Amy Reads the Backlog

Spring Break has finally (!) arrived, Gentle Reader, and We Reads find ourselves on the brink of a lovely visit to Nearby Town for some much-needed Away Time. This time will, of course, be defined by reading and writing of the personal variety, and not of the academic variety. No papers shall be graded, no classes shall be prepped, and while This Humble Author finds herself Quite Lucky to teach Fantastical and Wonderful Courses that allow her to begin class with phrases like, "Now, how is Wonder Woman written to fulfill gender stereotypes here, and how is Batman not?" or, "So the name of today's game is zombie contagion. Discuss," One does need a break even from the things one loves, no?

But that means that I have time, yes, finally have time to begin tackling the Extreme Backlog of Comics. Last night found me finishing Secret Invasion, and catching up on Wonder Woman and Secret Six both. As This Humble Author still needs to pack for said trip tomorrow, the reviews will be brief in the extreme. Rather, I will leave you with small imprints, impressions, if you will, Friends, with a promise of a more in-depth review of Wonder Woman later.

Brian Michael Bendis's Secret Invasion #1-8
What I liked:
1) I feel sorry for Tony Stark for the first time since Civil War, Friends, and that is a Very Odd Feeling Indeed.
2) To quote the ever-quotable Kitty Pryde (and in this instance, the ever-quotable Joss Whedon): "Yeahbutwha?" Norman Osborne?? Really??? How Utterly Fascinating!
3) The fact that the writers recognize Spider-Man's insecurity insomuch that he will meet himself, and mock himself. Again and again.
4) Secret Invasion has made me interested in Mar-vell, a character I have never found myself very interested in.
5) Jessica Jones.
That is, any time Jessica Jones Saves The Day, I will smile.

What I didn't:
1) Friends, this defines, truly, my privileging of DC over Marvel: the treatment of Wasp feels overwhelming, more so than the treatment of major female characters in DC. Not only is she tossed aside like so much garbage, she is beaten down, figuratively rather than literally this time, by her husband once again.
2) The entire run seemed to end in an overall theme of "hell hath no fury." This failed utterly in X-Men III, and I found it Rather Grating here, as well.
3) I would have liked to see the comic do more with Wolverine. He felt--dare I say it?--extraneous, which he never usually does.
4) Sue Storm felt even more extraneous, when she is, clearly, the strongest member of the Fantastic 4. I adore Sue Storm as much as I dislike Reed Richards, and she once again seemed to be discounted.
5) Why would anyone use Kate Bishop, Gentle Reader, and then forget she is around? Is there a more interesting or engaging Young Avenger?

Gail Simone's Wonder Woman #28-29
What I liked:
Friends, I almost cried when I saw the trinity of Wonder Women--Diana, Donna, and Cassie--all armored in their matching individuality. It is a beautiful scene, and one definitely marking the signature of Ms. Simone's style. No one, no one writes the team-up better than Ms. Simone.

The constant revelations, and the constant fact that they were overwhelmingly unexpected. From the surprise appearance of Steve Trevor, to the big reveal of Dr. Psycho, and the bigger reveal of Cheetah, it is No Accident that #29 ends with the complete shattering of Zeus's last dredges of sanity.

What I didn't:
I want more from Tom Tresser. Ms. Simone has made me like, no, *care* for this character despite my previous protestations. I would like to see him do more on-screen.

The loss of a Great God feels like the loss of a Dear Friend.

The pacing feels off a bit, almost rushed. It feels like these events are too big for the normal 22 pages. Or perhaps it feels as if the origins storyline at the end rushes the entire comic?

What I wonder:
Is that a pregnant Amazon at the end??

Gail Simone's Secret Six #2-7
What I liked:
1) The Last Victim. I believe all comics would benefit greatly from arrogant immortal banshee aristocrats, truly.
2) Deadshot, Deadshot, Deadshot.
3) Scandal's final scene.
4) The entirety of Bane. The. Entirety. Of. Bane.

What I didn't (short answer):
Nothing, except that Junior has caused nightmares (!!!), Gentle Reader.

What I didn't (long answer):
Nothing.

That is to say, my adoration of Mr. Rucka's and Ms. Simone's runs on Wonder Woman is no secret to This Humble Blog. I cannot imagine it is a secret from anyone, especially you, Most Constant of Readers. But as well as Greg Rucka writes the Outlaw, Gail Simone writes the Team. And I must admit, as much as I love Gail Simone on Wonder Woman, I *adore* her on Secret Six.

It fulfills the promise of Birds of Prey, the dysfunctional little family that tries to pretend it is, in fact, *not* a family. That it is just a random group of people thrown together by common interest. Co-workers, yes?

No.

It fulfills the promise of Gen-13, the dysfunctional little family that tries to pretend it is just a random group of people thrown together by age and background. Teenagers, yes?

No.

It fulfills the promise of Welcome to Tranquility, the dysfunctional larger family that tries to pretend it is just a random group of people thrown together by location and need. Neighbors, yes?

No.

The Team *is* the Family.

Here is the True Secret of this book, Gentle Reader: Gail Simone seems to experience nothing but Joy when writing this book, and that shines through in every conversation, every page.

Ciao!
This began as a simple "brief review" and turned into Something Monstrous, as anything I attempt to be "brief" eventually does. Ah well. I believe this is what reading comics after many months does to one, no?

And with this, I am off, Friends, to enjoy the rest of Spring Break. See you when the work week begins again.

Comics Backlog #4: Supergirl, Daredevil, and JLA

Well, it is official, Gentle Reader. JLA and Supergirl have bored me to tears. So much so that I am dropping both from my pull list as of now.

Daredevil, however, is Quite Extraordinary, and promises to become Even More Extraordinary(er?). That is right, Friends. Apparently my beloved comics writer Greg Rucka is joining the Daredevil cast, along with another beloved comics writer, Ed Brubaker.

Trying to plod through more of the backlog, and while I would like to give you more than these Reviews In Brief, I am afraid that I do not have anything at all particular to say about Supergirl (eh) and JLA (meh). As for Daredevil? All I can say is Fantastic.

I will probably start reading more Green Lantern tomorrow, Gentle Reader, so I promise to Keep You Updated!

As for now, I return to the backlog. On the docket: Teen Titans, Young Avengers, and the Umbrella Academy. An all-teen all-star lineup, it seems!

Comics Backlog #3: Green Lantern: Rebirth

For those Gentle Readers who are, specifically, Shelly, Ragnell, Kalinara, and Sally, I have Delved Deep into The Color Green: This Humble Author has read a Green Lantern Collection.

It is true, Friends. I have.

While I have No Special Love for the Green Lanterns, I have No Special Dislike of them, either. Rather, the GLs are a part of my Comics History into which I have never delved very deeply. What I do know of the GLs comes in referential form: in Supergirl, in JLA or JSA, in the cartoon JLU. As such, I am not really a fan of Hal Jordan or Guy Gardner. That is, of the Earth Green Lanterns, I am most interested in Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Alan Scott.

But, and here is the "but," Gentle Reader, I like the idea of a Green Lantern Corps. I want to know the Lanterns from other sectors, examine the alternative GLs. I adore Mogo, for example, and find the idea of a planet Green Lantern to be just about one of the Most Fascinating Plot Elements Ever. Because of this, Mr. Reads is about to put in my hands the Sinestro War, so that I may examine the history of the Rings Of Different Hues.

Here is what I did like about Green Lantern: Rebirth: the explanation of the yellow weakness, Kyle, Green Arrow's constant understanding and strength, Sinestro's arrogance, Kyle, the struggle between Fear and Willpower, Kyle, how the DC Universe joined together to save Hal, and Kyle.

Here is what I did not like about Green Lantern: Rebirth: I get Very, Very Grumpy when someone makes my Batman become a Bad Guy. And while Batman is not a Bad Guy per se, the art depicts him as villainous, creepy, and wrong.

While I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the stories around the major GLs. I am not, nor will I ever be, I think, a fan of Hal Jordan. But I could certainly enjoy stories that center on Kyle. I adored the fact that Kyle was the only GL safe from Parallax because Kyle is the only Lantern to Know Fear. Further, Kyle's artistic nature and how it becomes prominent in his use of the ring is Very Interesting Indeed.

Not a fan yet, Friends, but definitely more interested than before.

Slowly but Surely, Gentle Reader, I am plodding through the Immense Comics Backlog. I am almost caught up on Daredevil (almost a year behind!) and Teen Titans (only a few months behind), but I am still several issues behind on everything else. But next week my class begins the Comic Book I will be teaching, and that is enough to look forward to, no?

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...

A (Very!) Brief Thought on the "Worthiness" of Men

Regarding the Amazon Princess, of course, Gentle Reader. There has been Much Said this week and last regarding the latest issue of Gail Simone's run on Wonder Woman. This Humble Author herself has experienced many thoughts about it, including:
1) General Joy over Ms. Simone's writing
2) Definite Joy over the development of Amazonian rituals
3) Interest in the idea of the Amazon Princess courting a lover
4) Dissatisfaction with Nemesis as a love interest of the Amazon Princess

I have expressed my utter lack of understanding *why* I dislike Nemesis. I really do not know, Friends, and wish I had A Better Answer for you. But I recently commented to Kalinara of Pretty Fizzy Paradise fame on her recent Variations on a Theme column that I am very much a Bat/Amazon 'shipper.

Well, ultimately in my Heart of Hearts, I am a Bat/Cat 'shipper. I adore the pairing of Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Bruce Wayne/Batman because they work well together in both personas. Catwoman is good for Batman, and vice versa, and Selina is good for Bruce, and certainly vice versa.

But the majority of my Bat/Amazon 'shipper-ness results from the fantastic writing on the Justice League (Unlimited) cartoon. I'll admit, Gentle Reader, that the Batman and Wonder Woman sparking on that television show was, in a word This Humble Author blushes to say, sexy (!!!). They sparked, truly, and the writing was, so say we all, fantastic. I think it would be an interesting pairing in the comics, too.

That is, Batman and Wonder Woman/Princess Diana. Not Bruce Wayne and Wonder Woman/Princess Diana.

From all that I have read over the Past Several Years, the most clever writing on Batman has been the establishment that Bruce Wayne is the mask, and The Batman is the reality. Friends, I *adore* this distinction. I *adore* this differentiation between the person (Batman) and the mask (Bruce Wayne). And while Batman has many, many problems, for better or for worse, I adore him. Or, as I said, accompanied by the literary stylings of my Poet-Husband, I adore his batarang, his gobbledygoo.

I think, with all of his problems, Batman and *not* Bruce Wayne would be an interesting romantic companion for the Amazon Princess. Although one cannot come without the other, certainly, it would be an interesting journey, no?

Now of course, Gentle Reader, Gail Simone can make me like Just About Anything; I suspect that even my Most Despised, Most Reviled Reed Richards, in her Very Capable Hands, would become an interesting and enjoyable character for me. (Greg Rucka, too, has my complete trust, as do Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, and Brian K. Vaughan. For those Gentle Readers perhaps not the Most Constant of Arrogant Self-Reliance, a brief commentary: these names round out my top five Most Favorite *and* Most Trusted Comic Writers.) So while I do not doubt for a moment that I will come to if not enjoy then at least appreciate the character Nemesis, and while I know For A Fact that I will enjoy the *journey* undertaken by these two lovers, I think, too, that despite Previous JLA Failures at relationships, Wonder Woman and Batman *might* be an interesting idea with the right writers.

The Woman Beneath the Wonder: A Brief Review of Wonder Woman #18

It is not often, Gentle Reader, that I both Love and Hate something at the same time. I am, if I may be so bold as to say, a Woman of Strong Emotions. I am in a job that I love, and how could I not? This Humble Author reads books for a living, and writes about them, and discusses them. In my spare time, those ten to fifteen seconds a day I can Call My Own, I aspire to Write Books, albeit Rather Poorly, if the Large Stack of Rejection Letters is Any Proof of my Ability to write a Marketable Novel. But when I love, I love deeply, and when I decidedly do not love, I do that deeply as well.

I expect that Constant Readers of This Humble Blog are shocked, absolutely shocked to see the word Hate in the same Blog Post as Gail Simone’s name. Wait, Friends. Let me explain. We are all Well Aware that This Humble Author thinks Ms. Simone can Do No Wrong. Even in her titles that I am not reading—All New Atom, for example—I never doubt her talent. But Ms. Simone has presented This Humble Author with a conundrum in issue #18 of Wonder Woman: she has given me a scene I love with a character and storyline that I hate.

I do not like Tom Tresser.

At all.

It is solely courtesy of Ms. Simone’s talents that I deign to tolerate him, in that she offers sneaks and peeks into his character that make him consumable by me, even just for a moment. A few issues back, she even made him somewhat charming, a near-impossible feat for This Humble Author. I do not like him, and frankly, I cannot determine why. Part of it is, I think, due to my Absolute Adoration of the Amazon Princess. She is my idol, the Super Hero Young Amy Reads aspired to be. I cannot imagine the Future Queen of Themyscira dating someone so very twenty-first century as Special Agent Tresser.

But.

But, Ms. Simone offers perhaps one of the most beautiful glimpses into Themysciran culture in the first pages of issue #18: a courting ritual, explained to and accepted by Tom Tresser before he even begins to comprehend what the Amazon Princess is offering him. He is offered both Beauty and Pain, Fear and Hope, boiled down into so many nectarine pits and thorns and colorful ribbons. It is the ritual that is important; he is to be courted, Diana tells him, “In the manner of [her] people.”

Tom comprehends the import of Diana’s language a few pages later, and notes, “But all your people are of the female persuasion...!” To which Diana responds, “Aren’t you the observant one?”

The Hate, Gentle Reader, is the, in This Humble Author’s opinion, Unworthy Object of the Amazon Princess’s affections.

The Love, Gentle Reader, is in the quiet dignity of the ritual in this scene.

This quiet dignity is not necessarily a dominant trait of Ms. Simone’s run on Wonder Woman as of yet. Not that Ms. Simone is incapable of writing Wonder Woman, the character, with quiet dignity. Nor is This Humble Author stating that Ms. Simone is incapable of writing quiet dignity. Rather, we see glimpses of this throughout her work. The first issues of both Welcome to Tranquility and Gen-13 offer this rare tone for the author, as do the more intimate moments in Birds of Prey. In This Humble Author's opinion, there is nothing, absolutely nothing Ms. Simone does better than the team-up. She is a master of the team-up, in that she offers a wide range of characters and tones and ideas without ever losing the depth of each individual character. There is the quiet dignity, the snarky irony, the comic relief, the gentle persuasion. But these softer moments come through more in her characters than in her writing. She is a weaver of many personalities and storylines and ideas; to see her, then, weave together all of the same in Wonder Woman, and to Weave Well, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Further, to see this moment, to experience such a soft scene from a character who will just a few pages later defeat scores of warriors, to see the Woman beneath the Wonder, is to see the fulfillment of those glimpses here and there: the introduction of the characters in Gen-13 #1, the slow destruction of Maximum Man as evidenced in Welcome to Tranquility #1, Wonder Woman’s love of cake in Wonder Woman #14, all of these small moments have led to this one: the hushed revelation not only of Wonder Woman’s heart, her future, but also of Wonder Woman’s broken heart, her past.

I despise Tom Tresser. Gentle Reader, I find him Completely and Utterly Unworthy of Diana. But the depiction of Diana’s nervousness, her presentation not of other’s ideas of courtship but rather of her own people’s, gives us a Diana we haven’t seen in Some Time. I welcome more of her, and I find myself surprised to say that I do, even if it means the courtship and dating (!!!) of Nemesis.

A Very (Very Very!) Brief Review of Wonder Woman #17

Time is short, Gentle Reader, and I've Much To Do today. There is grading, and reading, and writing, yes, always writing on The Dissertation. But I finally (!!!) read Wonder Woman #17 while I finished my coffee this morning, and just wanted to express my joy over Gail Simone's fantastic first story arc. Perhaps it is best summarized as an early Hollywood action flick trailer, no?

Holiday Girls! Children made of clay! Amazonian vendettas! Weapons from the gods! Birthday cake! All color! All talking! No singing! Some dancing, but more of the fighting kind! Diana proves herself again and again! A story for the ages, as it encompasses all ages of the Amazon Princess!

I promise a longer and more respectable review later, Friends, but for now, just gushing admiration, lots of exclamation marks (!!!), and as always, This Humble Author's Humble Plea to DC Comics to allow Ms. Simone to write Wonder Woman as long as she wants.

Alas, and Anon: Y the Last Man, the Last Jester, the Last Issue

Amy Reads the Week (of February 10th, 2008)

I knew it well, Gentle Reader, could point to Just The Precise Moment in which I First Discovered one of the greatest comic books of all time: Brian K. Vaughan’s and Pia Guerra’s Y the Last Man. But I could go Further Back, if I so desired, looking far into My Past to see the bits and pieces that led up to my great enjoyment of this title.

Mary Shelley is one of This Humble Author’s favorite writers, and while Frankenstein is an amazing book, so, too, is her 1826 novel The Last Man. The novel is part-apocalypse, part roman a clef, part elegy for those Romantics who went before her: Byron, Shelley, her children, the ideals behind which Wordsworth stood, and then Wordsworth recanted. The Last Man is more elegiac than it should be, perhaps, because the inklings of the Vast Social Changes to be wrought by the Victorians already, in 1826, in sight.

Even farther and even faster, zombie movies watched too-young and too-impressionable, nuclear attack drills that urged Young Amy Reads to Duck And Cover, and even post-breakup, post-heartache Amy Reads wishing every member of the Male Persuasion off the face of the earth.

Dramatic? Most certainly. Warranted? Definitely not. Fulfilled in fiction? Interestingly, thanks to Mr. Vaughan and Ms. Guerra.

But responsible, too, is just the simple preview I viewed of Y the Last Man, and the urging of some Rather Intelligent Young Women of my acquaintance who read more comics than This Humble Author could ever pretend to read. These Intelligent Young Women pressured, coerced, nagged, and ultimately gave me the completed first issue of Y that I had seen in preview months before.

Reader, I married him.

That is to say, I fell in love with this complex little book that while one may question the preciousness of the siblings’ names, Hero and Yorick, there is in fact no preciousness, no pretension, and while there is, yes, Symbolism, it is not Heavy-Handed for all of that.

Mr. Reads and I just had the Unfortunate Occurrence to watch part of the new movie Across the Universe. My apologies to those Gentlest of Readers who enjoyed this film, but I must admit that Mr. Reads and I found the movie’s entire misunderstanding of Symbol and Metaphor to be an absolute travesty of writing. I will not ruin it for you in case you are desirous of viewing; suffice to say that when one’s head aches from the Rather Large Metaphorical Bat Of Metaphor being thumped repeatedly over one’s delicate head, one begins to be just a Tad Frustrated.

But Y—subtle, cunning, sly, smart, sad, pathetic, vicious, cruel, intelligent, metaphorical, symbolic, and resonating little Y—is a title that understands vision, plotting, character, and wish-fulfillment. Y the Last Issue only fulfills the promise set forth by the 59 issues prior.

Several times this title has brought me to tears, but it is not until the last issue that This Humble Author—yes, even I, Gentle Reader!—found herself mouthing obscenities in Mr. Vaughan’s direction. I did not cry, Friends; I wept. The loss, the rebirth, the discovery, the anguish, the guilt and questioning and triumph and despair of this issue just brought to mind How Books Should Be. This is what A Smart Comic looks like. This is a hero that one can love, and hate, as one always should love and hate one’s heroes.

Or, as Father Reads might say, if Father Reads were comic-book-inclined, this is a comic book for generations.

Alas, indeed, Gentle Reader. Where be his jibes now, you ask? His gambols? His songs and flashes of merriment?

They have gone, escaped into the air, because escape is what Yorick always did best.

Mid-Week Musings #1 (Sarah Connor Chronicles, That "Wonder Woman Thing," etc.)

I don't dare declare (say that ten times fast, Gentle Reader!) that I am beginning a Mid-Week Column—heaven forbid such a commitment, during such a time in my academic life!—but one of my New Year's Resolutions was a deeper commitment to blogging, an activity I Adore and have, unfortunately, let fall by the wayside. Not for lack of love for you, Constant Readers! Oh, No! Rather, I have been Quite Busy, and the Fall Semester was Rather Brutal with its slings, arrows, quests, and trials.

But now a New Year Dawns, and here I am, ready, and eager, to regal you with my opinions-—humble though they might be!-—and ideas. I envision this column—-o, how I hesitate to call it such! rather, this ongoing attempt at semi-regular postings falling roughly somewhere between Tuesdays and Thursdays-—as a brief foray into thoughts regarding My Pop Cultures.

Also, this post marks Arrogant Self-Reliance's 100th blog post at the new address. A celebratory number, yes? Then let us celebrate, Friends, my uncanny ability to speak, ad nauseam, about subjects Near and Dear to my heart--and also, my uncanny ability to enjoy The Sound Of My Own Voice, whether verbal, cyber, or otherwise.

Away then?

1) The Sarah Connor Chronicles – this television show is everything I had hoped for with The Bionic Woman, which failed, utterly, to succeed. The Sarah Connor Chronicles is smart, fun, well-written, well-plotted, and very, very enjoyable. Bonus: Summer Glau.

2) Juno – Lovely, referential (as in, full of smart references for the People of My Humble Generation—-"Thundercats are go!") and just plain witty. It's not often I can call something witty and mean it.

3) Wonder Woman Controversy – Yes, Wonder Woman's creator enjoyed alternative approaches to the fulfillment of the so-called "baser desires." Yes, Wonder Woman was, herself, somewhat influenced by said approaches. Does that mean that the Wonder Woman iconography should be used to sell nothing but sex? Further, how does The Young Lady In Question offer anything that necessitates such a Grandiose Comparison?

4) The Spice Girls – are reuniting, and Portishead has not released a new album in years? My musical faith is crumbling, Gentle Reader. Crumbling.

5) The New Frontier – The Reads Household has pre-ordered DC's DVD of the wonderful novel, The New Frontier, and we are giddy, yes, giddy in anticipation of such a fantastic adventure in animation.

Why Are Married People Just Not Interesting?: Some Thoughts on the Parker-Watson Controversy

An "Amy Reads the Week" Special Edition!

As many of you know by now, Gentle Reader, I am married, these three years, to the intrepid Mr. Reads, himself a long-time comic book reader and fan. In fact, our shared love of comic books and All Things Geek—sci fi novels, zombie movies, Buffy, once-obscure bands we-knew-when—is what sparked our romance, those many years ago. And as Constant Readers of This Humble Blog are likely to remember, This Humble Author is, tried and true, A DC Girl. All things DC, but mostly of the Amazonian variety—and the Batman variety, and the Super-School, and Teen Titans (Go!), etc. etc. ad nauseam.

But what You, Dear Friends, may not remember is that Mr. Reads is Quite The Spidey Fan. That is to say, The Amazon Princess is to Amy Reads as Your Friendly Neighborhood Web-Slinger is to Mr. Reads. As I salivate for Diana Prince storylines, so, too, does Mr. Reads for Peter Parker. As I anticipate excellent writers on board Tales From Themyscira—give me your Ruckas, your Simones—so, too, does Mr. Reads anticipate excellent writers for Books From The Big Apple—your Bendises, your McKeevers.

And while yes, some people believe that the Marriage State is the antithesis of An Interesting Life—a life of comfort and “sameness” and perhaps predictability—I would disagree. Perhaps it is because I find Mr. Reads infinitely more fascinating now than I did ten years ago, when we first met. Perhaps—just perhaps, Gentle Reader!—it is because he has grown up in those intervening ten years, and I have had The Privilege of growing with him.

Edit: For those Constant Readers who are, perhaps, not Constant Comic Book Readers, the Editors at Marvel Comics have just (!) dissolved the marriage between Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Mary Jane. Read more here.

Not unlike fandom, no? Not unlike my twenty some-odd years of fandom for Wonder Woman, or Mr. Reads’s twenty some-odd years of fandom for Spider-Man. We have had The Privilege of watching Our Beloved Characters grow up in these intervening twenty years—even farther and even faster, these thirty, forty, fifty, seventy years of existence. And frankly, we have had The Privilege of growing with them.

Now while Mr. Reads is Quite the Fanboy for All Things Spidey, All The Time, I must regretfully decline fandom of the same. Oh, certainly, I enjoy the Spider-Man, but I am not A Rabid Fangirl for him. Rather, my interest in Spider-Man stems, almost solely, from enjoying something that Mr. Reads himself enjoys so much. He says the same of his burgeoning interest in Wonder Woman. As I am and always have been a DC Girl, Mr. Reads is a Marvel Boy. He knows all incarnations of Spidey villains, their real names, their aliases, their strengths and weaknesses. His wealth of knowledge of All Things Spidey is somewhat daunting, admittedly, but perhaps because This Humble Author must then admit that it is due to Mr. Reads’s now thirty-plus years of Spidey fandom.

And while This Humble Author cannot claim the same for herself, she can, however, point to two of the best stories she has read in the Comic Book Universe: Jim Butcher’s novel Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours, and Sean McKeever’s Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane series. The McKeever is, perhaps, a given. It is a smart, fun, well-illustrated series that touches on the birth of the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. McKeever is a fantastically successful young adult writer. That is, Mr. McKeever is a fantastically successful writer of young adults. He portrays teenagers in a way that I remember not only as a former teenager, but also as a former teacher of teenagers. They are realistic, and charming, and the tiniest bit frightening.

But Mr. Butcher’s novel might seem a strange choice, particularly coming from a comic book fan. What This Humble Author enjoys about comic books could fill many more pages than This Humble Entry would warrant, but no small part of this is because comic books are the ultimate marriage of image-and-text. I am perhaps The World’s Worst Artist—many aborted attempts at art in my younger days lie as testament to this fact—and because of my rather horrifying non-talent in the artistic world, I find myself Rather Interested in Art, in general. I collect artists, one could say, in that the Brother-Reads-In-Law and the Best-Friend-Reads are artists, both, and Rather Free with the fruits of their labours. Chez Reads is peppered with such artistic endeavours, and it is Rather Lovely to say the least.

A novel of a comic book hero, then, severs that dependency on art, and forces the story to prose form. I am Quite the Fan of Mr. Butcher’s Harry Dresden series, and find him a wonderful writer. And he approaches an older Peter Parker, a married, employed as a high school science teacher Peter Parker, and he gives us a wonderful tale.

An interesting tale, one in which Mary Jane Parker is integral—yes, Friends, integral--to the story. An interesting tale that is in No Small Part dependent on the marriage of Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker to carry the storyline. And, wonder of wonders—at least, it stands to reason, wondrous to Marvel’s editorial staff—it is fantastic.

A few months back when Marvel first announced its plan to sever the marriage between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, I asked Mr. Reads how he felt about a new single Spider-Man. “Unhappy,” he said.

Unhappy. A fan with purchasing power, a rabid fan some twenty- to thirty-odd years in the making, unhappy. Because Peter Parker is more interesting with Mary Jane than without her. Because Peter Parker, married and happy, puts more at stake than Peter Parker, single and looking. Because Peter Parker proves that nice guys do not Finish Last, and that smart complex people Do Find Love, and that super-heroes have lives that require some finesse to write.

Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are infinitely more interesting together, with a child, than separately. Even farther and even faster on the Avengers front, Young or Otherwise, Teddy Altman (Hulkling) and Billy Kaplan (Wiccan) are more interesting, together, than separately. Superman is never Quite as Fascinating as he is with Lois Lane, and who doesn’t love the idea of Bruce Wayne, adopted father to Tim Drake? Super-heroes have ties, be those Marriage, Relationship, Parental, or otherwise, and those ties, the humanity beneath the mask, make the super-hero worth reading.

Gentle Reader, I say these things not only as a fan of Mary Jane Watson (which I am), and not only as a wife of a Spider-Man fan (which I am). I say these things as a Fan Of Good Stories. And with this decision, I fear that Spider-Man has just become a Rather Uninteresting Story Indeed. I say this as a Fan Of Good Stories who has enjoyed Spider-Man tales that involve Spider-Man and Mary Jane, particularly a tale involving a married, settled Spider-Man. That is the Spider-Man who fascinates me. That is the Spider-Man I want to know.

Spider-Man was ever the Super-Hero of the People: not a rich playboy like Bruce Wayne or an alien from Krypton like Kal-El, but a kid from New York who threw on a suit to help people because his uncle taught him so. Because Aunt May needed money for the mortgage. Because he wanted to impress a girl. He was the science geek who read books and got picked on by the non-geeks. And in the end, he fell in love and married his best friend who accepted him for who he was.

What’s not to love in a tale like that?

Amy Reads the Week (of November 18th, 2007)

I have just—just, Gentle Reader!—finished preparing the Reads Turkey for the Reads Early Thanksgiving Extravaganza. That is to say, the Parents Reads have dropped by for an Early Thanksgiving before they drive to Another State to spend Thanksgiving Proper with their Young Godchild, whom they have not seen since the beginning of the year. We are having Quite the Thanksgiving Feast, as We Reads, despite blips and bleeps and Rather Annoying Rejection Letters and Health Issues and Chocolate Cravings and Comic Book Frustrations, have much to be Thankful For in 2007.

But part of the visit from Parents Reads is due to the fact that We Reads—the younger generation—cannot spare the few days of traveling to Head Home for the Holidays. Thanksgiving Break is a rather difficult time, travel-wise, for those in school or academia. Mr. Reads and I both have Many Papers to grade, and I do have That Pesky Chapter to get done. Given that school runs Up Until Wednesday, we had no time, truly, for travel.

But staying here means that We Reads also get to do things around the time spent on grading and dissertations. Reading Comics, for example, and finally—finally!—watching Lone Wolf and Cub with real attention, as My Dear Friend Mr. Fanboy loaned it to me many months ago, and This Humble Author has other delights to send to him, in addition to his kind loan of a DVD. (I do feel as if announcing it So Publicly will assure My Dear Friend that I have not forgotten him!). Mr. Reads, on the other hand, will spend the majority of his break playing Doom, Bioshock, and all the games for the Wii we have bought but have not opened. And there will be more turkey on Thanksgiving Proper, and, I dare say, many, many servings of leftovers.

But I have decided, declared, really, that Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, will be spent in the pursuit of nothing else but Turkey and Fun. Mr. Reads and I will stockpile episodes of Jericho and finish the season that day. Also, I will read some DC Elseworlds, and more New X-Men (also in anticipation of something in conjunction with My Dear Friend Mr. Fanboy!), and otherwise, spend a Fine Day on Couch Reads.

Any good plans for the upcoming American holiday, Friends?

The Inheritance of Same-and-Other, Human-and-Amazon: A Brief Review of Wonder Woman #14

I believe that I have admitted, rather shyly and in hushed, confessional tones, that I was a rather chubby, bookish girl-child, and Gentle Reader, that meant I read. A lot. Sports were not my forte, and never did the graceful art of dancing meet with such a travesty of clay feet as This Humble Author's. When in patterns and puzzles, Math and I were Great Friends; I found myself exceptionally fond of Algebra. When in grander, spatial, conceptual terms, like Advanced Math, or Geometry, or, Heaven Forbid, Calculus, I was lost In The Woods, stumbling around without compass, direction, or purpose. I was a Great Appreciator of Art, and still am; the Brother-Reads-in-Law and the Best Friend Reads are artists both, and the Reads Household is peppered with their works. But I cannot put straight line to paper, or color in the lines, or swirl abstract imaginative paint around a canvas. Too spatial, perhaps? Or it is just Beyond Me.

But oh, Gentle Reader, in literature, and history? This Humble Author found her niche. Books were my passion; the Parents Reads would reward my good academic behavior with trips to the local bookstore. I bought and read everything: children's lit, young adult, adult (Stephen King was read way too young, perhaps, but loved all the same), horror, fantasy, sci fi, history, mythology. When the Parents Reads remodeled the Reads Family Home some twenty-odd years ago, Young Amy Reads found herself displaced from her bedroom and lived, for some months, in the front room. I remember playing Mount Olympus, with all of my stuffed animals and Jem and the Hologram dolls and He-Man action figures standing in for Hephaestus, or Zeus, or My Beloved Athena. Was it any Wonder that This Humble Author's much younger self was entranced with the idea of an Amazon Princess, gifted with power from the gods themselves?

Wonder Woman is a character steeped in mythology; there would be no Wonder, no Woman, without the Greek gods. Without Themyscira, there would be no Amazons, no mysterious island of warrior women, alien, separate, Othered. There is tradition, and protocol, and cultural expectations. But further, Wonder Woman is a character steeped in history. She is the result of the first wave of the Suffrage Movement. Our Grandmother (Proto-) Feminists fought long and hard for a Vote, and a Voice, and Wonder Woman is the product of that. She fought for our rights in those satin tights in the seventies, but even before, she fought for Women. She was a Powerhouse among Powerhouses. Now, one of the Big Three, she still to this day is Stronger than Superman. As he has three weaknesses (kryptonite, magic, red suns), she has none. As he is the dichotomy, Man and Superman, she is Princess Diana, The Wonder Woman.

Constant Readers of This Humble Blog know well that I loved Greg Rucka's run on Wonder Woman. He brought the Otherness to the forefront. He showed us the strangeness of an Amazon Out Of Place. Not the strangeness of a Woman Warrior in the World of Men, but rather the strangeness of someone ruled by principle, tradition, and moral absolutes in a world of ambiguity. There is no gray in the world of the Grey-Eyed One's Champion. Even with Athena's eyes, Wonder Woman fights her battles the way she understands him.

Post-Crisis, through Mr. Heinberg's, Mr. Pfeifer's, and Ms. Picoult's runs on Wonder Woman, we saw the fumbling of connections. That is not to say that This or That Writer wrote Better or Worse than the other; rather, the difficulty of trying to connect such varied storylines in such short amounts of time wrought its tragedy upon the continuity of The Amazon Princess. Further, Amazons Attack demonstrated the difficulty of trying to manage multiple levels of storylines through the one figure of Wonder Woman. Neither One Thing or The Other, she was forced to be Both, and More. Diana was forced to be Human and Amazon, Same and Different, Us and Not-Us. But never consistently, and never with any true purpose.

Wonder Woman #14 brings a new writer to the fold, and Ms. Gail Simone takes her many and considerable talents to the Amazon Princess. But further, and most importantly, Ms. Simone brings her Understanding of the Amazon Princess to her run on Wonder Woman. That Understanding depends on the Same-and-Other construction of Princess Diana, certainly, but also it depends on the inheritance, the tradition, the ideas, and yes, even What Has Come Before, whether three or thirty issues ago.

We begin with a scene on Themyscira, Hippolyta running across the earth, sandaled feet flying over grass, eyes squinting against the sun and purpose, and the words, "It was more like birth itself. An act of DESTRUCTION, as well as CREATION." This thing-we-do-not-yet-know understands the Manichean dichotomy. One cannot have Creation without Destruction, just as one cannot have the Same without the Other. One cannot have new Agent Diana Prince without Amazon Princess Diana. One cannot have the New without the Tradition.

And we see New-and-Tradition in the pages that follow, images of Diana fighting Grodd's army, who challenge her to see if they are strong enough to defeat Superman. Diana, a warrior, is honored by the comparison. She knows their purpose, and she knows the dangers that can be wrought by discontent. When in battle she narrates that "their anger makes them mine," she separates herself, so distinctly, from emotion. It was not an angry or emotional Diana that killed Maxwell Lord; rather, it was the gods' Champion. It was the Royal Princess, performing an act herself because she would take the consequences on her own.

She does not defeat Grodd's army, but rather establishes dominance over them, because they are "Creatures of ritual, well used to a social hierarchy," and she is, above all else, a Princess. It is not that Diana is willing to use her royal status; it is that she is her royal status. It's why she "prefer[s] never to use Batman's methods." His way is violent simplicity; hers is ritualistic complication.

But what Ms. Simone brings to Wonder Woman is something precious that has been missing from its pages for Quite Some Time, even in Mr. Rucka's run. While I believe Mr. Rucka to be A Talented Writer, he is not, however, a humorous one. Gail Simone brings a much-needed sense of wit and fancy to these pages, and not only are all the characters charming and witty, they're likeable, as well. Even Nemesis, to whom This Humble Author never warmed, finally demonstrates why he might be an appropriate love interest for a Superhero who has had so few. Or, as one of Grodd's army states, "They will mate soon, if they haven't already," to which another responds, "Their movement and scent confirm it."

A sense of whimsy, of enjoyment, and this is a Diana that is likeable, too. Despite my love for her, something bred over close to thirty years, Wonder Woman is not the Superhero I would like to be, say, BFF with. Selina Kyle is someone with whom you could go dancing, and Black Canary someone to call when in trouble. But Wonder Woman, even in her Holiday Girls days, seemed a bit separate from me. Perhaps because she was such a grownup when I was a child, and even when I was an adult, she, the Ambassador, was too Royal and Proper for me. That is not to say I didn't want to be her, because I did. But never once did I imagine that we would be friends.

But this Diana, who is trying to "learn their rituals as more than an uncommitted observer," despite the fact that "it is a strange culture that outlaws the hug," enjoys surprise birthday parties, and cake. This is a Diana who will meet with a character that This Humble Author is thrilled, Absolutely Thrilled, to see grace these pages again. I will not ruin the surprise for you, Gentle Reader, but let me just say that it is worth it, after all, to have waited So Long for this reboot to finally—finally!—start.

Mr. Reads and I discussed once the best villain for Wonder Woman, and we both agreed: this was a Superhero made to Defeat Nazis. And Ms. Simone delivers, gives us not only Nazis but Super-Nazis. This will be a battle for both Diana Prince and Wonder Woman. This will be a villain we can hate, so very cheerfully, individually or as a collective.

There are other delights Here and There, too, and this feels like the beginning of what will prove to be a sensational run for the Amazon Princess. In This Humble Author's Humble Opinion, this is some of the best comic writing we've seen in the DC Universe since One Year Later Began, over One Year Ago. This is what Wonder Woman should be like, and I, for one, am glad that I held on, so very patiently, that I laid down my $3 a month for the past year to prove to DC that Wonder Woman is a title that deserves a dedicated writer once again.

This is a Wonder Woman that is the Inheritance of Themyscira and Our Earth. This is our Sister Suffragette, our Beloved Amazon, our Woman Warrior who is the Hope and Savior of Her People. She is Same-and-Other, Human-and-Amazon, Diana-Prince-and-Princess-Diana. Ms. Simone has taken What Has Come Before and has made it into something Quite Spectacular indeed.

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.

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl (Wonder)!: A Reflection on Recent and Forthcoming Wonder Woman Comics

An expanded “Amy Reads the Week” column for October 21^st, 2007

Mr. Reads and I live in Quite the Small College Town, so that means, Gentle Reader, that there are only three ways home: Major Highway, Minor Road off of Major Road, and Even More Minor Road off of Major Road. I am, by nature, by choice, and occasionally—just occasionally, Gentle Reader!—by compulsion, a Creature of Habit. That is to say, often, I find myself taking the same route home, or to school, or to the store, because it is the most familiar route. It is no surprise, then, that by now, almost two years in the same house, that I know every bump, every pothole, every stop sign on these routes.

But lately, I have found myself traveling down Even More Minor Road because there is a house by which I am particularly intrigued, about halfway home. Not the house, necessarily, but rather, the cascade of green vines and blue flowers spilling over and along the fence of Said House. Perhaps it is my intrinsic love of All Things Colorful In Nature that makes me take this route home again and again. I find Bright Color in Nature absolutely fascinating, and not a little bit awe-inspiring. Despite my Rather Somber Attire—This Humble Author finds her wardrobe comprised mostly of various hues of blacks and grays—I do have an uncanny attraction to the Bright and Colorful. Splashed in with my blacks and grays are bright reds (my favorite color), ice blues, and brilliant purples. My decorating tastes are even more Victorian-eclectic: sleek modern obsessions with old cherry woods mixed in, a kitchen filled with bright red plates and accessories, a living room done in muted shades of sage and bright accents of maroon and purple and gold.

Or perhaps—just perhaps, Gentle Reader!—I take this route home because it is a Stolen Moment. There is something Rather Magical about these flowers. Late October in The South is a beautiful time. Leaves do change; flowers still bloom; peppers do ripen. These flowers represent possibility, and despite the fact that I Know Better, these flowers feel, to This Humble Author, at least, as if they are blooming just to make me smile.

A rather long Prologue to introduce the following three things:

1) I have had more than a few Stolen Moments this week, and that enabled me to read current comics.

2) Preparing for next semester has caused me to read old graphic novels.

3) The next Wonder Woman will be written by Ms. Gail Simone Herself.

Strangely, these are all connected.

As Constant Readers of Arrogant Self-Reliance know, such Stolen Moments have as of late been few and far between for This Humble Author. That is to say, between the Personal and the Professional, my life has been—how shall I put it?—Rather Overwhelming. Mr. Reads and I have managed to stay on top of our television watching, but just barely (I only need point to the two episodes of Torchwood, and recent episodes of Journeyman and Pushing Daisies that remain unwatched on our DVR to prove this point). I have managed to stay abreast of Comic News by reading My Brother and Sister Bloggers, but just barely. I have managed to keep my head above water in All Things, but just barely. Add in an upcoming visit from Parents Reads and everything has turned Rather Murky, at that.

But I have Stolen a few precious Moments, and in those moments, I have read Those Comics most important to me, with Wonder Woman at the top of the list. Wonder Woman #13 and The Annual both ask the same question as a natural setup for Ms. Simone’s impending run: Who Is Wonder Woman?

Gentle Reader, why must we ask this question? Is it because due to Passing from One Writer to the Next, Wonder Woman the Comic changed, so irrevocably and completely, in the One Year Later Crisis? Or did killing Maxwell Lord force the moment to its crisis (gratitude, Mr. Prufrock)? The Amazon Princess herself answers one version of this question in The Annual when she reminds Circe of her origins: “But I’m not even a real person,” Diana tells her. “I’m a Golem. A clay statue brought to life” (The Annual).

How strange that it is Circe who reminds Diana that loneliness and isolation, these feelings of insecurity, of fear after seeing the Eternal Footman hold our coat and snicker (again, gratitude, Mr. Prufrock) are the defining characteristics and great equalizers of Humanity. And even stranger, a second support by an equally surprising source: The Batman. Circe and Batman, two characters rooted deep in humanity, but never apparent until the situation explodes.

Loneliness is a defining characteristic of humanity, Circe tells Diana, and then points to the arrival of other superheroes to demonstrate how far from “alone” The Amazon Princess really is. Loneliness is a defining characteristic of humanity, as is love. Who better to remind Diana of the love she has from friend (and foe) alike than The Batman? Forged in love, existing in loneliness, desperately forming family after family after family, but loving and loved alike, The Batman speaks to the idea of identity formation, of the need for family and friends. He and Diana understand each other. More importantly, he understands Diana, because they are so very much alike.

It is this approval, this support, this identity-building from The Batman that seems the essential part of this chapter in Wonder Woman’s life. Batman, who turned from her so completely after the murder of Maxwell Lord. Batman, who helped her form her secret identity—who helped Diana Prince come to life—now helps her understand it. Batman, in forgiving Diana, forgives himself.

In the end, The Annual is the classic story: “[…] the servant of the gods sent to teach mankind” has “learned to be human, instead” (The Annual). Wonder Woman is the Outsider, the Other, who both teaches and learns. And in the lessons she learns lie the import of her role here on Earth.

I am Rather Ashamed to admit the following, Gentle Reader, but I have never read The Watchmen. Tragic, I know, and Quite Worthy of the Revoking of my Comic Fan Card. But my Reading Relationship with Mr. Moore is Rather Complex, at best, and Rather Shaky, at worst, for reasons Rather Inarticulate, in all fairness. But like in Wonder Woman, in Rorschach we see the Outsider’s ability to read the Inside; or, we see how the Other is a reflection of Society.

I’ve not gotten that far into The Watchmen yet, so I’m not sure that my Comparison of Rorschach and Wonder Woman (and thus of Batman, too) as The Outsider as Reflection works completely, but this idea of the Other, the Outsider, is one that appears in comics again and again, and one I’ve discussed on this blog again and again. Wonder Woman, Othered in so many senses as a Woman, a Woman made of Clay, an Amazon, a Strong Woman, a Physically Strong Woman sent to Man’s World could work as a Symbol of Women’s Struggles on just one of those levels. When written well, she functions as a Symbol on all.

It seems no Wonder (!!!), then, that Wonder Woman has been taken as a symbol of the second- and third-wave feminist movements. She means so much to My Big Sister Feminists’ Generation as a representation of Women’s Equality. To My Generation, slightly younger, perhaps more wide-eyed when reminiscing on the Woman Wonder, she is a steady symbol, a rock in the sometimes precarious field of equal representation in pop culture. She’s the symbol feminists had, and got to wear, too. That is to say, Wonder Woman was the Hero of Girl Reads. She is the Icon I treasure as Woman Reads.

Because of this, I never felt the need to ask, “Who Is Wonder Woman?” because I already knew. She was us all. She is me, this Girl-Child turned Woman, this once-wearer of secret identity under banal school uniform. Wonder Woman is, above all else, the potential for greatness. She is a Wonder, a Wonder Woman, and despite the shakiness of the last year, I have laid down my $4 each month to ensure that DC Comics knows that I support her. And now, for our loyalty, November brings Gail Simone to the Wonder Woman table.

Who better to reveal the humanity of the Other than Ms. Simone? Welcome to Tranquility, Gen-13, and Birds of Prey all demonstrate her ability in making the Outsider a symbolic, sympathetic, and above all else, recognizable character. Ms. Simone’s empathetic approach to her characters, and of course, her writing ability, makes her an ideal choice to write on the Amazon Princess. Mr. Rucka brought us Wonder Woman’s Otherness; Mr. Heinberg brought us Wonder Woman’s Confusion. Ms. Simone, I believe, will bring us Wonder Woman, Herself.

And I, for one, am thrilled Beyond Belief.

Second-to-last paragraph slightly edited, Gentle Reader, on 10/22/07.

Amy Reads the Week (of September 30, 2007)

And it’s here, Gentle Reader, finally! The end of September, and thus the precipice of Fall. October, the Reads’s favorite month of the year. Sweaters, hot tea, leaves changing color and falling—perhaps too much, as our Recent Forays into the Garden can attest! But We Reads have cleaned out our rock garden, have pruned back some of our plants, collected garden salsa peppers, and sweet peppers, and watched the sad demise of our tomatoes and basil. But Fall, yes, Fall is coming to the South.

And with it, of course, Fall Lineup. I’ve already pointed to the wealth of great new shows which are, thus far, Worthy of a Second Watch: Journeyman, Chuck, Reaper. Add to that Life, and take away Moonlight, which This Humble Author must agree with the majority of the reviews: I liked this show Much Better when it was called Angel.

But We Reads have been watching *and* reading, and rising to the top of the Reads’s Reading List is Chelsea Cain’s Heartsick which is utterly brilliant and Quite Smart Indeed! It reminded me a lot of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, but not in an “imitation is the greatest form of flattery” sort of way. Rather, the utter helplessness of the situation, the characters, the strange oddities, all of it added together to One Fantastic Read! Ms. Cain is an author on my Watch List, as I Quite Adored Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, her Nancy Drew "exposé."

Also completed: Absolute Boyfriend #4, an odd little Manga by Yuu Watase, Wicked Dead: Lurker, a YA horror by Stefan Petrucha of the Nancy Drew graphic novels fame. Next on the docket: Dexter in the Dark, the latest Dexter novel by Jeff Lindsay, Exit Strategy, the contemporary thriller by Kelley Armstrong. Coming soon from a pre-order near We Reads: White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion, the graphic novel by Tamora Pierce and Tim Liebe, Winds of Marble Arch, the short story collection by Our Beloved Connie Willis, 20^th Century Ghosts, the short story collection by Joe Hill.

But the Most Important Consequence of this past week has been My Return To Comics. Yes, it’s true, Friends: This Humble Author read several comics this weekend, and has lived to Tell The Tale! Because I am So Behind, I offer you Reviews in Brief, as many of these comics will be Old News for my Constant Readers, I’m sure.

Batman #666-#668 - I am Ever The Fan of locked-room mysteries, and this one is No Exception. I adore the idea of Batmen from Around the World, banding together to solve a classic noir plotline. So Sayers, so Christie, so Poe, so Carr. And, of course, bonus Batman. I have yet to pick up #669, but I will, forthwith.

The Flash #232 - I am So Very Happy to have my favorite comic book family back, Friends! The Park-Wests were strong as spouses; as a family of parents and children, they are unstoppable.

New Avengers #34 - I love the pairing of Doctor Strange and The Night Nurse, who is one of This Humble Author’s favorite minor characters, Marvel or otherwise! Further, I love how this team is coming together in ways the other Avengers did not. As Mr. Reads and I watched the animated film on Doctor Strange this weekend—and it was surprisingly well done, Gentle Reader!—it has been a bit of a Stephen Strange weekend overall.

Teen Titans #50 - I Must Confess, Gentle Reader, to loving Mr. McKeever on Teen Titans. He brings a certain joy and light to the title that, paradoxically, revels in its darker moments. Well done, sir! I have not yet picked up #51, and I am curious to see where it takes us.

Walking Dead vol. 2 and 3 - Yes, I know, these are graphic novels, but I recently picked up this series and am enjoying it immensely.

Y the Last Man #58 - My heart is broken, Friends. That’s about all I can say.

Eagerly awaiting: Astonishing X-Men, Runaways, and Gail Simone’s run on Wonder Woman, which is Just Around the Corner!

More reviews soon, Friends, as I continue to catch up on my comics reading! Until then, please let me know how your Fall Lineup is faring.

Amy Reads the Week (of September 23rd, 2007)

Welcome, Gentle Reader, to the new day and time for my weekly column! Fridays had become too problematic and stressful, Column-Wise, so I will see how Sundays work out. Please let me know what you think!

I must be honest, as Constant Readers of This Blog might have noticed the steady decline of posts, particularly those comic-related. I Do Apologize, Friends, but this past month has been, personally, academically, emotionally, professionally, Rather Busy. But this weekend afforded me Some Time to catch up on my comics reading, and what I read, First and Foremost, were Minx titles.

Three of them, in fact. Three months of Minx titles that had been waiting, patiently, at My Local, and while I picked them up last weekend, I promptly fell sick this week, and any spare time afforded by my schedule was spent in the Recuperation Process. While I still recover from a cold that has settled, Quite Stubbornly, in my chest and throat, I am feeling Much Better, and less feverish and delirious, as was the case Tuesday last!

Confessions of a Blabbermouth, Clubbing, and Good as Lily were on the docket, along with a bonus third volume of Kat and Mouse, the remainder of Mike Carey’s Vicious Circle (which Poor Mr. Reads has waited less-than-patiently for me to finish!), and issues of the new Wonder Girl and the current Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Several titles which all, in Some Way or Another, deal with the sometimes troublesome lives of adolescent and teenaged girls. As you might remember, Gentle Reader, this is a subject I am Quite Interested in, not only as a former adolescent and teenaged girl myself, but also as a former teacher of said girls, and a possible future parent of said girls. I’ve a goddaughter, too, and Mr. Reads and I are Greatly Concerned with her Happy and Healthy Upbringing outside of the safety of the familial sphere. Also, too, her Happy Comic Book Upbringing, and we supply her with Spider-Man, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman paraphernalia at Every Opportunity.

But as DC’s Minx line is an imprint particularly concerned with young female readership—it is, it seems, after all, the Reason for the Read!—it seems Obvious that the Subject Matter should be Young Woman Friendly. Some titles do this better than others, of course. Plain Janes rises to the top, as cream does, followed closely by Re-Gifters and Confessions of a Blabbermouth. All three of those titles seem to understand, and Understand Well, the particular concerns of adolescents and teens, and most importantly, how far to Push the Envelope. Confessions of a Blabbermouth has the unique perspective of a teenaged woman herself, as Mr. Carey’s daughter, Louise Carey, is one of the authors.

I say brava to Ms. Carey, and bravo to Mr. Carey (with whose works I have spent much of my weekend!) for such a creative partnership, and bravo to DC for pushing it forward. But, and I confess this hesitantly, Gentle Reader, as I do not believe that Only Women Can Write Feminist Literature, but, with that said, I wish there were more Minx lines written by women. As Minx seems to be an imprint aimed at young women, and an imprint that seems to want to put forth, More Often Than Not, strong, progressive, confident young female characters, I’m afraid that so many male writers on such an imprint might send a different message. But then, This Humble Author always wants to see More Diversity of gender, race, sexual preference, love-of-raspberry-cheesecake, among other things in Comic Books, and among Comic Writers, in particular.

Alas, Friends, I wish I could discuss this with you further, but the night grows late, I am still ill, and Robot Chicken airs shortly before my (much needed!) bedtime. Instead, I ask of you, Constant Readers: what are your thoughts on the Minx line?

Amy Reads the Year (on August 31st, 2007)

I should tell you, Gentle Reader, that this post was, originally, to speak out against the suggestion that they are “Just Comics.” As in, why do we Speak Out So Articulately against injustice in comics when they are, so They Say, nothing more than comic books? And by “we” I mean, of course, any number of combinations of persons who reasonably object to injustice in our favorite pop culture medium, but for the purposes of my month-long retrospective, I refer, at this juncture, to Women, Specifically.

But in truth, this is a subject near and dear to my heart as I have Sung It Long and Often. In fact, I have sung it So Long and So Often that I fear Constant Readers to This Humble Blog might grow weary of my bellyaching and look to more moderate climes for reading and enjoyment.

That is to say, Friends, that you know How I Feel about the importance of comic books, and popular culture at large, and that to say so, again, would be a tad bit repetitive.

So, then, faced with the dilemma as to what subject best to offer to you, Gentlest of Readers, I was Rather Uncertain. This is a retrospective, is it not? A display of a year’s worth of comic blogging by This Humble Author in order to capture, to the Best of my Abilities, the flavor of the year, comic-book-wise. But retrospectives do not look to the past alone. Rather, they look forward, and offer a view of the future through the comfort and solidity of the past.

What is past is past, no? We have Come Through The Dark and entered, if I may be so bold as to say, The Light. That is, we *know* what is to be done in comics. We *know* what is to be done in our pop cultures.

More women in positive, leading roles. More superheroes of various racial, economic, class, and diverse backgrounds. More positive portrayals of alternative relationships. Remember the Ladies, yes (gratitude, Mrs. Adams), but Remember, too, the Girls. Protect the female characters so that they are not reduced to stereotypes, Refrigerated or Otherwise (gratitude, Ms. Simone) but do not tiptoe around them, either.

I could go on, Gentle Reader, but there are those who have said this before me, and said better than This Humble Author ever could. I point to my sidebar and draw your attention to the brutally honest and wonderful critics there. This year has, more than anything else internet-wise, introduced me to a coterie of well-read, critically thinking, diverse bloggers who are devoted to the betterment of comic books (Gratitude, When Fangirls Attack, Girl-Wonder.Org). And they are devoted *precisely* because They Love Comics.

I, too, Love Comics, and rather than repeat myself once more, rather than offer a response that dulls in comparison to Those Bloggers I Respect, Admire, and above all else, Read On A Daily Basis, I offer you a list of the best things comics have brought to me over the past year. No surprise to you, I’m sure, Gentle Reader, as we are all Well Aware of This Humble Author’s affinity for lists! Without further ado, then?

August 2006-August 2007: The Best of the Comic Book Universe
as viewed by This Humble Author

Welcome to Tranquility – Constant Readers of Arrogant Self-Reliance are Well Aware of the Reads’ adoration for All Things Simone, but Ms. Gail Simone truly has Outdone Herself with this title. Smart, ruthless, funny, poignant, it offers an interesting dichotomy to her other new title this year, Gen-13, but, in my humble opinion outshines its Sister in Every Way.

52 – While I am No Fan of Countdown, I believe it is because I am Overwhelmed by the ingenuity of 52. Bringing forward characters like Booster Gold—and paving the way for his Own Title!—was a stroke of genius on the parts of Mr. Rucka, Mr. Waid, Mr. Johns, and Mr. Morrison. While the title begins slightly before my self-imposed time frame of August 2006-August 2007, it peaks during this time.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season #8 – I came to Buffy Rather Late, I’m ashamed to admit, although I remember trying to watch it during the original airing of Season 2. Alas, lack of funds and of television prevented me from doing so, and I caught on to the phenomenon much later. To bring forth new ideas in such an innovative way—and what is more innovative than the marriage of image-and-text?—is not mere fan fodder but *true* innovation.

DC’s Minx Line – There has been some skepticism regarding the Minx line, and while I believe that some of the skepticism is Much Deserved, I also believe that it is, in No Small Part, a Step in the Right Direction. These are fun and smart stories that may function as bridges for younger readers, introducing them to the comic book universe. Personally, I would love to see more diversity of author and artist in this series.

The New New Avengers – I miss Cap, Friends, and I am Quite Angry at both Tony Stark and Reed Richards. But more importantly, I am Intrigued and Fascinated by the New New Avengers, and as one of the few Marvel lines I am reading, this title is encouraging me to explore further options, Marvel-wise.

Manhunter – While not confined to the timeframe to which I’ve confined myself, Manhunter is new to This Humble Author, at least, and I’m Quite Happy for it. Kate Spencer is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating female comic book characters being written today. DC, don’t lose this title. I Beg Of You. Just Don’t.

The Justice Society of America: One Year Later – Friends, I’ve chastised myself enough for this, but I will do it again, for sake of argument. Why, o Why was I not reading This Title Sooner? The art! The writing! The characterization! Power Girl! Liberty Belle! I am sometimes, indeed, Almost Ridiculous, and in this case, certainly, The Fool (gratitude, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Prufrock). I regret my earlier disavowal, and promise to be consistent with my readings, forthwith.

Thank you, Friends, for a Wonderful Year Of Blogging. Here is to Many More To Come!

Amy Reads the Week (of July 20th, 2007)

How is it possible, Gentle Reader, that Catwoman makes Amazons Attacking make sense, but Amazons Attack does not? Of course, neither do Supergirl, Teen Titans, or Wonder Woman. I must confess that I’m a bit grumpy with the Amazons Attack plotline. It seems as if several of the female characters in DC have changed radically in the past few weeks, and part of that radical change makes No Sense At All. I assume this will All Make Sense Soon—as soon as I find out who’s controlling Hippolyta, perhaps?—but until then, I am experiencing another quandary that’s Rather New for This Humble Author.

Yes, it’s true, Friends: I am experiencing Marvel Over DC Preference for the first time in my life.

That is to say, I have finally—finally!—caught myself up on the New Avengers, and all I can say is, “yeahbuwha?” Or, rather, WOW. Now *that’s* some Very Intriguing Writing Indeed!

Mr. Reads, who has Waited Patiently for me to get caught up on my comics reading, has been biting his tongue, refraining from revealing The Big Reveal to me, until I could get up to speed on said reading. Now that I am, I can see why he was chomping at the bit, more than a little. This series has vaulted into My Current Top Five, and as a Tried and True DC fan, that’s saying Much Indeed.

A short post for a long week, I know, but I’ve miles to go before I sleep, and more importantly, miles to go before the Harry Potter release tomorrow. I’ll have Book 7 in my greedy little hands Saturday around 12:15 p.m., so goes the plan, and I won’t stop reading until the sun comes up again, or I finish the book, whichever comes first. So until then, Friends, happy reading!

Amy Reads the Week (of July 13th, 2007)

Happy Friday the 13th, Gentle Reader! I confess that Fridays the 13th never have filled me with dread, but rather, their successor, Saturdays the 14th, tend to be Unlucky for This Humble Author. I'm not superstitious by habit, mind, but rather, I grew up in the Bayou, drenched in Catholic, Southern Folklore, and Voodoo imagery. Sometimes--just sometimes, Friends!--you Can't Take The South Out Of The Girl.

No matter, as I plan to spend the majority of my Saturday finally catching up with My Pop Culture. But as I prepare to embark on several missed weeks of Amazons Attacking, and Crossovers Crossing-Over, I started to think of a subject Quite Dear To My Heart.

That's right, Gentle Reader. Fashion.

Perhaps it is because the phrase, "no capes!" (gratitude, The Incredibles) has lived with me for a few days now, or perhaps it is the dissertation topic, coming out in One Form Or Another, but I have been thinking about Super Hero Fashion for Some Time Now. Specifically, I wonder what you, Friends, claim as your Favorite Super Hero Costume.

I am Ever The Fan of Wonder Woman's full armor, of course, a la Kingdom Come, but the Elseworlds' Red Son grey, red, and black suit is nothing to dismiss lightly. Over Marvel-side, I do so enjoy Ms. Marvel's black and yellow suit, even with the sash that some despise. There is also Spiderwoman's fantastic suit, and Big Barda's armor is so elaborate it's Nothing But Fun.

But lest we Forget The Gentlemen while we Remember The Ladies, I have to say that Alan Scott's Green Lantern suit, the original, is Nothing But Charming. I have a soft spot for the Dark Knight, too, of course, not to mention Daredevil (I do so love the color red) and who can discount Thor's dramatic entrances complete with helmet?

But further, I love to see the redesigns, even when they seem So Utterly Strange, like the X-Men reboot, or Spider-Man's metal suit. DC's Elseworlds line, in particular, offers this chance to explore Our Beloved Costumes in new and interesting ways.

Any thoughts, Gentle Reader, before I drown myself in work, work, work once again?

Amy Reads the Week (of June 22nd, 2007)

It’s a Comic Book Fangirl’s Dream Come True this week, Gentle Reader, and all I can say, really, is thank you, DC, thank you, Mr. Meltzer, for making me the Happiest Fangirl in the World. I teared up yesterday reading JLA #10, and… well, who am I kidding, Friends? I cried, outright.

No one likes a Spoil(er)Sport, so I’ll refrain from mentioning the specifics of the Utter Fantastic-ness of JLA this week. Rather, I’d like to call your attention to the companion piece to this saga: the JSA crossover.

I’ll admit, Friends, that my knowledge of the JSA is only in reference to the JLA. I’m a JLA girl at heart; Wonder Woman is a member, as is Batman, and Flash, and my other favorites. Mr. Reads and Several Of You have mentioned to me, again and again, how wonderful the JSA is, and frankly, I’ve ignored you, forgotten your suggestions, and just Out and Out waved you off. For that, This Humble Author humbly apologizes. You were right; I was wrong. Never let it be said that I am afraid to admit my failings.

I’m amazed, utterly amazed, at the Quality of Writing, of Characters, of Character Development evident in the JSA. I enjoy the JLA, too, of course, and find the Quality high there, as well. But reading the JSA was like meeting new characters, for the very first time. There really is no other way to express my utter joy over Liberty Belle, over Stargirl, over Power Girl.

Power Girl is a character with whom I am passingly familiar, but not immediately friendly. That is to say, I *know* who she is, and I *appreciate* her, but I don’t believe I’ve ever read a truly compelling presentation of her. Enter JSA. Enter Geoff Johns’ writing of her. Enter Strength, and Beauty, and Power, and Humor, all in one.

When they ask her to serve as chairwoman, she not only says yes but says, Hell, yes! That kind of enthusiasm, the understanding she has of her role in this organization is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Further, the immediate friendship between Stargirl (although I confess, Friends, that I keep wanting to call her Star-Spangled Kid) and isolated outcast Cyclone is charming and poignant, all at the same time. Further, as a scholar who works on literary presentations of fashion (it *is* the Dissertation, Gentle Reader!), I found the Giant Room Of Costume Parts to be perhaps the most adorable and *right* comic scene in comics to date. That is to say, of *course* there is a giant room of costume pieces and parts, considering how these costumes get ripped and torn on a daily, and indeed hourly, basis!

But there are other things, too: the complexity of these characters, of their relationships with each other, with other Super Heroes, with the JLA, in fact, and how they know each other, of course, but also *know* each other. They know their strengths, their weaknesses, that even The Batman can be swayed by rare editions.

Separate, they are intriguing characters part of interesting groups. Together, they are utterly fascinating, compelling, and beyond all else, Completely Heroic. This crossover event gave me a chance to meet new characters, fall in love with old ones again, and most importantly, add another title to my pull-list.

While Mr. Reads has read the JSA for Some Time Now, and in fact had given me the entire backlog to read, I hadn’t. Time, perhaps, or blind allegiance to the JLA. Wonder Woman was there, after all. But I’m a convert, albeit a recent one, and I am thrilled to be so. I for one can’t wait to read more about, say, Liberty Belle, whom I knew from Flash, but now know on her own merits.

I’d love to Read the Week with you more, Dear Readers, but as far behind as I was on JLA, I am even Further Behind on New Avengers. And as I have a few minutes of free time—as one cannot be expected to work at 9:00 at night, no?—I am going to take advantage of them.