Spring is on its way and my comics reading list is somewhat under control. I’m happy to report that February has some improvements for representation of women. I have been watching and waiting for a month when neither Marvel nor DC had the number 1 spot on the single issues list. This month, IDW pushes…
I Like Rafael Albuquerque’s Joker Variant Batgirl Art
I really like Rafael Albuquerque’s Joker variant Batgirl art. Albuquerque expertly manages the shadow play in the piece, the casual aggression of the Joker juxtaposed against Batgirl’s terrified stiff body and her eyes, those evocative eyes, that manage to make the viewer an active participant in the piece, sharing Barbara’s horror. I’m a fan of…
That Batgirl Cover was Bad and DC Can Do Better
So that Batgirl/Joker variant cover got pulled, and that’s great. But it’s not enough.
Who Do We Listen To And Why Can We Hear Them? Criticism, Satisfaction, Responsibility, Service
It’s strange how so much isn’t surprising. Chris Sims, currently of ComicsAlliance and Marvel’s rose-tinted X-Men ’92–you might know him as @theisb or that guy with the laughing pink guy twitter icon, fan amongst fans– used to be the kind of fanboy who would lock onto hate like a dog on the last dear bone of their…
Star Spangled Stories: Milkyway Hitchhiking
Milkyway Hitchhiking, Vol. 1 & 2 Sirial Yen Press November, 2014 & January, 2015
Women Making Comics: An Interview with Emet Comics Founder Maytal Gilboa
Emet Comics is an upcoming imprint of comics by women for women. Founded by Maytal Gilboa late last year, Emet Comics currently has six comic books in production to be sold digitally through Comixology around June this year. The website launches in a few weeks, where you’ll be able to read previews of all their…
I’m Loving: Lord Snooty and His Pals
My God, Dudley D. Watkins was a genius. It’s not a word I use lightly. While there are a lot of comics creators out there with staggering levels of talent whose work can make you see the world in a whole new way, they’re not all geniuses as such. But every line that Watkins drew,…
Compulsive Reading: Some Notes On How We Read Mental Health
Megan Purdy asks the questions in this round table discussion responding to several comics tackling mental illness, and its resultant behaviours. Sara Lautman’s comic Some Notes on Compulsive Hair Pulling is beautiful and affecting. The comic is about Lautman’s struggle with trichotillomania: how she got her diagnosis; how she deals with it; how she relates,…
Don’t Call it a Comeback: Wrestling Puts Comics, Comedy & Pop Culture in a Headlock [GIFS]
In the past month or so, I saw a young Thor get drunk and Jon Stewart kick a man in the nuts. Wait, this is going somewhere, I promise.
Transformers 101 with Professor Rachel Stevens
So! You’ve heard that the IDW Transformers comics are fantastic and want to get into them, but aren’t sure how. This particular universe has been around for nearly ten years, and there’s a lot of possible entry points. I’d be glad to elucidate and pleased if you’d give them a shot. I promise that they’re…
Batgirl, The Killing Joke and Criticism
People much smarter than I have explained again and again why The Killing Joke‘s treatment of Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl is terrible. Sue from DC Women Kicking Ass has written a great piece about it. It’s a story that has nothing to do with her as an active character. She’s used as a tool to hurt the men in…
The Bloodied Vagina: Why the Batgirl Variant Cover is No Joke
Content Warning: Rape, Sexual Violence, discussion of the meat of bodies.