Amy Reads the Week (of June 8th, 2007)

And what a week, Gentle Reader. What a week. Things have been Awfully Busy in Chez Reads as I have been drowning, yes, Drowning In Work. Teaching prep, Dissertation rewrites, Dissertation future-writes, it all Overwhelms, and Overwhelms All At Once.

As a result, I am behind, woefully behind on my pop culture. Granted, it is summer, so that means no real television of which to speak, but Mr. Reads and I have been exploring our missed TV options, and I must admit, the BBC’s Robin Hood has made it Quite High on that list. But other than the occasional television show, I haven’t had time for anything Pop Culture Related, and that means, of course, my beloved Comic Books.

So instead of offering you nothing this week, I’ve decided instead to offer you a meme that I meant to do weeks ago, but kept missing the chance. Instead of nothing, Gentle Reader, I offer you This Humble Author’s 50 Reasons to Love Superhero Comics, as inspired by the Awe-Inspiring Kalinara and Ragnell.

50 Things I Love About Superhero Comics

1) The interconnectivity. Across the Universe, and even Across The Universes, sometimes, it comes as no surprise to find Spider-Man guesting in Daredevil, or Batman showing up in Keystone City to offer Wally some much needed advice and de-Spectre-ing.

2) Batman knows he’s a bit OC. Superman knows he’s a bit nerdy. Wonder Woman knows she’s a bit haughty. And they’re completely fine with that.

3) When Wonder Woman laughs, you have to laugh with her. Her laughs are always, *always* Drawn Wonderfully.

4) Sometimes new costumes are silly. Sometimes the characters understand that way too well. I point to Colossus in Whedon’s run of Astonishing X-Men as proof.

5) Now that I think about it, Joss Whedon.

6) And Gail Simone.

7) Let’s not forget Greg Rucka and Brad Meltzer while we’re at it.

8) Also, Mike Mignola, Brian K. Vaughan, Brian Michael Bendis, Grant Morrison, Sean McKeever, and Geoff Johns.

9) Beautiful, gorgeous art that Gets The Characters. I point to Jo Chen, in particular, and her amazing covers for Runaways.

10) Rebellious teenagers who are Role Models. We need more of those.

11) Catwoman knows how to use a whip. Wonder Woman knows how to use a sword. Big Barda knows how to use her mega-rod. There are less jokes about these things than one might expect.

12) Redemption is possible. Always.

13) Sometimes the villains aren’t exactly bad guys. This happens a lot in Keystone City.

14) Sometimes the villains are Incredibly Scary Bad Guys. This also happens a lot in Keystone City.

15) Comics make jumping across rooftops look hard *and* fun at the same time.

16) They also remind me that I don’t have Superpowers or Excellent Agility, so I should never try #15.

17) Speed Force! Speed Force! Speed Force!

18) When else do men and women look Very Sexy wearing tights and capes?

19) Once, Hawkeye killed people with his own fingernails.

20) The Passing of the Mantle, from Father to Son, from Mother to Daughter, from Person to Person, and all of these are Completely Acceptable.

21) In normal, everyday life, rich people are Awfully Boring. In superhero comic books, they use their wealth to fight crime and build nifty toys. Because honestly, how many Batplanes does a billionaire need, anyhow? Lots and lots, when he crashes them constantly!

22) Heroes learn from their mistakes.

23) Sometimes, the villains do, too (This also happens a lot in Keystone City).

24) Ninjas can bring anyone back from the dead, if they like you enough, or if someone pays them lots of money.

25) There are characters whose Superpower is Control Over Probability. There is also a man who absorbs matter. And a woman who is the Spirit Of Her Century. These are incredibly fascinating things.

26) Matt Murdock’s not necessarily a nice guy. And he knows this. And we love him anyways.

27) There are few people in the world who know all of Donna Troy’s various lives and incarnations without extensive cheat sheets.

28) Time travel is possible. So is the Speed Force. And most aliens want to help. Some even police the universe. There is no limit to Imagination.

29) Robin looks 12 when he’s in Batman’s book, and 17 in his own book and the Titans. Both of these are a matter of perception.

30) DC’s actually fixing Batman, and he’s no longer Quite So Broken.

31) And this is due, in Large Part, to Robin.

32) That is, *all* of the Robins. Including Stephanie.

33) Greg Rucka’s run on Wonder Woman has completely redefined the way I view the Amazon Princess, and that’s A Very Good Thing.

34) Black Canary is Chair of the JLA.

35) Power Girl is Chair of the JSA.

36) And Renee Montoya is The Question.

37) Kate Spencer (Manhunter) is perhaps the most realistic woman ever portrayed in a superhero comic.

38) Superheroes, despite the seemingly small fan base, are universally recognizable for what they are: Heroes.

39) Harley Quinn moved from the television show to the comic book, not vice versa. That’s the power of Good Writing.

40) No matter how Bad the Bad Guys are, the Nazis can be brought back and make any Superhero shake in her (stylish yet affordable) boots (gratitude, Buffy Summers), and rightly so.

41) Many, many superheroes have no Superpowers whatsoever outside of a little pluck, moxie, and determination. That, more than anything else, is Inspiring.

42) Molly Hayes beat up Wolverine and the Punisher. With her bare hands. And everyone knows it.

43) More often than not, the human Sidekicks are the only things keeping the Superheroes grounded. And inevitably, the Superheroes figure that out, and are incredibly grateful.

44) In the tradition of Great Literature, Superhero Comics have universal, timeless storylines with universal, timeless, relatable characters.

45) Actions have consequences. When they don’t? The unfairness of that is brought to light.

46) “Don’t forget the fiffdetuuu!” (gratitude, Legion) has become almost a battle-cry in The Reads Household.

47) Also, “Oh my God. You teach ethics?” (gratitude, Astonishing X-Men). Both of these things, and many, many others, are testaments to the truly Great Writing we’re seeing in the majority of comic books today.

48) Moral ambiguity marks fascinating storylines. Always.

49) Superheroes are only as strong as the people who love them.

50) Superheroes don’t fight only for truth, justice, and the American way. They fight because they’re needed. They fight because they must. They fight because they can.