Reviews in Brief, or, Amy Reads Begins Her "Comics Catch Up"

Another Very Productive Day, Gentle Reader! Much accomplished on both the Dissertation and the Teaching front, so I took some time to get caught up in comics. I confess that I went the DC Route First; the Most Constant of Readers might recall that in some parts of my Marvel Universe reading, Captain America is still alive. Thank goodness I am not nearly as behind in my DC reading: only a few issues in Catwoman and Birds of Prey, only one in All-Star Superman, but several in Teen Titans. After I leave you here, I think I shall revisit my New Avengers and begin working through the Marvel Universe there.

But This Humble Author assures you, behind does not mean uncaring. Rather, life has gotten the better of This Humble Author over the year, and as I plan to defend my dissertation sometime in the next month or two, I should attempt to finish it, no? Therefore I've had to shuffle my comics reading, just a bit.

But now, a few reviews, in extreme (!) brief.

All Star Superman #10
This is the best comic being written at the moment, and Friends, I do not even *like* the Superman. This issue is just extraordinary. I believe I have no words.

Birds of Prey #115 and #116
I confess, Gentle Reader, that I'm not quite enjoying Birds of Prey as of late. And I adore Sean McKeever, so perhaps it isn't just the loss of Gail Simone I am bemoaning. Rather, I think I miss Black Canary, and the solidity of the Birds themselves. I am enjoying the exploration of Misfit, however, and the addition of Black Alice was a Very Nice Touch. And it is Ever Enjoyable to see the fabulous Manhunter, who returns to us very shortly!

But my biggest--and loudest--complaint is in the spirit of Women in Refrigerators: why, o why do we constantly see our Female Superheroes mindwiped into sexual submission? I know that this is a Theme that affects Male Superheroes, as well, but mindwiping someone into sex or even sexual submission or affection is rape, no matter how it is devised. I would have liked to see some handling of the severity of this part of Zinda's life, both past and present, in this issue, but perhaps it is coming? The insightful and poetic Ms. Rachel Edidin informs us that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and includes links in her Inside Out column to her 2007 Sexual Assault Awareness columns. Let us thank her for directing us to this information, and to the safe space of the Girl Wonder forums. Gratitude, Ms. Edidin.

Catwoman #76 and #77
This is the most fun I've had with Catwoman since before the Crisis, and I applaud Will Pfeifer for it. Constant Readers know how much I abhor the removal of Helena from the Selina Kyle storyline--the same as I abhor the removal of Sin from the Dinah Lance storyline. Why can our superheroes be simultaneously fathers and heroes, but not mothers and heroes? Here, however, Mr. Pfeifer shows us the agony of losing Helena, and the damage it has wrought on Selina's psyche. Bonus: fun Cat-on-Cat fighting action.

Tiny Titans #1 and #2
Squee!!!!!!
*ahem*
That is to say, This Humble Author finds this comic Quite Delightful, and urges many of her Gentlest of Readers to explore the Utter Fun of this adorable read.

Now off to find out where Mr. Reads has stashed Green Arrow and Black Canary...

Monstrous Maternities?: A Brief Reflection on Recent Motherhood Events in DC Comics

Spoilers for recent events in the DC Universe, namely Catwoman, Birds of Prey, and the Black Canary/Green Arrow crossover events

For good or bad, known or not, we all have mothers, Gentle Reader. And Motherhood has been on my mind a lot over the past few weeks. A Dear Friend of the Reads Family is giving birth Any Moment Now—and sincerely, Friends, that is Any Possible Moment!—and when she is added to the Very Long List of Friends Reads who are recent mothers? This Humble Author looks at 95% of her Friends of the Double-X Chromosome Persuasion.

I, however, am not A Mother to a Human-Child. A Dog-Child, yes, as Pup Reads is Quite Loved. But Motherhood and Maternity as they appear in our literatures and popular cultures are fascinating subjects for me, and I find myself talking about them personally, professionally, while blogging, while reading comics, and for We Few, We Happy Few, We Fans Of Comics, we as of late have had a lot to read, Mother-Wise.

In the DC Universe alone, we have Hero and Villain alike: Catwoman, Manhunter, Black Canary, Hippolyta, Circe, all are mothers to children. Even farther and even faster (gratitude, Ms. Bishop) we have Mother Figures to Legacies, a Wonder Woman to a Wonder Girl, for example. Of these Heroes and Villains, two Mothers are more recent parents than others, and these two Mothers have now the both of them Lost Their Children. I speak, of course, of Catwoman and Black Canary.

Motherhood is a topic that This Humble Author finds herself returning to, again and again. Motherhood is an interesting storyline, certainly, as it adds Complication after Complication after Complication for Our Intrepid Heroines (and Villains). But these two recent mothers, Black Canary and Catwoman, both have had, in the very recent past, their children snatched away from them. Whether by “choice” (Catwoman) or “for her own good” (Black Canary)—and there is a world of hurt of the sexist variety in both, Gentle Reader!—these women have decided, or more likely, it has been decided for them, that Motherhood and Heroing Do Not Mix.

Parenting is *hard*, Gentle Reader, and This Humble Author can only imagine how difficult it is for someone who puts her life In Constant Danger, every day. Because we never see that In “Real Life,” no? Of course, police officers, firefighters, soldiers, teachers, cab drivers, stay-at-home parents, caterers, bakers, all of these and more have Quite Easy jobs that never Are Unsafe. Their lives, so easy to work around, their jobs, so simple and constantly safe.

Friends, is this not The Point? Is it not to say that Parenting is Hard, and that is why we have Interesting Storylines involving a Fighter for Justice and her Wee Child? Or, in Black Canary’s case, her child trained by Expert Assassins? Is this not why we see the “it takes a village” mentality for our superheroes, again and again? The Authority offered group parenting for Jenny Quantum, Batman can adopt children Willy-Nilly, the Amazons truly take the “it takes a village” mentality to heart with their children, but suddenly, it is Too Difficult for Selina Kyle or Dinah Lance to raise daughters, even with the help of dozens of friends and trusted colleagues?

Please do not think I am Belittling the Difficulties and Constant Constancy of Parenting, Gentle Reader, because I am not. I have not raised a human, nor have I tried to. I do not have children—although Pup Reads would Beg to Differ!—but we, as a society, have been having children, quite successfully, for thousands of years. Single parents, alternative families, traditional families, young and old alike all raise children successfully. Why is it suddenly so very difficult for the Chair of the Justice League of America? So difficult that the decision *must be made for her* that she Cannot raise her child On Her Own?

Yes, Gentle Reader. This Mild-Mannered and Rather-Humble Humble Author is a wee bit perturbed.

Yes, Friends, you may say that very thing.