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"Vixen" was taken

November 26, 2006 by

Remember that advertising campaign that NBC had for its reruns, cheerfully suggesting that “It’s new to you!”? I’m often reminded of that when The New York Times covers comics. This time it’s about DC’s new line of graphic novels for teenaged girls, the horribly named Minx.

As Johanna Draper Carlson and Chris Butcher have already noted, DC is rather late to the party (and already showed up in a different outfit), but they’ve previously managed to convince the Times that Identity Crisis represented the maturation of the graphic novel, so it’s not surprising that they’ve passed this initiative off as innovative instead of belated.

It’s always mildly irritating when a comics publisher gets away with it, though, and frankly odd in this case. Draper Carlson noted at her blog that she mentioned Scholastic’s year-old Graphix line when interviewed, and she could just have easily brought up Tokyopop’s significant output of girl-friendly global manga, but the article sticks to the impression that DC is breaking ground.

DC VP Karen Berger’s first quote, “It’s time we got teenage girls reading comics,” reminded me of Dirk Deppey’s “She’s Got Her Own Thing Now” from The Comics Journal #269:

“It has now been conclusively demonstrated that the young female reader is, in fact, quite willing to buy comics. She just doesn’t want yours.”

I wonder if another quote from Berger isn’t an indirect (and reductive) swipe at available shôjo:

“Teenage girls, Ms. Berger said, are smart and sophisticated and ‘about more than going out with the cute guy. This line of books gives them something to read that honors that intelligence and assertiveness and that individuality.'”

But perhaps I’m overly cynical. And what better name to express assertiveness, individuality, and a focus on more than mating rituals than Minx?

Admittedly, this bid for that sector of the audience seems likelier to succeed than any of their previous efforts. I like a lot of the creators involved, listed at Butcher’s blog, and I’m pleased to note that, for the most part, they’re talented and versatile graphic novelists, even if they haven’t written specifically for this audience before. Mike Carey is the closest thing to a “house DC writer” in evidence, but the prospect of him reuniting with My Faith in Frankie partners Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel is welcome news, no matter who’s publishing them or under what imprint.

Andi Watson is a versatile writer, and I’ve liked a lot of his comics, whether he’s worked as a writer-illustrator or just provided the script. (He also had the good sense to stand out of the way and let Simon Gane wow everyone in Paris from Slave Labor.) And the world needs more comics from Derek Kirk Kim, so First Second will just have to share.

Butcher notes the manga-esque packaging and pricing, which are eminently sensible, as it increases the likelihood of the target audience finding these books in places where they’re already going for their manga fix. (In my experience, bookstores tend to shelve by size when it comes to graphic novels. If it’s shaped like manga, it’s shelved with manga.)

I don’t know if I can really take issue with his assessment of CMX, DC’s manga line, as “designed to fail,” though I do think they’ve been making conscientious efforts to improve their product. They’ve spruced up the trade dress considerably (though it could hardly have been more generic at the outset) and are publishing intriguing titles like Emma, though marketing in general could be much stronger. (I’ll always be steamed by the fact that the wonderful Chikyu Misaki seemed to have to rely entirely on word of mouth.)

Given recent claims about DC’s corporate culture, neatly summarized at the Newsarama blog, it would be easy to view this as a cynical cash grab. It probably is, but at least it’s targeted at a burgeoning audience that’s still underserved by traditional U.S. publishers instead of another bid to shake more money out of dedicated spandex fans. And it seems likely to produce some good books, so count me in the “cautiously optimistic” column.

Filed under: CMX, DC, Graphix, Media, TCJ 6 Comments

Tom Spurgeon wins

November 20, 2006 by

For his ability to look on the bright side.

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Causality and coincidence

October 11, 2006 by

There’s interesting chatter in the comments following Heidi MacDonald’s link piece on Marvel’s track record with gay characters.

Chris Eckert provides a quick scan of the current state of LGBT representation in the Distinguished Competition:

“The thing I find more interesting is DC’s LGBT wing of its Diversity Initiative, which thus far has involved having as many chicks making out as possible in as many books as possible. Since the One Year Later jump, I am reasonably sure that the only male homosexual characters we’ve seen are a talking gorilla and his disembodied Nazi Brain lover. Meanwhile they’ve worked in two girls making out into at least four different titles. Which is totally cool, although one questions if a sensitive portrayal of diversity is the primary motive for this.”

Jordan White links to a response from Marvel Team-Up writer Robert Kirkman from the Image boards to questions about his decision to create (then kill) Freedom Ring, the latest gay Marvel corpse:

“In hindsight, yeah, killing a gay character is no good when there are so few of them… but I really had only the best of intentions in mind.”

Basically, Freedom Ring was cannon fodder who just happened to be gay, like Northstar from that Wolverine zombie ninja story. (I thought Marvel had covered the well-meaning-but-incompetent newbie territory with Gravity who, coincidentally or not, is both straight and breathing.)

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From the stack: WONDER WOMAN 205

June 24, 2004 by

Warning: the comments below contain spoilers.

Investigating a murder that took place outside her embassy, Diana tracks a suspect to Veronica Cale’s corporate headquarters. She runs afoul of Dr. Psycho, and mayhem ensues.

Writer Greg Rucka makes a very convincing case for Dr. Psycho as a significant adversary for Wonder Woman. They’re such wonderful foils. Diana is a physical paragon, beautiful and strong; Psycho is frail and ugly. Diana is forthright and compassionate; Psycho uses illusion to prey on human weakness. Diana protects innocents; Psycho tortures them.

Art by Drew Johnson couldn’t be better, honestly. From creepy resurrections scenes of a mythological monster to pandemonium in an office complex, he has great versatility. He also works to make characters distinct, with different body types, faces, and body language. The are some nice little visual touches, too, like Circe casually blindfolding herself before Medousa rises.

If there’s a flaw, it’s Veronica Cale. She’s the would-be architect of misfortune for Diana, but her motivations are frankly pitiful. From what we’ve seen so far (and she’s been featured for Rucka’s entire run), her grudge against Diana is nothing more than clichéd female jealousy. She derisively calls Wonder Woman “the super-model” and pegs her as a fraud without really articulating why she feels that way. (And anyone who resorted to blackmail to fund their education shouldn’t be tossing “fraud” around as a pejorative.)

Still, it’s a strong title, and the art truly is spectacular. If Rucka can make his antagonist seem like more of a threat and less like the girl who didn’t get head cheerleader, the book could be even stronger.

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From the stack: CATWOMAN 32

June 24, 2004 by

Warning: the comments below contain spoilers.

This issue offers the title character a bit of a respite after recent events. (It also offers readers a respite from the “sexy” art of Paul Gulacy in the person of most excellent guest artist Sean Phillips.) After a losing battle with a dangerous psychopath and month of imprisonment with a hidden race of cat worshippers (don’t ask), Selina returns to Gotham.

It’s a “day in the life” issue, which is always welcome, especially when the cast is as well-written as this one. Ed Brubaker offers quiet insights into the lives of his characters. The conversations between Holly and Karon and Slam and his son ring true, providing some sense of what happened while Selina was away but also moving their individual emotional arcs forward.

And Brubaker doesn’t forget that the title has a lead. So often, books feature a strong lead and an underdeveloped supporting cast. Less often, there’s an engaging supporting cast that overshadows a bland lead. This book strikes a nice balance; what we learn about Selina’s friends and associates teaches us a lot about her, too. And she gets plenty of her own moments.

Ultimately, it’s a pretty good day for Selina, as she spends it with Batman… or Bruce Wayne… or whoever it is who lives in between those two personas. A combination of relief (that Selina’s alive) and surprise (that he’s so relieved) make the Dark Knight a lot more vulnerable than normal, and it’s a very attractive look for him, I must say. Selina agrees, and the Bat and the Cat let down their defenses to enjoy each other’s company.

Phillips is a perfect choice for this stand-alone issue, capturing both the gritty Gotham neighborhood and the sympathetic people who live there. If tits and torment drove you off this title, this would be a nice opportunity to pay a one-issue visit. (Gulacy is back next month.)

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From the stack: TEEN TITANS 12

June 24, 2004 by

Warning: the comments below contain spoilers.

How can a title with “teen” in it be this gruesome? In the space of an issue, we have the antagonist vomiting up part of a Titan that he’d recently bit off, and a brainwashed girl gouging out her own eye to prove to daddy that she’s worthy of his scumbag legacy. Beyond being visually revolting, both are nakedly misogynistic.

This title must be aimed at least partly at the audience of the animated series. You know, the one that airs as part of Cartoon Network’s after-school programming block and as part of the WB’s Saturday morning line-up? The casts of both are largely the same, as is the setting, but the similarities end there.

Most different, obviously, is tone. Despite the purported premise of the comic – young heroes hanging out and training on the weekends – the book is rarely lighthearted. Titans are injured brutally and often, and adolescent identity issues have life-threatening consequences. While the cartoon can address some dark subject matter and there’s genuine peril in the threats the Titans face, it’s anything but grim.

Not to go all Helen Lovejoy from “The Simpsons,” but I think DC should be a bit more careful with this title. I can understand their desire to capitalize on television success, but that seems destined to backfire if the comic is so much darker and more brutal than the cartoon.

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From the stack: FLASH 211

June 24, 2004 by

Warning: the comments below contain spoilers.

If you didn’t get enough male bonding and legacy hero worship in JSA 62, not to worry. Writer Geoff Johns is flogging the same themes here.

A brutal assault from Gorilla Grodd and some stroking from Nightwing convince the Flash that a museum in his honor and public adoration are good things. Hero-worship inspires people, you see, and it also gives the Flash a nice little buzz when he’s out of costume, eavesdropping on citizens as they praise him. It’s another step in settling Wally West into the Barry Allen status quo of hometown hero with secret identity intact.

I have to wonder about the selection of Grodd for this particular arc. Trashing the Flash Museum seems somewhat beneath him. I’ve always thought of Grodd as move of a strategist and long-term thinker, and there doesn’t seem to be any useful end in this for him. It’s a temper tantrum, and lots of knuckle-draggers are out there to fill the same function.

Since this is a Geoff Johns comic, we get one of his standard story endings. It’s flavor type two, “ironic twist,” as opposed to type one, “life-threatening cliffhanger.” Just after Wally fully embraces the benefits of secrecy, it turns around to bite him. Oops!

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This week's stack, part two

June 12, 2004 by

I’ve got the rest of this week’s comics. While they’re a fairly middling lot, I’ll still take a crack at them. Comments contain spoilers, so be warned.

DISTRICT X 2: This issue builds on the strengths of the last, revealing more about the setting and the characters in satisfying and interesting ways. Officer Ortega takes Bishop on a tour of his beat, meeting more of the citizenry and circling around what may be a budding gang war. The mutations continue along the same vein, more grotesque than useful, giving the neighborhood sadness and a strange resilience at the same time. There are moments of pathos (a promising athlete turned aquatic exotic dancer), horror (a mother addicted to her mutant son’s narcotic perspiration), and genuine pain (the moving revelation about Ortega’s home life). Bishop remains something of a peripheral figure, but that isn’t really a problem. It’s wonderful to see a comic create a genuine sense of place and to explore the dynamics of an unusual community.

EMMA FROST 12: “Mind Games,” the second major arc of the book, comes to a conclusion as Emma extricates herself from her kidnapping predicament. In doing so, she demonstrates what seems like a heretofore unseen level of control over her telepathic abilities. In previous issues, she’s shown as having only marginal control over her powers. Here, she’s intruding in a half-dozen minds, planting telepathic illusions, and exhibiting not a hint of strain. Maybe the peril and adrenaline of the situation is giving her a boost, but that isn’t really made explicit, and it leaves me wondering when she picked up such mad psi skillz. Still, it’s satisfying seeing her pull her own fat out of the fire, and it’s pretty a great device to have the protagonist pretty much immobile throughout. This title is solidly entertaining if nothing special, and the cover is probably the best Greg Horn has done to date.

IDENTITY CRISIS 1: I can’t possibly comment on this title with any objectivity. The driving event of it strikes me as so crass and misguided that there’s no way I can make any kind of qualitative evaluation. I will say, though, that the subset of Justice League members starring in this book (Atom, Black Canary, Elongated Man, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, and Zatanna) have always defined who the League is for me. They were the core of the group when I started reading it, more than the big guns. To have them spotlighted in a story I find empty and repulsive only compounds the aggravation. I won’t be buying the rest of this series.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN 84/428: The fanboy in me couldn’t resist the “Disassembled Prologue” teaser on the cover. Iron Man finds his roles as Secretary of Defense and member of a United Nations strike force in conflict, which is a perfectly reasonable premise for this title. He is asked to retrieve something from Avengers Mansion for the government without alerting his allies. Since the Avengers aren’t stupid (in this title if not their own), they catch on fairly quickly. Mayhem ensues, and there’s sure to be fallout in future issues. The conflict is explored on a couple of different levels, including an anti-U.N. protest outside the mansion. The protestors are played for laughs, so it doesn’t really add anything to the theme. For a millionaire superhero cabinet member here, Iron Man seems too subject to the whims of the government, with underlings scolding him at just about every turn. There’s nothing seriously wrong with this comic, but I don’t really have any desire to pick up the next issue. I think it’s inoculated me to future tie-ins. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t take note of the Wasp’s terrifying body thong and giant breasts. Is this some side effect of her recent dabbling in growth powers? She looks like a pornographic version of Tinkerbell.

ULTIMATE X-MEN 47: And my interest in this version of Xavier’s mutants comes to a screeching halt with the Ultimate Universe introduction of some villains who soured my enjoyment on the Marvel Universe version. It’s nice to see writer Brian K. Vaughan pick up on some of the themes and developments his predecessor put in place, and he’s making progress towards giving the rather large cast distinctive personalities. Art by Brandon Peterson serves the book well, too, and I’m pleased by the fact that none of the women resemble auto-show hostesses. They’re attractive but realistically proportioned, which is always nice. Still, when Apocalypse enters the building, I start looking for the door.

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This week's stack, part one

June 10, 2004 by

I’ll be going through the stack in two parts this week, as one of the shops I use didn’t get their shipment in yesterday. Still, plenty of books to make it worth an entry.

AQUAMAN 19: This title has improved vastly since the end of the incomprehensible and overlong Waterbearer/Thirst arc. While this issue is basically a chat with the architect of San Diego’s destruction, it offers some twists to that formula. The antagonist of the piece views his actions as a necessary evil, difficult choices serving a heroic aim. He’s also clearly withholding a lot of details, and it’s nice to see the protagonists figure that out fairly easily. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it is a solid chapter in the ongoing story. And the Alan Davis/Mark Farmer cover is predictably gorgeous.

BATMAN, DEATH AND THE MAIDENS 9: Maybe it’s the extended gap between this issue and last, but the concluding chapter of this story is somewhat anticlimactic. It seems more like an epilogue than a finale. Still, the story as a whole has been an interesting character study while shaking up the status quo of Ra’s al Ghul, his daughters, and his organization. It also positions Nyssa as a promising new addition to Batman’s roster of enemies, vastly more interesting than Hush (not that that’s saying a great deal, but I mean it as a compliment). When time permits, I’m going to have to read these issues at once, as I suspect they’ll work better as a collection.

FABLES 26: The citizens of Fabletown try to fend off the attack of an army of disturbingly polite wooden soldiers. Essentially an issue-long battle sequence, it’s a lot richer than other stories of its kind. Filled with character moments, plot twists, politics, and sacrifice, it’s a standout entry from a consistently fine title. There’s also a preview of THE WITCHING included in this issue, which didn’t do anything to make me want to pick up that title. It looks competent, but the characters aren’t particularly vivid, and the art is kind of a queasy blend of cartoon and titillation.

FALLEN ANGEL 12: Peter David heads back in time to the first meeting of the Angel and Doctor Juris. Angel tracks a criminal to New Orleans and runs into Juris on his yearly day off. It’s a perfectly competent story, but I didn’t really learn anything new about either of the protagonists. It’s a decent stand-alone issue, though, and if you’ve been curious about the book, this would be a good chance to give it a try.

GLOBAL FREQUENCY 12: This is the last issue of the series of stand-alone action stories written by Warren Ellis and illustrated this time around by the very talented Gene Ha. The lack of any ongoing narrative from issue to issue doesn’t really make for much analysis, and the formula – mysterious threat to the public, creative and aggressive response by Global Frequency agents – is solidly in place. It’s been a good title, finely crafted entertainment. If it’s all a bit inconsequential, there’s nothing really wrong with entertainment for its own sake.

GREEN ARROW 39: The crisis in Star City concludes in a grimly predictable manner. The point, once again, is that Oliver is a success as a hero and a failure as a person. That’s been established pretty well by now, and perhaps we could move on to some slightly different subject matter? No? Okay, just asking.

IDENTITY DISC 1: I’m a big fan of Robert Rodi’s novels, and I want to like his work in comics, but he still doesn’t seem to have found his stride in the medium. His novels (particularly Fag Hag and What They Did to Princess Paragon) are tightly plotted screwball comedies that are grounded in very recognizable human emotions. You’d think that skill set would translate better to comics than it does. While he manages to humanize some of his characters – a mixed bag of villains blackmailed into pulling off a convoluted caper – it doesn’t hang together very well. (Continuity buffs will also wonder how the events square with any number of other Marvel titles, too.)

NIGHTWING 94: The spotlight is still locked on the truly repellent Tarantula, as Nightwing continues to be completely ineffectual. This book is grim far beyond the point of dramatic, and this is the last issue I’ll be buying for a while.

More to come tomorrow.

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This week's stack

June 4, 2004 by

From the comic shop:

AVENGERS/THUNDERBOLTS #4: This mini seems longer than it needs to be. The first four issues have consisted mostly of internal philosophical arguments on the nature of heroism and trust and some impenetrable pseudo-science about an energy draining… thing. Maybe it’s the pending AVENGERS relaunch that’s making this all seem rather quaint, or it could be the fact that Fabian Nicieza’s take on the Thunderbolts doesn’t really work for me, but the title has become something of a slog.

DETECTIVE COMICS #795: Oh, goody. The Tarantula, who has vaulted to the very top of my “least favorite characters” list, brings her violent and irresponsible shtick to another comic on my pull list. DC surely can’t consider her a reasonable long-term property, can it? I have to admit that I’m not sure why this title is still among my reserves. I’ve been meaning to drop it since Greg Rucka left, but laziness and the general competence of the stories have prevented me from making the cut. Must do something about that.

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #6: This isn’t holding together very well. Largely a chaotic fight sequence (appropriate enough given the protagonist’s inexperience), the character development seemed shoved in with a crowbar. The chatty but fragmented dialogue was actually grating rather than endearing. It’s suddenly become kind of coy, though I’ll stick around to see what the new creative team does.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #60: Wow, the cover managed to be generic *and* misleading. Nicely done. This is a perfectly good book, though it falls squarely into the “empty calories” category of comic books. Engaging characters, clever action sequences, but very little seems to happen in the average issue. Of course, it seems like it comes out every week, so I guess the frequency of publication makes up for low narrative calories. Or not.

UNCANNY X-MEN #445: The Alan Davis art is gorgeous, and I like Chris Claremont’s script a lot better than just about all of his other recent work. Still, there was an unpleasant clenching feeling in my stomach when the issue kicked off with a very retro “Muties suck and aren’t to be trusted” set piece. A similar but unrelated cramping took place at the prospect of another Captain Britain story, given current events in AVENGERS. (That’s hardly Claremont’s fault, of course, but nobody said fandom was fair.)

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