Thank You James Meeley

This summer I read and read various comics blogs. I was impressed with the women involved in comics blogging. I was inspired to start my own. The posts that most inspired me, however, I've just realized and discovered weren't talking about a generic misogynist or a generic male privilege jackass. They were all talking about James Meeley. All of them. Every single one.

Unknowingly I stumbled across these posts as I surfed and random clicked and blogroll clicked. I nodded along as I read or skimmed various points and rebuttals. But at the time I wasn't paying attention to particular names or even blog addresses. I was just enjoying the meta and commentary.

But as things have now blown up and reached Fandom_Wank, all the link backs to familiar articles make me laugh. Because "Thank you, James Meely", without you and the hubbub you caused and the eloquent and impassioned entries written about you, I wouldn't be part of the comics blogsphere at all.

Is this irony? Do I even care? Nope. Not one bit.

Well F*CK: Anita Blake Invades Marvel

Oh god Marvel. Oh god Marvel!

If anyone knows the name 'Anita Blake' it means they might have heard of the author, Laurell K Hamilton. LKH is in the unique position of having a large fan base, some of which loathes her most recent works; from book 11 or 12 onwards. The rest of her fan base is rabid and loyal and say things like how her works have become their marital aides; Anita Blake on the nightstand to make the hubby rev up.

There was supposed to have been a comic deal with independent Dabel. Issues 1 & 2 of the arc 'Guilty Pleasures' - the same as the first book - were supposed to be out. But then they couldn't be found by anyone. It turns out that Marvel bought out Dabel and Dabel's going to be their version of the Vertigo Imprint; sophisticated adult (mature) fare.

I loved the first ten or so Anita Blake novels. I am one of that apparent minority of fans who think the quality of writing has plummeted since then and there's been a serious lack of plot and mindless and quite awful sex (porn). I feel like this is yet another reason why I'm following DC characters.

There was an blog-article I wanted to link to that described a potential difference between Marvel and DC as 'What does it mean to live in a world of super humans' vs 'What is it like to be a superhero'. Anita stopped being a superhero for me a good couple of years ago. And I haven't even found it all that interesting to look at her world of super humans; because the protagonist seemed to always be looking at them on her back. Just like 'Civil War' I can't understand the impetus of this, other than to try to latch onto to another group of people with wallets. I'm possibly quite bitter to see this as yet another sign that Marvel's less discreet about showing 'it's all about the money'.

However, I'd much rather Marvel's character have potential crossovers with Anita that DC. There's no way I want that Mary Sue Ho anywhere near my Batman.

*goes in search of a 'Hell No' image to icon*

ETA: Hell No Icon

Superman Returns

For a Batgirl, I have a lot of Supers on my mind recently. Today while doing nothing but staring into space, I forget for what reason, I found myself in the midst of a fantasy. In it, I was one of any number of people rushing to the.. oh wait a minute. Spoilers for the movie.

So I was one of any number of people rushing to the hospital after Superman falls. And I was taking my personal SAD lamp. SAD as in Seasonal Affective Disorder which can be helped with a special UV spectrum lamp. So there I was offering my lamp, not knowing if the hospital had enough, thinking they might only have one. And one would never be enough to help Superman.

And in the middle of the fantasy I realized that in the movie they never thought of that. Sure they took the kryptonite out. But even knowing it was the Man of Steel, they still tried to use needles on him. And then realized they were helpless to do anything but put him quietly in a room. Luckily the room seemed to be south facing and he got sunlight through the blinds for a full day - during which Lois showed up with her wee bit of a son.

I know I'm a Batman fangirl. I know my favourite part of Superman Returns was the bit on the news where I got to hear that he'd also briefly visited Gotham.

So I didn't pay attention to Lois fainting, other than having a glim memory of Lois fainting in the original movie. A thought which was confirmed a few weeks later when I caught the first movie on cable. I didn't wonder at James Marsden having to play 'straight guy the girl doesn't really love and sure as hell doesn't deserve'. I was just wondering who the hell Richard White was in comics canon. I still haven't taken the time to find out if he's solely a movieverse character or not.

My last major thoughts about the movie, prior to this spell of daydreaming, was me thinking that perhaps Lois had crippled her son on purpose so she wouldn't have to remember who his father was. I never thought he wasn't Superman's son. And I was told that I had a suspicious and perhaps a touch villainous mind for thinking that Lois would convince her son he had asthma and pump him full of drugs to prevent him from being different.

Now as I think about my daydream, wherein everyone knows that kryptonite kills Superman, but no one thought of or seems to know that sunlight would help him. I wonder just what the movie was trying to say, other than 'Here's Superman'; like something from the Johnny Carson show.

I'm open to people telling me. I went, I watched but I didn't really absorb anything. I mean if you ask me about Batman Begins, I can talk your ear off for at least two hours, mixing in comics canon, and Else verses' and what happened in the movie and how they played to what strengths and what psychological needs and... I can go on.

But Superman was just a movie. I'm not sure if this is just because I'm not a particular Superman fan or if it's that Christopher Reeve is my Superman and so I just don't get excited when I see any other representation. Maybe I held myself back, wanting to give Routh a chance and I held back too far so now I don't have much of an opinion? I'm not sure.

I know I did miss Reeve's Clark Kent. I missed the sense of humor and good natured joy in his bumbling and niceness and clumsiness. I missed the wickedness in his eyes, a bit of mischief whenever he played Clark seconds after Superman had been spotted or talked to by the other major characters. I missed the glee. But I can't expect another actor to interpret the role in the same way. Is that lack of expectation holding me back?

I don't want to mourn 'Superman' forever. I mean, I don't want to look at the upcoming movies that are bound to happen and feel like it's something to watch, when I distinctly remember I used to get excited about Superman. Not as much as Batman, but excited.

Poking around I see comments on the new uniform and on how the new Lois Lane seems to lack bite. And I hesitate to agree or disagree. Margo Kidder was my childhood Lois Lane. I'm not sure I have an ultimate fantasy Lois Lane. There are bits and pieces of her in various representations. Though oddly enough the character and representation of Chloe Sullivan in Smallville comes closest.

I've just been hit with the strong feeling like I'm missing something; discussion, emotion, something when it comes to the new movie.

SuperRamble: Supergirl, Powergirl - A Story Redux.

Now that I've gotten the 'OMG the bare ass' out of the way, I want to see what I can write up about Superman/Batman:Supergirl and Supergirl Vol 1. But I highly doubt it'll make much sense. There's too much stewing.

I like outsider stories. I like stories where people try to figure out how to fit in, why to fit in and what makes them who they are. I like the base thread of Supergirl (the new Kara from Krypton)'s story so far. But I only like the base thread. It took me a while to figure this out, since I was beginning to wonder what exactly I was feeling. I had a lot of excitement and enjoyment and odd offkey disappointment and agitation. I had to sleep on it for a while. And I realized I like outsider stories, so Supergirl's current story appeals to me right off the bat.

However, Supergirl's story, excluding the bit about her being evil and sent to kill Kal-el as a baby, reads a lot like the troubles and turmoils of Powergirl. And I fell in love with Powergirl way back when, because she was an ultimate outsider. She was the Kryptonian with knowledge of Krypton, the one with answers to questions about the culture and society. She was the one who could look at humanity and just plain not understand them. Which is why I've been so disappointed at realizing the story arc where she was seeing things and losing her powers and having conflict went right back to the status quo.

Yes, I wanted some interesting history for her. But moreso I wanted an explanation. I wanted someone to skillfully weave everything that had happened in her life and give it purpose. Was Powergirl out of time? Out of phase? Why had she been so badly used and abused throughout the years?

I didn't get an answer to that. And then on top of it, I get Supergirl playing out Karen's story. Supergirl's the confused one, the alone one, the one seeking out Kon to talk to him, and dealing with all these new feelings and sensations and curiosities and powers and enemies and hormones and boys and...

Powergirl is Supergirl too. And maybe it's my fantasy alone that Powergirl is Supergirl all grown up, come back to where she was originally meant to be in the timeline from the far future, with unstable whatevers that mess with her memory. Maybe it's wrong of me to think of Powergirl and Supergirl as being the same person, from different spots in the time stream and/or one shade over in realities.

But it's a lot harder not to think that, when Kara is walking in PG's footsteps. It's a lot harder not to do it when I end up thinking they're doing PG's story, only updated for the times.

"Am I Superman's Cousin? What does that mean? What does it mean to be a Kryptonian on Earth? Why did I have to live? Do I want to die? Will I ever fit in? Will I ever be what they expect me to be? Do they have the right to expect anything at all? Will I ever measure up to Kal's legacy? Should I? Could anyone? Who am I? What am I? Should I try to have a normal life? Can I? Is it possible without all the years put in to having a normal, human, childhood? What am I missing out on in the human world? Is it anything like what I'm missing out in from Krypton? What do I want? Can I want something for myself? What does being a hero mean? Should I be a hero? Why do I have to handle this all in public? What's my purpose? Why can't I live a normal life if I can manage to blend in and lie and be a human? Why does Kal live a human life? Does he feel anything? Does it feel weird to him? Does anyone understand how weird it feels to me? Should I remember being Kryptonian and of the House of El or should I try to forget? Am I following Kal's footsteps because he's currently the head of the House of El? Does that even matter anymore?.....'

So many questions. So many interesting questions and conflicts and desires and emotions. But I associate them all with Powergirl. And I keep wanting to see them interacting, so I can maybe observe the differences. Except that there's this stupid premise that they can't be too close together physically because they cause each other's powers to act up.

So Kara's alone when she doesn't have to be. She's alone when it makes her story mimic Karen's that much more. She's alone and a teenager and angsty and trying to figure it all out. But the writers so far don't seem to be looking at it from a teenager's pov.

Kara isn't watching teens on the street, or looking at MTV, or flipping through the channels or reading books about teenagers. But she is spending time with the Outsiders and crushing on Nightwing, and wondering why everything gets tongue tied around him. But it doesn't move from there, because there's a crisis and off she runs.

Kara isn't exploring what having powers and doing heroic things means to her. She's aping Kal-El and wearing his symbol and his costume. And in that she seems somewhat less that PowerGirl. Though understandably she's much younger and as a teenager she's going to be easily swayed.

And yet...

It's like they're missing all the edges of the outsider story. They have the frame up, a rough sketch. But the things that give it dimension are missing.

There's more to trying to figure out who you are, in a world where people die, and relatives lose their powers and enemies haunt you just because you're part of the House of El; than exploring smoking, costume changes and man on the street interaction.

There was this beautiful hint at all the anger she feels in her interaction with Cassie. Kara has grief and rage. She's lost the world she knows, moreso than Kal-El can ever imagine. In fact, she has more in common with Batman, in having had her world shatter and break.

As much as I love Batman, he's not the best person to help her deal with that. But I know he'd take her to the person who is, Jonn Jonzz.

I've heard much of Kyle of Green Lantern Fame, and the trip he took where he met up with lots of Superheroes and slowly realized that what he had inside him was a hero's heart. Why can't Supergirl have something similar? Why can't Jonn teach her about celebrating old rituals and customs in private and dealing with the huge weight of loss that will never really go away? Why can't WonderWoman teach her about female empowerment and humanity's history and self-respect? What would be wrong with a series where a strong telepath like Jonn realized the pain she was in and sent her down the right path?

I found something very wrong with Superman calling an assembly of heroes to welcome Kara when she hadn't proven herself yet. I know she didn't join a particular group. But she hasn't had any training. Is it my Batman love showing that I think like this? That I want to point out that when WonderWoman lost her sight, Batman went for her tooth and nail to ensure she could still take care of herself. But he and Superman leave an untrained girl to discover for herself how to do things? Since when do they do that?

The book kept mentioning Clark wanting Lois to meet Kara. Has that happened yet and I missed it? Cause if not, why can't it happen? What's wrong with Lois and or Martha helping Kara see the point of view of human females? Why isn't there a chance for her to see there are things she might want to experience as just a girl without costumes and responsibilities being right there front and center.

I guess I want to see something more. So far I haven't even figured out why Kara wears the S, other than mimicking Kal-El and so once again I find myself thinking of Powergirl's independence in not wearing a symbol. Though I personally wouldn't fret if I saw her belt-buckle had the S. Or that she suddenly sported a ring that held the emblem. Because it means 'House of El' to me as much as it means 'SUPERsomeone' and Karen's worthy of her house.

Is it possible the writers of Supergirl don't understand the 'Outsider' story? That they don't remember being awkward teenagers and don't have the imaginations to pretend to be an alien girl who doesn't even understand why what she wears and how she looks should be more important than what she does? Or perhaps hasn't even had that thought or philosophy enter her head yet?

They've showed that she wants someone her own age to talk to but they haven't given her that someone. Why?

Why does the whole run that I've managed to read, leave me with more questions than satisfaction?

It's All Been Said Before / Same Old, Same Old

There's something to be said for reading a thing yourself versus reading other people's essays and only seeing a couple of scans of a particular comic or comic arc. This past weekend, while having phoneline and connection problems I went out to the bookstore and the library and I had a chance to read Superman/Batman: Supergirl and I believe Volume of Supergirl.

And I have so many thoughts, about Kara and Karen and how I feel like Powergirl's story is being appropriated; about the mess of Kara Zor-El assasin, and Kara's pain and alienation and feelings of isolation and where she might go next. But the first thing I need to talk about is the cheesecake factor.

I actually need to talk about it. It's almost a physical need. I'm so incredulous at what I saw. It only got worse when I got home and a day or so later I got Greg Rucka's WonderWoman graphic novels. Because there was Diana, powerful, sleek, muscled, athletic and beautiful. She was a wonder woman; noble, self sacrificing, loving, stern, determined. And then there was WonderWoman as I'd seen her drawn in Superman/Batman: Supergirl. And that WW looked like Brigitte Nielsen in Red Sonja. I love that movie almost as much as I love LadyHawke, but at no time did I ever delude myself into thinking that there wasn't significant set up for T&A and that a lot of the scenes played on the fact that the woman in charge didn't look as if she could handle herself. To me WonderWoman should always look like she can handle herself. She's the Queen of the Amazons.

I got back into comics almost without realizing, about a year to 18 months ago, possible a bit longer than that. But I had started by catching up. This is the first time I've looked long and hard at what's current (relatively speaking). And I don't know what to think. I was inspired by the comic blogs of so many eloquent women online. But I don't think I'd ever really seen what inspired them to speak. And now I have. Now it's hit me personally and viserally. And if it seems like I'm about to start harping on 'the clothes' like any other 'comic book femminist'; If it is easy to ignore my points because I'm just another girl talking about T&A and how much she doesn't like it; I suggest you move on, because you'll likely never see my point of view. And I point you now to Dictionary.com so you can look up the words in the phrase; 'Consistent Internal Continuity'.

In Superman/Batman, Clark is being overprotective of Kara. There's something in him that sees in her a precious connection to the past and the future. She's like a daughter to him. She's an innocent. A child. All the power in the world wouldn't change the fact that she's a miracle to him. Those wonderfully corny lines when he thinks she's dead, wherein he talks about her smile, and laughter and her first dance and falling in love are all things a Father would wish for his little girl. Moreover, it shows how lonely Clark is; the unique lonliness of the ex-patriot or the exile. It shows beautifully that he longs to have someone else to check in with about human rituals and talk about how they came to mean anything to him or even if they really do mean anything to him at all. Does kissing really do anything, or is it because he's a male Kryptonian with different erogneous zones, or is he some how stranger and more alien than he thought; just for example.

Everything he wants to show her, and teach her and share with her, is akin to parent to child; this world is now your oyster, let me show you the wonders. They make it clear from the beginning before things even get to the point where she's in danger, that he sees 'A little, lost, Kryptonian girl'. That he doesn't in fact give her up and over to Martha to look after says a lot in how much he wants to be in her life and be there for her and share first hand with her. Perhaps he even regrets (in that way that guilt makes no sense) not being able to be there, right from the beginning, for Kon. And it also shows, I think, that as wonderful as he thinks his parents were, he doesn't think Martha will 'get' Kara, without years of human indoctrination happening first.

And yet, despite all this, it doesn't occur to Superman, the Father, to be overprotective of the gazes Kara might draw, when she's walking around like a hootchie-momma?! I'm supposed to believe he doesn't think about how she's blonde and young and you can see her underwear outside and over her jeans and if some jackass tries something, Kara's still too untested to check her strength and she might hurt a human?! Are you telling me that Clark is too stupid to live and that Batman really has reason to think this girl is bio-chemically engineered to mess with Clark's mind, because Clark didn't take one look at all that skin on the girl he thinks of as an innocent child and go 'Kara, I think you still have a problem with human clothes. Maybe I should pick out your outfits.'

Was the point maybe to show that she's not yet accustomed to Earth ways and Earth clothes? If so, wouldn't it have been more recognizable in point for her to have one black shoe and one red shoe? Wouldn't it have been easier to show her putting the bra on the outside of the clothes? And even then, Kara isn't five. You can let the five year old get away with wearing the Fairy Princess dress night and day for a week. Kara's a teenager who needs to start learning how to blend and fit in. Is the only way for that to happen, is to have her be, unconsciously, an over-sexualized teenager? Is the only way for Kara Zor-El to fit into Earth, and among Earth women, is for her to a Virgin/Whore?

The nakedness out of the capsule-ship is logically required in the story. It is connected to plot in that Kara had exposure to yellow sunlight during her trip and stasis so she arrived on Earth with powers. Showing her hip bones however, is not a plot point. And in fact, there is no way I can believe that Lois-Independent-Femminist-PutsClarkInHisPlace-Lane bought those clothes for her; a high cut leotard with low riding jeans; french cut thongs showing over her jeans!

I realize that a lot of young girls and women do wear thongs and you seen the line of the thong sticking up past their pants. But the women are grown and making their own choices about their appearance. And most of those girls, even if they do think they're making a femmnist stance or any stance at all about their bodies, have more life on Earth experience than Kara and practically are very likely sneaking those clothes out of the house, or don't have anyone at home to tell them better(different).

In a perfect society it'd be instantly recognized that an idiot who hit on a woman when it was unwanted was harrassing her. In a perfect society how a woman dresses wouldn't factor into whether or not a man thought he had the right to touch her without permission or force himself on her. DCverse is not a perfect society. In fact there's a long list of just how many DC heroines have been raped or sexually assualted. DCverse is ripe with powerplays of a sexual and violating nature.

Am I to believe that in a society like that, that Lois Lane would give an innocent and ignorant girl clothes that said 'Come and get it' when said girl hasn't got a clue what the clothes say? Because I don't believe it. And I also don't believe that Martha Kent, who thought about aerodyanmics when she made Clark's costume and being a practical farming woman would put a young girl who's going to be zipping through the air in a skirt. And not just a skirt, but a ruffle of a mini. Not a ruffle attached to a leotard for a bit of girly whimsy but a sash with delusions of grandeur matched with a cropped top. Martha Kent; who knows the kind of enemies her Clark has faced, who knows the kind of enemies her granson Kon has faced, puts one of her baby boy's relatives in that outfit?

No. I don't believe it.


What I do believe is that the artist and author wanted her in those clothes for their own reasons. That this was what they wanted to see. And maybe that explains why WonderWoman, Queen of the Amazons was wearing a star spangled thong. Because what every warrior woman needs in the heat of battle is a wedgie and to have her bare ass cheeks available for scoring.

And if this is what every warrior woman wants, it also explains why Artemis had a bodysuit on that had one leg clothed and one leg bare. Because Artimis as the premier fighter among the Amazons, under the Queen, is just the sort of hard core warrior that needs the rage that comes from having an unplanned wedgie caught up in the crack of her vagina and ass. And if this is what every warrior woman wants, then it explains why Darkseid, a being who has as his personal guard the Furies, would put Kara in long pants, but add 'fuck me now' platform heels like something out of 'When Porn Stars Attack!'. Because Darkseid would definitely want his honor guards pissed off and ready to lop heads and even if Kara can fly and as the girl of steel can't twist her ankle, the unecessary frustration of balancing on those heels, with easy access scarves on her arms so her enemies can pull her closer is just the thing to keep her anger on the surface and her darker nature out and free.

Are any of the men writing and drawing this shit fathers?! Are they uncles? Older cousins? Older brothers?!

There's a time and place for cheesecake. There's a time and place to say that this is a young, fresh, nubile, young woman with no body issues. The time and place, however, is not downtown Metropolis on a young, alien, superpowered, girl's very first shopping trip. The time and place is not on Apokolips in its fight or die atmosphere. The time and place is definitely not while fighting Lex Luthor in his green and purple exo-skeleton, and his various kryptonite jewels while a teeny ass skirt swishes, sways and reveals at every movement. Lex Luther isn't the villian to be stopped by a glimpse of underage poontang.

I've got nothing else to say except to wonder if the artists had never heard of skorts, or hadn't thought of Supergirl in spankypants like WonderWoman or if they really wanted that 'distract them with the bare midrift' look, tights, just like her cousin. These artists are artists, right? They've earned that title? They could flip through a couple of online sites for fashion houses and see design? Or a magazine? Or something, right?

Do they realize what they're saying when they draw/ describe women like this? I'm curious now. I think of 'Eyes of the Gorgan' and 'Land of the Dead' and I wonder. Aphrodite walks around in nothing but whisps of fog and ribbon, there's ample opportunity to be risque and yet the sight of her doesn't make me feel as if someone is trying to disempower me as a woman (or disempower my heroes).

Can someone point me to where Greg Rucka has disrespected women some how? Cause I'd rather find out now than later, after purchasing a very low, very accessible pedastal.

NEXT: (or eventually) Supergirl, Powergirl; A Story Redux.

Supe / Bat Pairing (Note to me)

Random brainstorm I want to keep a record of. Instead of Ms. Supergirl of the barely there skirt, and cigarette burning self, bad ass attitude - having a crush/teaming up with Dick/Nightwing; what would happen if she ended up hanging around Jason Todd?

They're both trying to fit in, and get out from under the expectations of a well known hero. They're both confused, messed up, angry, emotional people. They're both trying to find and figure themselves out. Jason's supposed to be getting over his madness and dealing with his impulses to be more violent and vengeful with criminals. But is Supergirl still having impulses of evil? Has she figures out how to deal with her darker aspects yet?

Am I the only one who thinks that'd make an interesting story? A random one off mini-series wherein they become aquainted, bitch, fret, fight, talk....

I can so clearly see Jason taking the meanest potshots on the barely there skirt, and crop top and asking if she wants to be the SuperHo.

I can see Supergirl calling him a monster at some point, and him morphing into that wtf tentacle creature, just for a second, and admitting he doesn't know what or who the hell he is anymore.

Would it be insider to have them wondering about what's real and what's not real? Would it have to be? Couldn't it just be human and young and confused to feel unreal or like the world was unreal because of everything that's happened? Because of expectations? Because of feeling left out, unloved, unavenged, abandoned.

She could explain why she felt so alone among the Amazons even though to all appearances it was the best place for her. He could explain why Batman sucks (from his pov) or maybe someone would actually go deeper with Jason and deal with him feeling replaceable and like some cog in the wheels within wheels the Bat spins.

And then from there, I don't know, a friendship wherein they branch off into their own books after? It's not unusual for a Supe and a Bat to be friends. There was Tim and Kon. There's Kal-el and Bruce. Why not, Kara and Jason?

Dick can get taken under Powergirl's wing and get given lots of books on coming out of the closet and being a modern gay figure and have deep talks about being taken seriously and trying to form identity when so much of you is tied up in another person; but at a far more adult level than Jason and Kara. J and K could be the teenagers trying to sort things out. And PeeG and Dick could be the adults who still haven't figured things out.

And now I wonder if I'll end up writing some hastilly scrabbled summary (it's been ages upon ages since I wrote fanfiction) because I'm interested in the story now. I'm interested in the layers

ETA: Even the 'incest' thing could be explored well between J and K, as part of the confusing emotions and perceptions of being a teenager and coming back from the dead/ being in stasis etc.

A Letter To Greg Land

Dear Greg Land,

I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I wish your mother showed up in your dreams and spit on you. And all your female relatives turned their backs on you. I wish you'd fall and trip on the sidewalk, and a little girl poured her ice cold soda on your crotch and said 'That's for us girls everywhere!'

It's bad that you trace. It's bad that pictures can be found that are exact copies of what you 'drew'. It's horrible that people keep talking about your so called fucking talent. When in actuality you'd be nothing without Justin Ponsor. It's Justin's color's that make your tracings come alive. He makes them pop. He makes them eye catching. He makes them dynamic because what he does is build depth into a coloring book. That's how empty your drawing is.

But no. On top of all that, your porn face, blow up doll, easy access holes, women never seem to shut their fucking mouths. They're open all the time just waiting for a hard, warm, cock shaft to fill in their empty, brainless cock sucking, cum wanting, dick needing mouths in order to fulfill their destiny as cumslut fantasy whores with superpowers and perky sperm soaked breasts.

Why do your male characters get to smirk, sneer, grin, smile with their mouths closed or when they do talk, do so with the barest breath space between top lip and bottom? But your female characters are always trying to double team the dongs with mouths open wider than if they were at the fucking dentist.

Open mouth for screaming.

Open mouth for sighing.

Open mouth for frustration.

Open mouth for sadness or shock.

Do the hordes of fanboys who flock to your defense have no idea the reason they're so tuned into you, and like you so much, is because you present some of the comic's world strongest women as nothing more than eager, wet, fuck holes, just waiting to be filled by a real man?

Jeeze you peanutbutter on a pogo cheese stick! You can't order a couple subscriptions to like Women's Fittness and Health? Hell even Cosmo has women looking as if they're intelligent to go along with their heaving, ripe tits. There are fashion magazines and erotica coffee table books that have nudes in interesting poses with intelligence in their eyes and closed mouths.

Anita Blake; Vampire Hunter is supposed to be a comic book sometime soon. I suggest you get your ass away from Marvel's actual interesting titles and go do that. Because you could be up to your neck in 'hot wet tightness, so wet, so hot, so tight, so fuckable' in no time at all. Unless of course the comics stick to the first ten books in that series and the strong female protagonist actually stays a strong female protagonist and not someone who's a slave to her sex drive.

The characters you are tracing are women, Greg. Women. Women as in, your sister, your mother, your little cousin. Women in control. Now it's quite possible that other than your mother, your sister and your little cousin you've never interacted face to face, within six inches of a real woman, but they do exist. I'd suggest you start watching tv shows like 'Sex and the City'. Because for all the whining and Jimmy Choo lusting; those are women. I'd also suggest 'The Closer' on TNT. 'Bones' and DVD's of 'La Femme Nikitta'. If you pay careful attention you'll see that these leading women think before they act and when they do act, their mouths are not perpetually open.

I'd also suggest you talk to Jenna Jameson and see if Asia Carrerra is still keeping up her porn website. Asia has been retired for a few years, but she had lovely interactions with her fans and she's a bonified and proud geek. I'm sure she could find the time to explain to you that not even porn stars keep their mouths open all the time. No, Greg, they're not wired open with dental implants and flushed with constant injections of silicon into their lips. They're women with backpain, and gas, and bad days, and stress, and breakouts, and cravings for fried chicken or pizza or chili-dogs, who want to spend time on the internet surfing, who read comics and do cross word puzzles and live in ratty jeans and old flannel in the comfort of their own homes.

Oh, did I burst your bubble? Deal. It's called being a man. Now gather those peanuts you call balls and try drawing or tracing an actual woman for once.

No Love,
Willow


[[ This post inspired by the pictures posted and the cluelessness of the defenders in this interaction. I found myself wondering if these guys couldn't see the sexual harassment because Sue's goddamn mouth was open like a porn star just asking for it. And given that men are visual, I suddenly wondered if her open mouth was skewing their perception of the set up going on; if subconsciously they thought, but this is the 'Rebellious Land Bitches & The Ocean King 4: Hot Wet Touches' ]]

Whee, New Universe Reboot!

Some wonderful anonymous person replied to my first budding comic bloggy question of last year. The character who did the black spotted duplicates, in actuality negative astral versions of himself is: Randy O'Brien, nicknamed Antibody. He was a character who was part of Marvel's 'New Universe'. Given the premise, which was of a more regular world, where a phenomenon, akin to what happened in today's modern 'What if' story, 'The 4400'. There is, The White Event. It gives some individuals paranomal powers and abilities. But Randy is one of a set of people who check themselves into a Clinic that's supposed to be looking out for these new Paranomals to help them learn how to control and deal with their abilities. Instead due to his astral projection, he learns it's a front where the patients are going to be used as part of an army. So he and and a group of others, essentially his group therapy members, escape. And the series is about what happens to them in real time over a year (the series lasted 3 yrs) as they try to figure out what to do and where to go from where they are. They were DP7; Displaced Paranomals Group 7.

Apparently Warren Ellis (and I could really come to love the man, so far he seems responsible for cradling several characters I remember from childhood. Not to mention he made Batman and Superman have a one true love in a version universe; Apollo and The Midnighter. How can I not strongly like the guy?) is responsible for the relaunch of 'The New Universe' as NewUniversal, starting December 30th of this year. He wants to do it as an all involved story; all the characters will relate in someway to one long plot.

I'm excited enough that I sit here and consider going against my impulse against impatience and waiting for the trade. I'm considering buying the damn serial. Though I honestly have no idea how I'd be responsible for a comic collection, between the chaos that is my current rental and my hope to move. I'm having images of keeping them in ziplock bags in styrofoam coolers. Anyone have any links on 'How to take care of your comic collection?'

Because I am so excited. I'm a faithful watcher of 'The 4400' and hope to own S1-3 at some point. And here is something I remember from my youth that's quite similar to that, that will have characters I remember - eventually. So far Ellis has mentioned other characters and character groups from the universe. But I have hope to see incarnations if not reinventions of my favourites. Hey, it worked for BattleStar Galatica.

At some point I could probably talk about my Uncles, and how their tastes affected what I first read. Because I didn't quite know where comics came from, other than the box under their beds and presumably a bookstore somewhere. And when I did ask, as I've said before, I got Dazzler, Katy Keene and Cloak and Dagger. I didn't like the ones without the D. But, there's nothing more to do than say the occasional 'thank you' when I realize where my original loves came from.

But New Universe, possibilities. And the artwork in the previews at marvel.com is wonderful. The colorist makes me think - Justin Ponsar does landscapes. Though I might be thinking Ponsar because the artwork is very realistic and the lines are very clean ala Gred Land. But in this case there's character in the characters. I find myself thinking of Renaissance Italian Portraits. The florid colors on the skin (suggested by the art), the creases in the faces; the weight of life - for older characters; the awkward body positions that happen when something unbeliavable has occurred and people are going 'w. t. f.?!'; the flowing priviledge of the strength and energy youth. It's beautiful.

I'm going to be hunting down more information on Salvador Larocca, as I don't follow X-Men, Uncanny X-Men or X-treme X-Men. But now I'll give them a look to peruse the art. Warren Ellis and a good artist can't really do wrong, can they?

I've become burnt out on X-Men and 'Civil War' as I've said makes no bit of sense to me whatsoever. When I finally get around to talking about it, it'll be a streak of cursing. Maybe I'll even code those words all blue. But I could support Marvel in this along with 'Runaways'. Now all that needs to happen is that DC does something that makes me get as excited.

SUPERGIRL

My new rule is if I find myself stating having more than three things to say about a comics character in IM, and it's in a ranty manner, I should rant on here. So now I will.

SUPERGIRL. Just saying the name makes me feel eleven years old and oh so excited. She was a girl! She was just like Superman! A girl could be just as strong as Superman and just as smart and just as able. My introduction to Supergirl via comics was rather brief and I admit, I fixated on the movie version for many, many years. But given that I was Batman's girl since the age of five or six, the fact that Supergirl made any impression on me whatsoever is a big thing, a very big thing. She was Wonder Woman, only young enough and confused enough about Earth, that a little kid like I was then could relate to her. I can remember thinking I'd never understand the grown up world, and bucking myself up with thoughts that Supergirl managed to figure out Earth, so I could too.

I wasn't fully satisfied with Supergirl again until The Adventures of Batman and Superman on the WB, where Kal-el found Kara and brought her back to Earth where she could live with the Kents as his cousin. I didn't like her superhero uniform, but I loved her. I loved her family issues, I loved her looking up to, feeling jealous of, feeling overshadowed by Superman. Even though Justice League lost me when it became the JLU, I did actually tune in when there was anything going on with Kara. Because it was going to be about Supergirl!

The Supergirl in the comics now has so much potential. She thinks of Batman and Superman both as her fathers. Supergirl has two dads! How's that for a new way of looking at the world, and Earth and human politics and prejudices etc. She's spent time with the Amazons, surrounded by indepenent strong women who make no appologies for being that way. She has three role models who keep telling her she can tell them anything, talk to them about anything. For me at least, that's total wish fulfillment. As a teenager I'd have given darn near anything to have even one person who wanted to be there for me like that.

Instead everything I read, and see discussed is about this girl who wears a Supergirl outfit, but who's someone totally different. She's trapped in her head with her issues. She's morose. She's potentially masochistic. She's emotional. She feels misunderstood. She's lost. She has no goals. She feels she has no purpose. She has no actual direction and no clue where to go for direction. She has impulses she doesn't understand. And she just happens to have Kryptonian physiology.

Who is this girl? Why does she seem so listless in all her poses? Why does she seem without focus on the covers? How could she have been among Amazons and not learned the basic body language of two feet solidly planted on the ground, spine straight, shoulders back? Why is her skirt so teeny? What true reason does she have to be so lost? How and why did she become a character that I want to avoid? A character who seems spoilt to me and unable to see her blessings? Where's her gratitude gone?

The Supergirl I remember was grateful to be alive. She was grateful for the chance to be a hero and do something with her life. She was grateful for family to feel jealous of in the first place. Where did the gratitude go? The more I write, the more I realize what bothers me is the utter lack of graciousness. There seem to be no wonders of the world, to this new Supergirl. I don't look at her and imagine seeing the world through new eyes. She's world weary and cynical when she should be young enough to bounce back. All my memories of her are about bouncing back. She felt and she felt deeply and she made it ok for girls to cry. If Superheros like her could cry, then I could cry and it didn't take away from my tomboyishness or my strengths or any of my accomplishments. Because crying wasn't weak, it was simply emotion. After Supergirl cried, she did something.

For all the story of Powergirl has become so convoluted and I feel a keen sense of disappointment in the prelude to crisis arc where nothing new came out of having her confront all the varied aspects of her past; Powergirl is more like the Kara I remember as a girl. She's determined, she's sassy, she's powerful, she's a role model.

The new Supergirl seems like an appendage. Since when was it ok for SUPERGIRL to be an appendage?! I don't know about her earliest incarnations, was she Superman's appendage then? Because I remember her as her own damn entity. Even when she was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, or doing the right thing the wrong way, she was her own person.

Superman was an adult but Supergirl was somewhere in between. She could see adulthood but she was somehow innocent enough that I could put myself in her place far easier than I could with Superman. (And we can get into why I so strongly identify with Batman later). When playing with my cousins and they chose to be Superman and Spiderman and any number of male characters and then told me I couldn't play - I loved saying 'Sure I can. I'm Supergirl!' and whipping out my comic books. Boom. In your face. A real girl superhero!

Can little girls do that with the new Kara? Or do little girls not exist like that anymore? Is that what the new Supergirl comics are trying to say?

Asterix & Memories

Asterix.

All it took was a google search 'Little warrior, french, comic, gaul, viking' and there it was. Sometimes you just don't think about how easy it really would be to find certain childhood loves. Superhero comics were either my first reading materials or so prominent in the top three that I can't remember any others. I know I must have read regular children's books. I remember Noddy and I remember Enid Blyton's Adventure Children's Series; The Famous Five,The Secret Seven.

But Asterix was something else all together. It was historical seeming superheroes; gaels and vikings and romans running around in bright colors having adventures being trumped or triumphing. Asterix the tiny, witty one and Obelix the large strong one, putting towns together, stealing food, fighting the enemy.

I loved them. Absolutely, positively loved them. Wikipedia can explain the series much better than I can. But I think after my current indulgence in Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman and Queen and Country series, I'll borrow a boatload of Asterix and settle down to laugh and until I almost pee myself.

Of course, there's always the possibility that I won't find it all as funny as I did as a child. And that's the problem with looking back and then going to find the thing you're reminiscing on so fondly. People are shorter than in memories, things don't smell as sweet, or taste as good, most of the time. And in terms of comics, DC and Marvel seem to have gone and lost their goddamn minds. I've got a list of possible essay topics and even if all I manage is two paragraphs I will have words to say about 'Civil War'.

But I hope Asterix isn't like that. I've charted how my love of comics led to a love of mythology and myths and legends. I wonder now and hope Asterix had a part to play in how easily I took to the thought of strange customs, stranger gods and very weird people with all sorts of quirks, in fiction and in real life. If you learn that everyone's different early on, and everyone's laughable does that make you more tolerant?


(( And is that what my parents wanted? Or where they just sharing literature. I can't remember or figure out who first gave the books to me to read, my mother or my father? My father was a science fiction fan. His favourite heros were 'The Phantom' and 'The Shadow' and he read Heinlin, Herbert and Asimov. My mother was a francophile. It's easy to say my father, because he's always encouraged my love of reading and my mother was far more concerned with making sure I got my school work done. My memories of my mother don't include her really reading anything. She drew, she danced, she was very active, but I don't remember her reading. Yet at the same time, she's the one who taught me to read. Huh... a puzzle within a memory, wrapped in an enigma, hidden inside the pages of a comic book. ))