My Monthly Anticipation | April 2021

Posted on by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Hello ladies & gentlemen,

Who doesn’t love the anticipation of new releases and things that they plan on doing? Every month there seems to be something new and exciting ready to hit the market for our consumption.

Being ready to embrace them with open arms is all we can really do.

To showcase this, I’ll be sharing my top 3 for each category of things that I look forward to this month right here, right now!

TO BE READ.

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The Unbroken by C.L. Clark;
Release Date: March 23rd 2021.

I’m not going to change or plan much for this month just so I can finally get around to what I had initially planned for myself in the previous month. Let’s get things done!

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Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee;
Release Date: June 14th 2016.

I’m going to keep this one too on my priority reading list this month so it doesn’t get pushed back unnecessarily.

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The Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey;
Release Date: March 25th 2021.

I’m also going to try and complete this trilogy and finally see how Koli’s adventure comes to an end!

BOOK RELEASES.

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Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff Vandermeer;
Release Date: April 6th 2021.

It has been a while since I read something by Jeff Vandermeer and it’s nice to know that he’s got a new novel coming out this month.

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The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers;
Release Date: April 20th 2021.

I haven’t read any of the Wayfarers books but here’s the fourth installment coming out for fans to indulge!

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Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells;
Release date: April 27th 2021.

It’s time for our favourite Murderbot to return for another adventure! 😀

COMIC BOOK RELEASES.

Issue #1 of 6 of Batman: The Detective comes out on April 13th 2021 over at DC Comics.

Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert teaming up?! Batman going to Europe for a deadly and dangerous investigation?! New villains?! New allies?! I’m alllllllll in!

Issue #1 of Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow comes out on April 14th 2021 over at Marvel.

An epic team Chip Zdarsky, Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth working on this what-if story where Peter Parker becomes Venom. Now that’s an interesting horror story for you!

Issue #1 of The Marvels comes out on April 28th 2021 over at Marvel.

While Alex Ross is not on this project, Kurt Busiek is, and one can only get excited for these new stories featuring various superheroes!

TV SHOW RELEASES.

The first episode of season 1 premieres on Netflix on April 23rd 2021.

While I doubt I’ll follow this series, I am curious to find out how the Six of Crows cast gets incorporated into this series, considering that Six of Crows is also the only book of the Grishaverse that I have read and loved.

The first episode of season 4 premieres on Hulu on April 28th 2021.

I actually stopped this series after season 1 when I realized the show covered the whole book. I have no idea if the subsequent seasons are worth checking out considering that they aren’t based on the book anymore… Maybe someday I’ll find time to catch up to all these seasons!

The first episode premieres on Netflix on April 29th 2021.

An anime to portray the legendary Yasuke, the first Black samurai. This really does look good. I heard that Chadwick Boseman was supposed to do a live-action movie for this guy too…

MOVIE RELEASES.

Out in theaters on April 16th 2021.

The latest attempt to bring Mortal Kombat to the bring screen is here and it looks decent but clearly has it fair share of flaws.

Out for streaming on April 27th 2021.

You already know that I’m all for any DC animated movie. Here’s the latest movie!

Out for streaming on April 30th 2021.

I heard that it wasn’t following the source material (book) at all but, hey, Michael B. Jordan going wild? Looks like a fun ride no matter what!

PERSONAL LIFE.

The last two months were hectic in so many ways but I’ve learned to appreciate them for what they were. They mostly served as a “professional” wake-up call and allowed me to make some big moves career-wise that will likely stick with me for the upcoming years. While the double employment situation has held me back enormously in terms of reading and blogging as much as I usually do, I was still able to stay active as much as much as the average blogger, which ultimately allowed me to be up to date in my blogging plans.

While I want to go into April thinking that the situation won’t change much, I really want to make a sweet return to form this month. I theoretically shouldn’t be hindered in my plans as dramatically as they were last month and I want to get back to my old habits while infusing it all with new ones that I’ve been able to develop in the last two months.

As I’ve previously mentioned, it’s the end of the semester for my students, so what will likely mostly take most of my time is the correction of their final assignments but luckily that will mostly be towards the end of the month. Beyond that, work will continue to drain me five times a week and hopefully I’ll continue to meet my deadlines without any issues throughout the month. So far, I’ve been having a blast with the new project and I look forward to seeing how the body-worn camera pilot project for police officers is going to go.

With all that being said, I really look forward to getting my groove back. I mostly look forward to catching up with everything and to sharing a bunch of things with y’all too!

Carlee McDot: Plans for the Boston Marathon

Thank you all for checking out my monthly anticipation post!

Now tell me what you’re looking forward to this month! Any new releases? Anything exciting you plan on doing?

Yours truly,

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Published by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Reader. Reviewer. Researcher. Criminology Ph.D. Candidate. Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Want to know more? Connect with him!

33 thoughts on “My Monthly Anticipation | April 2021”

  1. There was a “What If….” comic that explored if Peter Parker hadn’t been able to get rid of the black suit. I don’t remember any of it and I’m sure 32 pages wasn’t enough for a real story, but it’s out there.

    Mortal Kombat. I’m in!!!!! While I’ve never played the games, I really enjoyed the first 2 movies, as cheesy as they were 😀 This looks fun. We’ll see though. I mean, Double Dragon was made to look cool and look how THAT turned out 😦

    Without Remorse was probably my least favorite Clancy book, so I won’t be bothering with the movie, even if it doesn’t stick to the book.

    What would be the best way to talk to you about the body cams? I’ve got some real strong opinions but I want to hear what you have to say as well without me “reacting”. Would email work? let me know.

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    1. Ahhh that wouldn’t surprise me. Although I wouldn’t be able to retrace that exact story with the abundance of Spidy stories out there hahaha It does make me think of the whole Back in Black stories but those were canon I believe! This one where he becomes Venom does sound interesting and seems to be oriented towards becoming some sort of horror story too.

      Hahahah I’m glad to hear your enthusiasm for MK! I’ve tried a couple of recent games and boy… I am no expert at it and have no idea how people play it without button smashing! 😛 I will definitely be trying out this latest movie though. At least with 2021 CGI technology, we should get something visually fun and filled with gore! 😀

      I am curious to know how different it will be from the book but, then again, I won’t be surprised if it greatly deviates from the novel for the sake of creating another blockbuster action movie centered around revenge.

      You can send me an email (lashaan.b@hotmail.com) without a problem if you want to type away your thoughts on it to me hahah I’ll gladly hear out your position on it all. It’s definitely not something that every citizen out there would be happy about and I think everyone is quite aware of it hahah

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  2. I just started the ARC of The Galaxy and the Ground Within. So far, so good, but I’m only 11% through.

    Tv-wise, I am looking forward to Shadow and Bone and an HBO show called The Nevers, which is Victorian with magic and steampunk elements. Should be fun!

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  3. Woohoo for Ninefox Gambit!!! 😁

    Man, those comics look really good this month! Busier and Ross, Taylor and Kubert… Count me in!

    Seems like you’ve had some seriously busy months.. I’m very glad to read you’ve been having a blast with your work, even of you weren’t able to be around as much. Good luck for April, Lashaan!

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    1. Ouuuuuh, Ola being enthusiastic about upcoming comics?! Who are you?! 😀

      Thanks! I do look forward to getting back to my usual habits this month but I won’t overdo it if life prefers to keep me busy as hell! 😛 Stay safe and have a wonderful April on your end too! 😀

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  4. I’d love to give Yoon Ha Lee and Becky Chambers a try one of these days (soon, I hope), and I still need to read book 2 in the Koli saga. I’m currently about a third of the way into Network Effect, the previous Murderbot novel, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I’ll be curious to learn how The Marvels differs and compares to Marvels. I recall really enjoying that one back in the day. I doubt I’ll catch any of the tv series but seeing The Handmaid’s Tale reminds me I want to read the book. And another Mortal Kombat, eh? Like Bookstooge, I was never really into the video games but I really enjoyed the first couple movies, so I’d be up for trying this one. Actually went with friends to a midnight opening night at the theater for the first one, lots of fun. 🙂 Glad to hear you’re enjoying the work even if it’s taking a lot out of you. I wonder how you’re feeling now about the transition from being a student to teaching students? How long ago was it you were still a student? Doesn’t seem that long. I hope you’re enjoying it, we need all the good and passionate teachers we can get. Have a great April, Lashaan!

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    1. I plan on getting around to Network Effect this month, right before the new novel comes out too. I’m really glad to hear that it’s pretty good though! I often heard people say that its new novel length didn’t work in its favour. I look forward to finding out if I like it better long or short! I do hope you’ll get the chance to try those other books out soon too, I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on those when we both get the chance! 😀

      I highly recommend the book, that’s for sure. I didn’t get around to reading the sequel that came out recently but I know the first book had a lot to offer and reflect upon!

      Wow! That must’ve been a lot of fun. I think we would’ve also planned a fun cinema night for MK if it wasn’t for the pandemic. I’ll still probably check it out digitally just to see if they’ve managed to do something decent with these video game characters! 😀

      Technically I’m still a student (ongoing Ph.D. degree) but it’s definitely fascinating to be at the other end of the relationship for this course I give. To actually become a figure of authority and a reference to knowledge is a fascinating position. What I most enjoy about this position is the possibility of stimulating students and seeing some of them have an interest in research/the content of the class. I do have to mention that it’s just a contractual position. As in, I’m not a full-time professor. Just a lecturer for one course this semester. Otherwise, I still work full-time in a police organization! 😀 Have a fantastic month of April, Todd! 😀

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  5. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic about the Shadow and Bone series. I favored the Six of Crows books over the original Grisha trilogy so I’m excited to see some Kaz Brekker. I’ve found, though, that my reading tastes have changed a lot over the last several years and Leigh Bardugo’s books don’t really work for me anymore, but I’m hoping I’ll still be able to enjoy the show.

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    1. It’s been sooooo long since I first read Six of Crows and I place it pretty high amongst all/any YA novels nowadays but I do hope past-me wasn’t blindly in love with it! I do hope the live-action Kaz is just as awesome though. I honestly don’t know how the Six of Crows duology fits in the Grishaverse for now, still have read the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but I’m sure die-hard fans will know if the series did the books justice or not! 😀 Hope you enjoy the show when you get around to it, Stephanie!

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  6. I’m so excited for new Vandermeer and Chambers, so I’m happy to see these two on your list as well! I’m excited for a new season of The Handmaid’s Tale as well, despite the fact that I haven’t had the stomach to watch it after season 1 first aired… hit too close to home when season 2 came out and I’ve been needing a bit more separation from my scifi lately haha.

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    1. I do hope you have a blast with both of their books as soon as possible! I’m sure they’ll both offer fantastic stories in their own unique ways. 😀 Ohhh snap, I’m sorry to hear about that. It was such a powerful story that really stayed loyal to the book too. I am curious about what the show did with the subsequent series with no source material to really base it off of. Maybe we’ll both discover that in the near future when we finally decide to revisit the show! Happy reading, Kal! 😀

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  10. I hope you find your groove. I’ve told myself that this time, for real, I will stick to my blogging “schedule” starting April. And then 4/1 came and went and my schedule was already ruined. So now, what? Wait till May?….

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      1. I feel like a break might be a good idea, but then I feel like I’m missing out on things. I could be doing so much more. That’s often the problem for me – not being to do it all. Thank you for your advise!

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  14. What an exciting list Lashaan, much of which I’m also looking forward to! Very excited about Batman: Detective. Did you hear a special cover has been commissioned, drawn by Brian Bolland (artist on the Killing Joke as you’ll of course know) and featuring Liverpool’s Liver Building? It’s to celebrate the re-opening of the Forbidden Planet store here.

    I’ve got Justice Society: World War II pre-ordered, looking forward to that (did you ever see Superman: Man of Tomorrow?) – did you see the trailer for The Long Halloween Part One? Looks pretty awesome and our boy Troy Baker is voicing the Joker.

    Marvels just keeps going, which is great! I actually didn’t know about Spider’s Shadow so will have to put that on the radar!

    Man, can’t wait for Without Remorse, that looks great, as does Yasuke…curious about Mortal Kombat.

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    1. I haven’t heard of that variant but that’s pretty cool! It’s been a long time since I dropped the idea of hunting down variants of anything, mainly just sticking to the Batman and Detective Comics in my comic book reserve at my local comic book shop hahah I’d probably be broke if I dared hunt down all the gorgeous variants that exist for some issues!

      I haven’t seen Superman: MoT yet. I’ve got the recent animated movies queued up though and I can’t wait to catch up on some of those. But that Long Halloween one is the most exciting animated movie to come! And yes!!!! Our boy Troy Baker doing THE ultimate voice. I still have chills running down my spine with his Joker monologue at New York ComicCon. Man… What a talent!

      Glad to add things to your radar! Especially when you tend to always be up to date with everything! 😛

      Let’s hope these upcoming releases will turn out fantastic! 😀

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