Girls With Comics

Last week at the library I picked up Batman/Superman: Finest Worlds. I began reading it as soon as I arrived home, and finished it last night. Overall it was an enjoyable book, with the main “plot” of the book revolving around Batman taking on Superman’s powers. I say “plot” because the first half of the book has little to do with Super Bat. The first chapter is about how Bruce and Clark’s fathers met before they were born. The next was about mini childlike versions of the entire JLA being thrown into the “real” world where people get hurt and die. The final chapters are about Super Bat. Each section is enjoyable in itself, but there’s no real flow between the stories, other than Superman and Batman’s relationship. It’s cheesy, to be honest, how they regard themselves as brothers.

Yet the two won’t admit their brotherly love for one another. They are too manly or too scared to admit it, which causes some decent conflict, but as always the boy scout Superman just shrugs Batman’s mood swings off as “just being himself.” Their profound understanding of each other rivals that of Kirk and Spock, yet I don’t find the friendship as endearing or even as real, or as real as two fictional characters can be. Still, it was a good read, with some fantastic art.

-Lauren

Mad Hatter is my least favorite bad guy in the Batman universe. He doesn’t strike fear in my heart, nor does he make me feel any kind of real emotion for him. However, the other two JA comics I’ve read have been good, so surely this one will be good as well! And of course, it was. The Hatter is a lonely little man obsessed with finding his Alice. He believes he found her–a clerk at a food store–but when he finds out her name is not Alice, he plots to kill her because she “lied” to him. The Hatter is an interesting character, one because I know little about him, and two the Mad Hatter in the legit Alice in Wonderland is crazy. This guy is not only crazy, but he’ll kill you too.

Overall a good comic, but I still have little to no interest in the hatter.

-Lauren

Aw Eddy! Edward Nigma gets his own one shot in this comic, with Peter Calloway as the writer and Andres Guinaldo as the artist. We are treated to a rather special story, with a side of Edward Nigma we rarely see. The side where he is in love. Nigma is first seen stealing fine art, when a young lady demands to know what he’s doing. I guess this girl hadn’t been living in Gotham or from under a rock for very long, since I would get the idea quickly if I saw The Riddler taking stuff.

So, he falls in love with her. He goes through anguish and torment as she rejects him over and over. Finally. Nigma gets what he wants, but when he finds out it is not what he thought it would be, the girl suffers as a result. The story is very easy to read, and while it is not  a great introduction to Riddler, it is still an exceptional one shot. If you’ve never read a Batman comic or only know of the Riddler from that one terrible movie with Bat Nipples, that is a-ok too. You’ll still have fun with this comic.

-Lauren

This one shot comic, with writer James Patrick and Joe Quinones as the artist, focuses on the Joker’s sometimes girlfriend, Harley Quinn. The story opens up with Harley breaking out of Arkham to visit the Joker on Valentine’s Day. After breaking out and back to their old hide out, Harley finds out that all is now well with her world. Spider informs her that the Joker has been kidnapped, and she becomes royally pissed that someone would kidnap him on Valentine’s Day. Harley sets out determined to get the Joker back and to celebrate Valentine’s Day properly. After many guns, some blood, and explosions, she gets what she wants, but not exactly in an ideal setting.

The comic is pretty funny too. In one of the panels, a cop tells her to surrender. She yells back at him telling him to surrender. The story is cute and fun, and a great quick read. These one shots are a great way to be introduced to a character, or are a great addition for any fan of a character. The first Joker’s Asylum comics were great, and so far the ones I’ve read have been just dandy.

-Lauren

Can’t get enough True Blood? Well you’re in luck. Starting next month there will be a six issue True Blood mini series, being released by IDW. The comic will debut at San Diego Comic Con 2010. I personally am excited to read the continued struggle of how many times Sookie can scream “BEEEEEEEL” while Bill in turn struggles with sayings such as “WE CAN NAWT BEH TOGETHA SUCKEH FOHR I AHM A VAHMPAHR.” Maybe Tara will off herself too, because she annoys the hell out of me.  Maybe Eric will be naked through much of the comic. Maybe Sam will figure out this shit is whack and leave town for something less stupid.

In other exciting comic book news, Mulder and Scully will be in 30 Days of Night! Yay! I love me some Mulder and Scully. I just wish the last movie didn’t stink. 😦

-Lauren

So in issue number 3, Aquaman summons what he thinks is a fishy friend of his. Instead he gets a dead and rotting whale that appears, and chomps down on him. That is awesome. What’s not awesome is that he lives through it, and he and Mera hug it out. But wait! Mera has a look of despair in her eyes! LEAVE THE FIHSY BASTARD, MERA!

Also, the new Green Arrow series looks like it will be 10 kinds of bad ass. Maybe I’ll go pick up a copy sooner or later.

Last but not least, I’m on the market for a Sailor Moon wig. I still love you Sailor Moon.

-Lauren

So recently on YouTube (or within the pat year), I saw a video of some guys breaking a CGC case because they don’t like CGC. Fine, whatever, I understand why people do and don’t. However, in the comments section, people were going on about how comic books are not a hobby. Now, I’ve been collecting and reading comics my whole life. I have always called it a ‘hobby’. I have never looked at comic books as literary adventures (although that is a good point), since I save that scholarly title for books such as “Pride and Prejudice” and “A Tale of Two Cities”. Granted, there are comics that are up to literary standards; Watchmen, Persepolis, and Maus. However, if I tried to pass my Detective Comics as such, all of my English teachers would probably burn them on sight.

So I went to www.dictionary.com and looked up the word ‘hobby’:

“an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation: Her hobbies include stamp-collecting and woodcarving.”

Well golly gosh darn to all of you “IT’S NOT A HOBBY” people out there! I totally collect and read comics as a form of pleasure and relaxation, and this is not my main occupation. My main occupation is working at a gym and being a senior in college! Trust me, I’m not doing either for relaxation, even though I do enjoy both a great deal.

-Lauren