The 2017-2018 season has started! And the Rangers lost the home opener to Colorado 4-2. It was a game marked by bursts of greatness and it was Colorado’s goalie that saved their bacon about a dozen times. Going down 2 goals is never good but the Rangers rallied with Mika Zibanejad firing rockets almost every chance he got.

While a first loss is disappointing there’s a lot of promise. Kevin Shattenkirk is making a clear difference, just one game in. He hustles, he’s a legit defender that the Rangers desperately needed.

Rookie Filip Chytl has all the hype behind him right now and time will tell if he can make a mark. The early buzz from the coaching staff and teammates like Mats believe he can.

Lundquist giving up 3 goals in the first game is not a good starting point. He had no chance on 1 of them but he’s got to find his footing again. Last season he had deep hills and valleys which ended up being his worst season stats wise. Backup goalie Raanta was traded and the newcomer has a record that is considerably worse than Raanta’s. I’m concerned that when Hank needs the time off, the back up will struggle to keep the team afloat. The goalie staff is fantastic though so I’m sure he’s been putting in some serious work.

There’s a lot of potential, I think another playoff run is more than possible this season. It’s going to take the team to jell together though. There’s a lot of new blood (the guys on the farm teams could be a great asset when needed) so that means there’s a lot to figure out. Who fits where and best as the season goes. That’s up to Alain V, hopefully, he doesn’t lean on and crush the veterans like he has been doing. Get those hungry kids out there, it’s the only way to make deep, versatile lines.

Last Friday I had my bottom two wisdom teeth removed. While not the horror show I thought it would be, the experience can still be summed up as: it sucks.

Novocaine was used, no knock out juice. The procedure itself was fast, I think 20 minutes. While there’s little to no pain during it, the sounds are super gross. The smell of ground teeth from the drill is horrific.

Pain-wise, it’s not bad. I’d say it’s uncomfortable and Tylenol with Codeine takes care of the worst of it. I’ve had strange flare ups of pain, but it feels more like I’ve been punched in the face one a day for the past week. The swelling is the worst as it just makes you feel annoyed more than anything else. The weird thing is that where the teeth were removed from has hurt the least. The swelling is all over the bottom gums. The whole mouth freaks out from the trauma. Speech has been impaired and eating has lost all of its joy. I’m very conscious of chewing differently to keep food away from the back. My biggest problem is that that I haven’t regained feeling on the lower left side.

My biggest problem is that that I haven’t regained feeling on the lower left side. The entire lip from corner to middle of my face and down about an inch and a half is numb. Two teeth in the front feel super weird like the novocaine hasn’t worn off yet. The nerve on that side is all goofed up from the swelling (most likely, it better be) so I’m basically on a wait and see how everything heals for everything to come back to normal (the stuff on the consent form is some nightmare stuff).

It’s been a week today which seems to be the major milestone for this type of surgery. Everyone is going to be messed up for that long so the next few days should see the biggest improvements. Monday I get the stitches out, looking forward to that.

Now, how stupid is this whole thing? Our jaws aren’t big enough for all the teeth we naturally grow. Over 90% of people need their wisdom teeth removed or they cause serious problems. And who’s the dope that named them ‘wisdom’ teeth? Where is the wisdom in this useless and miserable body part?

I still need the top two out. Maybe I can convince my body to absorb them.

Fight!

The Kidney Stone event is finally over. I’m more or less writing this to simply mark the moment of feeling like myself again. Finished the antibiotics yesterday and the pain from the procedure is basically gone. Waking up I immediately felt better. The proverbial monkey on my back that had been punching, biting and scratching for 2 1/2 months is gone. While it went on for far too long with the complication of c.diff infection, it’s a relief to say the least.

Onward and upward.

I can’t believe it’s September already. Going by the calendar we have a few weeks before Fall officially starts. So that means the hot, joyous weather will stick around. Psychologically, that’s a wrap on summer. Maybe 4  more days. That’s the end of the last legit summer holiday and every school around here is back in session. The days are getting way shorter so that’s the most obvious bummer so far. Then the weather turns on me *shakes fist*

Writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo have been in charge of DC’s headline book since The New 52 started. Batman has led the charge with some wild and daring story lines and sports one of the few teams from the 2011 relaunch that made it this far. I’ve become a big fan of Scott’s writing and Greg’s art blows me away every issue. I love the way he draws everyone and his layouts are super dynamic. The way he artistically spins Scott’s visions are often breathtaking, his work really stands out from the pack.

These two have a fantastic symbiosis making Batman and it’s a bummer to see it end. Issue #51 marks the last issue and it’s a knockout. #50 brought the “Superheavy” story arc to an epic close and this issue bookends their entire run. It’s a quiet story with Batman out on patrol shortly after the events of 50 and he’s raring to go. Cruising in the Batmobile, a tremor is felt and Gotham’s lights go out. Sure that the criminal element is up to no good, Batman gets to work investigating. But for once, the streets of Gotham are calm. The people of Gotham are…okay. Scott has made a point to make Gotham a character itself and we see that in this issue as Bruce investigates his city, silently (well, mostly) checking in with those who often hurt it. A beautiful book in every regard, especially as it ends with a feeling of hope and inspiration. I want the last page as a full sized poster, it’s that poignant. For a series so often steeped in darkness (looking at you, Joker and Mr. Bloom), the light from this optimism has never looked so bright. The cover you see above perfectly matches what’s inside.

The art in this book is stunning. As simple as the story is, with no major action set pieces, there is a remarkable sense of weight and motion captured in every frame. The play between shadow and light is something to behold thanks to experts Danny Miki (inks) and FCO Plascencia (colors). These two are gods among men, I love their work so much and they are a big reason why this series has been so striking. The scene with Gordon and Batman on the roof should be put up as an installation in a museum.

#51 bookends Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run perfectly. It reflects their 5-year tenure and I couldn’t ask for more.

The other good news is that Snyder and Capullo will work together in the future. I’m all for them working on something original when the time is right. Until then, Snyder will be writing All-Star Batman and Capullo will be drawing a mini-series with writer Mark Millar and then come back to work on a new book for DC (no word on what it is, just that DC offered him something and he said yes). That leaves Batman with an all new creative team. Tom King is writing (The Omega Men, Greyson, and the Robin War event) with David Finch (his Wonder Woman is amazing) and Mikel Janin (Justice League Dark and Greyson, pretty sure he’s just doing covers which are pretty killer) on art duty. We’ll see the new direction in June. Until then…

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