Brazilian Movie Parody Ads Target Overweight Women

Brazilian Ads for Fit Light Yogurt show parodies of movies like American Beauty & Basic Instinct, substituting a heavy-set woman for the star actresses in each.

The tagline?

“Forget about it. Men’s preference will never change. Fit Light Yogurt.”

Nice.

Good ol' Brazil. At least I know my Brazilian mom's constant nagging about my weight growing up originated from someplace.

And I think the woman in the above picture is beautiful. F**k them.

"Who Is Spider-Man's Venomous New Foe?"

Via The Beat we have even more spoilers --

For the purposes of this blog I present the "approved" image, plus promo copy:

Spider-Man’s Venomous New Foe Debuts On EntertainmentWeekly.Com!

The world’s most popular super hero has faced terrifying new threats in the top-selling (and thrice monthly!) Amazing Spider-Man, but now Spidey is about to encounter some familiar faces—and the debut of a character tied to one of his most iconic foes!

Head over to http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20196484,00.html to learn just how acclaimed writer Dan Slott and legendary artist John Romita Jr plan to show Spider-Man “New Ways To Die” this summer!

So what do you think, those who have decided to "spoil" themselves?

Little Billy's Letters To Serial Killers For Life Advice

This story I found on Radar was so kooky I just had to post it:

"In the late '90s, pop-culture historian Bill Geerhart had a little too much time on his hands and a surfeit of stamps. So, for his own entertainment, the then-unemployed thirtysomething launched a letter-writing campaign to some of the most powerful and infamous figures in the country, posing as a curious 10-year-old named Billy."

It turns out that the convicted murderers and serial killers "Little Billy" wrote to were happy to reply.


"Nightstalker" Richard Ramirez writes back to Little Billy,

"Billy,
Greetings. Got your letter. What school do you go to? Who's your friend? You should stay in school. Send pictures.
Richard"

Best of all, apparently Ramirez had his own personalized stationary with his "serial killer name," Nightstalker, printed on the top. With an upside-down pentagram in the dot of the I. That's class. That's awesome that they let serial killers maintain their own "branding."

In the next letter to Billy, Ramirez asks the boy to send some pictures of women in bikinis, and see if he knows any Asian women who might like to correspond with him.

Little Billy also wrote to Charles Manson (of course), and many more.

Kind of makes you wonder what would have happened if there really WAS a Little Billy, huh?

Spoiler Warning, Don't Read The NY Daily News Either Or The URL To This Post

Warning, the following spoilers were taken from a major American newspaper who obtained said spoilers directly from the comics publisher whose book was being purposely spoiled most probably in the pursuit of mainstream media coverage.
...
...
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Also, I find it interesting that the direct market is depending on the spoilers not to be spoiled in order to maximize sales, yet the company putting out the comic is purposely working with the major media to spoil the story on the morning of the book coming out. Just a thought.


I always considered the Barry Allen Flash death as one of the cornerstones of the modern DC Universe. It represented the trauma and sacrifice of Crisis, and touched each of the major DCU heroes personally.

That said, the breaking news (broke on a mainstream newspaper, no less) that Barry Allen is returning as the Flash in DC Universe #0 doesn't surprise me.

I mean, who's left to revive? Even freakin' Bucky is back in business. Jason Todd's return proved that a character resurrection was as easy as a plot device that writers in the Silver Age would have been ashamed to use.

Grant Morrison is quoted in the article as saying,

"That's the point of comics - they don't have to die, because they're fictional creations."

I am kind of disappointed that he would say such a thing. It sounds like such a cop-out, and not worthy of him. And what is the rationale behind them not dying -- is it artistic, or is it merely economical? Wouldn't it take more artistic integrity to restrain oneself from devising some fanciful way to bring a character like Allen back?

It's just that every time you bring these characters back, you undermine the emotional resonance of those original stories surrounding the hero's tragic demise. But, I suppose if it's a choice between maintaining the integrity of some past issues that will probably do ok in backlist trade paperbacks anyhow, and the thought of getting another sales spike, the latter will probably win out.

I mean, why have the Big Two restrained themselves from resurrecting these famously dead heroes for so long? Because the sales were better back then. They felt they could afford to fold their arms over their chests and say, "This character is never returning. If we did that, we'd undermine our own integrity."

To be fair, the return of Bucky as the Winter Soldier has worked terrifically for Marvel, due in no small part to the genius of Ed Brubaker. I assume DC assumes the same will work for Morrison.

Another angle to the Allen return is why DC saw fit to break this story with a mainstream newspasper at all. One would assume that the majority of NY Daily News readers are not big Silver Age continuity freaks. What meaning does "Barry Allen Flash Returns" have on the curious onlooker who is not familiar with today's comics, much less the comics of yesteryear?

It's like making the big "hook" in Identity Crisis being the death of Sue Dibny. Dibny, Allen: who are these people? Do you think the new reader cares? The new reader sees the Flash on the magazine rack and on the TV, if they see him at all. As far as the new reader is concerned, the Flash is already alive; this current hoopla being mere hyperbole.

As insinuated in the article, since Barry Allen "saved" the comic industry the first time in the late 1950s, maybe he is set to do that all over again with Final Crisis. So perhaps this is all a "Pop Magic!" ploy on Morrison's part to symbolically juice up the ailing DCU.

You know what would really save the DCU? New readers.

And What Comics Are You All Planning On Buying, Hmmm???

This lovely woodcut print is made by Victor McCay,
who shows you step-by-step on his blog how he put it together

Avengers the Initiative #12

DC Universe #0

Giant Size Avengers Invaders #1 (only if it's new material, not reprint)

Hercules #1 (I have no idea how good this is going to be, but I'm a sucker for another damn Hercules comic)

That's it...so far!

Please share your pull lists, suggestions, etc, etc.

And feel free to consult this handy dandy comics list from Brian Hibbs at the Savage Critics (who calls the entire comics industry "Asshat of the Week" for what he feels to be a less than stellar lineup of offerings, especially on the eve of Free Comic Day on May 3).

Princess Leia Spills All On Star Wars, Harrison Ford, and Metal Bikinis

Former "Princess Leia" Carrie Fisher had a lot to say on a British TV program about...THE HIDDEN STAR WARS! Among other things, The Star reports she said that:

• Her and Harrison Ford got a little "up-close and personal" during the shooting of Star Wars.
  
• Apparently her breasts had to be taped down with gaffer's tape during filming.
• There is "no contest" between Ford and other co-star Mark Hamill.
  
• That Hamill felt bitter over not breaking out as a star outside of the trilogy.
• The metal bikini that she wore in Return of the Jedi "didn't move" -- and that George Lucas apparently owns it now.

(Still trying to figure out what the headline that accompanied this article -- "I gave Ford Obi-Wan" -- means)

Iranian Official: Barbie, Harry Potter, Spiderman "Destructive Influence"

An Iranian official laments the "destructive influence" smuggled Western toys such as Barbie, Superman, and Harry Potter are having on his country:

"The displays of personalities such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter ... as well as the irregular importation of unsanctioned computer games and movies are all warning bells to the officials in the cultural arena..."

There was an officially-sanctioned line of dolls in Iran made to compete with Barbie, Sara and Dara:











They have apparently not been as successful as the forbidden Barbies.*

This related set of photos on the Flickr user sara va dara's photostream has more interesting commentary on the subject, including pictures of another Middle Eastern "answer" to Barbie, Fulla.

Getting a real kick out of this post:


* While I have read this assessment in one of the articles on the subject, I have read no more than anecdotal evidence. I do not believe in repressively controlling the media one's children consumes, but I don't think a doll like Fulla, in traditional clothes, is the worst idea in the world for kids who are part of that culture already. Blond & thin Barbie, draped in pepto bismol pink, didn't do much for me or my self-esteem either. I am more interested in obtaining a Fulla doll on eBay.

Teen Titans: Too Much Of A Good Thing?

Hey, don't get me wrong: I think that the Teen Titans is a great brand, and potentially a excellent spawner of four-color excellence.

But c'mon:

Teen Titans
Teen Titans Year One
Titans
Tiny Titans
DC Special: Raven
DC Special: Cyborg

and now:

Terror Titans

I know how this happens: "Teen Titans is our X-Men! We should do more with it!"

But remember the last Teen Titans glut? In the early 90s?

Remember...


Team Titans: 5 separate collector's item 1st issues with different covers, older mentor who was obvious Cable rip-off, and, according to Phil Jimenez:

"The unfortunate part of that was we had no idea that what they wanted was DC Comics’ X-Force. They, DC management at the time, saw Team Titans as this answer to Rob Liefeld’s X-Force"

Which brings us full circle to:
Which is not to say that the new Terror Titans won't be a good book. But there's an awful lot of Titans books out there now.

Lulu Awards Nominations Now Open: Make Your Voice Heard!

This Lulu designed & drawn by Paul Salvi -- thanks, Paul!!!

It's that time of year again -- time to nominate the best and brightest for the 2008 Lulu Awards!

Nominations due May 14!

The Friends of Lulu annual Lulu Awards bring honor and recognition to the most inspiring and noteworthy women in the comic book industry, as well as the efforts, achievements, and works that reflect Friends of Lulu's goals. Nominations for the Awards are open to anyone. Once the nominees are chosen, only current members of Friends of Lulu will be able to vote for who should win each award. The Lulu Awards will be handed out this year during the MoCCA Art Festival in New York City, Saturday June 7.

The Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame nominees must have published work, whether self-published, company-published, or Web-published. An individual cannot win more than once.

Women of Distinction nominees must have worked in the comic industry in a non-creator role, such as editing, publishing, reporting, or retail.

The Lulu of the Year Award honors the creator(s), book or other project whose work best exemplifies Friends of Lulu's mission.

The Kim Yale Award nominees must have published work, whether self-published, company-published, or Web-published. Nominees must be nominated for this category within three years of their first published work. An individual may not be nominated more than twice, and cannot win more than once. The award is named for comics writer Kim Yale, a founding Lulu member who passed away in 1997.

The Volunteer of the Year award was introduced in 2002 to recognize those people who have volunteered time and effort to advance Lulu's goals. Current board members are not eligible. The Volunteer of the Year award is nominated by and voted on by the National Board.

To vote -- and read more details about the awards -- go here!

Occasional Links: The I Believe In Harvey Dent Edition

Spider-skills come handy when you're a window-washer. From Shanghaiist

• Regular OS reader David Miller has an unique series of online books through WOWIO -- The Writer's Block!

Basically, it's what happens when you take famous comic writers like Peter David, Gail Simone, Jim Shooter, and many more, and...

"...three writers are given the same 6 page chapter to script without knowing anything about the plot or being allowed to speak to one another. The authors let their muses take them (and you) on a literary trip that only they could craft."

This sound like a lot of fun! And they're apparently FREE! Holy crap! Go download 'em! (but don't share 'em 'cause WOWIO gets paid per download)

• Did Erik Larsen originally want to make Elektra a Skrull way-back-when?

"I wrote an opening scene in an issue of Nova the Human Rocket with an Elektra Skrull being arrested and hauled off after a battle with ol’ bucket-head and Ralph Macchio caught it (who knew he was paying attention?) and had me take it out (I swapped in a Savage Dragon Skrull, which allowed me to get in a free plug for my Image book) and that was the end of it."

• 6 new Dark Knight posters can be found at Film School Rejects:

I think they are sort of reminiscent of the Batman Returns ones. All-black posters, one each focusing on each main character, then a poster with all three of them:

• Holy crap again -- they've got a Galaxy Quest comic?! You mean, Galaxy Quest as in Tim Allen Galaxy Quest comic?!!!!

It's from IDW Publishing and hits stands in August.

• Finally, it's exactly what you need to buy for the Summer...your very own Charlie Chaplin axe-murderer t-shirt from Threadless:
  

(via Superpunch)

Miley Cyrus: Pretty Baby

RE: Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair pictures:


Tousled hair? Check.
Toplessness? Check.
Wrinkled bedsheet/clothes pulled up to conceal said toplessness? Check
Harsh makeup for a 15-year-old? Check.
Enigmatic expression that might be "come hither" but you don't know for sure? Check.

I know it's been defended by using those teenaged Brooke Shields Calvin Klein ads as an example:


But every time I see those photos it's a different Brooke Shields thing I see:



You know what happens when you make these young teen idols grow up too fast?


What really bugs me is that I actually watched a few of these "Hannah Montana" episodes, and I thought they were pretty cool for teenage girls to watch. But it's like actresses/singers like Miley turn 15, 16 years old and there is this big rush to establish them as "hot chix." What the hell?

That's why I'm throwing my support towards proud Girl Scout Abigail Breslin:


Nobody let Annie Leibovitz and her camera within twenty feet of that girl!

"She Yam What She Yam"

I came across this Popeye strip over at Scans Daily, and found it rather amusing (nay, perhaps even touching).

Popeye on "exter bad women" (in this case, the Sea Hag):

"If they wasn't no bad women maybe we wouldn't appreciate the good ones. Anyway, she yam what she yam."

"Deal Or No Deal" Models To Appear In Slave Leia Bikinis

A special 2-hour Star Wars themed episode of the game show "Deal or No Deal" will air tonight on NBC. The show will feature, among other things, 26 models dressed in Slave Leia metal bikinis.

No word if they will have to wear red or green buttons to indicate if they would like their boobs touched.

Occasional Links: The GI Joe Ate My Lunch Money Edition

I met this crack team of international freedom fighters
at this year's New York Comic Con

The Superdictionary's definition of black & white, courtesy of Conjura and Batgirl

On eBay: Arnold Schwarzenegger crystal dumbbell (apparently his way of saying "thank you")

Have your fill of Batdickery with The Daily Batman


A selection from the comic strip "Bobby Sox" by female cartoonist Marty Links

Portrait of a Gaston County, Texas comic book collector. Best line:

"He found a box of about 60 1940s-era comics that were kept in a tin shed in Stanley. Many didn't have covers and had been chewed by rats. He found a bullet lodged in one where it had been shot."

F**king awesome.

Speaking of f**king awesome, here is this f**king awesome flesh-ripping Spider-Man tattoo, courtesy of Bleneral:


Dude.

And I think I've finally found a challenger to the high standard of international superhero programming set by "Italian Spiderman" --

The Chocopanda Avenger!

Man Creates Protocol For Groping Women At Conventions

You gotta be f**king kidding me. This is a parody, right?

Let the creator of the "Open Source Boob Project" explain in his own words:

"At Penguicon, we had buttons to give away. There were two small buttons, one for each camp: A green button that said, "YES, you may" and a red button that said "NO, you may not." And anyone who had those buttons on, whether you knew them or not, was someone you could approach and ask:

"Excuse me, but may I touch your breasts?"

And if you weren't a total lout - the women retained their right to say no, of course - they would push their chests out, and you would be allowed into the sanctity of it. That exchange of happiness where one person are told with gropes and touches that they are desirable and the other is someone who's allowed to desire.

For a moment, everything that was awkward about high school would fade away and you could just say what was on your mind. It was as though parts of me were being healed whenever I did it, and I touched at least fifteen sets of boobs at Penguicon. It never got old, surprisingly.

Some women didn't want to. That was fine. We never demanded anything of anyone. And if you didn't want to put yours up for the Project but you wanted to touch, well, that was fine, too. It was simply for folks who felt like being open.

It was a raging success at Penguicon.... And there haven't been any hookups that I know of thanks to the Open-Source Boob Project. It is, as I said, a very special thing. (Though I wouldn't rule it out if two single people exchanged a moment.) And we'll probably do it at other cons, because it's strangely wholesome and sexual at the same time.

I've left off the names, because frankly, people should reveal for themselves whether they're Open-Sourcers or not. Not everyone wants to go public with it, and what happens at the con stays at the con. But trust me. If you are, and I meet you, I will ask. And you'll understand the beauty and simplicity of the Open-Source Boob Project for yourself.

Touch the magic, my friends. Touch the magic."

This isn't worth me scrambling to find the facepalm meme photos to attach to this.

I think if people want to have adult-themed comic book or sci-fi conventions where this sort of behavior is agreed-to upon before people even buy the ticket, that's fine. If there is such a driving need among some people to have sexual situations at a con, to fully "liberate oneself," great -- create a separate con for that. Then "consenting adults" can purchase a few fanzines, cop a feel, and call it a day.

But not at a regular convention. It's not okay to ask women wearing tank-tops on crowded subway trains during the summertime if their boobs can be grabbed or not -- what makes it okay at a sci-fi or comic convention? Should they wear red or green buttons too?

There are some arguments that the original poster was really just making a harmless intellectual point, and that he is not the "enemy." That's fine. I'm not even worried about him, per se.

What I am worried about guys who hear the following words:
"grope"
"boobs"
"convention"
"permission"
"asking for it"

and do their own screwed-up math on the subject and do something stupid.

That's why you can't have this stuff going on at a convention, "consenting adults" or no. It creates an environment with the potential for abuse.

Go create a Sex-Con and touch consenting boobies. And if your life is such that the only way to release your sexual urges is at a science-fiction convention -- you need to reevaluate. You need to get more venues in your social life.

Related reading:

The Open Source Swift Kick In The Balls Project

Superheroes Take Over Vogue Magazine

I took a double-take when I saw the cover of May's Vogue Magazine -- it had an Iron Man helmet on the cover!

Of course, it also had Gwyneth Paltrow hawking her new movie. But I thought the fact that mainstream comics made the cover of Vogue was pretty neat.


But that's not all -- there's also several superhero-inspired photo spreads, including:

• Paltrow posing with various Iron Man equipment
  
• Haute Couture superhero costumes -- including Poison Ivy and Catwoman
• A model posing with Tom Welling (yow!)
  
• Another shoot with the introductory text: "A shimmering flash from the dynamic duo of satin and statement jewels...the flutter of a fluid silhouette like like a crusader's cape -- summer's supercharged looks befit any radiant heroine

There's an insert booklet with Alex Ross cover art advertising The Costume Institute's "Superheroes Fashion and Fantasy" show (sponsored by Giorgio Armani) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Armani is quoted in the booklet:

"The power of fashion, like the power of the superhero, lies in its ability to bring excitement and hope to everyday life."

The article that accompanies the Costume Institute article analyzes various superhero costumes in terms of their symbolism and influence on high fashion. For example:

""The Postmodern Body," personified by the Punisher (1974) and Ghost Rider (1972), is a contemporary take on the idea of graphic signifiers, an eclectic mix of gang fashion and style."

Postscript: With magazine sales at new lows and a hurt economy making women more wary about purchasing high-end fashion items, might publications like Vogue be trying to court a more general audience with pop-culture stories on summer blockbusters and the like?

I would be interested in seeing the sales numbers on this issue.

Smiling somewhere:

Val's Office: The Tour

You know those magazines that will give you a tour of one person or another's work space? This will not be as cool as that. But while I have the digital camera out, might as well...

This is my desk, where all the magic happens.
It is surrounded by tchotchkes.
I hope that as I get older, I will accumulate more tchotchkes;
it is one of my goals.

David Lapham, let me state for the record that I *did* buy Young Liars...

This was given to me by someone who swore it was a Neal Adams
statue. Does anybody know if that is really true?

My review stack o' doom...(I'm making progress...slowly...)

My Captain Lou Albano autograph

My Margot Kidder autograph

My bookshelf...where Carlos Castaneda and
Pink Power Ranger rub shoulders

I'm hoping that using all these books,
I will finally understand "Lost"...

Neo & Mr. Smith duke it out

Yeah, I have a copy of "Women Who Run With The Wolves"...

You never know when you'll have to pull these on and slug somebody

I got this handpainted Mary Marvel cel (with pencil test!) for only $30.
Score!

Just a sampling of the BF's extensive Marvel Legends collection.
We call this one "The Rescue Of Bucky"

More comics...

Oh God, even more comics...

It's laundry day! Kitty is happy.

Comics Are Expensive: THE DAMNED #1, SCARLET TRACES

Noted Expertologist Chris Lamb begs you not to attempt these complex reviewing maneuvers at home. You must be a fully licensed expertologist to do so.

I wasn’t ready for Comic Con. I realize that now. Not enough money, not enough sleep beforehand or during, and not nearly enough booze on hand to deal with the sensory overload (though the overpriced food court selling little bottles of wine certainly helped). What I did have was, in hindsight, less of plan and more of a vague notion that would be torn from me faster than a bit of plywood from a storefront in a hurricane: unless it was something I couldn’t find anywhere else, I wasn’t going to buy any comics.

I know, okay? I know. Before the con, and even up to standing in the corral waiting for the doors to open Saturday, it sounded like a great idea. The (ha ha) thinking behind this was something like Hey, I live in New York, where there is a fairly healthy number of comic shops. Instead of blowing my comics budget for the next several weeks on things I can probably get another time, why not pick up stuff I can’t get anywhere else? Like original art for the apartment, Chaotic starter sets (it’sforworkiswear), and funnel cake? A bit optimistic, sure, but as goals go not necessarily a bad one.

You can probably see where this is going. Within minutes of the doors opening I’d already picked up two books from Tokypop and was eyeing the Dark Horse tables for more than their giant yellow bags. While there were panels to keep me away from all the shiny things on Saturday, all bets were off Sunday, with the show floor swallowing me up and spitting me out with a bag full of treasure and a considerably lighter wallet. It’s hard to be disappointed in myself – really, could it have ended any other way?

So the bad news is that, between the art and books and everything, I can’t really afford new comics for the next couple of weeks or so. The good news, however, is that I have enough new things to easily fill the gap between now and then. It helps a little to think this was my master plan all along, but self-deluding only goes so far with bank statements.

Potential spoilers ahead, as always. Here there be plot points.

THE DAMNED #1

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Brian Hurtt

When the first limited series of The Damned appeared on my radar last year, it wasn’t until the very end – I started reading one issue before the end, which was helpful in terms of not having to deal with the monthly wait between installments but a little disappointing in that there wasn’t going to be a regular flow of it. It was the sort of book that grabbed me immediately, blending a number of my favorite things – noir, stories that drop you into the middle of things, the supernatural, and the nagging feeling of reading a Tom Waits song – into a nicely twisting story backed by some very lovely artwork. By the time I’d put down the first issue, I was already putting together a mental list of people who very much needed to read it.

For those of you other there who haven’t had the book forcibly shoved on them by me, the short version: The Damned is the story of Eddie, a guy floating somewhere between “two-bit hood” and “lowlife” with an interesting twist – he can’t stay dead. Oh, he can die easily enough, and does so on a regular basis, but all it takes is something alive touching him to bring him back (at the cost of whoever did the touching, naturally). Eddie’s world is a nasty one, made up of a nameless town during the prohibition era where the underworld isn’t just a fancy word for the criminal element. Demons live amongst us, controlling organized crime and never letting the cowering populous forget who’s boss. Over the course of the original series, Eddie found himself stuck between a rock and a number of hard places, including a war between demon gangs, the strange gray place he visits every time he dies, and an ultimate power play that would have seen the demons replaced with something possibly worse. When last we saw him, he was running a club under one of the most powerful families around and looking to finally enjoy life a little.

Not that any of it was meant to last, of course. Before catching up with how Eddie’s been, though, the new issue first flashbacks to introduce us to his family, hinting at a much happier time of his life and the dark dealings between his father and a particularly nasty bunch of demons. It’s a nice moment, setting up not only an issue dealing more with Eddie’s estranged brother than Eddie himself but establishing that the whole thing with the demons running things behind the scenes has gone on for a good long while. It’s a simple but effective scene, building nicely on top of what we saw of how the world works in the first series. Only in a world abandoned by god and given over to the monsters could a guy like Eddie be the hero, and this briefest of looks at what he grew up with provides just enough fodder for your imagination to have you sympathizing with him by the end.

The rest of the book deals with Eddie reconnecting with his aforementioned brother Morgan as part of a frankly insane plan involving what might be the current location of their dead mother’s soul. There’s some serious history between the two (which will no doubt be delved deeper into over the next two issues), including a connection between the curse keeping Eddie alive and the strange tattoos covering most of Morgan’s skin. Perhaps even better than the requisite weirdness, though, is how well their scenes are written – Bunn establishes their relationship so quickly and firmly that everything past the first few panels of their meeting in a bar is just gravy. Their troubled relationship might not offer anything that hasn’t been seen before, but the skill with which its fleshed out packs more grace and subtlety than I’ve seen a comic manage for quite some time. It also provides a welcome change in perspective on the ordinarily cool and collected Eddie, which is always fun.

While any one who read the original series will feel right at home, things may be a bit rougher on new readers. With only three issues for the story there’s not a lot of time for playing catch up, and the weight of some scenes will most likely be lost without the context of the original series. That said, the broad strokes of what got us here are present throughout the issue, providing just enough detail to fill in new readers (and whet their appetites for the convenient trade of the original series, a mere $14.95 from Oni) without ruining the good bits, of which there are plenty. The Damned was a fantastic work, creating a world both eerily familiar and strangely horrifying at the same time. While it might only be three issues, “Prodigal Sons” appears to be picking up where it left off without missing a beat.

BUY STATUS: In for the duration, and secretly hoping this shortened series means we’ll be getting another one before the year’s out. The Damned is pure fun through and through.

SCARLET TRACES

Writer: Ian Edginton
Artist: D’Israeli

Scarlet Traces is the sort of thing that makes me wonder if I have some sort of deep-rooted psychological trouble that’s caused me to blank out at any time during the last few years, as it’s the only real way to explain how I haven’t heard of it before seeing it at the Dark Horse booth. An unofficial sequel to War of the Worlds, dealing not only with what England did with all the Martian technology lying around at the end of the invasion but her plans for an offensive against the red planet? Clearly some sort of Durden-esque double life is the only way to explain how I could have missed a book so clearly written just for me. I suppose spending my lost time looking like Brad Pitt and sleeping with Helen Bonham Carter makes up for it, though. Maybe.

As touched on above, Scarlet Traces takes place in a post-Martian invasion England, a land transformed by the salvaged technology of the would-be conquerors into a steampunk (minus the steam) slice of the future where cars walk on insect legs, homes are warmed by modified versions of the deadly heat ray, and the country has isolated itself from the rest of the world, resentful over their lack of help during the war and hording all the treasure for themselves. It’s a cold place, for all its advancements, feeling very much like a child pretending to be an adult. While London rejoices in her Martian makeover, one doesn’t have to look too far to see the bad that came along with the good of the country’s great leap forward. More and more factories in the rural areas are becoming automated, with families so desperate for work that anything – including an ad looking for young women to work as housemaids in the big city – is worth jumping on if it means putting food on the table.

The central mystery of the book is built around one such want ad, pulling war veterans Robert Autumn and Archie Currie out of semi-retirement in the name of tracking down Currie’s seemingly missing niece. The plot naturally thickens along the way, with the trail to the lost girl becoming littered with buildings blown up to hide evidence, thugs packing pocket heat rays, and a homeless Sergeant finding and his pet dog finding emaciated bodies along the muddy banks of the Thames. All of this leads somewhat inevitably to a larger conspiracy, and while its revelation towards the end isn’t exactly a surprise, the scope and potential of the plan make it more than worth the wait.

Which is both a good and bad thing. In building up to the story’s turning point, Edginton and D’Israeli seem almost restless with their more mundane detective story, eager to just get through it and finally embrace the more fantastic elements. It doesn’t hurt things too much – the larger story of Autumn and Currie getting closer and closer to the madness lurking behind England’s brave new world is still a good read, but compared to the twists and turns things take from the start of chapter four on it can’t help but come off lacking. It’s a slow boil beginning that’s just ever so slightly off to such a minor degree that you might not even notice till you’ve finished the entire thing. Not a huge thing, but as I’m running out of ways to say “it’s really, really good” I thought I might gripe a bit to inflate my word count.

And it is really, really good. D’Israelli’s art is completely on throughout, creating machines and buildings both incredible to look at and slightly horrifying to consider. Edginton’s script drives home at every turn how little people have changed despite their wonderful new toys, creating a cast of characters ranging from tragically noble to the sort of disgusting that only comes with being sure you’re doing the right thing. Scarlet Traces is a thrill to read, a genuine new world built on the remains of the old and just the sort of thing comics were built for. For all the comics I read, few of them manage to stay with me after the fact. Yet even now, days after gobbling it up after getting home from NYCC, I keep getting distracted imagining the clatter of a traffic jam made of six-legged cars on cobblestone streets. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

BUY STATUS: Sorely tempted to throw sense to the wind (yet again) and grab the second volume immediately, but remaining strong. First thing on the list once I’m back in a cash-having way, though.

So far, so good. Next week will see more Con purchases, and maybe the week after that, but don’t let that stop you from recommending anything coming out in the meantime via the comments or an email to chrislamb@gmail.com. I’ll be keeping a list of what I’m missing at the shops for when I can pick things up again, and may even be checking it twice. See you then.

Dark Knight Poster: Shades of the WTC?

I found this official Dark Knight poster on The Beat, and I agree with one of the comments that it brings back memories of 911.

1. Skyscraper with plane-sized hole in it in flames? Check.

2. Debris falling from building? Check.

3. Smoke pouring from top of said building? Check.

But hey, at least Gotham has Batman, right?

And best of all: no tasteless exploitation of Heath Ledger!


(it should be noted, however, that as a native New Yorker, the emergency break pulled on my subway train by a passenger with a bad case of sciatica brings back memories of 911)

Fangirl Fridays

RE: Indiana Jones IV


Aliens? Really?

What the hell?


Countdown To Change, Part 58, "The Final Chapter," Electric Boogaloo

Donna Troy: The next Sarah Silverman?

So I won't have Countdown to kick around anymore. Whatever shall I write about?

52 issues of Countdown populating the quarter bins of this fine country.

Are Harley & Holly doing it, or what? Is it because their names sound similar?

And so is it safe to say Jason Todd learned nothing from this experience? Could somebody sue DC for the rights to this character so he can be killed off?

Between Countdown & last night's "Smallville," I think it is safe to say that the intrinsic appeal of Jimmy Olsen has been greatly overestimated. It's like if we did a whole TV show based off of that holographic doctor from "Star Trek: Voyager."

Mary Marvel discovers the many pleasures of the
"personal massage" department at Walgreens.

I actually purchased Countdown #1. I figured at the very least, it would be a good lead-in to Final Crisis. What does Harley say at the end of it? Her philosophy on how to deal with problems?

"A positive attitude and lots of denial."

That about sums up Titans #1

Lest it be said (and it has been said) that I am unfairly dumping on DC for Countdown, I should remind you that I had a similar reaction to Marvel's House of M.

My honest-to-god reaction to House of M #1: "What the f**k?"

I read House of M at a time when I was trying to make an effort to actually read comics again. The first issue of that mini-series almost stopped me cold. Countdown had the same effect.

I do agree with some of the commenters on Brian Hibbs' post "Count This!" that the responsibility for this series needs to be spread a little further out than it has been. I'm figuring Dan DiDio had a lot to do with the general thrust of Countdown, but he was not its ultimate mastermind or main scribe. Nor did he personally edit it.

But there's no use crying over spilled milkshake, is there?


New York Comic Con: Not Enough Giant Hulk Statues

Comic Baker Marion Vitus re-enacts that
Sarah Douglas scene from Superman II
at the New York Comic Con

I see there has been some criticism regarding New York Comic Con on teh internets.

My assessment?

It wasn't the big bomb-diggity San Diego was last year. But I don't think it was terrible. And it should be remembered that SDCC is not a convention, it is a gigantic freak of nature, some sort of high-holy event where pilgrims are trampled and flagellate themselves with their badge lanyards in the blazing heat.

Was it anti-indy? I didn't get that feeling. I had plenty of independent press books to choose from. And I bought a lot of them.

Were certain exhibitors placed in obscure places & ignored? Maybe. I dunno. Some of that is about dressing up your booth to attract the right amount of attention. I mean, The Comics Bakery booth was not huge, nor was it placed in some yummy sweet-spot right off of the Marvel section. But it had a clear, visually-appealing banner, it had a "brand," it had fresh scones (playing off the "bakery" brand), a great set-up so all the comics were displayed properly, and a good sales pitch. Comics Bakery maximized their space potential.

Was it too much mainstream capes & cowls? The manga/Japanese culture aspect was pretty pronounced. There were, of course, the monster DC & Marvel booths, but I think that's standard. Giant Hulk statue? Standard. Hey, I need to see a giant Hulk statue at my comic book conventions. I know it's gauche. But there you are.

If there is a problem with New York Comic Con, or any large-scale comic con, it's that it tried to be all things to all people. That's not so much a problem -- because I think it needs to appeal to that broad base -- as it is a formula that will inevitably lead to some people being unhappy:

"It had too much manga."

"It didn't have enough manga."

"It had too many superhero comics."

"It had all those weird Japanese stuff instead of enough of my superhero comics."

"It didn't have enough independent comics."

"It had too many of those comics I've never heard of and not enough DC & Marvel."

So I wasn't unhappy with NYCC. But I am still exhausted.


Ain't It Cool Occasional Superheroine News
I thought I would mention that "Occasional Superheroine 2.0" is still on. I mean, "on" in the sense that there is an actual chain of events underway that will lead to OS 2.0.

I'm hoping by the end of the Summer, maybe a little bit before.

I keep talking to the BF about Occasional Superheroine limited-edition vinyl figurines, keep getting this eye-roll in response.


Occasional Ball-Buster?
I had one person from a comics publisher comment to me at NYCC that he was really relieved I liked their particular offerings, because apparently I have the reputation of being a "major ball-buster."

Ball-buster? Me?



Have a good weekend, all!

Video: Batman Vs. Jedi In Cosplay Deathmatch

"I'm The Goddamn Mary Marvel"

I think this scene would have been perfect if she had a bottle of vermouth in her hand.

Remembering the old days:

A Kinder, Gentler Supergirl

Kudos to DC on their newly-announced Supergirl title, "Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures In The Eighth Grade."

As I've said on this blog many times before, Supergirl is (or can be) an excellent character for young girls to look up to. And I think the idea of a sweet, sprightly, wholesome adolescent Supergirl is a great one...

My only disappointment regarding all this is that Dean Trippe isn't working on it. He started a powerful meme on redesigning Supergirl a year or so ago. And the art he did of a younger Kara touched many hearts:

Superpowers Don't Make The Man

Ape Entertainment's Bizarre New World: Population Explosion is a continuation of Skipper Martin and Christopher Provencher's intriguing comic book series exploring what would happen if people had superpowers in real life. And by the last page, the verdict seems to be: "superpowers alone don't make the man."

This brought me to the bigger question of what happens when superpowers are granted to an underachiever. I have heard this argument about Peter Parker: that he was very flawed when he received his powers, these flaws resulted in his uncle's death, and it was only after confronting tragedy that he really changed into something resembling a hero. But the powers themselves did not make him a hero, didn't magically transform his mind into something noble.

I think the most interesting superheroes are those who are so flawed -- whose own foibles and neuroses, selfishness or conflicts, are bigger adversaries to them than the super-villains they have to face.

What do you think? Who is your favorite flawed superhero?

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Tarot Deck

Comic Book Resources reports that Dark Horse is coming out with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer tarot deck:


Me likey.

The set is created by Rachel Pollack and Paul Lee, and will be out in August. Consider it bought.

(am I bowled over by the tasteful nudity? or is my Buffy fan-geek cred just shining through? I think there is going to be more BTVS nudity in this one deck than there was in seven seasons and two different comic book series.)

(btw, I can do tarot readings for parties, carnivals, comic book conventions...Great rates, no guarantees, for entertainment purposes only.)

Speedball: The Return!

Could it be? Robbie Baldwin will no longer be the sado-masochism enthusiast known as Penance??

Is this the return of Speedball?

According to Joe Quesada, the answer is "yes."

So this indeed might be the end of Penance. His pierced nipples will be missed:

What If Jessica Rabbit Was A Real Woman?

Pixeloo gives us insight on how Jessica Rabbit would look like if she was a real woman:


I'm still trying to decide if the eyes or the chest is creeping me out more...

Don't forget to check out Pixeloo's real-life versions of Mario and Homer too...

What Comics Are You Buying?

read more of this Simpsons/Futurama crossover here

Once again, here is your chance to share your pull list and tell us what comics you are buying this week!

It might be the lingering effect of New York Comic Con, but I'm looking at this handy-dandy comics shipping list for April 23 and nothing is really jumping out at me.

Can you all recommend a few titles?

Christina Ricci On "Black Snake Moan" Marketing: "It Exploited Women!"

Starpulse reports that Christina Ricci is apparently still very unhappy with the way the movie "Black Snake Moan" was marketed:

"The way that movie was marketed was probably one of the most disappointing and upsetting things that's ever happened to me in my career. I have no interest in exploiting women any further than they've already been exploited. The whole reason I made that movie was to say, 'Oh yeah, that girl you called a slut probably went through this, so you might not want to use her and throw her away or judge her. All they (marketing bosses) cared about was college-age boys going to see it."

Specifically, she has an objection to the movie posters, which she felt missed the point of the whole film and were exploitative:


The DVD packaging gets it a little more right:

Jesus, how can you have two completely different types of copy like that?

"Everything is hotter down south"

"To save his soul, he must save hers"

Ah, I love marketing... (and badly done Photoshop!)

Should I Charge A Consulting Fee?

Remembering the news that both Catwoman & The Atom are canceled, my mind goes back to this post dated 3/13:

"If I had to make some decisions on it, I'd do the following:

Cancel:
Atom
Infinity Inc
All the Classifieds
Checkmate
Catwoman
Birds of Prey (sorry)
Supergirl
Green Arrow/Black Canary
The Flash (sorry)"

Looking at the numbers for March, I still stand by this assessment, though with two caveats:

1. Some people report actually liking Supergirl. But will there be brand confusion with their new children's comic starring a radically different version of the character?

2. I really like Tom Peyer & Freddie Williams III's Flash. I mean, I really feel strongly about it. The fact that the second part of the current arc reads like there was supposed to be a whole issue there that was edited out makes me nervous, however. It has that "hurry and wrap this up" feeling to it. I hear a lot of rumors about Barry Allan & Impulse. I have to wonder if they are just going to try to fix things one more time with this title.

Also --

I expect some cancellations following the aftermath of Final Crisis. These might not be due to low sales in some instances, but after any event of that magnitude there is going to be some reshuffling.

DC's numbers for March seem like a lame duck in the shadow of Final Crisis. I would imagine the landscape of the DCU would be changed quite a bit within the next three months. Ditto for Marvel after Secret Invasion, though they are generally performing across the board better than DC.

I'd be very curious as to the numbers for Titans #1. I don't think that particular book is going into a direction I would dig personally. But I am really curious if it gets its fans anyhow.

Just remember -- "Buffy" is at the head of the Top 100 chart, and "Witchblade" is towards the end. What type of book should DC model a title like Titans after? What works?

Buffy The Vampire Slayer is the top-selling female superhero. Study this.

John Waters Is "Erotically Obsessed" With Alvin The Chipmunk

The New York Post's Page Six reports that cult film director John Waters ("Hairspray") told Details magazine:

"I'm erotically obsessed with Alvin."

Further, he supposedly had some erotic art made of the cartoon character.

Now this reminds me of a print-out of some adult Alvin and the Chipmunks fan-fiction I found about 14 years ago at a comic convention. I forgot how I got it, I think a friend gave it to me; I just remember that it was printed out on this old daisy-wheel font and came on that scrolled paper that's all attached to each other. And me and my friends looked at it and was kind of like -- "this is kind of squicky." And I think we burned it.

Just in case you're wondering, it was Alvin & his brothers doing the Chipettes.

At the OS we do not necessarily condone chipmunk porn. However, this is ok:


Alvin: adolescent chipmunk with impulse control issues
Brian: middle-aged dog who reads The New Yorker

'Nuff said.

And if you're wondering if there is erotic Brian fan art on Google image search...yes. Yes, there is. I didn't look for it. That happens a lot on Google image search. You don't look for it. But it finds you. And then you must scrub yourself clean and swear off the Internets for at least an hour.

The Second Life Of Vertigo Comics

The Vertigo news from this weekend was, to be sure, intriguing. From Newsarama's coverage:

"Karen Berger then explained that Vertigo will be expanding their graphic novel efforts. Although they’ve published two to four original graphic novels a year in the past, “including terrific, critically acclaimed work, like The Quitter, Incognegro, Cairo and Sentences,” Vertigo wanted to expand this area now...They’re hoping creators will approach them with work that might’ve previously only found a home with companies such as Pantheon, Top Shelf or First Second. "

From my post on how to fix Vertigo from 10/22/07:

"Or maybe it should try its hand at original graphic novels along the lines of what Top Shelf & Fantagraphics Press -- and Image! -- put out. Maybe their "goth" and "Brit" period is over. Maybe they should be printing books like Tom Neely's Ignatz-winning "The Blot" and First Second's "Laika.""

I'm just sayin'...

Justice League Movie RIP

CHUD reports that according to Joel Silver, that Justice League movie without Christian Bale, Brandon Routh, or at the very least @^&$# Tom Welling has been "tabled."

No tears here. With crossovers between Marvel's Hulk & Iron Man movies, I think the stakes have been raised. You can't have two cinematic Batman or Supermen running around at the same time in movie theaters - one set big-budget and one set more "low rent." What they had planned for the Justice League movie sounded good enough only for a TV movie. It would have been overkill.

Why not do a "World's Finest" with Bale and Routh first and see how that goes?

Batman RIP Nightwing New Gods Final Crisis Blah Blah Etc Ad Nauseam

Okay --

I am about 75% sure I know what the deal is with Batman/Bat-folks in Final Crisis. Being in a crowded convention center for three days straight with 60,000 industry people and fans, it was inevitable that some tasty tidbits were going to shake out.

I am so sure that I'm not even going to hint as to whether my various and sundry other theories were correct or not. This is because I firmly feel that, in the end, spoiling comics to that extent is a shitty thing to do.

I will say, however, that the amount of information/disinformation that has gone out about "Batman RIP" is the most covert, multi-layered, and labyrinthine operation that has ever been undertaken since the Kennedy assassination. I mean, it has truly been impressive. I suppose, in an era of "Marvel B0y" and Internet spoilers running through the system in the matter of a day, it must have been necessary.

I'm simply going to shut up, grab some popcorn, and wait for the books to come out. This is really going to be good.

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 8: Horror Toys

This Exorcist figure is my favorite from NECA's
latest Cult Classics horror line. This goes on the work desk.

This is the last part of my action figure coverage from New York Comic Con, this time focusing on horror toys. After a major convention I used to always hunt down online pics of new figures and prototypes; this year, I figured I'd do it myself. :-)

A large Beetlejuice action figure from NECA.
There is also a version of him in his tuxedo.

Another version of The Crow from NECA -- shirtless

Michael Myers from that famous scene in 'Halloween,"
also from NECA's Cult Classics

There is nothing gentle about these "30 Days of Night"
action figures from Gentle Giant

Mezco Toys immortalizes the infamous bathtub scene
in "Nightmare On Elm Street"

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 7: Captain Action

There is a new Captain Action line coming out this year from Cast-A-Way Toys. Unlike the original 1960s version and the 1990s Playing Mantis reissues, these will be done similar in size and articulation to Megos. Captain Action & Dr. Evil are already available online, and the rest, including The Phantom, are in the works.

There is also a Captain Action statue coming out from Electric Tiki, designed & sculpted by Ruben Procopio -- also an artist for the new Captain Action comic book by Moonstone Books. This statue will be available later in the year and can be ordered from Sideshow Collectibles.

Ruben Procopio, sculptor/artist, with his
Captain Action statue and comic

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 6: DC Super Heroes from Mattel

DC Super Heroes Supergirl

I have to admit, when I first read about this new DC line from Mattel -- to my mind, an analogue to Hasbro's Marvel Legends -- I wasn't that impressed. It just seemed boring, with a bunch of starter heroes like Nightwing and Penguin that just made me go bleah.

But the DC Super Heroes display at New York Comic Con contained an intriguing assortment of characters, including the Cassandra Cain Batgirl and two different versions of Firestorm.

My only quibble? Blue Superman. Do we really need another figure of this version?

The DC Super Heroes display at New York Comic Con

DC Super Heroes Firestorm I

DC Super Heroes Firestorm II

DC Super Heroes Clark Kent/Superman

DC Super Heroes Batman/Bruce Wayne

DC Super Heroes Catwoman

DC Super Heroes Batgirl

DC Super Heroes Wonder Woman

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 5: Justice League Unlimited from Mattel

Mattel's Justice League Unlimited display at New York Comic Con was most impressive: a big, multi-level glass case filled to the gills with the little figures. I have no idea when they (or if they) are going to release this multitude, but it basically encompasses the great majority of DC's characters:

Justice League Unlimited Orion, Fire, and others

Is this Batman Justice League Unlimited figure
a reference to the upcoming Brave and the Bold series?

Justice League Unlimited classic Vigilante

Justice League Unlimited bad guys, including Lex Luthor and the Red Hood

Justice League Unlimited Star Sapphire (thanks!), Brainiac, and more

Justice League Unlimited Caption Atom,
John Stewart Green Lantern, Supergirl, more

Justice League Unlimited Stars, Bizarro, New Gods, more

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 4: DC Universe Infinite Heroes from Mattel

The 3.75 inch action figure was big in the early-to-mid 1980s: GI Joe, Star Wars, DC's Super Powers, etc. By the early 1990s, the format was largely considered dead, ousted by the larger, more squat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-styled figures and the 5-inch+ Marvel Toy Biz line.

But, largely due to the success (I think) of Mattel's Justice League Unlimited line, a new 3.75 series has emerged: DC Universe Infinite Heroes. Infinite Heroes is similar in size to DC Unlimited, but non-cartoony and more articulated. I find them to be cool, but somewhat of an oddity due to their format. I believe Marvel came out with a similar line last year.

No panties, but I've giving Mattel slack because this is probably just a prototype

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 3: Marvel Legends

Marvel Legends Nova

This preview of upcoming Marvel Legends action figures is significant because most will find their way to my house this year. The BF is a huge fan of Hasbro's Marvel Legends line -- and he can't wait to get his hands on that Nova!

Marvel Legends Wendigo

Marvel Legends Union Jack

Marvel Legends Ultimate Nick Fury


Marvel Legends Spiral

Marvel Legends Spider-Man Assortment


Marvel Legends Skrull/Kree Two-Pack
(when you have a boyfriend who is into "army-building,"
such two-packs can be a dangerous thing.)


Marvel Legends Savage She-Hulk


Marvel Legends Red Hulk


Marvel Legends Tim Bradstreet Punisher

Marvel Legends Nick Fury

Marvel Legends Hand Soldier (another "army builder")

Marvel Legends Forge

Marvel Legends Build-A-Figure Fin Fang Foom (sweeeeet!!!)

Marvel Legends Elektra/Ronin Two-Pack

Marvel Legends Doc Samson

Marvel Legends Hulk (I believe from the upcoming video game)

Hulk The Movie Assortment
(including little Edward Norton & Tim Roth figures)

More from the Hulk movie assortment

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 2: Heroes

I'm generally really pleased with this line of Heroes action figures from Mezco Toyz. The likenesses are good, but don't have that hyper-realism of some of the McFarlane Toys stuff that turns me off a little bit. (here is an earlier post I did on the first wave of Heroes figures)

Best of all, this upcoming Heroes figure assortment features all sorts of obscure characters...though, sadly, no Steven Tobolowsky.

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 1: Dark Knight & Heath Ledger

I know when Heath Ledger passed away, there was some speculation whether his likeness would be used a planned for the inevitable influx of The Dark Knight merchandise.

Speculate no more.

In fact, I haven't seen such heavy, iconic licensing for a Batman movie like this since the first one. Back in 1989, distinctive toys and other product featuring the black and golds of Batman and the greens and purples of the Joker were everywhere. Part of the scope and success of that licensing venture had to do with Jack Nicholson's bravura performance in that movie -- and I feel that the same dynamic is happening with Dark Knight.


My verdict as to whether Time Warner was "ghoulish" to continue their licensing plans after Ledger's tragic death? I really don't see it as disrespect. Heath Ledger obviously took great pride in playing this character. I don't think burying his image and just producing Batman figures for the film was the way to go. Obviously, as the licensing turns to stranger and stranger product outside the main action figure assortment -- magnets, bobble heads, etc -- I feel it is getting a bit exploitative. But it's hard to maintain one's dignity as a bobblehead in general.

Here is a gallery of some of the Dark Knight product featuring the likeness of Heath Ledger as the Joker that was previewed at New York Comic Con:

The Changing Face Of New York Comic Con

Convention guests were greeted by a giant Ugly Doll display upon first entering

If the big theme of San Diego Comic Con last year was regarding its "Hollywoodification," this year it must have been its heavy Japanese/youth culture influence.

The Biggest Star At The Con
The biggest thing that struck me about this convention was the heavy manga/Japanese culture presence, and how successful it was. I remember seeing this gigantic line bisect the convention floor, and wondering who everybody was waiting for. Neil Gaiman? Jim Lee? Ron Perlman?

No, they were waiting for Japanese pop singer T.M. Revolution. A good portion of those in line were Japanese, but certainly not all.

The line for Japanese pop sensation T.M. Revolution

But think about it -- how many of those people were mainstream comic book fans? Maybe I'm jumping the gun here, but I would assume not a tremendous amount. They came to New York Comic Con to see T. M. Revolution, whose elaborate Sgt. Pepper/David Bowie-type outfits were on display in a booth at the show. They also came to see the Gothic Lolita fashion show, and purchase manga and related items from the exhibitors dedicated to just those products.

Designer Toys
Another phenomenon that struck the convention? Designer vinyl toys and stuffed animals. These are limited-edition artist toys, often very "cartoony" in design, that can run an upwards of 100+ dollars; a number of these toys are Japanese in origin or influence. I saw more exhibitors showing off their brightly-colored designer toys than I did standard action figures. And honestly, had I the money, I'd have bought tons of them. I absolutely love that s**t. But back when I was collecting this stuff hard-core, about 5 years ago, I could rarely find them at cons. That has completely changed.


Even the Christie's auction house booth had a glass case filled with ultra-expensive vinyls.

NYCC: Now With More Females!
This is all not to say that superheroes -- standard capes and cowls -- were outshone at New York Comic Con this year. Of course the Marvel & DC booths were mobbed. But I assume the big turnout for T.M. Revolution, Gothic Lolita, the Japanese toy importers, the American independent designer toy makers, and the humongous booths for manga producers like TokyoPop will not go unnoticed by the convention organizers.

Also not to go unnoticed -- the heavy influx of of young women at this convention. Far far more heavier than last year. Certainly a portion are interested in mainstream Marvel & DC. But probably not the legion dressed in Gothic Lolita dresses, manga cosplay outfits, or screaming Milo Ventimiglia's name at the Devil's Due booth.

(But to be fair, OS reader Red Stapler -- big mainstream comic fan -- did snap a picture of herself with Milo. sigh, lucky...)

New York Comic Con: The Party On Saturday Night

'Nuff said.

(now if you excuse me, I must drag myself back to the Con now)

New York Comic Con In Photos: Friday

Me with the blogosphere's Digital Femme, Cheryl Lynn.

Me and future OS columnist Mordicai Burke.

One half of Zuda's Night Owls: Peter Timony

Girl Wonder's Kate Fitzsimons proudly shows her colors.

The MoCCA/Friends of Lulu Crew:
Marion Vitus, Allan Dorison, Matt Murray, and me.

Comic Mix's Elayne Riggs and inker supremo Robin Riggs.

OS regular William Gatevackes and his wife.

The awesome volunteers at the Friends of Lulu table:
OS regular Mordicai Burke, Matt Mowczko, Marion Vitus, and
new New York Chapter Friends of Lulu President Danielle O'Brien.
Seated: Signer Alisa Harris

High Moon's Steve Ellis and David Gallaher.

I told Jeff Trexler: you're a comics celebrity now! Jeff is the author of a series of informative posts on Newsarama giving some insight on the Siegel Superman ruling. He's pictured here with his wife law professor Susan Scafidi.

New York Comic Con, Part One

We got up bright and early for New York Comic Con; I was manning (womaning) the Friends of Lulu booth, and honey had Zuda things to do.

Halfway to the Javits center, our cab driver remembered that he didn't turn the meter on.

"I keep forgetting it's Friday!" he said.

First thing I do when I get to the convention is head for the bathroom. Washing my hands, I notice that a woman is looking very friendly at me, and nodding hello.

"You've got that blog, right?" she asks. "You look just like your picture."

Sok-0 handmade sock doll

Up to three o'clock is professionals-only. You don't really get a sense of how crazy the convention is going to be. It spoils you.

By four o'clock I am dead, exhausted, beat, lying on a couch in the con's professionals-only "comfort room."

The comfort room is stocked with free coffee, bottled water, popcorn, and an oxygen bar.

Yes. An oxygen bar. With tubes you put in your nose. I will try to get pictures for you.

Stitch Kitten "Blurb" from Rocket USA

By the way, if you see a bottleneck in the artist section of any convention, there is a good chance Darwyn Cooke is there. Happened at Big Apple Con last year, happened here. I was like "damn, there's a big clot of people all of the sudden in this one section. Who are they waiting for?" Yep, Darwyn.

Gail Simone attracts these types of crowds, too. After Friends of Lulu's panel on women in comics, Gail leaves the podium and: bottleneck! The crowd swarms in.

I create minor bottlenecks. Sometimes, I dream of big bottlenecks. Last year, I had no bottleneck. Next year, I might have a bigger bottleneck. Next year, I might be raising a baby and learning how I can make thousands of dollars from the comfort of my own home by stuffing envelopes. Who knows?

Stitch Kitten "Nubbs" from Rocket USA

I run into an old DC coworker I haven't seen in years. There is this sort of meaningful silence. We both start to speak at the same time, then stop.

Him: "Haven't seen you in a while!"

Me (in my best Jewish/Italian mother voice): "You don't write, you don't call..."

Him: "I could say the same thing about you...except for the writing part."

Gort from Rocket USA

Back at the Friends of Lulu booth, I'm really touched about how everybody came out to volunteer and pitch in for this table. This is really what it is all about. These human connections...every convention, that's what strikes me. The comics are just a vehicle for the human connections.

Day's end, I make the long walk from Javits to my train station. For about 4 blocks I am behind a group of convention goers dressed like characters from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I think they even had that character Shia LaBoeuf is playing in the new sequel in their entourage.

I had a chance to sit on the X-Files panel, had I stayed later. Maybe I would have met the stars of the X-Files. I used to be completely obsessed with the X-Files. When I was 21.

But now, I rather be here sipping a red wine and writing this for you.

Sok-o handmade sock doll.

The Real Power Of The DC Universe

DC promo poster spotted at the New York City Comic Con.

Thoughts?

Was The Payoff In Countdown #2 Worth It?

If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about.

Massive spoilers everywhere. It would be gauche to spoil it so early on my blog.

But, let me know what you think...

And if you think this is really "it" for this particular apparently dead character. And your thoughts on his demise in general.

(goodbye, funny man...)

Premiere: Brand New Friends of Lulu Art!

In honor of Friends of Lulu's appearance at New York Comic Con this weekend, I wanted to unveil a new piece of Lulu art that will be making its debut on our brochures:


This Lulu was drawn by the very talented Danielle Corsetto, of Girls With Slingshots fame.

What do you all think?

And remember, Friends of Lulu will be at booth #840 at New York Comic Con, sharing a table with MoCCA (Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art)! Please feel free to drop by, pick up a brochure or two, and check out these two great comic book non-profits!

Also, be sure to drop by our panels and see such luminaries as Gail Simone, Heidi MacDonald, and so many more! Marvel & DC editors! Becky Cloonan! Barbara Slate! Archie Comics! C'mon, people! This is going to be awesome!

Nightwing RIP: The Case Presented

I want to preface this post by saying that I like Nightwing and I like Dick Grayson. Many many female readers like the Nightwing. I'm not advocating killing off Nightwing.

That said, there has been rumors swirling about Nightwing possibly getting axed for a year now, maybe two. I mean, rumors from everywhere -- people who might be in a position to know, people who might be in a position to know people who might be in a position to know, and people who I don't know how in the hell they might know and maybe they were just full of it.

And the basic resolution of this rumor has always been: well, it was considered by certain higher-ups to axe him, but in the end they can't do it because it's friggin' Dick Grayson fer Godsake.

Now --

On yesterday's "Who's Gonna Take The Dirt Nap In Final Crisis" thread, one commenter suggested that Nightwing might die in the event.

Now, that's crazy, spurious, and most probably thrown in just to stir up the pot.

But -- (tin foil hat firmly in place) -- I can point to several reasons, mostly to be found in DC's Solicitations for July, why that might not be such a crazy idea at all.

The Case For Nightwing RIP:

1) Everybody thinks Batman is going to die, so a switcheroo like that would come out of left field and catch people off-guard.

2) The persistent (though apparently squashed time and time again) "Nightwing will die rumors."

3) Pete Tomasi, writer of Nightwing, is also writing "Final Crisis: Requiem" -- the issue where this "DC Universe staple" is set to die. Who better to keep such a big secret like Nightwing's demise? And a former DC editor yet?

4) The solicitation copy for that month's Nightwing boasts an unexpected and tragic ending.

5) The solicitation copy for that month's Titans boasts that one Titan will make the ultimate sacrifice.

6) The solicitation copy for Batman/Robin indicates that Tim is taking over (at least temporarily) for Batman. Why not Nightwing? With Batman fallen, wouldn't Dick Grayson be first in line to take the reins? And why not more talk of Grayson's reaction to Batman's fall? Wouldn't he be the first in line to avenge him?

7) It would be DC's chance to finally stop those "Dick" jokes.

So that is my case for Nightwing unexpectedly getting killed off in Final Crisis. Indeed, it would be a death that would have great emotional resonance. But it would be a really ballsy thing to do, and at least be as controversial as that Mary Jane thing.

Can you really kill off a character as well-known as Dick Grayson?

Getting a kick out of this speculation:

What Comics Are You All Buying This Week?

Remember those old "Marvel Swimsuit Issues" from the 1990s?
Who doesn't miss Cable in a thong with the X symbol on it?
I can't remember if this illustration is meant to be ironic
or were they actually serious back then...

Ah, the overkill before the big comic convention...should I or should I not buy comic books this week, when I have this big honking comic thing to do Friday through Sunday?

Maybe.

Well, what's on everybody's pull lists today?

You can follow along with this handy-dandy shipping list that can be found on...the Friends of Lulu blog! (ladies, did I ever tell you what a genius idea this was?)

Doing a quick scan, here are a few titles I will probably pick up...

Flash #239
Avengers Initiative #11
Captain America #37
Incredible Herc #116
Caption Action #0 (Paul Gulacy cover, if available)

Any others to recommend?

Happy Birthday Mordicai!

(Ah, the wonders of Facebook...

In the old days we'd have to trick people into giving out their birthdate.)

Everybody wish regular OS reader & commenter Mordicai a happy birthday!

Yay!

Who's Biting The Dust In Final Crisis?

From the solicitation copy for Final Crisis: Requiem --

"A very special FINAL CRISIS one-shot honoring the passing of a great hero who’s been a staple in the DC Universe for years. All that remains is one final memory that the League experiences together as they must fulfill his last wishes or die trying!"

And here's the cover:

So who do you think is going to bite the dust? The term "staple" in regards to the character makes me think it's not going to be one of the top tier characters.

My guesses:
With the popularity of Hawkgirl, DC could get away with killing off Hawkman...at least for a "while." The "face" on the cover sort of looks bird-like. Also, Hawkman can regenerate or be reborn or some other thing like that, so it would be relatively easy to bring some version of him back.

Martian Manhunter was known around the offices as a character that was sort of boring, but was a JLA "staple," if you will (though we did try to jazz him up with that storyline where he was Scorch's love-slave). If it was him, the fire on the cover would make sense, because fire is his only weakness.

While you're at it, you can read Mike Gold's opinions on the "deaths" cited in the latest DC solicits -- and on the issue of character deaths in general.

So who do you think it's gonna be?

A Comic Con Tradition: The Hair Cut

I haven't cut my hair since San Diego Comic Con. I suck.

Being a female, I can get away with this perhaps a little easier than a man might. I can pretend that I'm just growing my hair out so I can have long, beautiful, "feminine" tresses. But really, I'm just lazy.

No, not so much lazy, as just I don't like to cut my hair. When I was a little kid, my mom had to bribe the barber to cut my hair, because every time he or she came near me with the shears, I ducked out of the way. This made for very stressed-out barbers.


As a grown-up, I no longer duck the shears, but it's just so borrrrring to sit in that chair. I also worry about receiving a mullet. I know they say you are not going to receive a mullet, but I've received mullets. I've also received pompadours. I'm thrice bitten, thrice shy.


A charming stylist offering me a bottle of Pellegrino can pretty much talk me into any crazy hair do. If it's one of the really fancy-schmancy places (like the one I'm booked for tomorrow), sometimes they offer some wine. I take the wine to relax, and ok the mullet. It's like going on an airplane for me. I get all stressed out. For the 30 minutes to three hours it can take to have my hair done (if I include color), I turn into this person:


But it's the New York Comic Con. I can't look all scraggly-haired. This isn't the grunge era, after all. Though that was a wonderful time. I could grow my hair down to my ass. I also didn't have to wash my jeans as often.

Anyway, if you are attending the New York Comic Con this weekend, be sure to drop by the MoCCA/Friends of Lulu table at #84o and check out my new haircut. I'm sure if it turns out to be another mullet, you will be laughing with me, and not at me.

Oh Noes, Harry Potter! You've Been Trolled

Apparently in the 1986 B-movie "Troll," there was a character named "Harry Potter Jr.":


So now the creator of "Troll" wants to come out with a new version of his movie starring....Harry Potter Jr.

Not to be confused with:



Is JK Rowling gonna be pleased by this proposed Harry Potter Jr. movie coming out? Can the "Troll" movie producers be forced to change the name of their lead character? Can the "Troll" people countersue JK Rowling's people?

Catwoman's Last Life?

Is #81 the last issue for Catwoman?

The solicits for the issue on Newsarama indicate so.

Why end the book so abruptly?

Does Final Crisis have anything to do with it?

John Byrne's Doctor Doom Redux

Lying in the Gutters points out John Byrne's own version of the infamous "Doom Whore" sequence in a recent issue of Mighty Avengers, complete with new dialog:


and the original:


Which one do you prefer?

(I have to say, Byrne drew a mighty fine Doctor Doom here.)

"Girlfriend Knee Pillow"

No way.
Way.

"Now you can lay your head in the lap of a beautiful and caring woman even if you're home alone."

Geek Monthly with my interview on stands now!

I finally got a copy of Geek Monthly #14, which just came out this week.

I think the interview looks great, though the photos are far bigger than I thought they would be.

There is the "pose thoughtfully with giant Pez dispensers" photo, and the "pretend Previews is fascinating reading" photo. :-)

Anyway, I'm pretty stoked. Thanks again to writer Brian Rubin!

Now I'm going to go hunt down copies so I can send one to Mom and have her call me and say: "you wrote WHAT on your blog?!"

Titans #1: The Agony And The Ecstasy

My mind is slightly blown from the amount of things I have to do to prepare for New York Comic Con, so 'scuse me if I ramble.

Wow, so now even Matt Brady gets attacked on his own website for trying to keep the peace, huh?

When Matt tells the poster "Booster Gold" on the Newsarama Titans #1 review thread to tone down his criticism of reviewer Troy Brownfield, hilarity ensues.

Matt: "You did not like the review. Fair enough. YOU liked the book, the reviewer did not. Fine. You are now treading perilously close to making personal insults about the reviewer ("he isn't as smart as he thinks he is"), which will not end well."

At this point, a number of posters including "Booster Gold" come in to criticise Matt for threatening to "boot" Booster. One poster, "Hawkangel," writes to Brady:

"OK, well let me say this then Matt. I suggest you choose your reviewers more wisely next time. This whole post obviously got a bad reaction from the majority of people that have posted here and if they are one step away from name-calling and insults as you say, doesn't this tell you something about the original review? Hmmm...what was that? No, I wasn't insulting or name-calling. I was just giving you a friendly warning (as you were doing to so many people here), so there's no need to ban me."

Now Matt is on the defensive, put in the position to defend over and over again why he warned "Booster Gold." He is being attacked for trying to keep things civil on HIS OWN WEBSITE.

Another commenter complains:

"Newsarama is not a democracy. They do not encourage free thinking or permit free speech (outside of their accepted forum guidelines). Name calling and disputing dictator commentary will get you banned from NewsaramaLand."

God, you know, this all sounds rather familiar. Didn't Blog@Newsarama post something on this several weeks back? What was the topic again? Oh yes: should I be allowed to moderate comments on my own blog. Now I remember.


Well, should Matt Brady be allowed to moderate comments on the forum on his own site?

Of course he should.

As for my own opinion on Titans #1...

I've decided to skip it. Yes, instead of picking up a book that, let's face it, I can see right off the bat will not be my personal cup o' tea, I'm going to skip it. And read the two volumes of the new Blue Beetle -- a book that I have been assured I would really like -- instead. I mean, what could I possibly add to the Titans #1 conversation that hasn't already been said?

Titans #1 seems to be a particular type of book going for a particular type of audience, and either that particular audience is going to buy it up in droves like they do books like All-Star Batman and JLA or they won't. DC seems to be particularly pushing Green Lantern and Geoff Johns lately. That would seem to be a better direction to go in than what little I've seen and what volume I have heard about Titans.


I think DC should just stick with the "Johns Genre" books, stick with the upcoming "Trinity" comic, and then concentrate on books like Robin, Blue Beetle, and Birds of Prey as ones with good stories that teenagers can read and enjoy as well as adults -- their version of Marvel's Runaways or Ultimate Spider-Man/X-Men. Because females as well as males are very receptive to those titles, and I think anywhere you can maximize and diversify your readership base, you should take advantage of it.

Comics Are Expensive: ECHO #1-2, RESURRECTION #1-4, CRIMINAL 2 #1-2,

"Comics Are Expensive" is written by famed Expertologist Chris Lamb.


And back. Sorry about last week – a combination of absolutely no time for anything outside of work and the rather disheartening nature of last week’s intended subject matter conspired against me to result in a lack of column. But now I am returned to you, brimming with wisdom to be shared and a stack of books potentially worth your consideration. It’s like Christmas in April, only if instead of giving you presents Santa just sort of rambled about them for a while and left it up to you whether to spend money on them or not. So maybe not at all like Christmas, then.

Still, new comics. Onwards.

ECHO #1 & 2

Writer & Artist: Terry Moore

Ah, Terry Moore. Much like Jeff Smith, Moore’s creator-owned Strangers in Paradise was an important book to me growing up. Unlike Bone, however, which remained the only comic I read for years after getting fed up with Marvel and DC of the time, SiP was more instrumental in helping defining my tastes and tolerances – specifically, my tolerances for contrived, meandering storytelling pulling in everything from the mafia to deadly gangs of female assassins to keep it's “will they or won’t they” hook dangling for as long as possible. While the first three trades of the series still stand up fairly well, everything past that sees the characters stuck in arrested development, making the same decisions and giving in to the same waffling till the very end, when everybody not named David magically gets a happy ending before the curtain comes down. Moore deserves a lot of credit for his work on SiP, but the extreme jump of the rails the series took and never recovered from should also serve as a cautionary tale to all would-be writers about the importance of not being afraid to kill your darlings.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to Echo, his newest self-published book. While only two issues in, the series is already off on a stronger foot than SiP plot-wise, largely because it has one. While the early days of Katchoo and Francine involved a lot of Moore trying to figure out what he wanted to do with them, Echo’s Julie appears to moving in a definite direction, complete with a proper major even to push her in it. While taking pictures in the Californian desert, a lady in a special metal suit and wearing a jet pack explodes several thousand feet over her head. The resulting debris rains down on her, polka-dotting her and her truck with drops liquid metal that refuse to come off. Upon getting home, a larger piece of metal found in her truck bed causes all the dots to merge into one, creating a sort of breast plate with a weird logo in the center that tingles when threatened and shocks jerk doctors. All in all, there are worse freak accidents.

Along the way, we get bits and pieces of Julie’s life, such as it is. She lives alone in a cabin with her dog and a stack of unpaid bills. Old divorce papers decorate her kitchen table, and she’s still wearing both her engagement and wedding rings despite the regular messages from her ex telling her it’s time to move on. She has family in Seattle she never sees, and all signs point to her being pretty much withdrawn from the world at large and quite probably a good chunk of reality. I’m curious to see what such a character does with a suit capable of what we saw it doing before its previous owner was all atomized, particularly as both its owners and the military are moving to get it back. Issue #2 ends with a standard issue Moore Tough-As-Nails-But-With-A-Sensitive-Side Girl showing up to do just that, setting up a meeting that probably isn’t going to go well for at least one of them.

There’s a lot of potential here. Terry Moore has obviously grown as a writer both over the course of SiP and since then, and his art is as strong as ever. I’ve always admired his ear for dialogue, whether its coming out in melodramatic monologues or as a funny exchange between characters, and despite Julie’s isolation there’s still a nice portion of that across these two issues. Still, I don’t think I’ll be quite comfortable with the series until a few more issues in, once it’s a bit clearer if Moore has learned the difference between telling a story and talking to himself. It’s an interesting premise, and one ripe to be spun in a number of different directions, so here’s hoping.

BUY STATUS: #3 should decide whether I keep following this one by issues or wait for the trade. In the meantime, it’s worth picking up at least the first one to see if Moore’s new slow boil of a story piques your interest.

RESURRECTION #1-4

Writer: Marc Guggenheim

Artist: David Dumeer

As premises go, I can’t think one seemingly built to dive deep into the heart of my raccoon-like brain and win it over that tops the one behind Resurrection - suppose aliens had spent the last ten years hammering our planet into utter ruin, wiping out large chunks of the population in the process and driving the few straggling survivors underground, and suddenly, as of this morning, they’re all gone. What happens next?

“Next” is the bit Guggenheim and Dumeer hope to answer with the series, hopping around between different groups of survivors while sprinkling flashbacks of life amongst the aliens throughout as both a tease for the huge story that happened just before issue #1 and a handy way of providing us with looks at our characters before they got where they are now. It’s a nice device, and a perfect fit for this sort of story (see also the incredibly fun novel World War Z by Max Brooks for more fiction from a post disaster, “where do we go from here?” perspective), providing the wider view this sort of story requires. While all the current characters are in America (and for the most part, the same part of America), there’s promise for things to expand outward as things move along. If done right, this is the sort of idea the creators could spend stories out of for ages.

Of course, that’s also the big unknown here – are Guggenheim and Dumeer up to the task? While off to a good start, these first four issues are running largely on the strength of the premise – the characters introduced so far are more the sum of their actions rather than people with any real depth, producing reactions to events without any known motivation behind them. The most fleshed out so far is probably rich super genius Norman Tulley, and he’s spent most of the time since being introduced aboard a crashed alien ship with some sort of techno virus burrowing into his head. Dumeer’s art starts nice and solid but gets shakier with each issue, going from a great scene between some poor experimented bastard and survivor Sara on the road at the start to a genuinely couple of bits with the current president where your best hope of telling one person from another is trying to tell their remarkably similar haircuts apart. There’s every chance these are just growing pains, and with a few more issues under their belts the creators will find their track and stick with it. Time will tell.

I’m hoping for great things from Resurrection, if only because the idea behind it is so different from pretty much anything else comics are doing at the moment (or for the last several moments) that I want the rest to measure up. Despite my grumblings above its largely very good work, already showing how much thought has been put into how the world tries to pick itself up before the first issue was put together. If Guggenheim and Dumeer can prove capable of realizing even most of the potential inherent in their wonderful idea, then they just might have something truly special on their hands.

BUY STATUS: I’m in for the next few issues at the very least. This first story arc should be enough to get a feel for where the rest of the story goes after, so we’ll see then. Thanks for the recommendation, Mike.

CRIMINAL VOL. 2 #1-2

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Because it just isn’t a Comics Are Expensive without a Brubaker book, y’know? Despite having already talked about the start of the latest Criminal series ever-so-briefly a while back, the new issue out this week left me wanting to look at the thing a little harder. Brubaker and Phillips have always worked well together – their run on Wildstorm’s Sleeper a few universe reboots back is still one of my favorite filters for looking at superheroes, and the first couple of stories to come out of Criminal showed it to be one of the few comics around to understand the difference between crime fiction and proper Noir. Talking about the first few issues of the new series also created a nice little theme for the week, feeding into my feeding neatly into my twisted sense of OCD. So bonus points there.

The funny thing about Noir is that, by its very nature, you pretty much already know how the story ends. Noir at its most basic principles is about putting somebody up against a corrupt system, giving them a reason to fight it, and then watching that system break them down into little pieces and swallow them whole. Criminal understands this with every panel of every page, presenting a nameless town full of thieves, murderers, thugs, addicts, and all other sorts of human wreckage just teetering on the brink. Sooner or later one of them starts looking for a way up or out from their current situation, and that flash of ambition, that little bit of hope is all it takes for the city to turn on them. It took me a while to realize it, but there are no “regular” people in Criminal - they’re background, trimming, as much a part of the story as an unassuming crate or trash can. Less even, as those are the sorts of objects characters often find themselves getting beaten with. It’s not a book about regular people, but one about all the rest who couldn’t quite cut it.

The second volume of the series is already off to a much different start than the “Coward” and “Lawless” storylines preceding it. Not only does it delve into the city’s sordid past, taking place in the rise of the second generation of organized crime to run things, it appears to be leaping between different characters instead of sticking with a single protagonist like before. While the first issue introduced us to Jake Brown, boxer and childhood friend of Sebastian Hyde, current boss of the Hyde family, this week’s installment follows Teeg Lawless, Vietnam Vet, generally awful human being, and father to a character we met last time around. While both stories complement each other, filling in details around the other, each can stand alone as its own creature, every bit as powerful and occasionally heartbreaking even without the extra background.

It’s a great approach I’d love to see go a bit farther with the current arc, making each issue a jumping on point to an otherwise dense and twisting narrative. At this point its far too early to see where thing are going – while the other series weren’t fast-paced by any means, a lot of thought and time is being introduced to setting the stage and putting the characters in places. Like I said before, though, being a Noir, there’s only so many ways it can end. Like the best Noir pieces, though, Criminal is every bit as much (if not more so) about the trip as it is the destination.

What else? Each issue has a bit of back matter at the end, featuring a piece by Brubaker and a discussion of older Noir films and stories by a fellow crime writer. Often very good and at the very least informative, the two here are an appreciation of David Goodis’ The Burglar by Duane Swierczynski (who’s doing all superhero books at the moment, but is already a successful crime novelist) and a look at some of the better cops (and at least one criminal) to come out of the genre by Scalped’s own Jason Aaron. The pieces add to Criminal’s overall feeling of being a love letter to crime fiction and Noir, a book that so enjoys what it is that its creators’ thrill over getting to tell these stories spills out of every issue. For a book where the end is often inevitable from the first page, it’s hard to think of a comic that offers more twists and turns on the way there.

BUY STATUS: Hopelessly addicted, I’m afraid, though finally talking about the thing has made me realize I foolishly don’t have the first two trades. Something to fix with tomorrow’s paycheck, then.

Which brings us neatly to the end. Probably no B-sides at Expertologist this week, I’m afraid, as work is even busier than last week. The short version is that Suburban Glamour ended as nicely as it began, Fantastic Four stumbled a good bit with some questionable snow graphics and muddy art, Green Lantern Corps. went back to being interesting and Nova continues to be pretty ace. Recommendations for books to read are always welcome, either via email to chrislamb@gmail.com or in the comments thread. See you next time.

Fangirl Fridays

Note to Self: showing up early for work is only awesome if you know the password for the alarm system.

So it's 8:45 in the morning and I turn the key and this ear-splitting scream fills the air; and the scream's not coming from me! It was like (if I may show off my geek cred for a second) Black Canary's sonic cry. Just the sheer volume of disrupted air from the alarm alone would pound any intruder to submission.

But there needs to be flashing lights as well.

So I run across the room to get my official work handbook so I can read up on how to disarm the alarm. Remember those old Disney cartoons from the 1950s where Goofy would try to learn something and there would either be a narrator or a booklet taking him step-by-step, and he was still screwing it up? That was me.


The only thing I got right was having my business card and photo ID handy so I could prove to the cops that I indeed had I right to be there. I took my black leather hoodlum jacket off before I did this because I did not want to get accidentally shot.

***

Michael Davis's post in Comic Mix, "The Way We Were," was so damn funny I would have peed myself had not I already done so when the alarm went off.

***

S**t, I'm feeling so good about Friends of Lulu right now. Even though I know I'm driving the board crazy with crazed pre-New York Comic Con preparatory e-mails right now.

Subject: New York Comic Con

Ahhhhhh!!!! Bannersflyerstablevolunteersballotsswag.

Best,
Your President

***


In response to a New York Comic Con panel that apparently features a bunch of talented female industry veterans AND Jenna Jameson, Girl Wonder's Rachel Edidin has a list of potential questions to ask:

-How do you feel about being invited to participate in a panel based on your sex—rather than the projects you’ve contributed to, your experience in the comics industry, and your accomplishments as a writer and/or artist?

-Do you think that “What Fan-Boys want” might include reassurance that comics remains a boys’ club, and that women in comics are anomalies? How might the title and description of this panel reinforce that idea?

-What is a total neophyte doing on a panel with three seasoned comics creators who are industry legends in their own right?

-What role does your vagina play in your creative process?

It's a tricky situation. Friends of Lulu put together two of the other "females in comics"/"comics for women" panels at New York Comic Con (just to make it clear -- not the panel under discussion). I saw it more of celebrating women's accomplishments than pigeon-holing them. Working with New York Comic Con on the panels in general, I got a positive vibe from them, and I was happy with the results.

That does not discount Rachel's points. As my impromptu polls of women have shown from convention to convention, female comic book readers don't like books to be marketed to them as "female-friendly." They say it feels patronizing. Might female comics professionals feel the same way, after being asked over and over again to attend all-female panels?

I don't think that all-women panels should be abolished. But I think the point is more: Don't put Marjane Satrapi, Christina Z, and that chick who draws "Cathy" on the same panel just because they happen to have XX chromosomes. So I understand where Rachel is coming from, and I know that the "what fanboys want" line was not particularly endearing.

However, I hope some of the other great panels at NYCC don't get overlooked because of this snafu.


As I said before, Friends of Lulu has two panels at New York Comic Con: One on comics for girls on Sunday, and ye olde standarde "women in comics" state-of-the-industry type thing.

Here's the description for the Women In Comics panel:

"Gail Simone, Heidi MacDonald, Karen Green, Jennifer Grünwald, Shelly Bond and Becky Cloonan will discuss the State of the industry from their perspective, plus insight into their exciting current projects, moderated by Abby Denson."

That panel is on Friday at 5:00 at NYCC.

***

Speaking of "Cathy," did anybody catch Tina Fey doing her Cathy routine on "30 Rock" yesterday night? It would have made me pee my pants if I wasn't going to do it the following morning.

***

-What role does your vagina play in your creative process?

Sigh. Well, I'm a special case.

Wizard Magazine: Reflections

My workplace is the last place I expect to be offered a copy of Wizard Magazine. But so it happened -- with issue #200 yet! (It's like I can't escape comics no matter where I go)

To be honest, I haven't sat down and really read a copy of Wizard for a long, long time. This is the anniversary issue -- filled to the brim with the sort of lists and sidebars that would be considered "link bait" if it was online -- so I guess it would be hard to judge the magazine on this issue alone.

That said, it's an entertaining enough issue -- and pretty "Entertainment Weekly" in terms of design and tone.


I remember when Wizard first hit. I was working at a comic book store, and that issue of Wizard itself was considered "collectible." So we had Wizard #1 in the "special case" at the shop.

A magazine about collectibles that became collectible?

Wizard fanned the flames in terms of the speculative market, there is no doubt about that. But I don't think it created that market -- only reflected and magnified it. It filled a niche. It took all that craziness about multiple covers, "hot" artists, and "instant classics" and gave it a home.

I always saw Image Comics (at least in the beginning) as being the spiritual sibling of Wizard. They came from the same zeitgeist. Image, obviously, has developed quite a bit since then. Has Wizard?


I see Wizard's trajectory as starting from "Fanboy Wet Dream Publication" to "Mass Market Pop Culture Magazine." No, not quite like "EW." But along those lines. At least, I think that's what they want. I know there has been the whole "is Wizard aping Maxim" debate. I think it would be a losing strategy even if that was what they wanted. Or rather, it would be too narrow. If a guy wants real titillation they'll go read Playboy or Penthouse. Or Maxim itself, who can afford to pay actresses to strip to their underwear. Or tons of free porn online. Or Witchblade.


Let's take a look inside the issue, shall we?

The "200 Greatest Comics In Wizard's History" list is admirable. Here is the top 10:
1. Y the Last Man #1
2. Marvels #1
3. All Star Superman #1
4. Sandman #50
5. Superman #75
6. Preacher #1
7. Bone #1
8. Identity Crisis #1
9. Daredevil #1 Vol 2.
10. Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special

Now, obviously this list is really the 200 greatest superhero comics in Wizard's history plus some indies. Nobody would mistake this for a Comics Journal list. But it tries. We got Acme Novelty Library #1 at 60. We got Ganges #1 at 136. I mean, frickin' Ganges. You'd never see a comic like Ganges in a Wizard mag ten years ago.

But Identity Crisis at #8? Really?

I guess part of it is assessing the relative impact these comics have had on the greater comics community. That's why you have a lot of #1s. Number ones are valuable. At the old comics shop we had a list of just the #1s that were coming out. Some people collected all the #1s, regardless of title.


Then there is the fan-orgasm "commisioned art" segment, where we see all our favorite characters interacting with each other. That's always kind of fun. Strawberry Shortcake running around with Thundercats. When I was a kid there was this T-shirt that had ET and a Smurf playing Pac-Man on it. I always wanted that one.

I mean, they were on the floor with the Atari playing Pac-Man.

Next we have the "50 Clusterf**ks To Hit Comics," or something like that.

Highlights:

#50: T&A in comics. Gasp!

#42: Liefeld leaves Image. Yes, I think the poor company has never recovered from that blow.

#25: Wolverine's origin revealed. Actually, this is the first time I've read this. I never picked up that "Origin" book. (...) Really? Logan was the hero of his own gothic novel? Was Charlotte Bronte the co-writer on that?

#11: "The Internet Cometh." And the paper goeth.

#4: The comics market, it implodeth.

#1: Image Comics. Did it really revolutionize things? I mean, we got a decent indie company and a really great line of hockey action figures out of this collaboration. But as somebody who tried in vain to sell a friend's complete run of early Image on eBay...let me tell ya.


All-in-all, Wizard #200 is a good magazine to just sit around and sentimentalize with. At least, if you were a comic-collecting teen/twentysomething when the publication first came out. I realize that this issue has infuriated a few online critics. But I dunno. Sure, I hate the fact that their top tens on writing and artists each month feature mostly bald white men with or without goatees. But, is that really their fault? They are reporting mostly on what's out there in mainstream comics. They are a mirror. I don't buy that they created this. I don't buy that they created the comics implosion of the nineties.


Wizard bills itself (at least this month) as "The Magazine Of Comics, Entertainment, and Pop Culture."

Pop Culture. Popular culture.

I think they will change as we do. They have to.

John Byrne: "Respect"

Flipping through Wizard Magazine #200 today (my commentary on which I will provide tomorrow), I came across their "Most Controversial Persons" sidebars. One was for John Byrne.

And that brought to mind what a comics professional told me recently.

This person said (and I'm paraphrasing):

"You know, everyone can make fun of John Byrne and say stories about him and his message board. But the man has made an extensive contribution to this industry over a long period of time. He deserves respect. Respect."

I agree. Say what you want about the man, he has really contributed a lot -- a lot of it really good.

A lot of people I know have "Byrne stories." I only have one personally. I had lunch with him and my co-workers in an editorial meeting thing about five years ago. Really brief -- about an hour. At the time, I was really physically ill, but I just sort of put a happy face on it and soldiered on.

John was goaded to "let loose" on some Claremont stories, etc., but he sort of demurred on it and "held back." He didn't seem bitter or caustic -- he was pretty good-natured and friendly. He told us some good stories about the biz and his work in general. It was just all-around pleasant.

And I was glad and appreciative, because had it been some sort of gossipy, angry type of conversation -- had that negativity entered -- I don't think I could have held on with how sick I felt that day. Instead, I limped out of the lunch feeling cool because I just had lunch with a legend in the industry and he seemed nice and it was awesome.

See? That's not a memorable story. But it's a true one.

Here are the questions: Is there a level of respect that has to be given to the man, considering his body of work as a whole? Can we separate out the anecdotes from the work? Are we appreciating John Byrne enough now while he is still around and continuing to contribute to the industry? Or are the critics justified?

Lulu Awards Moving To New York City For 2008, With Help Of Major Publishers

Friends of Lulu is moving the organization's Lulu Awards event from the San Diego Comic-Con to the popular MoCCA Art Festival (aka Artfest) this year!

The annual Lulu Awards, which recognize the efforts women make in comics, will be held at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in Manhattan on Saturday, June 7 at 8:30 p.m.. Light refreshments will be served, and there will be a suggested donation of $7.00 at the door.

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, along with IDW, DC Comics and Archie Comics, is sponsoring this major event.

"We are excited to bring an award event to MoCCA Artfest, and just as excited not to be competing with the multitude of great events at San Diego Comic-Con this July. We are able to reach a larger group of people eager to see wonderful creators recognized for their hard work in this field," Treasurer Marion Vitus notes.

On the schedule to present awards are the previous years' award winners, including Rachel Nabors and Abby Denson, and on the roster to emcee the event is Lulu Eightball creator Emily Flake.

The new Lulu Awards date, in June instead of July, means the nominations are right around the corner; nominations will be open to non-members this year and begin at the joint MoCCA/Friends of Lulu table at the New York Comic-Con starting Friday, April 18.

Look for more details on the Friends of Lulu blog:

http://www.friends-lulu.org/


About our sponsors:

Founded in 2001, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) is one of a small handful of not-for-profit organizations dedicated solely to the collection, preservation, study and display of America's favorite art form. In addition to a year-round slate of on-site exhibitions and programming, the museum holds an annual fundraiser, the MoCCA Art Festival, which has grown to be widely recognized as one of the major events of the comic convention season. MoCCA's Website is located at http://www.moccany.org/

IDW Publishing is a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC, a revolutionary creative service company with a wide range of clients. Among its best-selling titles are Hasbro's THE TRANSFORMERS; Paramount/CBS's STAR TREK; Fox's ANGEL; the BBC's DOCTOR WHO; and Ben Templesmith's WORMWOOD. IDW's 30 DAYS OF NIGHT film from Sony Pictures was released in October 2007 and was the #1 movie in its first week of release. IDW's website is located at http://www.idwpublishing.com/

DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC super heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics' Web site is located at http://www.dccomics.com/

The Archie Comics line of comic books is one of the most successful, longest-running lines in the history of the comic industry. Compared to other comic publishers whose audiences are primarily male, the comics of Archie Comics are read and enjoyed by males and females alike. Archie Comics are favorite reading of young people and young-at-heart adults. They are also published in nearly a dozen different foreign languages and distributed all over the world. Archie Comics has not only spawned characters that have been successfully exploited in comics, but characters whose popularity has spilled over into other media and who have become part of current culture. In addition to comic books, ARCHIE has found success on television, radio and in the music industry. SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH has also become a major television star with two animated series and a live action network sitcom. JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS have also enjoyed success beyond comics, with an animated series and a recording career, and a major motion picture. The characters of Archie Comics have also found success on the Internet, at http://www.archiecomics.com/

WhapWhapWhapWhapWhap

"Assault with a deadly Rayner"

Ok, time to get off work and have a beer & a Cobb salad.

Friends of Lulu Announcement Tomorrow

Hi all,

Tomorrow Friends of Lulu will be making a big announcement. Hopefully, over the next few months, there will be many more to come.

I will be posting the press release on this blog, but I wanted to take the time now to say a few words.

I am just really grateful for the outpouring of support for this organization by my readers, and by this industry.

But, I am also bowled over by the efforts of both the people on our national and New York chapter boards. Over the last seven months I have witnessed them fit in around their work schedules many hours on behalf of Friends of Lulu -- making successful outreaches to other organizations, setting up panels, writing blog posts, reconnecting with old friends, updating our membership lists, brainstorming new initiatives, and even mentoring a young woman with a dream of becoming a manga artist.

There is still a lot that needs to be done, but I think even now we are in a solid place from which to build growth. This organization is healthy and focused.

As for me, my involvement with Friends of Lulu is a formative step on a continuing personal journey through comics. It has been and continues to be an extremely positive and cathartic experience for me. I have learned and continue to learn a lot -- not just by virtue of my "on-the-job" experience, but from the women and men I work alongside. Their enthusiasm for this craft continues to inspire me.

I started my blogging career from a position of frustration and struggle. A lot of that struggle was about wanting to create change. I wanted to create change but I didn't know how to do it in the world outside my computer screen. I talked to others about creating dialog and building bridges, but it was not something I knew how to do myself.

I'm not an expert, but I think I am better at doing this now.

And I've learned that the energy you put out there is the energy you will get back. I have watched the spirit of that frustration and struggle come back to me from completely different and unrelated places, with a vengeance, like some angry, irrational whirlwind. And the only thing you can do is learn from that -- learn that the energy you put out is the one you receive -- and grow from that.

I'm committed to growing. I'm committed to healing. I'm committed to Friends of Lulu. I'm committed to this industry. I'm proud of what I've done so far -- but without the help of people like my boyfriend, my fellow Lulu board members, my friends, and my regular readers, I could not have accomplished this. That's not just a line of spin -- there truly was no way in hell I could have done all this without that generous help.

Anyway, please consider joining or volunteering for Friends of Lulu. If you live in New York, we have a very active local chapter that would be happy to see you at their meetings and will make you feel right at home. And if you live in a state that does not have a Lulu chapter (which would be pretty much all the rest of them outside New York), feel free to contact us about information on starting your own.

Best,
Val

Crisis On Marvel Earths?

Okay, here's a question that popped into my head after discussing Secret Invasion #1 with the bf this morning:

Is there a "1970s" in the Marvel Universe?

To recap, at the end of Secret Invasion #1 (SPOILERS to the three people who may not know) a whole bunch of what we would term "Seventies" superheroes come out of a ship and confront their modern-day counterparts. These are versions of Marvel superheroes from the 1970s (for the most part).

We could also, for the sake of this discussion, call them "Bronze Age" superheroes (which actually covers the heroes up to the mid-1980s).

Now, to us -- or rather, to the comic fan who knows all this stuff -- what we see come out of the ship are Bronze Age heroes from the 70s and early 80s.


But in the Marvel Universe, in terms of (wait for it...) continuity, these characters are not from that time period. Marvel time moves slower, no? Peter Parker was not a teenager over 40 years ago -- we're talking more like several years ago, ten years tops (please correct me at any point on this, I'm not an expert).

So we see some of these "returnees" wear 1970s-style hair and outfits, but they were not actually from the time period, they were from a handful of years ago.

However -- am I making a lot of assumptions, here?

Could these characters actually be from another "universe" or time period?

And if we get into that -- are we talking about multiple earths or timestreams?

I realize this is pretty far-fetched, but I'm just asking...

Image by Thomas Pitilli for Comic Foundry

The one thing I like about the DC Universe was that they recognized various "eras" in comic book history as having existed, by using the "multiple earths" gimmick. Whereas with Marvel, you have more of a delayed-time thing.

I mean, what if you really had an Earth -- Earth M.M.M.S., for instance -- where the continuity from 1960s Marvel really existed? (and there might be ones like this from Spider-Girl, etc).

What if you had multiple versions of Spider-Man confronting each other?

If you had to take Wolverine from the 70s, 90s, and today, which one would you pick as the Wolverine? Which one would win in a battle of the ultimate Wolverine?

Speaking of "ultimate" -- what if at some point you say the Ultimate Universe is a genuine separate universe, and you had the characters from there confront their Marvel U. counterparts?

I'm not saying Secret Invasion is going to go down this path AT ALL.

But I will say that it's always been a fangeek dream of mine to see a "Crisis on Infinite Earths" treatment of the Marvel U.

(okay, there is the whole other debate as to whether catering to fangeek dreams like mine reels in the new readers. let me put this on hold while I geekdream)

Dr. Doom is McLovin

Get your own Mclovin ID

(slow news day)

(seemed clever at the time)

What Comic Books Are You Buying This Week?

It's the weekly question:

What comics are you buying?

What would you recommend?

And, an optional bonus question: what comics have you dropped?

On my list (so far)
Goon #23
Young Liars #2
Criminal 2 #2
Fantastic Four #556
Echo #2

Especially, if anybody can recommend superhero comics I might try, let me know. My list is conspicuously devoid of those.

And you can use this handy-dandy Midtown Comics shipping list to help you out!

Mary Jane & Gwen Stacy Lookalike Contest

Newsarama reports that the Hero Initiative will be conducting a Mary Jane & Gwen Stacy lookalike contest at New York Comic Con.

"Ladies! People who aren’t Ladies! The comics social event of the season is now the fashion event of the season as well, with the first-ever GWEN AND MARY JANE LOOKALIKE CONTEST at the New York Comic Convention April 18-20! So dig out those go-go boots, and we'll all have to face it, Tiger—We're about to hit the jackpot!"

This got me thinking...

DC should do a Nightwing lookalike contest. That would be cool. Or it could simply be a Dick Grayson lookalike contest. Dick at different eras. With Jason Todd. Shaved legs optional.

Anyway, The Hero Initiative are good peoples, and it's a good cause.

Some contestants:

Fredric Wertham: Awful or Awesome?

Was Fredric Wertham an evil monster who took comics away from the kiddies? Or simply misunderstood?

Comic Mix points out a Slate article on the psychiatrist who, in the 1940s and 50s, led a crusade against what he thought were "bad elements" in comics. In 1954 he wrote a book called "Seduction of the Innocent" which blasted the comic book industry and resulted in a bunch of really crappy issues of Wonder Woman where she goes stamp collecting.

Was Wertham a villain for attacking books like EC Comics' horror line and, essentially, driving them off the spinner racks of our great nation? Was he leading a witchhunt? Or, as the Slate article seems to be saying, was the witchhunt eventually turned upon Wertham?

"Wertham was particularly concerned about the violence, misogyny, and racism that were endemic in comics (and other popular art forms). He wasn't wrong on this point. Many of the comics now nostalgically celebrated by Hajdu and Chabon were extremely unsavory in their social attitudes. EC comics regularly featured husbands and wives ending marital spats with knives, axes, and poison. On the racial front, Will Eisner's much-loved Spirit featured a Sambo-like sidekick named Ebony White, who was childish, had thick lips, and spoke in an illiterate minstrel dialect."

The question as to Wertham's relative guilt or innocence in terms of his place in comic book history is a tough one. Certainly, as the result of his interference, a lot of crappy books came out from The Big Two until Showcase and Lee/Kirby.

On the other hand, having read a number of these EC horror titles -- some of this stuff is really, really gruesome. Having some sort of warning on those books as to the content, instead of racking them up next to Superman, might have prevented a lot of EC's grief. I know some people hate this argument, and hate the idea of putting warning labels on comics. But a comic about Superman meeting a caveman and a comic about a baseball diamond covered with internal organs are not the same thing.


I clearly remember looking at a stack of Fangorias when I was seven over some friend's house. Those images -- severed legs stacked on a table, melting heads -- played over in my head and gave me nightmares for years. I would say that these images of violence are far worse for a child to look at than even the T&A and "bad language" the American entertainment industry so assiduously tries to protect youngsters from. If I have to choose between reading the word "s**t" or looking at a boob in a comic and viewing someone getting their brains blown out, I'd pick the former.

Then again, Wertham seemed to have this idea that comics like Batman promoted homosexuality. Which is indirectly how we got that annoying Aunt Harriet in the TV show, by the way.


So maybe he was a jerk.

What do you think: was Fredric Wertham aw-ful or awe-some?

(note: I've seen his first name spelled "Fredric" and Frederic" on various websites. I'm going with Wikipedia.)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #13: Willow Don't Talk Like That

In a scene in Buffy The Vampire Slayer #13, Willow asks Satsu (the young woman who Buffy slept with last issue):

"What's she like in the sack?"

I'm sorry, Willow don't talk like that.

Willow is like Buffy's sister. Willow is Buffy's second-in-command. Willow would not refer to Buffy that way, in "locker room talk."

Has Xander ever asked this question of Angel or Spike? Has he ever asked, as Willow does, "Did she make that high-pitched squeal?"

I think it's just a question of the level of respect that Buffy & Willow have for each other.

Further, it's made explicit that when it's business for the Slayers, it's business. In the scene in question, they are flying to a battle in an airplane, army-style. Buffy is the commander. Willow is second-in-command. Satsu is a soldier. I would think it'd be bad form (not to mention distracting) to ask sexual questions about the commander on the way to a fight.

The "voice" of Willow in this scene just doesn't ring true. Now, that could be because she is really a Skrull. In which case -- brilliant!

Then there is the whole question of how Dracula has apparently become Stewie from Family Guy. I have no problem with Drac being (I'm assuming from the issue) bisexual. I have no problem with there being some sort of implied relationship (sexual or otherwise) with Xander. But, it's just played in a very broad, cartoonish way. It's almost played in that way where the very fact of Dracula being "gay" is the punchline.

It would have been far more interesting to see Xander in an actual, conflicted relationship with Dracula. To give equal time and show a male in a serious sexual relationship with another man in this TV/comic book series. But, it's like to water the idea down, the whole situation is played mostly for laughs.

I know there is a certain level of irreverence to Buffy The Vampire Slayer. But, I think in the TV show there was a better balance between the humor and the dramatic moments. Too much of this issue seemed like one big joke. I've read some Buffy "slash" fan-fiction that has played it a lot more true.

Fraction and Brubaker Off Of Iron Fist, Johns Off Of Booster Gold

Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction are set to leave The Immortal Iron Fist after issue #16, and Geoff Johns will be leaving Booster Gold as of issue #1,000,000.

Oh, the humanity!

On my anniversary day, yet!

Reaction on the Newsarama boards was swift:

"this makes me a sad panda"

Meanwhile, Warren Ellis is rumored to have said:

"That's what happens, man. That's what happens."
(that is a specious rumor and is most probably false.)

Well, reactions?

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie

You make me the happiest woman on Earth Prime.

Love,
V

(met at New York Comic Con, had first date at "Ghost Rider," then saw "Spider-Man 3," blended comic book collections, the rest is history)

Female Superhero Comic Book Readers Desire "Good Storylines"

When I asked a group of female mainstream comic book readers attending a Friends of Lulu panel at I-Con this weekend what was the #1 thing they looked for in their comics, it was "storyline" that kept coming up. This was pretty much the response I got when I asked women the same question at San Diego Comic Con last year. Some women at the I-Con panel also expressed that they cared more about storyline than the art.

Now, is the caring about storyline a gender-specific thing? What comic book reader would admit to not considering storyline important? Or are specific elements of what might fall under the term "storyline" -- relationships between characters, character growth, etc -- really at issue here?

Speaking for myself, since I was a teen I was always interested in comics that had the best character development in them. I cared less about the art than about the characters. My favorite comics were the Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans and the Claremont X-Men. I cared most about the relationships between these characters.

So, would it be fair to say I was attracted to the (for lack if a better term) "soap-operatic" elements of a comic? Yes. I liked some action too, but it was not my main concern.

For example, I was a fan of the 1980s GI Joe cartoon as a kid. I wasn't a fan because I was interested in explosions or military vehicles. I was a fan because the show's writers did a particularly great job with the characterization and inter-personal relationships of the characters. Similarly, I didn't really care about the alien races and galactic intrigue of the original Star Trek. I faithfully tuned in to the reruns because I thought Spock was a great character, and the friendships he had with Kirk and McCoy were complex and interesting.


Conversely, I had little-to-no interest in shows like The A-Team and Knight Rider. They, like GI Joe and Star Trek, were action programs. But, A-Team & Knight Rider seemed empty character-wise (though of course who doesn't like Howlin' Mad Murdock?).

Move on to the late 80s/early 90s, and bombastic comics like McFarlane's Spider-man and Liefeld's X-Force did nothing for me. All action, very little characterization. And yet, those books were incredibly popular -- especially with males.

As I got older, I could appreciate the occasional "slugfest" in a comic book -- case in point, "World War Hulk." But still -- I needed the drama, the relationships, the characterization.

The comics the women in the panel audience -- with an age range from late teens to middle age -- cited as their faves were stuff like The Runaways, Ultimate X-Men, and the Heroes webcomics. In contrast, they expressed little-to-no interest in the big summer comic crossover "events."

Are these events engaging them enough in the "storyline" department? Or is it that the marketing behind these events stress the "massiveness" of the story, while at the same time ignoring aspects of relationships and drama in these books that would appeal to a female audience?

Should mainstream superhero comics be marketed differently to females? Could the same comic -- Final Crisis, Secret Invasion -- appeal to both men and women, but have to be marketed differently to both?

One thing from all of my impromptu polls of female comic readers indicate is that if you are going to market with women in mind -- don't be obvious about it. Don't call your books "female friendly." It is regarded as patronizing. And, as one young woman put it in San Diego last year, "it means the comic is going to be weak."

And yet, though women do not like being specifically marketed to -- is there still a "type" of superhero comic they like more?

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that in regards to fantasy/sci-fi literature of all stripes, "Men are From Mars and Women are From Venus." I know female fans that value the visceral thrill of a good horror movie, the excitement of a well-done martial arts scene, the labyrinthine plots of a Tolkien novel, and the bone-crunching ass-kicking performed by a female vampire hunter or barbarian queen.

But is there a preference among female readers for the character and relationship aspects of certain books as opposed to "slugfests" and spectacular scenes of destruction? Or is this preference for more character-driven storylines simply a universal for both genders -- about enjoying well-written comics as opposed to sensationalism? Or maybe there is a gender difference on what aspects of a comic each will be attracted to the most. I'm still trying to figure this all out, and without a formal marketing research poll, I can only produce anecdotes.


But, I will say that I think the major comic companies could do more to market certain titles that I think would appeal to female fans. Case in point: Wonder Woman. I don't think iconic pin-up shots of WW is really going to convince women that this is a book they would enjoy. That seems to be advertising targeting more men than women. And Nightwing was a book that was very popular among women; and yet, I don't see an effort to capitalize on that and drive more female readers back to the title.

What do you think?

Goddamn Batman Makes The Wall Street Journal

When the WSJ is reporting on Frank Miller's Goddamn Batman, you know he's made it into the annals of greater pop-culture:

"Frank Miller, a comics writer who has a long association with the character, is portraying him as unhinged, and suggesting this iconic hero borders on being a psychopath. Mr. Miller's Batman laughs maniacally to himself while on patrol; saunters about unshaven; beats criminals bloody; and kidnaps a young boy to groom him as his sidekick, Robin -- despite protests from other superheroes."

The article's writer, Brian Steinberg, ultimately approves of this latest iteration of the Masked Manhunter, suggesting that the nature of the character and his origin lends itself to this sort of portrayal.


Of course, in the end the longevity of the Goddamn Batman might also be explained in part by the fact that All-Star Batman and Robin, when it comes out, is one of DC's top-selling titles.

If the money is being thrown in this direction by the readers -- more so apparently than even Grant Morrison's run on "Plain Ol' Batman" -- then there might really be something to this crazy Batman and his f**ked up universe that is appealing to the public at large.

My question is: since the status quo and style set by both Miller on "ASBAR" and Morrison on All-Star Superman are obviously so successful, should DC take a cue from this and integrate those elements more in the "continuity" versions?

I'm still getting over the fact that Batman painted himself yellow and drank lemonade in order to beat Green Lantern. I mean, with this knowledge out in the open, the Green Lantern Corps would be pretty much screwed, no?

Fangirl Fridays

I'm getting ready for I-Con on this Saturday, where the New York Chapter of Friends of Lulu and myself will be attending. For those who don't know, I-Con is a Science-Fiction & Fantasy convention held in Long Island.

See, I always like those conventions with tons of classic TV & movie guests, and at this con you get the likes of Winston from Ghostbusters, the Reanimator dude, Darth Maul, and Tracy Scoggins. I mean: Tracy Scoggins!

Anyway, I will only be there Saturday. I can autograph a Friends of Lulu trifold brochure for you, if you'd like. (I asked my boyfriend if autographing print-outs of the home page of my blog was gauche. He just sort of shook his head and sighed.)

Rich's Comic By Comic has a neat ongoing examination of the "Returnees" from Secret Invasion #1. Who's really coming back? Here is your place to speculate.

Kudos to OS regular Angry Zen Master on getting his webcomic NPR covered by Erfworld...er, I mean, Erfworld covered by NPR. It's still early; at least for me.

Be also sure to check out OS reader Brady Russell's Beanstockd blog for the latest in Britney's jowls and so much more!

Oh noes! Comics Are Expensive will be delayed today -- only to bring you (we hope) A Very Special CAE/OS Review of Secret Invasion #1 at the beginning of next week!

This coming Monday starts another month and a new slate for Zuda's webcomic competition. In the meantime, I'm sure you will find something there to read.

And please read Karen Green's column in Comixology, "Comic Adventures in Academia." This week Karen takes a look at Nick Bertozzi's "The Salon."

Have a good weekend, folks! I will say hello to Tracy Scoggins for you!

Who Is A Better Dad: Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin?

It's the battle of the dads: Homer Simpson vs. Peter Griffin.

I watch both The Simpsons and Family Guy every day when I come home, and the comparison was inevitable.

My personal take: Peter has more self-confidence and positive attitude than Homer, but Homer tries harder and cares more. Homer seems to have awareness of his flaws, almost to the point of hating himself. Peter never seems to have a self-deprecating moment. Homer strangles Bart, but would never lay a hand against Lisa. Peter regularly slugs Meg. Both are not the greatest parents of all time. But, which one is a better dad?

Medical Quibble With Secret Invasion #1 (SPOILERS)

This is just a minor point, and it doesn't detract from the book, but...

SPOILERS


You know the scene where Iron Man has a seizure and they ask for something to put in his mouth?

When someone has a seizure, you are not supposed to put anything in their mouth, because they could choke on it.

From the Wikihow on treating someone with an epileptic seizure:

" Do not touch the person's mouth or put anything in it, including water or medicine used to treat seizures, as it may cause the person to choke. People having seizures cannot swallow their tongues, despite popular belief."

I was brought up to think that you had to give the person a pencil to bite down on or something, so they wouldn't swallow their tongue. But you are not supposed to put anything in the mouth of someone having a seizure -- no pencils, fingers, meds, anything.

Anyway, feel better, Tony Stark. Sucks about the Skrull thing.

Mr. T Vs. Dracula

An April Fool's joke? We at OS sure hope not!

The comic's author Christopher Bunting says,

"When I proposed these crossovers, Mohawk Media jumped at the chance and went to great lengths to make them happen. Who can blame them? Two legends ... a living legend and an undead legend ... going toe to toe. It doesn't get much more exciting than that!"

And Mr. T comments:

"All these suckers with their fancy powers! They need a reality check, and only one guy can do that, and that's me, Mr. T!"


Wouldn't it be simply awesome if it was really true?

I also like how he's wearing of of those "Chuck Norris And His Karate Kommandos" jumpsuits:

Secret Invasion #1: Your Reactions?

I just read Secret Invasion #1 about a half-an-hour ago. Me and Comics Are Expensive's Chris Lamb are planning on doing a point/counterpoint sort of review on the book over the next day or so, but until then:

What'd you all think?

Keanu Reeves: Man Of Integrity

Never let it be said that Keanu Reeves is not a man of integrity. He said no to a sequel to this:


And said no to this:


And said no to playing Racer X in this:


Way back when, he said no to this:


But a sequel to this?


Perhaps. A man has to have his priorities.

Ms. Marvel's Cow Mouth, Fat Ass, And Whore's Heart

from Mighty Avengers #11

Look, I love Marvel and I have enjoyed a number of Brian Michael Bendis-penned comics. But, this type of stuff has completely alienated me from the two main Avengers titles. To the point where I never buy them anymore, I just buy the Initiative book. I know Doctor Doom is a dick -- I get it. But, I still don't want to read stuff like this. And from the standpoint of Doom being a Marvel character that is licensed across a wide range of products, both for adults and children, it's just not smart. There were other ways to show Doctor Doom is a bad guy besides calling Ms. Marvel a whore. Ask Stan Lee when you have the chance.

As Steve Bennett of ICv2 writes:

"Anyone wishing to argue that his language makes the situation more "realistic" should be advised that if it were realistic, Dr. Doom would just shoot everyone in the head and we could all go and sell stamps or something."

(with a tip of the hat to Journalista)

Val Recommends: Jessica Farm

Jessica Farm from Fantagraphics Press is a fun and hallucinatory trip through the psyche or dreamtime of the title character. Along the way she encounters the same types of archetypal characters the hero of any myth or fairytale might -- shadowy boogeymen and tricksters with exceptionally spicy nether regions.


Writer & artist Josh Simmons drew one page of Jessica Farm every month for the last eight years, starting in January of 2000. He plans to then continue the project over the next 42 years, culminating in a single-volume compilation in (wait for it...) 2050.

I thought Jessica Farm was an unique and heartfelt exploration of one woman's inner life. Recommended.

Actually Happened This Morning

"Oh God, I just had the weirdest dream! There were all these people who were secretly these weird green aliens that looked like brine shrimp! And they looked like you or me, but they were infiltrators from the brine shrimp planet, and were only taking on human form as a disguise to take over the Earth!"


Damn viral marketing finally got to me.

Oh, Noes!

Everything I Noes Is A Lie!

The Evolution Of My Celebrity Crushes

Celebrity crushes: we've all had them. Hopefully, as we get older and mature, those crushes change and evolve. Then again, I know somebody who fell hard for Diana Rigg more than 35 years ago and still hasn't gotten over it (well, at least he has taste).

Here is a brief journey through my celebrity crushes over the years, with my accompanying age:

(age 3) Donny Osmond

I used to believe that Donny was dating Marie.
Apparently, this was not the most
uncommon thing for a very young child to think.
Then I was taught: "Donny dating Marie is wrong: it's wronnnnnngggggg!!!!"

(age 5) Scott Baio

It wasn't hard for me to make the leap from Donny to Scott.
Both were young, pretty-faced brunettes with cute puppy-dog eyes.
But, Scott -- as Happy Days' Chachi Arcola -- was a little "dangerous."
And so I progressed from harmonizing Mormon to Bad Boy.

(age 6) Robin The Boy Wonder

Then I discovered the bare-legged charms of Dick Grayson in
multiple media:The George Perez Teen Titans,
the Batman reprint books, and Burt Ward.

(age 10) Ricky SchroederHe was a little too pretty for me, but dammit I fell for him.
It was trite, and sort of empty. It made me feel cheap.

(age 12) Matthew Broderick

By this point, I felt I was past the mere "playing around" of my youth
and had made a conscious, conscientious decision to choose a celebrity
crush based on cinematic oeuvre and classical theatre experience.
Also, I figured if he could date that chick who played
his sister in "Ferris Bueller," certainly he could date me
(see also: Michael J. Fox's yen for Nancy McKeon/Tracy Pollan).

(age 14) Charlie Sheen

Obviously, we are getting back into "bad boy" territory.
There were some awesome candid pinups of him in the teen magazines
I used to buy where he looked so adult and probably strung-out;
and if not strung-out, at least looking like he was 40. So cool.

(age 16) Robin The Boy Wonder

Some regression going on, to be sure.
But by now, I was commissioning sexy fan art of him,
so I had matured since my first bout of Graysonmania.

(age 19) Any Dead Emo Celebrity

Oy.

(age 22) David Duchovny

This was a solid crush for many years. It was serious. I think we almost got fake-married.

(age 25) James Marsters

This was one of those things that I said would never happen.
I was in serious denial about it -- just like with Rick Schroeder.
And still felt cheap about it.

(age 28) Vincent Price

I don't know how exactly I fell into this.
Call it retro-chic, call it morbid fascination, call it what you will.
The guy knew how to f**king talk and dress.
I didn't even need to have sex with him; he could just read me Poe.

(age 31) Brian The Dog

At this point, I had realized that I completely matured and evolved in my affections. Brian, like Vincent, had a great voice. Plus, he was very cultured, read the New Yorker, and drank out of martini glasses. He also occasionally pooped on the yard; but he did it with class.

(age 32) Hayden Christensen

Yep, back in the gutter.

(age 33) John Cusack

How did I miss this guy over the last 15 years?
And by now I was mature enough to realize
that he was not dating his sister.