#the voyage

[sylhorn]

Behold! A breathtakingly beautiful rendition of the blorbo that has been occupying my mind for years now, Nuovis, by the insanely talented @eldrtchmn! Thank you so much for this beautiful piece, I've been over the moon and back about it! ♥

[yenthecat]

Well everyone, today is the day! My person and I are relocating to a new home! Normally, I would get to ride in The Bag, but our trip will be 12 hours today, and 12 hours in The Bag is a little too long. Luckily, my vet gave me some medicine that will help me stay calm for our trip. When we get to our destination, I am going to meet my new brother and two new sisters! Please wish me luck!!

[flojector]

[petaltexturedskies]

The sun was not up yet, but the stars were dim, and the cold pale sky was the same colour as the cold pale sea. On the land a white mist rose and fell.

Katherine Mansfield, from The Voyage

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things The Voyage Review

WARNING: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the comic!

Stranger Things Reviews/Theories

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tales From Hawkins

Stranger Things x TMNT Crossover

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 1 of 2)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 2 of 2)

Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors Review

Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus

Stranger Things Lucas On The Line

Stranger Things Episode Reviews:

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 1 of 2)

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 2 of 2)

Synopsis: When Captain Jacoby Cunningham (no relation to Chrissy Cunningham) is approached by Russians for an "off-the-books, no questions asked" sea voyage to Kamchatka, he reluctantly take the job in exchange for much-needed compensation. However, tensions immediately begin to brew between his crew and the suspicious passengers. When a storm hits and a crew member goes missing, Jacoby begins to realize that not only is he way in over his head, but his employers may have brought an unwelcome and deadly passenger onboard without his knowledge.........

Observations:

Back in September (Has it really been that long?) when I did my review of Stranger Things Kamchatka, I predicted that The Voyage (which had yet to debut at that point) would likely follow the same plot threads of Ridley Scott's Alien. Guess who turned out to be right on that call?

And when I say similar plot threads, I mean eerily similar:

A commercial crew is out in the middle of nowhere (space in Alien, the sea in The Voyage) having picked up cargo they know nothing about. Said cargo turns out to be a creature (Xenomorph/Demogorgon) that gets loose on the ship and begins picking off the crew members one-by-one. The remaining crew eventually come to understand that this wasn't a happy accident, and that their employers (Weyland-Yutani/The Soviets) arranged for this to happen for their own purposes. Realizing they've become expendable, the crew is forced to fight for their lives, with their chances of survival looking slimmer by the minute. All of which culminates in a highly tense showdown.

Both the Stranger Things comics and novels have traditionally drawn inspiration from (or in some cases, paid homage to) famous movies from the 70s and 80s. Science Camp did it with the Friday the 13th Franchise. Tomb of Ybwen did it for The Goonies. Darkness on the Edge of Town drew heavily from Escape from New York (as well as the comic Batman The Cult). The Voyage follows a similar trajectory, so it's not unique in that regard, but it does add its own twists and turns (similar to the other comics/tie-ins I just mentioned) to keep things engaging without becoming a blatant rip-off. There were times I didn't know what direction the story was going, even though I had some general idea of how it might end (i.e not well). It's the same feeling I had two years ago when we were all waiting for Vol 2 of Season 4 to come out, and it helped me stay invested in this comic.

Speaking of which, The Voyage takes place between seasons 3 and 4, and acts as a prequel to Stranger Things Kamchatka. Unlike that comic, which was stylized as a Cold War thriller with science-fiction elements sprinkled in, this comic is straight science-fiction horror, with a major emphasis on the horror aspect:

There were genuinely scary moments in this comic, and a sense of dread and unease with each turn of the page. This is a comic that does an excellent job keeping you on edge.

I know I previously said that Stranger Things Kamchatka was a violent comic (even by the standards of the show) that didn't shy away from depicting graphic scenes. While I still stand by that, this comic arguably takes those graphic scenes up to eleven. Some of the deaths at the hands of the Demogorgon are the kinds of moments you'd expect to see in a gory R-Rated film:

Major props to the writers and artists for making effective use of lighting, shadows, colors, and the Demogorgon's vicious nature to truly emphasize the terror of being trapped in an isolated location with a monster that wants you dead.

On top of that, I appreciate how, even with the Demogorgon running around and causing chaos, the writers were able to keep tensions high during the scenes between Captain Jacoby's crew and the Soviets. Every interaction between these two groups was ripe with paranoia and mistrust, and I'm glad that the comic didn't beat around the bush in spelling out that the Russians were the antagonists. They even brought back a familiar face from the Kamchatka comic to emphasize this: Dr. Karine.

The moment she appeared in this comic is the moment I realized that, in spite of being the villain, this was her story. Captain Jacoby is initially set up as the main character, but the comic subverts this towards the end by turning him into a false protagonist who is doomed to die.

In fact, with the exception of one other character whose fate is left up in the air (and who could potentially appear in a sequel should the writers choose to pursue that), guess who ends up being the main survivor by the end of this?

Like I've said, the parallels to Alien (1979) are uncanny. However, instead of heroic final girl Ellen Ripley surviving the Xenomorph's carnage, we get villainous Dr. Karine managing to remain alive and come out on top. Since this comic is a prequel to Kamchatka, it isn't much of a spoiler to point out that she doesn't die (though interestingly enough, we never find out if the Demogorgon she smuggled onboard also survived the explosion).

The only other character who gets fleshed-out in any meaningful way is Captain Jacoby. Bit by bit, we are shown glimpses of his past as a disgraced military veteran, and find out he'd initially been an illegal gun-runner for the U.S. army, up until he accidentally led his men into a horrific ambush that cost them their lives:

When he tried to inquire into how things went wrong so quickly, he was dishonorably discharged (with the implication that his superiors threw him under the bus in an attempt to cover their asses), and it led to him regretting poking his nose in other people's businesses. This in turn led to him suppressing his curiosity in favor of taking shady jobs to survive. Unfortunately for him, and to the detriment of his crew, not only did this attitude cause him to take Dr. Karine's deal to ferry them to Kamchatka, but it also resulted in him missing some major warning signs that she and her people were not to be trusted. Everything went downhill from there.

Captain Jacoby and Dr. Karine's exchanges were interesting in that they provided humanizing moments for both characters, and also gave brief but unique insight into Dr. Karine's motivations:

I remember not caring that much for Dr. Karine in the Kamchatka comic since she came off as little more than a generic evil mad-scientist, but this comic turns that around with this conversation she has with Captain Jacoby. Regardless of what kind of person Dr. Karine is, she has enough self-awareness to recognize that, at the end of the day, she is merely a pawn for her government and their agenda, and that she could easily become expendable in the name of "The Motherland" or whatever self-serving cause her superiors decide to inevitably sacrifice her to. She isn't lying in this scene: You can practically sense the bitterness and resentment in her tone, intertwined with her clumsy attempt to empathize with Jacoby's backstory.

This gives more depth to her fascination with the Upside Down and the Demogorgon: It isn't just about harnessing its power; it's an escape for her. An escape from being under her governments fist, and an escape from the "forced conformity" of being an obedient citizen to a collapsing empire.

Come to think of it, when you look at many of the Russian characters in both the comics and the show, from Agent Frost to Alexei to Enzo/Dmitri to even Yuri, there's a recurring theme of these characters either growing disillusioned with the Soviet Union, or recognizing how shitty it is living in Russia, and doing everything they can to climb out of that hole before they're buried underneath.

I don't know if any of the characters in the comics will make an appearance in the final season of the show (my money is likely on it not happening), but if the Duffer Brothers are planning on bringing back the Russian arc for Season 5, and are looking for an antagonist to fill that role, then they might as well incorporate Dr. Karine. They've already written two comics around her character, establishing her as a credible threat and a compelling villain, and it would be a lot better than introducing another generic forgettable Russian Authority Figure** in lieu of what we've gotten for the past two seasons:

(**Can anyone even tell me their names without Googling them?)

I know some fans aren't eager to revisit the Russian arc return in S5, but considering the show's already spent 2 seasons on it and there are still unanswered questions (i.e. Who was the mole at Hawkins Lab that informed the Russians about El opening the gate? How did the Russians get that piece of the Mind Flayer, and what do they know about it? Are there other Russian facilities keeping UD monsters in captivity? Do the Russians plan to come back to America to either capture more monsters, or take revenge against Hopper, Joyce, and Murray for ruining their plans? Etc, etc.), they might as well wrap this up and give it a satisfying conclusion. Last thing I want to see are more story arcs left unresolved (*cough* Kali Prasad *cough*).

In regards to the other characters in the comic, I don't have much to say about them since they're not really developed. The remaining Soviets on the ship are either generic dumb-muscle or yes-men to Dr. Karine, and the rest of the crew don't have memorable personalities that make them stand out. Considering this is a monster story where most of the characters are going to be killed off anyways, the lack of development doesn't bother me.

Things That (Somewhat) Tie Into The Show:

The Voyage does provides a reasonable, albeit mundane, explanation for how the Soviets got the UD monsters out of Hawkins across the sea to Russia: They found people they could bribe to look the other way and not ask any questions while they smuggled their cargo (and presumably themselves and Hopper) to Kamchatka. Unlike Dr. Karine's Demogrogon, I'm assuming they found a way to keep the monsters anesthetized and hidden better so they wouldn't cause problems or attract unwanted attention.

On top of that, the device Dr. Karine was pursuing in the comic Kamchatka makes an appearance again, except with a different purpose: Instead of it being used to keep the Demogorgon alive, it's used by her to control the Demogorgon and hunt down Captain Jacoby's remaining crew in the climax:

While this is a Retcon from how the device was said to work in the previous comic, it's one I don't mind because the explanation here at least makes sense. The device allows Dr. Karine to mentally connect with the Demogorgon and control it, similar to how Vecna uses the Mind Flayer to possess people/UD monsters and control them. It also gives insight into how the Russians planned to weaponize the Demogorgons and Demodogs to do their bidding without having to worry about the monsters turning on them. While we don't see this particular aspect play out on the show (if anything, the Russians in S4 treated their Demogorgon like an attack dog with barely any restraint), it's an avenue the Duffer Brothers could explore should they choose to continue with the Russian arc in S5.

Overall, this was a grisly and dark comic, but one that kept me invested. For that, I give it a high recommendation.

[the-ephemeral-ethereal]

Who can tell when he sets forth to wander, whether he may be driven by the uncertain currents of existence; or when he may return; or whether it may ever be his lot to revisit the scenes of his childhood?

from The Voyage by Washington Irving (1820)

[arrynnat]

My Freminet-inspired poem just got published in a literary mag—

I’m literally so stoked—

Please feel free to click into my Linktree for more works like this one. Also tag a Freminet main if you know any of ‘em…pretty please?

[dailytraingirl]

its 103 in the valley

blacktop is melting on our shoes

and i don't mean to make it all about me

but i used to believe that no one could love you like i do

and im starting to think that it might be impossible not to

there are days spent tangled up together

and sometimes you let me read your mind

and there are nights you say you don't remember

when you stepped on the gas and you asked if im ready to die

you thought id never leave and i let you believe you were right

walking alone in the city makes me feel like a man on the moon

every small step i took was so easy

but i never imagined a dot quite as pale or as blue

you took it from me but i would've given it to you

[mudwerks]

(via The Voyage - Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares (1992)

[bethanvalerious]

This woodcarving panel will be a background decoration piece of a bigger, detailer piece. It was so worth detailing separately. Line consistency is a little lackluster, but I'll get my practice plenty by the end of this project. Big proud, very happy.

[heartsoulrocknroll]

My 100th coaster, The Voyage!!!!!!!!!! This beautiful marvel of engineering and the love of my whole life gets its own post separate from my eventual Holiday World trip reports. This is perhaps the craziest, most out of control coaster experience in the world. Endless airtime, crazy moments of laterals interspersed throughout, so many tunnels, ridiculous sense of speed on the return run. And the ride just never ends. 100 seconds of ride time from first drop to final brakes is insane, especially on a coaster as intense as this. I could never get enough of this ride. My new #1!!!!!

I had been planning Voyage as my 100th for a while. I couldn't be more excited that it actually worked out.

[yenthecat]

Guess who's sober again

[flojector]

no riding coasters for my birthday today but Kings Dominion ill see you this weekend! Have a voyage sunset photo in celebration :)

[sylhorn]

Good Lines Tag

Thank you @author-a-holmes for the tag! I ought to become more active here and this is a great opportunity to post a little (something I've been gravely neglecting so far...)

Tagging anybody who would like to participate! Also, if any of you'd like, @smol-feralgremlin @serpentarii @thesorcerersapprentice @magic-is-something-we-create @writting-in-blood @monstrouswrites @talesfromaurea @tyne-sharrow - no pressure!

• Rules

What's a line that you're tremendously proud of writing, and what's a line that's just out-of-context ridiculous?

• Line I'm Proud Of

I always have such a hard time choosing things for these line tag games because I undervalue my single lines (being a context girlie is hard work), but here I go! Just some bickering between siblings :^)

“My sisters are both dead. You are a husk I don’t know.”

• Out-of-Context Ridiculous

I'm cheating a bit because this is technically not one but two lines, from completely different parts of the story, but hey! Rules are made to be broken!

He had never been choked before, I suppose. “I live still, you fickle whore! Rejoice!”

[expl0re-everything]

...as boats, cast against the waves, we press on. The ports feel a little further away today......and yet the image in my minds eye of the gleaming treasures contained within grows yet brighter, more detailed and as enticing as it ever was.

I am ever more convinced that what truly matters, however, is not the destination marked on the charts, but the bonds cultivated between us sailors along the way. Today, I’m not sure if she wanted to cut me loose or undo my belt. Maybe all she desired was a full belly.

Tomorrow is a new day and the voyage continues.....