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.

Amy Reads the Week (of October 26th, 2008)

The name of the game, Gentle Reader, is The Incredible Hulk. As I have mentioned many times on This Humble Blog, I occasionally feel as if Mr. Reads and I are the only two people in the world who not only appreciate but adore, yes, *adore* Ang Lee's Hulk. It is beautiful, and smart, and well-written, and, most importantly for the Hulk legend, tragic. There is something utterly tragic about the Hulk in Mr. Lee's version, not because he can be calmed by the serene beauty of Betty Ross (played by one of This Humble Author's favorite actresses, Ms. Jennifer Connelly), but because the Hulk understands. There is a core of Bruce Banner's gentleness inside of the Hulk in Mr. Lee's version, and that core is, ultimately, the tragic flaw of The Incredible Hulk.

Mr. Reads and I resisted seeing The Incredible Hulk (2008) in the theater for a variety of reasons, but namely because we adore the 2003 version so much. The Hulk has never been one of my favorite characters; As Constant Readers of This Humble Blog know, This Humble Author is a DC girl, to to the core. I dabble in Marvel, certainly (give me your Emma Frosts, your Kitty Prydes, your Iron Men), but at The End Of The Day, I would rather have a Wonder Woman or a Flash or a Batman, thank you very much. I am more for the Iconic and less for the Representation.

But I do enjoy Marvel to some degree, make no mistake. The imprint does Representation So Very Well. Their characters are symbolic to a level that is almost--dare I say it in light of the X-Men imprint?--Uncanny. While DC is archetypal, Marvel is Metaphorical. And who is more Metaphorical than The Hulk?

Part Jekyll, part Hyde, yet it seems without the arrogance of either, The Hulk is not often written with a sense of poetry that I think he deserves. Ang Lee's version offered us that. Bruce Banner and the Hulk both were metaphorical, symbolic, representative. The 2008 Hulk was just Hulk Smash, all around.

Not that I did not enjoy it. It was enjoyable in that I do not regret the two hours I spent watching the movie. But I did not walk away from the DVD thinking that it was a movie I must see again. There was no motivation in the movie. I do not mean for the characters but rather for the viewer. Why was I supposed to care? Why was I supposed to sympathize?

It all boils down ultimately, Gentle Reader, to two comments: one in support of what I liked, and one in explanation of what I didn't.

What I liked: Or, rather, what I found interesting and worth my time. This Hulk was not tragic or poetic or flawed. He was almost all monster. But neither, then, was this Bruce Banner tragic or poetic or flawed. Rather, there was a level of pathetic about Bruce Banner that led almost--Almost, Gentle Reader!--to disgust on the viewer's part. He was not a tragic hero, or an anti-hero, or stuck in a bad situation. He was unable to take care of himself, even on the most basic of levels. It seemed almost an Ultimates version of Bruce Banner more than anything else.

What I didn't: This movie had No Sense of Timing. That is to say, even in those moments that would have been funny (if they had not been all revealed in the trailers), the actors and directing plowed through them without so much as a By Your Leave. By the time the viewer got the reference, the next scene was already taking place.

I was with the movie at least half-heartedly until the big fight scene commenced, and there, the movie completely lost me. It was uninteresting and predictable and in my opinion, meant nothing to the movie but big Hulk Smash and Grab. Holding this up not only to the beautiful and poignant Ang Lee's Hulk but also to Dark Knight, Iron Man, Superman Returns, Hellboy, X-Men II, Spider-Man II, all of the really fantastic comic book movies out there and you see how comic book movies are Supposed To Be Made. Even without The Origin Story Problem, as The Incredible Hulk skipped past the Origin Story and straight to Story, this movie failed to connect with This Humble Viewer, at least.

But I am, Friends, very, very excited about the upcoming Wonder Woman animated film, and Iron Man II, Thor, Avengers, and of course, Watchmen. And I hope that one day, The Flash movie focusing on My Beloved Wally West will actually be a reality.

Amy Reads the Week (of June 22nd, 2008)

Still playing catch-up, Gentle Reader, and this time, I have gone Way Way Back. Over the past few days, I have worked through over 50 issues of New X-Men, Academy X, and the New Mutants.

I think what these titles really drive home is the awful face of Hatred in the X-Men universe. That is to say, it is one thing when someone expresses Hate against Emma Frost, or Wolverine, or another Grown-Up who can Fight and Protect Him-or-Her-Self, but to see that same racism, that same hatred against children, against teenagers, to see that hatred bring forth death and destruction of children, well, that is to see the True Face Of Hatred, Indeed.

Some parts of the run handle this better than others, of course, but I think what they all reveal is the immediate danger for those Mutants, particularly the young ones post House of M. For the Younger Members of the 198, the world has become a Very Dangerous Place Indeed. What Marvel does as an Imprint, and what it has always Done Well, is to use the comic book universe as a marker for "real-world" problems. The Hatred directed against the Mutants, purely because They Are Different, and that Hatred directed against Young Children, solely out of Fear, is analogous for racism, homophobia, sexism, classism, anything in which there is blind hatred and fear against someone different.

DC does archetypes well; Marvel handles analogies with perfect aplomb.

I have never been a very big fan of the X-Men until reading Morrison and Whedon. I grew up a DC Girl, and in my heart, a DC Girl I will stay. But when written well, the X-Men are written Very, Very Well, and I am about to embark on Mr. Brubaker's and Mr. Carey's run on the Mutants, as they are two writers whom I Absolutely Adore. Then, Friends Who Adore Those Of A Greenish Hue, I embark on a Quest of Brightest Day and Blackest Night.

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!

Amy Reads the Week (of June 15th, 2008)

What a week-end, Gentle Reader! You may not know this about This Humble Author, but I am--dare I say it So Publicly?--Rather Anxious. That is to say, in the revelry of this week-end, I found myself at some points staring off into space, wondering if I had fixed This Reference or That Mistake in My Dissertation.

Luckily for This Humble Author, Friends were on hand to distract.

Friday night's venture into Nearby Metropolis was a smash, and delicious fondue and lovely conversation were had. Saturday evening, Myself and Four Girl-Friends descended upon the local Tasty Eats and Beverage Hole (margaritas and quesadillas to be had by all) and then the local Dance Club to enjoy the celebration of not one but two newly-minted Ph.Ds, myself and another colleague. Wearing a button that declared my status, courtesy of the fantastic Supadiscomama, I enjoyed the evening Very Much and forgot, just for one moment, the possibility of Typos.

But upon arriving home to find a sleepy Husband and Pup, I was too awake to sleep myself, so I finished The Avengers: The Initiative vol. 1. As I have mentioned before, Friends, I am Rather Behind in Marvel, and I am using this strange and nebulous time to get caught up in lots of things: cleaning, organization, comics, and pleasure reading.

I quite enjoyed The Initiative, mostly for the overwhelming push towards out-of-controlness among the registered superheroes in the Marvel Universe. There is a constant sense that everything is spiraling away from everyone in control, and this issue, dealing with both the impact of the New Warriors and the Post-Registration/Post-Civil-War world in which those like Iron Man and Spider-Man now exist was Rather Extraordinary.

The focus on the children, the up-and-coming superheroes, was a particularly interesting move. There often exists two types of child hero in comic books: the one who wants to Prove Everything, and the one who Wants Nothing. There are exceptions to this, of course: I point to Vaughan's Runaways and Simone's Gen-13, in particular. But there is in most literature focusing on a child of extraordinary abilities the struggle between Being Different and Being Similar. That is to say, the child hero either loves her powers or loathes them, but there is rarely a struggle between.

Again, there are exceptions, Gentle Reader. Far be it for me to assume a Generality on All Literatures! But often, this story *is* the story of childhood: worry over difference (writ large for puberty, for change, for struggle), worry over place (writ large for parental control, for individualism, for confidence), worry over acceptance (writ large for peer pressure, for friendship, for cliques). I have Said Before that Gail Simone's Gen-13 offers an interesting view of the same-yet-differentness of the Extraordinary Child, and I point, too, to Runaways, to Whedon's early Buffy, to Heinberg's Young Avengers.

In The Initiative, we see teens struggling not with their difference, but rather the difference of Those Who Came Before: The New Warriors. Worried not over trying to fill shoes but rather trying to avoid doing such, these teens are insulated and do not, cannot, work as a team. This separation occurs early on, with the death of MVP, and the rest of the collection has the group struggling to find their place in themselves, not their place in a new team. There are few moments when the teen heroes work with each other, and almost every time, those moments fail. Rather, this book stresses the individualism of each member, and how that individualism, like Trauma's control of his fear-power and his manipulation of his power into a force of healing rather than Fear, Itself, is the backbone of a heroic story.

An interesting focus, considering What Has Come Before: Captain America's separation from Iron Man, the struggle for and against Registration, and, ultimately, the success of Iron Man and his Registration Act. When he is good, Gentle Reader, he is Very Very Good, but when he is bad, he is Downright Scary. I have always believed this about Tony Stark who, while Iron Man is so often compared to Batman, is not broken like Bruce Wayne. There sometimes is no core of humanity left in Stark. In those moments, he frightens me Very Much.

We see the darker side of these superheroes with this collection, and I think The Initiative does an excellent job in reminding us that they are, ultimately, fighting a war. But I think, too, it does an excellent job in reminding us that there are reverberating consequences to Civil War, and the Fallout will, I think, exist for some time yet.

In other news, Happy Father's Day to Those Gentle Readers So-Inclined to children, of the human or non-human kind! Mr. Reads, Pup Reads, and I will celebrate Mr. Reads's canine-fatherhood with a trip to the park and, tomorrow, a Rather Delayed trip to Our Local to pick up our comics for this week.

Amy Reads the Week (of June 8th, 2008)

Can't blog, Gentle Reader. New Avengers to read.

That is to say, Mr. Reads and I just discovered that the last issue of New Avengers I have read is issue 36. 36, Gentle Reader! I do not think we have had any Skrull revelations yet!

Or, perhaps, just one.

On the television front, This Humble Author is behaving Much Better. We are almost finished with all available DVDs for Foyle's War, which I cannot recommend highly enough.

Must go help Mr. Reads with the New Avengers and Mighty Avengers (and Initiative, and Young Avengers) Sorting, so that I may understand Secret Invasion a Bit More.

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...

Amy Reads the Week (of February 17th, 2008)

I've had a Rather Enjoyable Couple of Weeks Pop-Culture-Wise, Gentle Reader, as I've read a few great books, begun a great comic series, and watched a few great movies. The new Knight Rider was not part of the "great" equation, as Mr. Reads and I just sat through approximately eight terrible minutes of it. But the movie Rocket Science was fantastic, as were the Holmes on the Range books by Steven Hockensmith. Bonus: Amazon.com has proven to be Quite Fruitful by informing This Humble Author that the third book in the series is due out This Very Week!

The Comeback, the HBO series with Lisa Kudrow, is the Reads Household's fantastic Netflix find, and Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone was nothing short of amazing. But the cream of this week proves to be Mike Carey's X-Men collection, Supernova. Kitty Pryde is to Astonishing X-Men as Rogue is to X-Men, even though, as This Humble Author has confessed again and again, she is not a Marvel girl. But I do love my Strong Characters, and the writing Mr. Carey puts forth on Rogue's character diminishes even Emma Frost, a possibility heretofore thought inconceivable.

I do think that word means what I think it means, Gentle Reader, but please, correct me if I'm wrong.

In the meantime, please send Happy Thoughts to Pup Reads, who had one vet visit for a bit of a tummy upset last Wednesday, and is following it up with another visit to the vet this Wednesday for the Much Dreaded Teeth Cleaning. As she will have to be sedated, Wednesday proves to be a Rather Stressful Day for the Non-Canine Reads-Inclined. But it is Dental Hygiene Month, according to our vet, so we will Do Right by our Pup.

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 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 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 February 23rd, 2007)

It’s less Reading the Week than it is Gaming the Week, Gentle Reader, as I’ve finally (finally!) managed to have a spare hour to play Marvel Ultimate Alliance on the Reads’ bright and shiny new Wii. In keeping with the theme for this week—thanks to Civil War, it seems to be all Marvel, all the time in the Reads’ household—it feels appropriate to discuss yet another marvel from Marvel. But before I begin, please, let me ask the world: give the Wii Justice League Heroes. Please?

I’m still rather unskilled when it comes to video games. I’ve terrible hand-eye coordination, and while I’m rather good at puzzle games on the computer, the move from mouse to controller confuses me, just a bit. That is to say, I’m still finding my comfort zone with the Wii controller. Again, let me stress my joy from last week’s blog entry that I find the versatility of the Wii controller wonderful. As a left-handed person, I rejoice over its ease and ambidexterity. But it does take a little time to get used to the new controller, and when skirmishes happen as fast as they do in Ultimate Alliance, I find myself as Thor, slamming into a corner, trying to turn around and help my team.

But see, here’s where the fun really begins: you have a *team*. More importantly, you can’t hurt your own team. That’s fantastic for someone like me just learning how to use the controllers (and really, just learning to play a game like this for the first time). Even if I-as-Thor keep bumping into the wall, Cap, Wolverine, and Spidey have all got my back.

You begin the game playing as those four, and Thor is easily my favorite. Perhaps I’m more of a smash-and-grab kind of player, or perhaps I just like the shiny hammer. But I found Thor the easiest character of the four to use for my particular talents (or lack thereof) in the gaming world.

Once you power up, you get to create your own team. Mr. Reads has already unlocked most of the characters, so I created a team of Ms. Marvel, Spiderwoman, Thor (because I like the hammer!), and the Invisible Woman. What a powerhouse of a team, Gentle Reader! Sue Storm isn’t all that strong, physically, but she has some wicked powers. Ms. Marvel was a blast to play with: she’s a flyer, and she’s strong, and she likes to pick things up and throw them. Spiderwoman’s blasts were great, too, but I kept aiming at the wrong things as I tried to work the left and right controller at the same time.

Again, I only played an hour, but I had a great time. Mr. Reads sat on the couch and cheered me on (and, well, reminded me that no, that way was Sudden Doom), while Pup Reads kept jumping at the controller (assuming, I suppose, that they were some elaborate Puppy Plaything). I highly recommend this game, if you don’t have it already.

Next stop for the Wii will most likely be Zelda, or Call of Duty, as Mr. Reads is looking forward to playing both of those. As for This Humble Author, I’m holding out for Justice League, or the off-chance that Wii will pick up a puzzle game a la Agatha Christie or Nancy Drew.

I Know Whose Side I'm On: Thoughts on Marvel's Civil War

Gentle Reader, I actually enjoyed the Civil War series, despite its flaws and delays. And while I'm not as familiar with the Marvel Universe as I am the DC Universe, I felt that the characters were handled with care and, surprisingly, a lot of joy. I felt that the writers enjoyed working through these events, the same as I feel the writers of 52 are really having a blast playing with these characters and plotlines. If they're not, Friends, please, please, don't tell me! Let me live in My Fantasy World a bit longer.

But here's the thing: Marvel kept asking me the same question, over and over, in every issue I opened. Whose side are you on? My side, as it were, was never in doubt. I was, from issue 1, on the side of the Secret Avengers, or the Rebels, or merely those Anti-Registration. Why? Because the logic of Registration is, for me, deeply, deeply flawed.

Why, you ask, Gentle Reader? Or perhaps, you don't ask, but merely nod your head and agree that indeed, Registration is many things: anti-hero, anti-American, anti-freedom. Yes, all of those things are true, but even more so, I read the Registration Initiative as the early stages of Forced Removal, or Ghettoization, or other such government initiatives to forcibly remove--or mark--certain racial, religious, etc. groups from the general public. First, they mark them, those superheroes. Then, when they refuse to be marked, they are imprisoned. When they do register, they are forced to work for the government, regardless if they want to or not, or are even relocated away from their homes and families. All in secret, mind you. But even when Prison Number 42 is revealed to the public, as it is in #7, Reed Richards remarks that the public met the Negative Zone Prison with resounding applause and support.

This argument, that people must be locked up not only for the good of the citizens, but for their own good, as well, has deep roots in Humanity's deepest pits of racism, hatred, xenophobia, anti-specific-religious sentiment, sexism, the list goes on and on. But that's not all. The *roots* of the Civil War, the New Warriors' tragic accident that killed hundreds of people, including children, scared the World At Large. Suddenly, those with powers were too scary to exist side-by-side those without powers. Those-with-powers, that is, refused to let themselves become public. "But they are dangerous!" the populace screams. "They can Kill Us All! Look, there's evidence. They killed children, indiscriminately."

You see it, don't you, Gentle Reader? The same argument that has perpetuated some of the worst racism in America? The "ones" who play the game-—live their lives according to the dominant status quo—-are okay. They are "just like us." But the "ones" who don't? They're deemed *dangerous*. Even worse, the idea that because a black/white/red/green person committed a crime against someone's family, then *all* black/white/red/green persons are Evil Incarnate continues. Then *all* black/white/red/green persons must be locked up, for "their own good," for the Good Of The World.

I don't mean to be so deeply sarcastic, Friends. I believe in a reformative prison system. I believe that, given enough money and caring, the majority of criminals can be reformed. I believe that, intentionally or unintentionally, Speedball committed a crime and therefore should receive a Trial Of His Peers. I do *not*, however, believe that everyone who looks/thinks/acts/breathes the same as Speedball should suffer the same. Not because it's "anti-American," or "unconstitutional," but because it's *wrong*.

Gentle Reader, because a small group of people who look and/or act similarly commit a crime, that does not mean that all the people who look and/or act the same should suffer the consequences, as well. We are seeing reverberations of this kind of thought across the world at the moment, as we have seen it since The Dawn Of Time. "Witches" were burned at the stake, Jews were expelled from every European Country, Africans and Caribbeans were plucked from their homelands and forced into slavery, Women were denied control of property, money, their children, even their very bodies, American Indians had bounties placed on their heads, racism against the Romany, or Gypsies, is still publicly acceptable, the list goes on and on. We did not begin the cycle, but we still suffer under it, as I'm sure our children, and our children's children, will, so very unfortunately, suffer under similar cycles, as well.

That is to say, what Marvel's Civil War does is thumb its nose at people who say Comics Are Just Comics, or Books Are Just Books, or TV Is Just TV. Well, no, they're not. Civil War used a glossy, colorful medium to offer the repercussions of racism, sexism, homophobia, meta-ism, etc. to The Reading Public. Because Speedball committed a crime, accidentally, the viewing public sees his face in the face of every potential powered person. Suddenly, everyone is A Secret Red. That is, A Potential Superhero. Neighbor turned on Neighbor, Friend turned on Friend, and even, in the case of She-Hulk, Alter-Ego turned on Alter-Ego (or at least disagreed with).

Looking at the complexity of these thoughts sprung out of Civil War, how is it possible that there are still people in the world who believe that That Which Entertains Us can never, not even in its wildest imaginations, Challenge Us? That Which Entertains Us challenges us, every day. The Victorians used the wacky new medium, the novel, to write about the travesties of social issues—-child labor, The Woman Question, racism, anti-Semitism, even homophobia. Jane Eyre is a blast to read (for This Humble Author, anyways!), but further, it talks about deep, dark issues like slavery, the Woman Question, and children's rights. Civil War was a blast to read, but further, it talked about the deepest –isms under which our society suffers.

I think I'll call it "not-us-ism."

Not-us-ism is perhaps the broadest –ism we can think of, and it encompasses every –ism in the world. Because in the end, isn't that what racism, sexism, classism, etc. is all about? Sexism—-"I'm not a man or a woman, so I can't believe that men or women need or want these things." Racism—-"I'm not black, green, purple, brown, white, or red, so therefore I can't believe that black, green, et al persons need or want the same things I do." Even further, "because I'm not black, green, et al, that is, because I'm Not Them, and They're Not Me, I don't think they *deserve* the things I have."

I'm not denying that a very real tragedy was committed in Civil War by accident, or by accident brought on by arrogance. But how many times has very real tragedy been committed in the world? In Marvel's Universe? Why now? Why demand Superhero Registration now? There is Something Else Going On, Gentle Reader. Something scary. Something like A Plan.

Perhaps? Perhaps not? Well, we shall see, Friends, the continuation of Civil War throughout the Marvel Universe. I am upset with Cap, but I understand why he did what he did. I understand the need for peace, for the end of violence. But I can say, with Great Certainty, that as of now, Tony Stark scares me more than any other person, hero or villain, on the comic book stage today. I don't trust him, and moreover, I don't think this is over.

Not by a long shot.

So thank you, Mr. Millar, for a great read, a thoughtful read, one that reminded me of one of my favorite DC books, Superman: Red Son. You made This DC Girl like even more Marvel, and that's saying a lot.

Shoes to Fill, Mantles to Wear: Brief Reviews of White Tiger #2-4

It was an exciting weekend in the Reads Household, Gentle Reader, as Mr. Reads has acquired the mythical and much-coveted Nintendo Wii, after standing in line, in the cold, for *only* 3.5 hours. He spent the majority of Sunday and Monday (and Tuesday, and Wednesday) playing Ultimate Alliance, the fancy new Marvel game that will, he assures me, allow me to create a team of Ms. Marvel, the Invisible Woman, Elektra, and Spiderwoman, four of the few reasons I ever venture over Marvel Way. Not that I dislike Marvel Comics, not even. If you look at my sidebar, you'll see that I enjoy many Marvel books. I just happen to be, down to the core, A DC Fan.

I say a team of four of the few reasons I venture over to Marvel. There has been a recent addition to that foray, and I've expressed my admiration for the new White Tiger miniseries before. Not only is the character one-of-a-kind—-we see the greatness in Angela in Daredevil, and even more so when she gets her own book—-but the writing we get from Mr. Liebe and Ms. Pierce is really extraordinary. Issue one reintroduced us to the character we saw briefly in Daredevil, gave us glimpses of some of This Humble Author's Personal Favorites (can I ever love Black Widow more than I already do?), and showed us how small and tight-knit the Marvel Superhero Community really is.

DC's is, too, I know. But Teams sometimes get in the way of simple superheroing. Or perhaps it's that Gotham, Metropolis, Keystone City, Star City, Opal City, St. Roch, etc. are all too far apart. In New York, in Marvel's New York, there are several powers either vying for said power, or lending a hand when needed.

This close proximity to All Things Mutant And Meta can backfire, of course. The recent events in Civil War speak to that perfectly. But when Marvel's team-ups are good, they're very, very good: the Young Avengers, the Runaways, the X-Men, all of these seem to work well in group as well as out of group, and the team-ups of these diverse personalities send sparks throughout the Marvel Universe.


***Spoilers for White Tiger, as well as recent events in Marvel Civil War***


In Liebe and Pierce's run on White Tiger, we seem a team-up of a different nature. We see the newest incarnations of the Mantles help each other not only for professional reasons, but for some rather intriguing personal reasons, as well. Daredevil 2.0, otherwise affectionately known as Iron Fist, or Tio, to Ms. Angela Del Toro, perhaps helps the newest incarnation of The White Tiger out of familial obligation, or perhaps out of professional courtesy. Or perhaps—-just perhaps, Gentle Reader!-—because he, too, knows the difficulty of filling someone else's larger-than-life shoes. The mantle is heavy, Friends, not only for its elasticity, good stitching, and quality fabric, but for the weight of its purpose, its symbolism, the constant concern over Letting People Down.

The pairing of Daredevil 2.0 and The White Tiger is nothing short of genius on the parts of Mr. Liebe and Ms. Pierce. Both characters are trying to fill a void left by their predecessors: Danny by Matt Murdock's imprisonment, and Angela by her uncle's murder. But where the genius comes in is in this simple fact: neither Danny nor Angela attempt to ape their predecessors. Rather, both heroes grasp their heroing on a purely personal level.

When White Tiger and 2.0 fight back to back at the end of issue #2, Angela remarks, "As if I needed more proof Daredevil 2.0 was family, he doesn't fight like Murdock. He fights like I'd been taught." Rather than try to be something he isn't-—say, a blind extra-sensory lawyer cum vigilante from Hell's Kitchen—-even though his presence is meant to divert suspicion away from said blind extra-sensory lawyer, Daredevil 2.0 works to his strengths, and with his strengths, as does White Tiger. As do they both, as they both were taught. From the same roots, the same place, the same urge for survival. Fight as if your life is on the line, because in Marvel's New York, it almost always is.

But further, Mr. Liebe and Ms. Pierce do not allow anyone to make allowances for Angela; she is a woman, and she does not shy away from her gender, or the so-called stereotypes of her gender. Throughout the series, we see Angela exploiting gender stereotypes to gain advantage over the Bad Guys. She dresses up while on bodyguard duty, or dresses down, if the occasion calls for it. One of the most fascinating scenes comes on Angela's first job protecting clubbing socialites. They spray her, playfully, with the new Tigress Blanca scent; this scent later disguises Angela's real scent from Cobra, who says, "I smell something… familiar. Almost like pretty white kitty. But there's too much perfume in the air."

And there is, of course, the denial of gender stereotypes, seen best in the sharing of chocolate-glazed donuts on the roof with Spider-Man and Daredevil 2.0, despite the potential that "chocolate and white outfits don't mix" on two levels, the possibility of stain and the possibility of gaining weight, which, in the realm of stereotype, would be "apparent" in a white outfit. That gender stereotype--that all woman are, and should be, concerned with their weight to the point of obsession--doesn't even make Angela's radar, as she proves working late at night, in her quite-normal pajamas eating her quite-normal donut with her quite-healthy understanding and image of her and her body. It seems that White Tiger allows the reader a glimpse into the less "glamorous" side of superheroing. That is to say, the part in which the superheroes are real heroes, and real people, wearing real clothes and eating real food.

White Tiger #4 shows us further encounters, with Emma Frost, with Luke Cage—-Tio Luke, to Angela-—further and further spirals into the small confines of the Marvel NYC Hero Community. But more so, we see further and further spirals into the small tight-knit circle of friends and family Angela has to call on. In short, White Tiger is as much a comic book about a superhero as it is about legacy.

Angela is a legacy; like a long line of superheroes before and after her, she has large shoes to fill and a mighty mantle to wear. She is the newbie on the scene, not only as the new White Tiger, but as the new superhero, as well. But rather than receiving the stereotypical "Go Home, Kiddo, for your own good!" line from those around her, she is offered help, again and again, if she should need it. And while she rarely does, Angela is not above calling for help. That's what families do for each other, after all. What this title gives us is a strong woman, a strong superhero, and a strong sense of the superhero community, outside of teams, outside of Civil Wars, outside of masks. Angela is offered help almost always outside the mask, and she recognizes help not in costume but in familiar, familial settings.

The White Tiger is a legacy, certainly, but more importantly, she is the embodiment of the importance of continuation in the superhero world. Even further, she is the embodiment of the importance of change. Her powers shift, her understanding of her strengths changes, as she—-dare I say it, Gentle Reader?—-as she mutates, just a bit, with the aid of the White Tiger Amulet.

As Angela is wounded by Cobra's lethal venom at the end of book #4, she applies the amulet directly to the wound in the hopes that it will heal. In the hopes that she won't die. "Home is where..." Angela begins, in a long, pain-induced quote of what it means to belong. "Home is where... you hang'a your hat… Character is... what you are... inna the dark..." And what Angela is in the dark is revealed in the final panel, with the white tiger roaring above her, along with an image of Hector dying in Daredevil's arms, along with an image of Angela, kicked off the roof by Daredevil. She is a product of her past, and the expectations of her future. She is What Came Before, and she is always What Comes After. She is not the house in which the White Tiger resides; rather, she is the embodiment of the White Tiger, proven, again and again, by her powers, sans amulet. Proven, again and again, by her determination and will.

Or perhaps What Angela Is is revealed before the final panel, in the first panel of #4, when she bemoans her Cheesecake status in the Daily Bugle, and thus defies Cheesecake status in the Comic Book Universe. Or in a further panel in #4, when she protects visiting superheroes from ignorance, hate, and xenophobia. Or when she is the role model for a young woman who is thrilled to see a woman fighting crime. That is, who is thrilled to see a Latina *just like her* fighting crime. "Daddy, I want to be White Tiger someday," the young woman says while watching surveillance footage of Angela at the airport. "She looks Latin, I'm half Latin. I have martial arts—"

Or perhaps—-just perhaps, Gentle Reader!—-Who Angela Is is revealed when she spars with Luke Cage in #4, and proves that she's not "just a girl," as in, the girl they all knew, Hector's niece, the one that still calls them Tio. She has a large, extended family that loves her, as she loves them. Because in the end, Angela's strength comes from her home, her True Home: her neighborhood, New York, the interconnections of her family and friends that support her and admire her not because she is the new White Tiger, but because she is Angela Del Toro, fighting for right, first as an FBI agent, but then as a bodyguard. She is, and always has been, a Protector, and whether it is saving a mother and child from The Lizard, or saving America from itself, a small piece at a time, it's What Angela Does, and Who Angela Is. Because in the end, Angela doesn't just fill the mantle.

She surpasses it.

There's Better Glossy in the World: Much Love for Comic Book Love

What a day it has been, Gentle Reader! The Reads Washing Machine decided that the floor was the best place to store its water (two minutes before Mr. Reads had to leave for work), the car key gnomes made off with Mr. Reads' keys (one minute before Mr. Reads had to leave for work), and the amount of towels needed to clean up the mess has doubled the dirty laundry quotient in the Reads Household (and as I don't leave for work until the afternoon... well, You get the Idea!).

That is to say, The Reads Family has never quite enjoyed Valentine's Day.

For all of the normal reasons, yes: the commercialization of it, the outrageous expectations, the silliness of an entire holiday banked on consumerism. And perhaps for some not-as-normal reasons: We Reads, as a family, do not believe that a holiday should force us to express love, devotion, and joy to each other. We'd rather do that on our own terms, whenever we like.

Or perhaps it's because We Reads don't need Hallmark sentimentality: Mr. Reads is a poet, and This Humble Author occasionally fancies herself a writer. We can do better than the cards can, every time. Or perhaps it's because the reality of love is more interesting than the glossy red-and-pink-and-white fantasy of love presented to the world in the card aisles at your local grocery store, or chemist's.

But it *is* Valentine's Day, and One feels the need to discuss Love, in Some Incarnation, on One's Blog. So as a counteroffer to the glossy, schlocky sentimentality offered this month--rather than the beautiful Purple, Green, and Gold of Mardi Gras we should all celebrate instead (Laissez les bons temps rouler, Gentle Reader!)--I offer you a Better Glossy instead.

They may not be the healthiest, or the happiest, or the most tragic. They may be all of those things, or none of those things. The only thing they do have in common is that I adore them, in all of their wackiness, tragedy, silliness, maturity, and adoration.

The Ten Most Fascinating Comic Book Relationships
(as according to Amy Reads)
In no particular order.

1) Wally West and Linda Park-West
There is perhaps an order to this one, Gentle Reader, in that I find Wally and Linda to be the healthiest of any comic book relationship. Further, I am ever-charmed by Wally West, and ever-charmed by the strength and love of Linda Park-West. We will let them stand first, in a long line of favorites.

2) Catwoman and Batman
Oh, Selina and Bruce! Please reunite in love and happiness! You are never better than when you two are together.
*ahem*
That is to say, I'm a 'shipper, of the Highest Order.

3) Big Barda and Mister Miracle
What is not to love about Barda and Scott? In particular, what's not to love about a woman who is, hands down, larger and stronger than her husband, *in a comic book*?

4) Hulkling and Wiccan
The Young Avengers is a favorite book, and for three particular reasons: the new Hawkeye, Hulkling, and Wiccan. Not only are these two characters fascinating as superheroes, they are fascinating—-and awe-inspiring—-as a couple as well. Perhaps because they are teenagers, I didn't expect their relationship to be as mature as it is, but it is mature, and deep, and I adore them more every issue.

5) Colossus and Kitty Pryde
I am heartbroken, Gentle Reader, after the latest issue of Astonishing X-Men. I was never The Great Marvel Fan, as we are all well aware, but Joss Whedon brought me around, and the love story between Colossus and Kitty—-so hopeful, now a bit tragic, in Great Joss Tradition—-just breaks my heart, into a million itty pieces.

6) Renee Montoya and Kate Kane
Renee has been a favorite character since her Rucka days, and Batwoman, as an icon, simply fascinates me. But when put together as a couple, there is true strength here. Renee is better with Kate, and Kate is better with Renee. The few brief scenes we see of them together convince us of that. And, well, I can never resist unrequited love stories when *both* characters pine, unrequitedly, for an extended period of time...

7) Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker
Not the adult version, Gentle Reader, although I must say, I enjoy that version, too. Rather the charming awkward anticipation of the Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane variety rates this list. I would say more, but really, I've already gushed enough in my last review for anyone to stomach, I suspect (!!!).

8) Wonder Girl and Superboy
So tentative, so gentle, to end in such tragedy. From the shy, dancing-around-each-other Teen Titan days, to the final culmination of their love, to Cassie's continued attempts to bring him back, this love affair breaks my heart, too. And if it isn't painfully obvious by now, I enjoy my fiction with plenty of heartbreak!

9) The Joker and Harley Quinn
How can they *not* make the list, Gentle Reader? I love my DC Bad Girls, and Harley Quinn is on the top of the pile. Just when you think the Joker is the scariest thing you'll ever see, Harley opens her mouth, and you are *truly* frightened. Nothing else to say, Mr. J!

10) Luke Cage and Jessica Jones
I adore, absolutely adore Mr. Bendis's Alias series, and Jessica Jones is a personal favorite. The grittiness of her life, peppered by her few moments of hopeful anticipation, all resulting in the fierceness of her love for Luke and their child. And to see Mr. Cage himself, so enamored of his wife and daughter, so willing to fight to protect them and their future, makes me proud to like Marvel, just a little bit.

And, as an added bonus, Mr. Reads offers His Two Cents on a Comic Book Couple. Not to let him lose out on all the fun, I asked him who would be his choice, other than the ones I've mentioned. he said that despite his childhood crush on Jean Grey, the new pairing of Cyclops and Emma Frost is rapidly becoming a favorite for him.

And so, revel in the full-color glossy choices in the world! Choose pink-and-red as well as four-color! In other words, Happy Valentine's Day, Gentle Reader! May your chocolate be filled with cherries, and your comic books glossy and bright!

Amy Reads the Week (of February 9th, 2007)

The name of the game this week, Gentle Reader, is Catch Up. That is to say that I am woefully behind on my Comic Book Pop Culture, and I am, somewhat desperately, going through my backlog in order to get caught up with the present. Two issues behind on Supergirl—-although I only thought I was behind the one-—three weeks on 52, finally caught up on White Tiger, only to remember that issue #4 came out this week, and I haven't had the chance to pick it up yet. Not to mention Action Comics, Detective Comics, Civil War, JLA, X-23, and that partridge stuck in that bloody pear tree.

I have plans, great plans, for Next Week, as the revision of the chapter will finally be done and the chapter will, in its 50+ pages of (somewhat) Glory, be Turned In To The Director. Those plans include a much belated review of White Tiger #s 2-4, a series that I am thoroughly enjoying, albeit belatedly so, as well as finally Jumping On The (Supergirl and Batgirl) Bandwagon, as I've read Teen Titans, but not, well, Supergirl.

But I have managed to stay current on A Few Things, Gentle Reader, and first and foremost of those is:

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #13 and #14 by Sean McKeever

I adore this series, Friends. I believe I've mentioned that fact several times over the course of This Blog's Two Incarnations. There is something fun and innocent about it, at the same time there is something dark and mysterious, too. That is, in the opinion of This Humble Author, Good Writing.

The fun and innocent, of course, come from the subject matter. Mary Jane Watson, the future Mrs. Peter Parker, is in high school, and finally, after several mishaps, including a massive obsession and disastrous date with Spider-Man, crushing on the adorable, science-geeky Peter Parker. Cue Gwen Stacy, who arrives at the high school and turns the head-—and kisses the lips-—of said adorable science geek. The art, very pop, almost manga, bubbly and colorful and bright, lends itself to this feeling of Young Adult Comic Book.

The dark and mysterious comes in, though, quite often and quite fast. Mary Jane, disappointed in love, exhausts herself by creating a veneer of bubbly brightness. She can't be concerned with Peter's flirtations with Gwen, so she claims; she's too busy being the most popular—-and most desirable—-girl in the school. She smiles and waves and flirts and blows kisses, but when she's alone in a room, her face falls, she stares in the mirror at her reflection, and she doesn't look too happy about what she sees. She is torn between doing What She Wants and doing What Is Right. Seemingly obvious choices, yes, but quite mature subject matter for a girl still in high school, still crushing on the boy she really shouldn't, according to High School Hierarchy, crush on.

Where the good is-—and trust me, Gentle Reader, there is much good to be found—-is in the writing, and the art, and most importantly, the tone. Mr. McKeever gets the voices right, and in issue #13, when Gwen details her conversation with Peter to Mary Jane, the art changes, and the dialogue, to reflect not What Happened, but rather, What Gwen Understands Happened. That is to say, Peter Parker doesn't make awkward excuses for running out on their date, but rather, from Gwen’s point of view, says, "But now I'm totally gonna ditch you without warning for no real reason whatsoever," followed by a perky, "'Bye!" This is Peter Parker According To Gwen Stacy, and the art shows a boy a little hipper, a little cooler, very cute and very suave. The same boy as Spider-Man retains that hipness; when Gwen sees him fight The Sandman, Spidey says, "Hey, look at me! I'm Spider-Man! I'm cool!"

I was once a High School Student, Gentle Reader, and while I know you find it Hard To Believe, I was, yes, it's true, Friends, once awkward, and naïve, and less than eloquent. I can relate to these statements, these views, as I, like Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane Watson, found the geeky science kid Quite Cool And Hip. And if I can remember what it was like these dozen or so years since graduating from high school, I'm sure current high school students can relate, as well.

I don't know the numbers of distribution, Friends, nor do I know how to get such information. But it seems-—just seems, Gentle Reader!-—that Marvel must be doing Quite Well with this series. Not only because of the subject matter, and I'm not speaking here of the love story. Because in truth, the love story of Peter Parker and Mary Jane takes the backburner in most of the series. Rather, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is about insecurities, and artificiality, and not knowing your place, at home, in high school, in the world. So many comic series handle that well in teen settings-—Gen 13, X-23, Teen Titans, X-Men—-but Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane sets it in the almost-normal world of an almost-normal high school. Spider-Man is a character inasmuch as the Quarterback is a character, or the Prom Queen: larger than life, almost mythical, but Just Like You once you get to know him.

In short, Gentle Reader? This series is one of the smartest on the market today, and every issue, I am reminded of Why I Read It.

In a brief but well-deserved coup in the Reads Household, I have introduced Mr. Reads to the Wonder that is Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. Of course, let's be honest here, Friends, Mr. Reads threw me the comic in the first place. But he hadn't read it. Not at all. It was, as he put it, "very much an Amy Book." And it is, of course, but that's because it is Smart. So I kept telling Mr. Reads, over and over again.

He's now read all of the issues, and he is, as he told me last evening, rather thankful to me for making him pick up the series. Mr. Reads reintroduced me to comic books several years ago, and I am grateful to him for it. But I am-—yes, it's true, Friends—-Rather Smug in having scored such a turn-the-tables coup.

A Friend In Need: In Which the Author Queries Her Readers

Today, Gentle Reader, I am offering you something I don't think Arrogant Self-Reliance, in either of its incarnations, has ever offered you:

Brevity.

But as I have a few reviews still in the works, and as I am really, truly writing—-and writing hard!-—on the dissertation, and as the New Orleans Saints lost their chance at the Superbowl, I feel this post should be a bit shorter than most.

I'm really not sure why the Saints' loss matters to this, but it does, all the same.

In exchanging a wealth of comments with Matthew E. of Legion Abstract fame, I remembered a conversation I once had with a friend of mine (let's call him John) that mainly revolved around the Marvel (of which John's a fan) and DC (of which I'm a fan) divide. Much debate ensued, but the conversation eventually boiled down to the following question:

"If you were a teenager," John said, "and you were in trouble, who would you feel more comfortable turning to for help: Bruce Wayne/Batman, or Charles Xavier/Professor X?"

At first, I said, rather sheepishly I might add, Professor X, but the more I thought about it (and I've thought about it for several months, off and on), I want to retract my statement. Why, you may ask?

Because Professor X scares the bejeesus out of me.

And maybe it's because I've never read the 1980s run of The X-Men. I've only read Astonishing X-Men, and occasionally, New X-Men or Ultimate X-Men. But in the more recent incarnations of Professor X, he's not the helpful father figure so many paint him as. Rather, there's something almost predatory about him. He stalks down potential X-Men and doesn't as much recruit as mindwipe—-I mean, *insist* that they come to his school. He manipulates, twists, turns, and honestly, is perhaps even more dangerous than Magneto. In fact, Professor X and Magneto have the same goals, but put on the veneer of different paths.

Or, to wit, have you any knowledge of the late 19th- and early 20th-century Women's Suffrage Movement in Britain? There were two major parties fighting for women's right to vote: the Women's Social and Political Union, also known as Suffragettes, and the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, also known as Suffragists.

Yes, Ms. Reads, that's all well and good, but why the X-Men comparisons?

Well, both camps were fighting for women's suffrage, but the WSPU believed in militant tactics, like smashing shop windows and prison hunger strikes, while the NUWSS believed in pacifist protest, like banner or sign holding and legislation. Both used to be one entity fighting against the common goal, but split when more militant action was desired. The WSPU believed the NUWSS was too patient, and the NUWSS believed that militant action hurt rather than helped the Suffrage Campaign.

But both, and I repeat, *both* were fighting for the exact same thing.

Now, we know that Batman Is Scary In His Own Right (and, well, meta-ist, too!), but so, I believe, is Professor X.

So I turn to you, Gentle Reader, to further this debate. Please, help me with the question: who is more accessible for a teenager with a problem (and I am, of course, talking about Problems of Registration or Joker proportions), Batman, or Professor X?

Welcome to the Machine: A Brief Review of The Invincible Iron Man: Extremis

"Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream? It's all right; we told you what to dream."
- Pink Floyd

As mentioned several times previously, Gentle Reader, Mr. Reads and I just returned from a lengthy trip abroad. As our plane tickets were much cheaper flying out of New Orleans, my hometown and our Winter Break Destination, than they were from our current place of residence, we went to the UK via The Big Easy, and drove the several hours to and from. This means that not only did we have over 20 hours of flight time, we also had over 16 hours of driving time, more, if you count the trips between The Reads' and The Reads-In-Laws' houses.

All of this preamble to say that Mr. Reads and I had a lot of time to talk on these lengthy driving legs of our trip, and, as things often happen when Mr. Reads and I are alone, without anyone to judge us, we talked, a lot, about comic books.

I'd like to offer you the question Mr. Reads posed to me somewhere around the Louisiana/Texas Border:

What comic book superhero as metaphor works the best?

Now, this is Quite An Intriguing Question, and I thought about it for a few miles. Batman seems the quick and obvious answer; The Dark Knight—-Byronic, broody, dark, melancholic in the Renaissance Sense—-seems a heavy-handed metaphor from the start, although over the past several years, the in-your-faceness of his symbolism has diminished slightly. Superman, too, for truth, justice, and the American Way, but let's not forget Wonder Woman, symbol of rising feminism and women's rights. The X-Men, as a whole, represent the periphery: what happens to the outsiders in a society hell-bent on destroying anything different? But I dismissed all of these out of hand, and offered this final answer:

Iron Man.

It's quite simple really, when you get right down to it. Tony Stark discovers he's dying, so he builds an iron suit to protect his fragile body. He creates weapons for the government in order to fund his superhero gang. The more elaborate, the more complex the suit, the more Tony *is* the suit. In fact, the more unified Tony is with his suit, as exemplified in the trade hardcover collection of The Invincible Iron Man: Extremis which I read during my trip, the less human he becomes, not because of his cybernetic flesh, but rather, because of his corporate soul.

Do you see it, Gentle Reader? The more Tony is the *suit*, the more he is The Suit.

Tony Stark is, above all else, a warning against the greedy corporate giants we see every day in the media, the ones who steal their employees' pensions, dump oil in land reserves, move businesses overseas so they can pay someone next to nothing to do backbreaking labor. His motives, while seemingly innocent, are almost always underlined by corporate initiative and interest. Tony Stark is in the business of making money, and Tony does his business, very well.

In fact, Tony Stark as The Suit is a metaphor that moves beyond the familiar Cyborg metaphor we have come to know and love since, really, the nineteenth century, but perhaps even before. Wilkie Collins' novel The Law and the Lady, for example, presents us with the character Miserrimus Dexter, who is described as "a strange and startling creature—-literally the half of a man" who comes into a courtroom "Gliding, self-propelled in his chair on wheels" (163) and rebukes anyone who touches his wheelchair as to do so is to lay hands upon himself. For, as Miserrimus often says, "My chair is Me" (138). He for certain is the Cyborg, the half-man, half-machine that we have seen for some time now. Count them, if you will, in comics (Cyborg, Iron Man, Cable, Deathlok), in literature (Frankenstein to some degree, Gibson's Case and Molly), in movies and television (Terminator, Robocop, the Borgs). They are everywhere, reminding us of our continuing dependence on technology to save us.

But where Iron Man moves beyond that beautiful-in-its-simplicity metaphor is in this fact: he is not dependent on the technology, but rather, the technology is dependent on him. As The Suit, as The Corporation, Tony Stark decides more than any one man ever should decide. Civil War presents the aftermath of this overwhelming power, as does the seductiveness of all Tony has to offer. Look at those who have fallen under his sway; I could name several, but I think Peter Parker speaks to them all.

In Warren Ellis's and Adi Granou's The Invincible Iron Man: Extremis, we see the dangers not of a man obsessed with science and technology and yes, it's true, Friends, not even his own mortality, but rather, the very simple danger of a man obsessed with making money. When being interviewed by a documentary maker, Tony Stark responds to accusations of his impartiality at the world's suffering: "Am I an arms dealer? No. Did I start out as a weapons designer? Yes. Do I intend to die as one? No." For Tony, at this moment, the ends without a doubt justify the means. He believes the initial intentions for his inventions don't really matter, that their lethal origins are overwritten by the good he's wrought as well. The filmmaker asks Tony, "Do you think they have your painkilling drug pumps in Iraq? Do you think an Afghan kid with his arms blown off by a landmine is remotely impressed by an Iron Man suit?" to which Tony responds, "I never claimed to be perfect. I always knew there would be blood on my hands. I'm trying... I'm trying to improve the world."

Tony Stark is trying to improve the world by rewriting it in the image he sees fit. Jump ahead to Civil War, and that image is one of order and registration. In this book, that image is one in which he controls and maintains the ultimate weaponry power. In Tony Stark's perfect world, he, and only he, is The Perfect Machine.

"My chair is Me," Miserrimus Dexter says, and the 21st century response from Marvel Comics could be, "My suit is Me." Tony Stark is defined not by what he gives the world, but by what Iron Man can take from it: technology, money, safety, danger, all of it's the same in a Stark Industry kind of world. Even though Tony says, "I went from being a man trapped in an iron suit to being a man freed by it," the ending of this arc belies those words.

Tony melds himself with the suit using the advanced technology that sparked the latest rampage on the unsuspecting public. He becomes one with the suit, can see through satellites because of it. Or, as he tells Maya, his scientist companion, "We can reconfigure Extremis to do all those jobs. Make me the Iron Man inside and out."

And lucky for Tony, he's brilliant. He does become the Iron Man inside and out, literally in this case. When Maya asks, "Tony... what have you done?" He tells her, "This. Supercompressed and stored in the hollows of my bones, Maya. I carry the crucial undersheath of the Iron Man suit inside my body now. Wired directly into my brain. I control the Iron Man with thought. Like it was another limb."

The only problem with being The Suit inside and out is that you no longer know where you fit into all of this mess. And isn't that why we love Iron Man? Isn't that why we read Tony Stark, watch him self-destruct again and again, because we love our very broken men consumed by their jobs, their passions, their vendettas, their insecurities? Until I read this book, Tony reminded me of Bruce Wayne, Marvel's answer to The Batman problem. After reading this book, I realized that Tony Stark had a much different DC twin.

Lex Luthor.

Two men, both driven, both determined, both dying but for the grace of God and suit, both corporate Giants, both rich and morally ambiguous—-sometimes doing good, sometimes doing evil, but always for their own ends. Both sometimes blinded by their obsessions: for Lex, Superman, and for Tony, alcohol. Both self-destructive and self-loathing, again and again and again.

But for Tony Stark, in this book, there is a tiny ray of Hope. What the art presents us with—-besides sheer gorgeousness-—are little moments of reflection. Reflective surfaces are nothing new for the Cyborgs of literature; think only of all that shiny metal, or Molly's mirrored lenses surgically placed in her eye sockets. This book presents us with dozens of such reflections: Tony confronting the suit, the suit confronting others, even the buildings made of mirrored tempered glass. But most importantly, we see Tony confronting mirrors. In the beginning of the book, he takes a shower and then sees his reflection in the mirror. "What are you looking at?" Tony asks his reflection, or his reflection asks Tony. We're never quite sure, even when he says, "I hate it when you look at me like that."

This confrontation, mirrored (no pun intended, Gentle Reader!) in the very last scene of the book, demonstrates that there is hope for Tony. That as long as he continues to be reflective, introspective, diving inwards for the answers to The Iron Man, he may, just may avoid becoming Marvel's Lex Luthor. That maybe, just maybe, Tony can coexist with the machine, rather than consume it. Because The Iron Man Suit represents corporation *and* the hope for a better, brighter tomorrow.

Because, Gentle Reader, isn't that the very promise of technology?