be a child and Hunter can rest and be a father.  The season ends with Omega in the hands of the Empire, and the remaining Bad Batch members (Hunter, Wrecker, Echo) fiercely resolved to fight to get Omega back.  

Happily ever after?  Probably not for Clone Force 99. I don't know what I expected of the Bad Batch. 

Update: We learned at the Star Wars Celebration Europe Bad Batch panel, that there will be a third and final season of the Bad Batch. Stay Tuned! 
.  

Gary Con XV Reflections

I returned from a weekend in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin recently where I attended the gaming convention Gary Con.  This is a convention that was started in honor of D&D creator and developer Gary Gygax.  The convention was started by his son Luke as a way to remember his father.  

It is the most unique convention that I attend as it is a convention that players attend to simply play games.  They don't go hunting for rare or most recent games from the companies that sell them.  Gary Con attendees just...play games!  Yes, there is a pretty cool expo hall that is fun to walk through to purchase game supplies, books, coffee, dice, or other gaming treasures like candles and art.  But, the expo is more of a nice short diversion from gaming.  It's true.  For example, this year the day we arrived I played a Kickstarter card game themed after Call of Cthulu (10:00am).  Then, I moved on to the expo to see some acquaintances and moved over to a Dungeons and Dragons Onslaught demo game (11:00).  I grabbed a bite to eat, then moved to a 5-hour game of Paizo's Star Finder (14:00).  When that wrapped up, I had ten minutes to make it over to another gaming room to play Spell Jammer (19:00).  Everything wrapped up roughly at 23:00.  That is a pretty typical day for most.  It is exhausting but exhilarating all at the same time.   

Both years I have attended Gary Con, I have gone with my friend, colleague, and podcast partner Dan Reem.  While last year we spent a lot of time exploring this convention together to figure out where everyone goes during the day, this year we hardly saw each other during the day.  Also, joining us this

year was our friend and colleague, and member of our staff Dungeons and Dragons games, Marcus Kugler.  We would see each other in passing and even had some pretty hilarious text conversations during the games, but I most looked forward to the end of the day when we got to recap our experiences.  If you are interested in the details of those, you can catch those on our podcast Teachers in the Dungeon.  Our podcast can be found on most podcast catchers such as Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and more.  If you don't care to listen, that is fine, but you will have to take my word for it that the recaps were a blast. 

The celebrity sightings were pretty cool.  Celebrities at a gaming conference?  Yep, if you haven't paid attention, Role Playing Games (RPG's) like Dungeons and Dragons are in vogue in celebrity circles.  Unfortunately, I missed most of them, but my friend Dan sat at a table next to Vince Vaughn who actually turned and made a comment on how Dan's game was Diplomacy, but it didn't seem like things were very diplomatic.  I would expect no less of a funny comment from that guy.  Dan also caught Joe Manganiello judging a cosplay contest with Luke Gygax.  Dan also saw influencer Jay Foster the Viking

Jay Foster the Viking DM

GM who is a professional Dungeon Master, actor, and manager of the Instagram page @swoleinitiative  He even got to snap a photo with him (right).  I think I must be blind; I missed them all even though Dan said I literally brushed elbows with Joe Manganiello in the hall.  I did see the one celebrity I was looking for, however.  I twice saw Dragonlance author Margaret Weis, and I even got to say hi to her.  I will take that any day of the week.  

I think what I will always remember about the 2023 Gary Con experience is the presentation that Dan and I gave.  We applied and were accepted to make a presentation about our RPG Summer Camp.  Our audience was limited with our friend Marcus and friend and host of the Rebel Base Card podcast, Greg McLaughlin in the audience with a few other guests, but the conversation about teaching and working with kids and Dungeons and Dragons was awesome!  We all learned from each other as the questions and conversations were rich.  We made friends, connected to continue the conversation, and walked away knowing more than that which we came.  

While these weren't the only memories in which I brought home, they are some of the most memorable.  I value the vendors I met in the expo hall, the conversations that I had with my friend Greg, the DM's and GM's who led the games I played, the fun of watching my friend Marcus experience his first Gary Con, the Gino's East deep dish pizza, the six inches of snow on Saturday, and more.  Will I return?  Does a Barbarian scream in rage as she slams her battle axe upon an enemy?  You bet!    

Free Comic Book Day

A couple months ago in 2022, right as the holiday season was kicking off, an email slipped into my inbox and quietly slid down and out of sight.  The email was from the Free Comic Book Day organization.  They announced the full line-up of the Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) books!  

First, FCBD will happen on the traditional first Saturday of May which in 2023 is May 6.  It is a great kick-off to the summer season books that are about to hit the shelves and some titles are teased for a fall release.  Either way, it is always a ton of fun to swing by your local Comic Book store and pick up these free books (make a purchase too and support those shop owners!).  It is a tradition that on that day, I rush home and plop down with those books and devour them.  No one bothers me.  I think it was heard one year my wife saying to my children, "Don't bother your father, he is reading those comic books again."  

Anyway, you can check out the full announcement and updates to Free Comic Book day right here.  

Here are a few books that look like fun: 

Spider-Man and Venom?  Yes, please!  

Star Wars the High Republic  I am so interested in this High Republic era that I can't wait for each new story.  This book published by Dark Horse Comics is no different.  

Archie Horror Presents The Cursed Library  Okay, as a librarian, I might be obligated to read a comic that is set in a library, but tell me this cover doesn't just draw you in!  Plus, it is Archie!  

Investi Gators All Tide Up  This is a fun book and any comic book that grabs the attention of my daughter who loves silly things; that's a win!  

Red Sonja, So there is a Conan the Barbarian FCBD 2023 special by Titan Comics which I plan to pick up, but Red Sonja is my pick for adventure this May.