New Savage She-Hulk?

You know, I have no idea who this new Savage She-Hulk is, or why she looks like that -- but it *is* interesting. It's like she got a dye job, or something. Or is it one of those Planet Hulk chicks?

The regular series is canceled, so I assume this is something completely new?

I liked the "modern" She-Hulk, but there was something about the original "savage" one that had more of an edge for me.

Edit: I have been informed by several readers as well as my BF that this new She-Hulk is apparently Thundra. Then the BF told me to go and read through all the Marvel Handbooks.

Requiem For Jennifer Walters

I picked up this old issue of She-Hulk yesterday. First series, from the 1970s. There's a scene where her boyfriend -- this white guy with an afro and big mutton-chop facial hair -- asks her to change back to Jennifer Walters before she meets his parents. So she'd be "presentable." Apparently, this was not the first request he made of this nature.

And she grits her teeth and does it, but thinks, basically: "This is the last fucking time I'm doing this. This is bullshit."

And I was taken aback by how adult and mature that little sequence was -- how it went past issues of superheroics and comic book mayhem and cut to the heart of something very real and human.

You know: throwaway 1970s comix, bubblegum junk, kinda gimmicky blah blah.

But it had something of value in it, something that survived past the decades and still touched me.

*** *** ***

I realize some of the posts I did over the last week or so really struck a cord, and I'm really fucking glad they did.

That's all. I'm going to continue to write as I've been writing, and that's it.

And this isn't that famous National Lampoon cover where they're going to shoot the dog if you don't read the blog. There are no dogs to be shot -- no kittens, orphans, Ewoks, or any other adorable creature has been put in danger due to my excessive ego.

Just don't read the blog if you do not like it. Poof! Magic.

*** *** ***

Yes, sometimes I write about things like porn. Maybe unbecoming of a woman.

Women's romance novels are full of porn. Haven't picked any up recently, but as of the 1980s, they were full of porn. Written porn, but porn nonetheless.

My first introduction to the concept of bestiality was from a romance novel. I still remember the dog's name. Jurgen.

"Oh Jurgen," she sighed, arching her back even further, "you are my best friend!"

Seriously. The book even taught me that you needed lube to have sex with your pet. And this was a mainstream romance novel that my friend took out from the library. We were maybe eleven.

Now obviously, with the advent of Family Guy, the edge has been taken off extra-species intimacy. Brian the Dog is sort of an iconoclast in that respect.

*** *** ***

I think women have been taught to be be ashamed for any desires they might have for porn. To the point where if it's referred to at all in that context, it's called the far more "pretty" name of "erotica." I think it's the patriarchy's fault (I mean, what isn't?), but it's also sorta feminism as well. And I've sorta bought into it too, but it's me cutting off my nose to spite my own face. So leave me be in the valleys of my own psychodrama, one day I'll figure it all out.

*** *** ***

There won't be any randy dogs named "Jurgen" in my comic book writing. Though if Avatar Press is still around in a few years, maybe we can talk about it.

But I really feel that the reason we haven't had a "Grant Morrison" of female writers yet -- a question I am asked all the fucking time -- relates back to that scene I described in She-Hulk. We don't need more Jen Walters.

It won't be enough anymore to simply write a decent superhero comic and have the public coo patronizingly at the wonder of it all. I think the next breakthrough female comic book writer needs to stir shit up. I mean: seriously.

Easier said than done. I know several really good female comic writers with edgy styles that don't get a hell of a lot of work, and I think it's sort of criminal. I think, despite some flaws, Devin Grayson at least wrote some outrageous stuff and broke taboos. In many of these cases, said edginess is cited by them as the reason they *don't* get work.

I really don't know if my writing is really that good to ever get to a place where it might change things and make an impact.

*** *** ***

Fuck it, my writing really is that good.

Occasional Reviews: Buy Ms. Marvel & She-Hulk!

She Hulk #24
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Shawn Moll & Victor Olazaba

Ms. Marvel #22
Writer: Brian Reed
Artists: Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan

The current arcs of She-Hulk & Ms. Marvel are surprisingly introspective and sensitive works in the sense that a lot of attention is paid to the psyche of the superheroines in question. I hesitated to type the last line for fear that unless I wrote "She-Hulk becomes a celestial goddess with the mind of a fetus who is emotionally enslaved by Cosmic Spider-Man" the books might lose that all-important "mass appeal" cachet. And that would be a shame.


Which brings me to a broader (see, I said "broad," I made a funny) point --

I do not believe that superheroine comics that are not simply cheesecake vehicles can survive depending on the "usual" Wizard Magazine reader demographic alone. Comic books starring complex, strong, clothed females need a broader (puns I have a million of 'em) reader base. They need a more vocal reader base. They need a reader base that communicates with the publishers in question & let them know when they're doing it right.

Because the fact is, if books like She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and the current Wonder Woman and Benes-less Birds of Prey fail, they communicate to the publishers that positive superheroines don't sell books. What is even more crucial, if Birds of Prey with its new female artist Nicola Scott fails, or if Wonder Woman with scribe Gail Simone fails, that will also communicate that "women can't sell comics."


Never mind the other factors. Never mind marketing (or lack thereof). Never mind previous successful track records. I'm telling you, that's how it is perceived when the higher-ups have the numbers of sold books in their hands. And in the end, while I think the fact of the gender involved does make things a bit more complicated, it all boils down to those numbers.

But the Ms. Marvel "The Monster and the Marvel" & She-Hulk "Jaded" storylines are the sort of complex, textured character-studies of superheroines that critics complain they don't see enough of. Carol Danvers and Jennifer Walters are active, independent, and hard to pin down. They aren't mentally-fragile Suicide Girls or "full-bodied women" with the brains of newborns.


But hey..."Suicide Girls: The Comic." That would make a lot of money, wouldn't it? I mean, the idea is pure genius. And that's the tragedy of it in a nutshell. As a marketer, I know that "Suicide Girls: The Comic" would sell a million copies. It's a great license for a comic book company. It would get a ton of PR, and sell a million copies. Even if the art was so-so. They could even skip the art and go straight to a fumetti, just use photos and word balloons like those soft-core porn mags from the 1970s.
She-Hulk & Ms. Marvel could easily become cheesecake books on the level of Red Sonja and Shanna the She-Devil and sell a lot more copies. But then you soil these strong characters. Do I think in the past some of the covers of each title were devised to "reach out" to the cliche fanboy Wizard Magazine readership? Sure. Do I think DC's Catwoman has sexed-up covers by Adam Hughes in order to attract that very same readership? Sure.

But see, that strategy ultimately fails because you've enticed the readers with boobies on the cover and then there's no or not enough boobage inside. It's false advertising.


In the end, like I said, it comes down to numbers. Sales. If we do not support books like She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Wonder Woman now, we cannot complain. The companies have room for only one "superheroine" book each to "carry." And those are currently Spider-girl & Manhunter. Those are good-will superheroine books that are carried by publishers irrespective, to an extent, of sales. They meet the quota. Everything else comes down to numbers.

Only when a comic book starring a white heterosexual male gets cancelled, nobody questions whether white heterosexual males can really "sell" comics.

And that's why, along with the quality of the titles, I'm pushing for Ms. Marvel & She-Hulk. Plus, it looks like Ms. Marvel might be a Skrull according to some solicitations art. And She-Hulk's sidekick is a Skrull. You like Skrulls, don't you? What role will they play in the great "Invasion" event? Ooohhh, don't you want to find out? Captain America might come back! And Irving Forbush!

Occasional Reviews: The Emerald Giantess Edition

She-Hulk #22
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Shawn Moll & Victor Olazaba
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Peter David's take on the emerald giantess starts off not that unsimilar from previous writer Dan Slott's run...quirky criminals & a quirky, self-effacing narrative by Jen Walters (tinted green in the caption boxes, natch). Then it takes a sharp left-turn somewhere in David Lynch territory, and the sudden ending -- reminiscent of the "Sopranos" finale -- will leave you guessing. I literally turned my comic book upside down and shook it to find the missing page that I assumed followed the blackout. Then I checked my cable box. Art by Shawn Moll & Victor Olazaba is effective & dynamic and makes Jen/She-Hulk attractive without making her look like an underwear model.
Rating: A


Justice League of America #14
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artists: Ed Benes & Sandra Hope
I want to love this new era for the series as much as the next person, but please don't flame me for saying that this and the last issue have been a little on the "thin" side. The narrative -- regarding the new Injustice League -- is starting to drag out in that decompressed way that makes you feel as if you've missed something at the end of the issue...or that the story should have been completed by now. Considering the textured and well-written McDuffie "Justice League Unlimited" animated episodes, I don't know what the problem is here. In the old days, a story like this could have been done in one issue. It makes me wonder if the arc has been artificially prolonged to match up with some "Countdown" endpoint. Plus: an extended role for Black Lightning & more excessive Geo Force abuse. So it's not all bad. Rating: B-

Breathers Book One
Writer & Artist: Justin Madson
Publisher: Just Mad Books
Hey, I don't even know this Justin Madson guy; this isn't a shill or nothin.' Just found this in BF's pile of goodies from SPX. The story is about a dystopia unsettlingly familiar to our own world where people are forced to wear breathing masks outside. There is a quiet ticking desperation about the characters and their lives that is both captivating and really sad. Madson's one of these guys that you know will be "indie hotness of the month" before too long, so catch him before he gets famous so you can say you discovered him. Rating: A
You can purchase "Breathers" here...for only $5! $7 if you include #0! More with shipping! Eeep!



Uzumaki: Viz Signature Edition
Writer & Artist: Junji Ito
Publisher: Viz Media
This classic horror manga -- released in a smart new "signature edition" -- just about made me vomit on the subway train, it was so creepy. That's my roundabout way of saying, "I heartily recommend it." The story is about a small town whose inhabitants are going crazy because of a "spiral-obsession." This obsession drives them to, among other things, engage in really bizarre forms of body modification. It's like that one scene in "Nightmare on Elm Street" with the tongue coming out of the phone, for the entire book. By the way, if you're looking for this edition in the stores, it's an all-black cover with red lettering and art in a varnished outline. Rating: A+

Penance: Relentless #2
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Paul Gulacy
and
Thunderbolts #117
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Mike Deodato
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Non-stop emo action with everybody's favorite "cutter," Robbie Baldwin. To me, the sheer Grand Guignol DeSadian excess of Penance's self-mutilation overshadows everything else about his solo miniseries, with the possible exception of Paul Gulacy's artwork. Take the 16-page "grid" panel of Penance putting on his "Iron Maiden" (dude! Iron Maiden!) outfit. Geez-Louise. Next up, in "Thunderbolts," Doc Samson (who apparently has issues of his own), has a man-to-boy talk with Penance, outlining the "cutter" philosophy for the readers at home in great detail. As they are apparently setting up Penance/Robbie to be the next "key player" in the Marvel Universe, for some reason I kept thinking of Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy with nipple-clamps.
Rating: Penance: B Thunderbolts: A

Robin #167
Writer: Brandon Thomas
Artist: Freddie Williams III
Publisher: DC Comics
This fill-in by writer Brandon Thomas ("Fantastic Four Adventures," "Shatterstar") is a poignant character study of Robin and why he does what he does. He's gets beaten to a bloody pulp quite a bit in this issue (alert "Scans Daily"), but recovers just in time to have a touching scene at his father's grave. Batman makes a rare non-goddamn appearance and wraps up the issue nicely.
Rating: A




The Professor's Daughter

Writer: Joann Sfar
Artist: Emmanuel Guibert
Publisher: First Second
This is a lovely little graphic novel that has that "League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen" charm without the martians or fatal buggery. A museum mummy with impeccible manners and a proper Englishwoman form a unlikely romance. Despite the murder mystery plot and potential for darkness, always keeps a cheerful stiff upper lip to the very end of the volume. The perfect graphic novel for yourself or to buy for a girlfriend/wife/mom who might not be too impressed with your "Sinestro Corps" collection.
Rating: A

Should Superheroine Comics Have Sexy Covers?

I know, I know...we've only tread over this issue five billion times before. but Lisa Fortuner's post about talking to a female shop clerk about Greg Horn covers sort of brought it all back. So bear with me.

At issue is the question of whether comic books featuring superherones should have sexy covers.

And on that topic I'm thinking specifically of Adam Hughes on Catwoman, Terry Dodson on Wonder Woman, and Greg Horn on Ms. Marvel & She-Hulk.


Does a sexy Greg Horn cover immediately delegitimize a She-Hulk or Ms. Marvel book?

Do comic companies purposely assign "cheesecake" artists to draw covers of their superheroine books?

Questions, questions....

Point One: Is Greg Horn a bad artist?

No, Greg Horn is not a bad artist. He paints photo-realistic covers much in the same vein as Joe Jusko, the Hildebrandts, Frank Frazetta, and just about every other classic Sci-Fi, Adventure, and Romance paperback cover artist.


This style, while possessing a mass appeal, is not universally embraced by the more high-brow comic aficionado (with Frazetta being the possible exception). In this rejection of the photo-realistic style I see the same rejection art critics have had for "classic" realistic art versus more abstract modernist works.

Ergo, "Paul Pope is a better artist than Greg Horn."

Why?

"Pope's work is unique and fraught with deep meaning and Horn's is nothing but commercial lifeless shill."

Really?

I think some of Horn's more absurdist covers for She-Hulk & Ms. Marvel are actually quite good. For example, the "Awesome Andy" cover for She-Hulk #14. The combination of Horn's hyper-realistic style and the absolute absurdity of the cover subject matter creates a surreal, humorous effect.


I would also point to "American Gothic" cover parody for She-Hulk #12 that Lisa referenced in her Newsarama blog. I don't buy the argument of the shop clerk that the cover is ruined because Horn didn't paint She-Hulk exactly as plain as the woman in the original painting. Again, the contrast between Horn's photo-realistic style & the absurdity of the subject matter works for me.


However, Greg Horn is generally not hired to paint quirky absurdist covers. He is hired mostly to paint covers that, to a large extent, do fall under the rubric of "cheesecake."

Rather than savage him as an artist, it might be more helpful to examine why there is a need/market for these covers in the first place.

It is true: look at past and present runs of superheroine-centered books like She-Hulk, Wonder Woman, Elektra, Catwoman, Ms. Marvel, Supergirl, Emma Frost, and others, and there is a clear pattern of cheesecakey covers. (I'm not even figuring books like Lara Croft, Witchblade, Vampirella, and others of that type into the equation, since it seems like a forgone conclusion in these books that cheesecake will be a large part of the story.)


Do comic book publishers feel a need to put cheesecakey covers on their superheroine books because they're afraid that not enough men will buy them if they don't?

Do these publishers feel that they can't count on enough female readers to pick up comics about female characters -- and so they increase the odds of getting good sales by at least making the covers appealing to their biggest demographic?

Honestly? I think in some cases this is absolutely true.

But are these covers at the same time chasing away the very same female readers that publishers complain do not support the books?

She-Hulk has a new cover artist, Mike Deodato, as of issue #22. While his She-Hulk is undoubtedly beautiful & buxom, the main accent of these covers seems to be much more about Shulkie's strength and fighting ability than sex.


If you are a woman and are too embarrassed to read a She-Hulk trade or an issue of Catwoman because of the cover, what can you do?

You can give your opinions online. You can write polite e-mails & letters to Marvel & DC explaining your point of view.

But you can also bear in mind the Catch 22 in all this:

If you do not support these superheroine-centered comics because of the covers, and are not counted as readers, it only fuels the editorial belief that there are not enough female interest in these comics. And when the editor feels that there will not be enough female interest to keep this female-centered superhero comic afloat, turning to gimmicky cheesecake covers in order to stir up more male readership may happen (or outright cancellation).

The Newly-Savage She-Hulk Cover Gallery

Ok, so the new Peter David She-Hulk isn't exactly "savage." But it's going to have a harder edge than Dan Slott's run. David did a good job with "Supergirl," in my opinion, so I think it's surely possible that this new run on "She-Hulk" will be good. But she's really going to be kicking ass.


And of course,


Gotta love "Google Images"

The Battle Of The Sexes,
World War Hulk Style

This is awesome stuff.

All things being equal, could Jen really beat Hulk's ass?

Slott!

Note to online comic reviewers: Dan Slott reads his reviews. And if you rip him a new one -- like Comic Slop did with his last She-Hulk issue -- don't be suprised if the dude responds.

Comic Slop:
"Slott immediately turns the character in a strumpet--she has two one-night stands in four issues and attempts another with Wolverine, who tells her--and Marvel's intended nine-year-old audience--he doesn't want 'Juggernaut's sloppy seconds.'"

Slott:
"No. Nine-year-olds are not the intended audience for SHE-HULK. I have actually made a point of that at comic signings, letting parents know that this is a book their wee-ones should NOT be picking up."

And Slott:
"Starting with #15, the character has been promiscuous-- maybe even recklessly so. She's had two flings and tried to initiate a third. If you want to call a person-- who's come off a longstanding-but-failed relationship and then played around with 2 lovers-- a "strumpet", that's your call. I don't think this would even be an issue if the protagonist of this comic were a man."

Huh.

I like "Squirrel Girl," personally.

(with thanks to David The G.)