What’s Geeky in August 2022?

What up, Geeks?

Summer has—for all intents and purposes—ended and school is back in session for many of us. While this will leave many of us groaning, it also means the start of so, so many things for us Geeks to absorb through our eyeballs.

We have two different mediums to enjoy the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one from the most recent TV show and another based off of the 80s cartoon, as well as The Sandman, Star Trek: Lower Decks, a videogame where you get to play as a possessed sheep, a new book by Garth Nix, and, lest I forget, the first Game of Thrones spinoff.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Movies and TV shows

With 4 big releases on August 5th, this is going to be one hell of a start to the month.

August 5^th — Luck

First up is Luck, an animated movie following the life of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world, whose life is turned upside down when she finds—and then promptly loses—a magical lucky penny. Following a sassy black cat named Bob through a portal to the magical Land of Luck, Sam must now work with magical creatures to get her own luck back before her bad luck destroys the Land of Luck forever. This movie will be available on AppleTV+.

Also August 5th — Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie

Next, is another animated film, and yet another adaptation of Kevin Eastman’s heroes in a half-shell, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie. Based on the Nickelodeon TV show, this movie follows Leo, Ralph, Donnie, and Mikey as they are visited by a mysterious stranger from the future (who, yes, is named Casey Jones) and warns them of an impending attack from powerful aliens… the Krang. Rise of the TMNT: The Movie will be available on Netflix.

Also August 5th — Prey

Next, we have a new addition to the Predator franchise with Prey. Prey follows Naru, a young Comanche woman 300 years ago, as she fights against one of the first Predators (a highly evolved alien who likes to hunt people if you haven’t seen any of the other movies) to have ever landed on earth. Prey is set to be released on Hulu.

And finally, also on August 5th — The Sandman

Finally, we get to The Sandman, an adaptation of the comics by Neil Gaiman. After being imprisoned for decades by a human wizard, Morpheus, the ruler and personification of dreams, has escaped and is now looking to rebuild his crumbling realm and right the past wrongs he had committed. Standing in his way are a host of other characters, including the ruler of hell, Lucifer Morningstar. This show will be released on Netflix.

August 10^th — Locke & Key

Locke & Key is a really underrated show that is very difficult to explain to the uninitiated. Based off of the comics of the same name, the show follows the Locke family who discover magical keys with different powers in their old family home following the murder of their father. Now the Locke family will face even more trials as they square off against the evil Captain Gideon in the third and final season. And let us not forget about Eden, who gave a great cameo in the trailer and reminded us that she is very much not dead. Like the other two seasons, Locke & Key will premier on Netflix.

August 17^th — She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Disney+’s eighth Marvel TV show will follow the adventures of Jennifer Walters, an attorney who specializes in cases involving superheroes, who accidentally gains the ability to turn into a 6-foot-7-inch green version of herself after a blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner. Unwilling to accept her mantle as a hero, Walters must now her personal life (including going on dates) and her professional one, which includes defending her cousin’s old enemy Emil Blonsky, aka Abomination.

August 21^st — House of the Dragon

From the mind that brought you the good parts of HBO’s Game of Thrones comes a story set 200 years before Jon Snow… back when dragons still ruled the skies and the Iron Throne was occupied by the silver-haired Targaryens. When the king names his ambitious daughter as his heir rather than his violent son, forces begin moving as the realm is pushed toward civil war. 

August 25^th — Star Trek: Lower Decks

I want you to know that I say this unironically: Star Trek: Lower Decks is one of the best Star Trek shows ever made. This animated TV show on Paramount+ centers around the ensigns (the denizens of the “lower decks”) of the U.S.S. Cerritos as they deal with the frustrating antics of strange alien lifeforms, Starfleet bureaucracy, and the egocentric bridge crew. Now in season 3, the lower decks crew will have to prove their captain’s innocence, probably deal with a new illogical Vulcan, and—you guessed it—visit Deep Space 9.

August 26^th — See

First up is the third and final season of AppleTV’s post-apocalyptic show, See. A really underrated show, it follows the story of Baba Voss, a warrior who must take care of two special children from the forces of an evil queen who was in love with their biological father. And what makes them special, you ask? They are some of the only two people who can see perfectly in a world where everyone else is blind.

August 26th — The Last Journey of Paul WR

Next is The Last Journey of Paul WR, a French sci-fi movie set in the future where a red moon threatens to destroy all life on earth. The only one who can save the world is the enigmatic Paul WR, the best astronaut in a generation… who has gone missing.

August 31^st — DC’s Stargirl

The CW’s Stargirl is back for its third season as Courtney Whitmore (aka Stargirl) uses her cosmic staff to recreate the Justice Society of America and combat the reemerging Injustice Society. Joining her are the surviving members of the original JSA, including her stepdad’s original partner, Starman (played by Joel McHale), who may or may not be entirely on Courtney’s side.

August 31^st — Andor

And finally, we get to the show that I have been waiting literal years for: Andor. This Star Wars show appearing on Disney+ tells the story of Cassian Andor, the Rebel spy with questionable morals from Rogue One. This show will be a prequel and will detail his rise into the dark underbelly of the Rebel Alliance. Not much has been released yet about the plot, but with the same people behind it as Rogue One—consider me excited!

Video Games

Lots of video games are coming out this month, including a restart to the Saints Row franchise and a playable cartoon for kids and adults.

And, let us not forget, the Turtles are back with the original arcade games!

August 3^rd

South of the Circle

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

First up is a very interesting-looking game that promises some fantastic storytelling. You play as Peter, a Cambridge academic who crash lands in Soviet-controlled Antarctica during the Cold War. As you look for help and struggle to survive, Peter is forced to relive his life, including his love story with fellow academic Clara, and the series of choices that led him to this moment and the fact that, as the trailer promises us, “some promises stay with us forever.”

August 5^th

Recipe For Disaster

PC

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Gee, I wish I could run a restaurant and create a cool menu and everything”? Well, now you can with Dapper Penguin Studio’s latest management sim where you build the perfect restaurant and manage the fast-paced kitchen and dining room while balancing your staff, demanding customers, health inspections, and dangerous situations.

August 9^th

Two Point Campus

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

If you thought building a restaurant was fun, what about building a university? From the same team that brought you Two Point Hospital, we have Two Point Campus where you get to build your own university, hire mostly-qualified professors, and offer great classes like Knight School, Wizardry, and Gastronomy—a class that allows your students to build ginormous pizzas.

August 10^th

Lost in Play

Switch, PC

Do you remember the point-and-click games that we all used to love as kids? The geniuses behind Lost in Play are trying to recreate that feeling with this video game that feels like you’re playing a cartoon show. And what fantastic animation! Seriously, the animation looks like what would happen if Adventure Time had a baby with Over the Garden Wall. And then that baby was raised by The Owl House. With lots of great visual storytelling, this game is set to be a classic for both kids and adults.

August 11^th

Cult of the Lamb

PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

Sticking with cartoons, we have Cult of the Lamb, where you play as a possessed lamb seeking to spread the Word of your power and amass multitudes of woodland followers. Fight and destroy the various false prophets to absorb their power as you lead your flock to build a horrifying statue in your honor and destroy the non-believers in four randomly generated worlds.

August 12^th

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

PC

Marvel’s Spider-Man is back and now being optimized for PC gameplay. In this game, you play as a more experienced Peter Parker who has been slinging webs against New York City’s criminals for some time now. But all of that changes when Peter’s personal and superhero lives start to collide as he battles against iconic Spider-Man villains.

August 16^th

Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince

Switch, PC

Grandpa is at it again with another story set hundreds of years after The Sleeping King and revolves around Lily, who is in deep trouble. The return of the Minotaur king is all her fault, and if she wants to save her brother in this “classic” 2D action-adventure game, then she’ll have to power up with some new moves. That is if grandpa can remember what happens next in the story.

Rollerdrome

PS4, PS5, PC

Rollerdrome is a third-person shooter game that sees you playing the latest blood sport of the near future where you ride around on roller skates shooting at other players with a vast array of weaponry from simple handguns with a great ricochet, to massive mech destroying grenade launchers. Fly high and shoot fast if you want to win.

August 18^th

Cursed to Golf

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

You died. It was very sad. It was also just in the game, so don’t worry. Unfortunately, you were then sent to golf purgatory, where you must golf your way back to the living in the strangest PARs you’ve ever had to face. Failure will mean that you’re sent back to the beginning of the course, but success will bring you one step closer to winning the ultimate prize.

Thymesia

PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

The Kingdom of Hermes has fallen into a plague and blood-soaked nightmare where alchemically created monsters prowl the streets. The kingdom’s last hope is the mysterious figure Corvus, who can wield plague weapons against the monsters as he searches to piece together his memories and try to find the cure that was hidden in the past.

August 23^rd

Midnight Fight Express

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

From the co-writer of Destiny 2, comes an action beat ‘em up game about a former criminal hitter named Babyface who is brought back into the life by a drone warning that they have until sunrise to prevent a city-wide criminal takeover. Engage in brutal combat against waves of enemies as you use your environment like chairs and sinks to clobber your enemies and level up your skills to take down the big bosses of the underworld.

Saints Row

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

A reboot of the original Saints Row series, this new game is set in the open world of Santo Ileso in the American southwest. While it will be the fifth Saints Row game to be produced, this one will be a reboot to the franchise, with the hope of getting away from some of the wackier antics that were in Saints Row IV. This game will also allow the player to fully create the player character as well as use empty lots to set up front businesses in their bid to take over the underworld of Santo Ileso.

August 25^th

SD Gundam Battle Alliance

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

Somewhere in the G Universe, Gundam history is being twisted in unexpected and sinister ways, and it is your job to lead a 3-unit squadron (or fly solo if that’s your thing) of mechanized suits and their pilots to fix the timeline. This video game proves to be the latest in the Gundam franchise, which began with the anime in 1979 and has shown no signs of slowing down.

August 26^th

Pac-Man World Re-Pac

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

The original Pac-Man World saw Pac-Man make his debut into the world of 3D platform gaming in 1999 and now he’s back with a remastered game. When Pac-Man returns home for his birthday party, he finds that his family has been kidnapped and his home overrun by ghosts. Chomping ghosts and fruit, Pac-Man must make his way through six levels and defeat all the bosses before he can rescue his family and face off against the ghosts’ boss, Toc-Man.

Soul Hackers 2

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

A digital hivemind called Aion has evolved into sentience and deduced that the end of the world is fast approaching and so creates two agents to investigate and stop the end of the world: Ringo and Figure. Together with their new-found friends, they’ll harness the power of demons and work with and against the Devil Summoner societies and they’ll even tap into the mysterious power of the Soul Hack—an ability that allows them to see a person’s memories as they die and even bring them back to life.

August 30^th

Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed

PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Crypto the alien is back (again) and looking for revenge against the KGB for blowing up his mothership. Use a wide array of weapons and gadgets as you probe your way through the humans of the 1960’s. Originally released in 2006, this updated release promises enhanced graphics but with the same irreverent humor.

Immortality

Xbox Series X/S, PC, iOS, Android

From Sam Barlow, the creative mind behind Her Story and Telling Lies, comes the interactive film with horror elements about the fictional movie star Marissa Marcel, who has mysteriously gone missing. Since the complete movies were all destroyed, watch clips from her three films and pause it to interact with items and watch behind the scenes and archival footage to piece together Marcel’s ultimate fate.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

The Cowabunga Collection brings together 13 classic TMNT titles from Konami into one beautiful slice of action. So, grab your nun-chucks, dive back into the sewers of Manhattan, and get ready for more pizza references than you could eat as you relive the old gaming classics based off of the 80’s cartoon show and comic book.

Tinykin

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

In Tinykin, you play as Milo, a human who has now shrunk down to the size of an ant. What was once a normal sized house is now a sprawling metropolis for the ants who now call it home. But on Milo’s side, and helping him explore, are the Tinykin, small creatures who will help Milo move around by using their strength in numbers, their ability to stack on top of each other, conduct electricity, and of course blow things up. These Tinykin will help Milo solve the greatest mystery of their giant world: where did all the people go?

Books

I once said that I would never include a Manga title in this section unless it had been written by the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa. Well, that day has finally arrived, and we (or at the very least just me) can look forward to the 16^th volume of the Manga series based on the light novels by Yoshiki Tanaka, The Heroic Legend of Arslan.

In addition to that, we also have a lot of books for younger readers and at least one book by George R.R. Martin!

It’s a Wild Cards book, but still, that got you excited, didn’t it?

August 1^st

• Can You Nab the Mothman? by Blake A. Hoena—Middle Reader Interactive Fantasy
• Can You Catch a Swamp Monster? by Eric Braun—Middle Reader Interactive Fantasy

August 2^nd

• Face by Joma West—Science Fiction
• Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin—YA Fantasy
• Full House by George R.R. Martin—Book 30 of Wild Cards, Superhero Science Fiction/Fantasy
• The Devouring Wolf by Natalie C. Parker—Middle Readers Fantasy, Mystery
• Phoenix Flight by Jessica Khoury—Book 3 of Skyborn, Middle Readers Fantasy and Horror
• The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean—Urban Fantasy and Horror
• Ruby’s Fiery Mishap by Samantha M. Clark—Book 2 of Gemstone Dragons, Kids Fantasy
• Opal’s Time to Shine by Samantha M. Clark—Book 3 of Gemstone Dragons, Kids Fantasy
• City of Speed by Alex London—Book 2 of Battle Dragons, Middle Readers Fantasy
• The Mirror Fractured Path by J.C. Cervantes—YA Urban Fantasy
• Eversion by Alastair Reynolds—Hard Science Fiction Space Opera
• Dragons of Deceit by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman—Book 1 of Dragonlance Destinies, Fantasy, DnD
• The Crossing by Kevin Ikenberry—Military Science Fiction and Alternate History
• Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin—YA Fantasy, Enemies-to-Lovers
• The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill—YA Dystopian Space Opera
• How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez—YA Superhero Science Fiction
• Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd—Middle Reader Fantasy
• The King Will Kill You by Sarah Henning—Book 3 of Kingdoms of Sand and Sky, YA Fantasy

August 3^rd

• The Sisters of Saint Nicola of The Almost Perpetual Motion vs the Lurch by Garth Nix—eBook, Steampunk Science Fiction

August 4^th

• The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold—Middle Readers Fantasy

August 9^th

• Councilor by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.—Book 2 of The Grand Illusion, Epic Fantasy
• The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope—Historical Fantasy, African American
• High Times in the Low Parliament by Kelly Robson—Historical Fantasy, LGBTQ
• The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu—Book 1 of The War Arts Saga, Epic Fantasy
• Glacier’s Edge by R.A. Salvatore—Book 2 of The Way of the Drow, Epic Fantasy, DnD
• Furysong by Rosaria Munda—Book 3 of The Aurelian Cycle, YA Fantasy
• Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury—YA Fantasy
• The Heroic Legend of Arslan by Yoshiki Tanaka and Hiromu Arakawa—Book 16, Fantasy, Manga

August 16^th

• Second Spear by Kerstin Hall—Book 2 of Mkalis Cycle, Fantasy
• Grave Books by J.A. White—Middle Readers Horror and Fantasy
• Ashfall Prophecy by Pittacus Lore—Book 2 of Ashfall, YA Science Fiction
• The First Binding by R.R. Virdi—Book 1 Tales of Tremaine, Epic Fantasy
• Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis—Star Wars, Space Opera
• The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones—YA Fantasy, LGBTQ
• Goblin Market by Diane Zahler—Middle Readers Fantasy
• Dance with the Devil by Kit Rocha—Book 3 of Mercenary Librarians, Science Fiction
• The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri—Book 2 of The Burning Kingdoms, Fantasy, LGBTQ
• Rosie the Twilight Night Dragon by Maddy Mara—Book 7 of Dragon Girls, Kids Fantasy

August 23^rd

• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna—Urban Fantasy
• Firesong by Vashti Hardy—Middle Readers Fantasy
• Beguiled by Cyla Panin—YA Fantasy
• Lightlark by Alex Aster—YA Dark Fantasy
• A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judi I. Lin—Book 2 of The Book of Tea, YA Fantasy
• The Legend of the Lost Boy by Francesco Sedita—Book 3 of The Pathfinders Society, Middle Readers Fantasy
• Terminal Peace by Jim C. Hines—Book 3 of Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse, Comedic Science Fiction

August 30^th

• The Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland—Historical Fantasy, LGBTQ
• The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez—Epic Fantasy
• Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire—Book 16 of October Daye, Urban Fantasy
• Lily and the Night Creatures by Nick Lake—Middle Readers Fantasy
• A Taste of Magic by J. Elle—Middle Readers Fantasy
• All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody—YA Dark Fantasy
• Belladonna by Adalyn Grace—YA Dark Fantasy
• Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson—Middle Readers Fantasy and Horror
• Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn—Book 6 of Heroine Complex, Superheroes, Dark Fantasy
• Moon Dark Smile by Tessa Gratton—YA Dark Fantasy, LGBTQ
• Wildbound by Elayne Audrey Becker—Book 2 of Forestborn, YA Fantasy

That’s August

That’s August, Geeks!

We’ve got a lot of stuff to look forward to this month and even more stuff to look forward to next month. Sign up for Geek Alerts to be the first one to hear all about it.

Keep it Geeky!