Girls With Comics

I feel like this series does not get nearly enough attention. While Archie is still publishing the series (the “manga” Josie was terrible though), and Boomerang is still showing the cartoon, this series is being vastly under-used. Here we have an all girls pop-rock band that goes on amazing adventures and shows that girls can be amazing, yet for some reason no one else thinks this is a good marketing device. Instead we still have Barbie (who is in her own right pretty fucking awesome), and Dora. I hate Dora. It’s cool that she’s teaching kids Spanish, but frankly she sucks.

While there was a (terrible) movie released nearly 10 years, the series has since become a blip on the radar. The series is a fun read, and the cartoons are fun to watch. Just imagine what kind of toys could be made with Josie & The Pussycats;

Josie Rock band
Really awesome dress up stuff
Dolls
Music sheets
Pretend instruments
CD’s

Hell, there could be a traveling show akin to what Dora and Disney on Ice does. The possibilities are endless, and the grooviest thing about this series? It can appeal to a very wide age range, and Josie (much like every other Archie character) can be re-made to fit in with the times. She’s a great character, and the rest of the cast is amazing too. Here’s hoping in 2010 we see more girl power from them.

-Lauren

I’ve been following the new Batgirl series, featuring Stephanie Brown as Batgirl. The series is pretty good since neither Stephanie, nor Barbara Gordon (Oracle) have to rely on Batman and Robin to get the job done. The boys really take a back seat in this series, although they do make an appearance at some point. The relationship between the new Batgirl, as well as the new Batman and Robin is clearly strained, so I don’t see them interacting much in the series. Stephanie is a bright, energetic college student who was “killed off” once before as a different superhero. She is hard-headed, but her heart is in the right place.

What attracts me to Batgirl is that she can fight on her own without the aid of a man. The original Bat-Girl (Betty Kane) was a pesky child who was Batwoman’s side kick, only thrown into the comics as a possible love interest for Robin. A few years after her debut, she was axed from the series, and replaced with Barbara Gordon, the Batgirl most of us are familiar with. Unlike the annoying Betty Kane, Barbara was a career woman who could fight independently. Granted she was inspired by Batman, but she is still strong enough to fight without him.

Batgirl might be at times compared to Wonder Woman, but frankly I find that a bit unfair. Wonder Woman is an Amazon with pretty amazing powers, while Batgirl has always been a regular girl (or well, you know, relatively speaking) who fights for the greater good with what she has. I’ve always admired Batgirl, and this new series is pretty good. If you have not read it yet, I urge you to pick up the first issue and get started!

-Lauren

Two of my favorite men in the comic book world have striking similarities. After a topic on Facebook about who is better (the answer: neither are better), I was inspired to well, write this post.

The basic similarities are there: Both were inspired by some life trauma to become a super hero. Batman’s parents were killed in front of him, while Iron Man was captured and held prisoner in a cave by terrorists. Both decide after that to fight for justice and good, and hence both create characters that they can fight justice as. Tony and Bruce are both rich thanks to what their parents had built before them. Both are seen as play boys, sleeping with loads of women and then kicking them out in the morning (per say).

Both have a network of allies, and foes who can double as such. Robin, War Machine, Pepper Pots, Alfred, Catwoman and Black Widow. Both are a part of a team of super heroes. Both also built their primary weapon in a cave. While Stark went on to re-build his Iron Man suit in a more suitable setting, Wayne decided to stick with his good old Batcave. What Iron Man lacks however, is sweet as rides. Batman has the Batmobile, the Batchopper, the Batcycle, a submarine, a boat, a plane, and possible a seahorse just for the hell of it. Iron Man’s suit is his primary mode of transportation, which really cuts down on space inside of his never-ending mansion.

What Iron Man is not, is a bad ass detective. Before Batman had all of his awesome gadgets, he was an actual detective. He had to use his brain to figure things out, and still does. Iron Man relies heavily on his armour, but he’s still a smart guy. What Stark has, that Wayne doesn’t, is a love for alcohol. Wayne on the other hand seems to be the last stop before any of his allies die. I’m not sure which is worse.

At the end of the day, I like both. I prefer Batman to Iron Man, but they are frankly the same guy.

-Lauren

This is brilliant:

Question time for all of you: Are you a Betty or Veronica and why?

-Lauren

I love visiting random comic book stores that I happen to find while traveling. The smell of the ink always hits you when you walk in. Sometimes fanboy funk hits you too, but for the most part it’s just ink. I’ve noticed over the past few years, that most comic book stores do not really carry older back issues, meaning books from the silver age and back. Lots of places carry mostly new comics and graphic novels. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. The graphic novel is really replacing back issues, and the need to buy single copies of comics all together.

However, I collect GA and some SA books.  I know I can just buy online from various places, and I can always look at various cons, but there’s nothing like finding a SA issue of The Sub-Mariner at a shop when you really weren’t looking for anything special. Comic shops themselves are a dying breed, but thats a topic for another day. I don’t really buy new comics, and the ones I do buy I get from the comic store I’ve gone too since I was 6. Action figures aren’t my thing either. So what’s a girl to do?

While I’m grateful for conventions and dealers such as Metropolis, I still enjoy the thrill of finding old comics at a store. I’ve been luckier at antique stores, which I think many comic fans may over look. Talking to some of my non comic collecting buddies, many of them would never even think to look for comics at an antique store. I’m not sure why, since some comics are antiques. Plus you never know what kind of awesome crap antique stores have. Yet I realize that older comics are harder to move in an average comic store, so I can’t be too bitter.

So, to all of you comic shop owners who still have older comics, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and wallet.

-Lauren

If you have not been reading Blackest Night (and why haven’t you?!), you may not know this. Wonder Woman, after becoming one of the Black Lanterns, was turned into a Star Sapphire because of how much she loves Earth. I adore this a great deal, because Wonder Woman is a bad ass, as are the Star Sapphires. However, her key point in turning into a SS…was by kissing an imaginary Batman.

Wut.

I know I’ve been out of the loop for a long time, but I don’t ever recall Wonder Woman and Batman ever having feeling’s for each other aside from friendship. I simply don’t like the idea that the writers decided she needed a “kiss” from Prince Charming to become a super-super hero. Was her own will and love not strong enough to prove her having a ring? Is Batman’s kiss really validating her to become a guardian of love? It’s pretty insulting to assume that Wonder Woman really need’s a dead guy to prove her awesome abilities, and she really is a strong enough character on her own where they could have made her a Sapphire without Batman’s (or a man’s) help. So, Greg Rucka, shame on you.

-Lauren

This is honestly the first Smallville episode (or movie, whatever) that I have ever seen. I am NOT a Superman fan, but I respect the fact that Superman was the first superhero and had a huge impact on modern comics. However, he’s too “perfect” and is annoying and I don’t like him.

But I love the Justice Society, so I was intrigued.

It was well, almost a let down? I’m not sure how else to describe it. I couldn’t follow it very well since I’m not familiar with the Smallville canon, but I was still excited to see Dr. Fate, Hawkman, and the Star Spangled Kid on T.V, and I was especially excited to see The Flash and the Green Lantern. Yet the last two got very little air time, since I guess they both knew this shit was whack. Who knows, but whatever, it was better than nothing.

BUT, the worst part? The goddamn Batman voice Hawkman was using. Fuck you Christian Bale, look what you’ve done to our superhero’s. They all sound like they need a fucking throat drop and smoke 7 packs a day. That’s fucking stupid. The director should have really stepped in and said “NO BATMAN VOICE.” Jesus fuck, it was obnoxious.

I then turned the T.V off a half hour before it ended because I started to fall asleep. Better luck next time, I guess.

-Lauren

Jealous yet, bitches?

I happen to have a whole bunch of these wonderful Toon Tumblers, and I hope to get more later this year at various cons. They are excellent glasses, very durable, and my friends get a kick out of them when I bust them out. You can order them from here: http://www.toontumblers.com/ 🙂

-Lauren