Obviously there's a bit of the ol' darkness coming down. But one of the ways to manage living in the collapse of empire is to always have something to look forward to. When I was younger and prone to bouts of suicidal ideation, I would always keep in mind that there was something I was looking forward to coming up, usually a movie.

So let's take it from the bottom:

So Castlevania: Nocturne season 2 just came out. I have been a fan of the Castlevania games since the very early 90s when I acquired Castlevania II: Simon's Quest at the flea market. The show has changed a lot of things but I feel have kept many of the important elements and characters while doing a deep dive on some of the more obscure lore elements and ultimately making a really good horror monster series, while being thoughtful and well researched on the time periods therein, especially with Nocturne and it's placement during the French Revolution. I am excited for where it goes.

In February we've got the ending of Cobra Kai. When this show first came out I literally thought it was some kind of joke or prank, but it was on youtube so I gave it a shot, and I adored the tone of the series and the themes of cleaning your life up after spending a lifetime of wallowing in your own failures. The show has graduated into the ultimate melodrama, with the stakes constantly rising to impossibly ridiculous heights without ever leaving me in disbelief. The last part of season 6 is due out in a few weeks, and I am going to really enjoy it.

A place near my house is going to be having a Crow Party around then. A big party where you where black and whatever shinies you've got. I have a hell of an outfit to bring to the fore, I've even been not wearing the main piece for a while in order for it to have more oomph in the community once I go show it off. My best friend is also interested in going and she doesn't do public events very much anymore.

In March is Daredevil: Born Again. I know, I know, the MCU is garbage and Disney is the embodiment of darkness in media, but I've been a fan of the Daredevil mythos since high school and I adored the Netflix series, which this is a continuation of. The previews have gotten me excited, and I am so excited to see all the same actors coming to continue the story, especially with the apparent inclusions of accurate costumes, which the Netflix series was obviously loathe to feature.

Sometime soon, there are new GI Joe figures being released. I've collected GI Joes since I was a very small child, my first one being an astronaut called Countdown in 1989. My collection of retro joes is pretty much as complete as I want it to be, minus a couple large playsets that would cost me a few pretty pennies, but within the last few years Hasbro has developed the GI Joe: Classified line, updating them to the 1/12 scale (the standard for both the current toy industry and dollhouse props) that are highly detailed, extremely poseable, and best of all: surprisingly cheap. Compared to some of the other 1/12 figs I enjoy from companies like NECA, these things are a dime a dozen and make collecting them a very non-stressful effort. I'm looking forward to the SAW-Viper, a tacky looking dude with a big rifle, as I had/have the fig from the original line and he was one of my favorites. Dr. Mindbender is also coming up, who is a must if you want to have drama among the Cobras.

In April is the second season of Andor. Please believe me when I say I think Disney is a blight on the planet, but the first season of Andor was brilliant, and one of the most raw antifascist things you could find in genre television. I am sick and tired of prestige TV myself, but Andor uses its format well to make a point and tell a compelling story. It's more relevant now than it was at its premiere.

I could probably sit here all day and write about the stuff I am excited for. There is plenty to be had. If I can get myself together and make some decisions I'll be hosting another tabletop RPG in my life (anything but DnD 5E), maybe something sci-fi themed. Every month I've got goth nights, and LARP nights, and good shows by good bands to look forward to. My friends and I always try to make time for each other, and I could probably declare a dinner and movie night anytime I want to clean my house. The vintage toy show is in March, and I never miss it.

Yeah, there's a lot of good things on the horizon, even if it does feel amid a minefield of modern decay.