Monday, 31 July 2017
Scribble #55
It seems that a lot of YA (and adult fiction, too) goes one of two extremes for male love interests: bland and boring, or abusive arsehole. It's as if authors think abuse is a character trait - an endearing one, in a man - and it's the only thing they can think of when they don't want to make him boring. Is "snarky, creepy, patronizing ass" the only personality they think of in males? That's disturbing in many ways.
Sunday, 30 July 2017
Book Review - 'The Worst Witch' by Jill Murphy
2024 EDIT: A nice little witch book to read in under an hour. A classic children's treat.
Read the review below for more.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
Awww this brings me back to my childhood.
'The Worst Witch' is definitely a pre-'Harry Potter' book, only lighter (in tone, since every colour in the witch school castle here is black and grey) and much less detailed. The worldbuilding is vague and nearly nonexistent, but it is a short children's book that focuses more on action and character emotion, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks left in this dreary, routine world of witches and spells. There is nothing said about any of the pupils' homelife or families, for example. The characters, few that are mentioned, are memorable and distinct - we don't need the illustrations to let us know what they look like.
Tall, thin, dark-haired Mildred Hubble may be clumsiest witch ever, always somehow getting into trouble, but she is still a child (no age or grade of school mentioned) and a student. She is very friendly, knows what's right and gets her priorities straight. She is no pushover, either, despite her extreme awkwardness around discouraging authority figures, who are manipulative, somewhat nasty witches in their own way. She reminded me a lot of myself at school, as well as other girls I knew.
Mildred will learn to rely on herself, and not be so hard on herself, especially when things go wrong which aren't her fault. Her best friend Maud, and her new kitten, Tabby, bring a softness and support to her harsh life and surroundings that're full of rules.
Frogs, cats, bats, brooms, cauldrons, and a pig, at 100 pages 'The Worst Witch' is a fun little read to absorb yourself in for one afternoon. Or night, at the Witching Hour.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Read the review below for more.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
Awww this brings me back to my childhood.
'The Worst Witch' is definitely a pre-'Harry Potter' book, only lighter (in tone, since every colour in the witch school castle here is black and grey) and much less detailed. The worldbuilding is vague and nearly nonexistent, but it is a short children's book that focuses more on action and character emotion, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks left in this dreary, routine world of witches and spells. There is nothing said about any of the pupils' homelife or families, for example. The characters, few that are mentioned, are memorable and distinct - we don't need the illustrations to let us know what they look like.
Tall, thin, dark-haired Mildred Hubble may be clumsiest witch ever, always somehow getting into trouble, but she is still a child (no age or grade of school mentioned) and a student. She is very friendly, knows what's right and gets her priorities straight. She is no pushover, either, despite her extreme awkwardness around discouraging authority figures, who are manipulative, somewhat nasty witches in their own way. She reminded me a lot of myself at school, as well as other girls I knew.
Mildred will learn to rely on herself, and not be so hard on herself, especially when things go wrong which aren't her fault. Her best friend Maud, and her new kitten, Tabby, bring a softness and support to her harsh life and surroundings that're full of rules.
Frogs, cats, bats, brooms, cauldrons, and a pig, at 100 pages 'The Worst Witch' is a fun little read to absorb yourself in for one afternoon. Or night, at the Witching Hour.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Graphic Novel Review - 'Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart' by Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Stefano Caselli (Artist)
How Marvel can succeed at being lighthearted fun and deadly serious simultaneously.
Fifteen-year-old African-American girl Riri Williams is the new Iron Man. Or Ironheart, as she's called. How creative and diverse Marvel can be if it just tries. The company's representing of how the world and humanity works isn't ending with the new Thor, Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man. Really I think any low sales it gets has to do with its stupid, interfering events like Secret Wars and Civil War II (which, let's face it, only exists to tie in with the 2016 Marvel Civil War movie, despite having nothing to do with it, and make more money). These crossover events keep trying to one-up each other every year or so, and it's annoying - for both current and newer comic readers alike - unneeded, and overall pointless. No wonder some readers don't want to bother wasting their money on them when they just wish to read standalone comics about certain characters, as a possible gateway to further issues and other characters. I know I sound angry here, but I get frustrated with Marvel quite a lot of the time, the way it makes considerable, revolutionary leaps in progress, and then it shoots itself in the foot and backpeddles worryingly later on, blaming others for their own failings, and making excuses not to make progress and attract new readers. Diversity and business go hand in hand, comics industry! Stop avoiding that fact: it'll only make you look bad and bankrupt you sooner or later. Keeping a boycott against Marvel isn't easy, I can tell you.
Anyway, back to Riri in her first solo series, 'Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart'. She is, in the graphic novel's own words, a super genius. Nothing new in the Marvel universe, but she stands on her own not just by her race and youth, but by how realistic she is in her anti-socialism. So much so that she had built her own Iron Man suit all by herself: she is a self-made hero, not a poor Distaff Counterpart to a famous male superhero. She has loving parents who try to understand and support her, and one best friend.
Or she used to.
Riri is a mechanic, a computer expert, and an all-round tech prodigy who spends most of her time working in her garage, angry at the world for its random acts of violence and tragedy. Laws of probabilities frustrate her. A holographic version of the late (?) Tony Stark guides and annoys her. While Riri is mature for her age, emotional outbursts, big and small, let the reader never forget that she is still a teenager. 'Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart' complements teenagers, and knows what intelligent and interesting people they are. Riri has troubles with her iron suit and makes many mistakes. Then she grows to have a sense of fun in her fights and endeavors as both Ironheart and herself. Her diversity, humanity, tragedy and heart make her a vital inclusion in the Marvel canon, alongside Kamala Khan.
Riri is not the only well-written female in the comic, however. We have the fantastically kickass Pepper Potts, Mary Jane Watson, Friday the hologram, Tony's mother Amanda Strong, who is now the head of Stark Industries, Riri's mother, the villainous Tomoe the Techno Golem (okay, seriously? My word processor doesn't know the word Golem?!) and her Biohack Ninjas, Commander Sharon Carter of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Dana Richardson of Riri's school. Each woman represents a possible future for Riri - as a friend, ally, foe, and anything in-between. She is given many choices to make throughout her time as Ironheart, and any she picks is a guarantee of trouble. And more loss for her in her young life.
'Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart' is almost flawless, filled with complex and interesting characters. The art is great, and the story simply weaves in very serious issues to go with its action scenes; issues that remind me of the breakout YA novel of the same year, 'The Hate U Give'. It is not for children. Not surprising that Brian Michael Bendis wrote this Marvel title.
It's thrilling, despite the Tony Stark hologram overstaying his welcome - even considering the "twist" role he will no doubt play in the future - and a few instances of confusion when following panel placements on double-page spreads in the narration. I'm sure the real Stark is really really really positively dead as well. Totally believe you, Marvel. No, really, sure I do.
Riri Williams - a new star in the light and darkness of comics' diversity. Of storytelling with heart as well as action. A solo beginning that comes close to breathtaking.
Final Score: 4/5
Fifteen-year-old African-American girl Riri Williams is the new Iron Man. Or Ironheart, as she's called. How creative and diverse Marvel can be if it just tries. The company's representing of how the world and humanity works isn't ending with the new Thor, Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man. Really I think any low sales it gets has to do with its stupid, interfering events like Secret Wars and Civil War II (which, let's face it, only exists to tie in with the 2016 Marvel Civil War movie, despite having nothing to do with it, and make more money). These crossover events keep trying to one-up each other every year or so, and it's annoying - for both current and newer comic readers alike - unneeded, and overall pointless. No wonder some readers don't want to bother wasting their money on them when they just wish to read standalone comics about certain characters, as a possible gateway to further issues and other characters. I know I sound angry here, but I get frustrated with Marvel quite a lot of the time, the way it makes considerable, revolutionary leaps in progress, and then it shoots itself in the foot and backpeddles worryingly later on, blaming others for their own failings, and making excuses not to make progress and attract new readers. Diversity and business go hand in hand, comics industry! Stop avoiding that fact: it'll only make you look bad and bankrupt you sooner or later. Keeping a boycott against Marvel isn't easy, I can tell you.
Anyway, back to Riri in her first solo series, 'Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart'. She is, in the graphic novel's own words, a super genius. Nothing new in the Marvel universe, but she stands on her own not just by her race and youth, but by how realistic she is in her anti-socialism. So much so that she had built her own Iron Man suit all by herself: she is a self-made hero, not a poor Distaff Counterpart to a famous male superhero. She has loving parents who try to understand and support her, and one best friend.
Or she used to.
Riri is a mechanic, a computer expert, and an all-round tech prodigy who spends most of her time working in her garage, angry at the world for its random acts of violence and tragedy. Laws of probabilities frustrate her. A holographic version of the late (?) Tony Stark guides and annoys her. While Riri is mature for her age, emotional outbursts, big and small, let the reader never forget that she is still a teenager. 'Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart' complements teenagers, and knows what intelligent and interesting people they are. Riri has troubles with her iron suit and makes many mistakes. Then she grows to have a sense of fun in her fights and endeavors as both Ironheart and herself. Her diversity, humanity, tragedy and heart make her a vital inclusion in the Marvel canon, alongside Kamala Khan.
Riri is not the only well-written female in the comic, however. We have the fantastically kickass Pepper Potts, Mary Jane Watson, Friday the hologram, Tony's mother Amanda Strong, who is now the head of Stark Industries, Riri's mother, the villainous Tomoe the Techno Golem (okay, seriously? My word processor doesn't know the word Golem?!) and her Biohack Ninjas, Commander Sharon Carter of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Dana Richardson of Riri's school. Each woman represents a possible future for Riri - as a friend, ally, foe, and anything in-between. She is given many choices to make throughout her time as Ironheart, and any she picks is a guarantee of trouble. And more loss for her in her young life.
'Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart' is almost flawless, filled with complex and interesting characters. The art is great, and the story simply weaves in very serious issues to go with its action scenes; issues that remind me of the breakout YA novel of the same year, 'The Hate U Give'. It is not for children. Not surprising that Brian Michael Bendis wrote this Marvel title.
It's thrilling, despite the Tony Stark hologram overstaying his welcome - even considering the "twist" role he will no doubt play in the future - and a few instances of confusion when following panel placements on double-page spreads in the narration. I'm sure the real Stark is really really really positively dead as well. Totally believe you, Marvel. No, really, sure I do.
Riri Williams - a new star in the light and darkness of comics' diversity. Of storytelling with heart as well as action. A solo beginning that comes close to breathtaking.
Final Score: 4/5
Graphic Novel Review - 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe' by Ryan North (Writer), Erica Henderson (Artist)
"Squirrel Girl, Squirrel Girl,
Is gonna beat up the Marvel Universe."
Well, no, her clone is, but what a title and cover to hook us all!
After reading Ryan North's and Erica Henderson's first volume of the character, and Shannon and Dean Hale's YA novel version of her origins, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, aka Doreen Green, is a favourite superhero of mine. You can't get any funnier, cuter and more self-aware than her. No fanservice and objectification from a female comic book hero! Like an all-ages Deadpool, Squirrel Girl is always a hoot. And the most powerful Marvel character. Seriously.
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe' shows what happens when a lack of morality - and a stronger, more loving connection to squirrels than people - can do to someone so strong and smart. After fighting anthropomorphic animals and accidentally being thrown into a duplication chamber in Stark Industries, Squirrel Girl gets a new friend and crime-fighting partner in the form of her exact double. Or so she thinks at first. Allene, whom the clone is named after Doreen's middle name, while never seeing herself as an evil counterpart, cares so much about her fellow squirrels and values her own squirrel part more than her human part, that she will do whatever it takes to overthrow humans and have furry rodents take over as the dominant species on earth. Angry, feeling unjust, she sees it as the greater good; economically sound, for the survival of all species on the planet. How Allene will make sure she will never be stopped by all the existing Marvel heroes and villains, she has it all planned out. She is a tech wizard possessing degrees (or Doreen is - they share the same memories and abilities, if not temper and ethics), and is highly practical with whatever resources she takes for herself.
Doreen and her friends must stop Allene. But is she as unbeatable as the real Squirrel Girl, who as it turns out is awesome and adorable even when she is planning world domination?
The graphic novel title, cover and premise is an homage to 'The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe'. Obviously it's a friendlier, lighter version of that classic. But it's no less kickass! Allene sends her opponents to the Negative Zone instead of killing them. With all her knowledge of the Marvel Universe and its characters (thanks to Deadpool's super villain trading cards), she can briefly and easily one-up them by using their weaknesses to her advantage.
Spider-Man laments his own infamous 'Clone Saga' and why he didn't warn other superheroes about the dangers of cloning. Iron Man is berated for causing the impending end of the world with his untested projects for the dozenth time (so that makes Reed Richards... what, exactly?). Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. are pretty useless in the long run and make themselves easy targets. Deadpool is beaten in two panels underestimating the violence in a children's comic. Funny callbacks, meta humour and other little details like this are everywhere in 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe'.
The downsides include the texts at the bottom of nearly every page of the graphic novel. While some are really funny, they're distracting, and fun superhero comics are an action-packed, visual medium, or at least that's how they work best. Doreen's beloved squirrel sidekick, Tippy-Toe, barely does anything except towards the end when she makes the standard sacrifice to save her human friend and the world. Same goes for Doreen's other friends who never do much - who are Koi Boi and Chipmunk Hunk anyway? What do they contribute? Friendship? Comic relief in a book all about comedic relief? Nancy Whitehead is the only one with an impacting personality and presence.
Plus, at 120 pages, the reader doesn't see Allene go up against every single Marvel Earth's Mightiest hero and villain, with the in-book excuse that there isn't enough space to show them all. Captain Marvel only shows up sparingly near the end of the final battle; Hellcat, Ghost Rider and any X-Man are in blink-and-you miss-it bit parts; and Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk, despite being on the cover, do not appear at all in the comic itself. Come on, they're on top of the pile Squirrel Girl is triumphantly standing on! Even Gwenpool and Howard the Duck are in the story for one panel! The Hulk vs the overpowered Squirrel Girl/Allene fight is very good, though. It takes up more than two panels and ends in a clever, hilarious twist.
Hey, the bright side is that all 'Squirrel Girl vs' Marvel fanfiction and fanart is technically canon now... yey?
But who can resist the juicy cherry on top in this Marvel event:
Spoiler:
Squirrel Girl becomes Squirrel Thor!
Spoiler End.
My favourite line: "You think you can just decide not to hate someone?" "I think--I think you can try. I think that's the most revolutionary thing you can do actually."
I rank 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World' as my favourite story about this character, and 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe' my least favourite. However it's still very good and I adore it. It's what comic books should be - fun and hopeful.
May the unbeatable Doreen Green have more exciting adventures to come. She certainly won't give up any attention without kicking butts and eating nuts!
Final Score: 4/5
Is gonna beat up the Marvel Universe."
Well, no, her clone is, but what a title and cover to hook us all!
After reading Ryan North's and Erica Henderson's first volume of the character, and Shannon and Dean Hale's YA novel version of her origins, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, aka Doreen Green, is a favourite superhero of mine. You can't get any funnier, cuter and more self-aware than her. No fanservice and objectification from a female comic book hero! Like an all-ages Deadpool, Squirrel Girl is always a hoot. And the most powerful Marvel character. Seriously.
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe' shows what happens when a lack of morality - and a stronger, more loving connection to squirrels than people - can do to someone so strong and smart. After fighting anthropomorphic animals and accidentally being thrown into a duplication chamber in Stark Industries, Squirrel Girl gets a new friend and crime-fighting partner in the form of her exact double. Or so she thinks at first. Allene, whom the clone is named after Doreen's middle name, while never seeing herself as an evil counterpart, cares so much about her fellow squirrels and values her own squirrel part more than her human part, that she will do whatever it takes to overthrow humans and have furry rodents take over as the dominant species on earth. Angry, feeling unjust, she sees it as the greater good; economically sound, for the survival of all species on the planet. How Allene will make sure she will never be stopped by all the existing Marvel heroes and villains, she has it all planned out. She is a tech wizard possessing degrees (or Doreen is - they share the same memories and abilities, if not temper and ethics), and is highly practical with whatever resources she takes for herself.
Doreen and her friends must stop Allene. But is she as unbeatable as the real Squirrel Girl, who as it turns out is awesome and adorable even when she is planning world domination?
The graphic novel title, cover and premise is an homage to 'The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe'. Obviously it's a friendlier, lighter version of that classic. But it's no less kickass! Allene sends her opponents to the Negative Zone instead of killing them. With all her knowledge of the Marvel Universe and its characters (thanks to Deadpool's super villain trading cards), she can briefly and easily one-up them by using their weaknesses to her advantage.
Spider-Man laments his own infamous 'Clone Saga' and why he didn't warn other superheroes about the dangers of cloning. Iron Man is berated for causing the impending end of the world with his untested projects for the dozenth time (so that makes Reed Richards... what, exactly?). Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. are pretty useless in the long run and make themselves easy targets. Deadpool is beaten in two panels underestimating the violence in a children's comic. Funny callbacks, meta humour and other little details like this are everywhere in 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe'.
The downsides include the texts at the bottom of nearly every page of the graphic novel. While some are really funny, they're distracting, and fun superhero comics are an action-packed, visual medium, or at least that's how they work best. Doreen's beloved squirrel sidekick, Tippy-Toe, barely does anything except towards the end when she makes the standard sacrifice to save her human friend and the world. Same goes for Doreen's other friends who never do much - who are Koi Boi and Chipmunk Hunk anyway? What do they contribute? Friendship? Comic relief in a book all about comedic relief? Nancy Whitehead is the only one with an impacting personality and presence.
Plus, at 120 pages, the reader doesn't see Allene go up against every single Marvel Earth's Mightiest hero and villain, with the in-book excuse that there isn't enough space to show them all. Captain Marvel only shows up sparingly near the end of the final battle; Hellcat, Ghost Rider and any X-Man are in blink-and-you miss-it bit parts; and Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk, despite being on the cover, do not appear at all in the comic itself. Come on, they're on top of the pile Squirrel Girl is triumphantly standing on! Even Gwenpool and Howard the Duck are in the story for one panel! The Hulk vs the overpowered Squirrel Girl/Allene fight is very good, though. It takes up more than two panels and ends in a clever, hilarious twist.
Hey, the bright side is that all 'Squirrel Girl vs' Marvel fanfiction and fanart is technically canon now... yey?
But who can resist the juicy cherry on top in this Marvel event:
Spoiler:
Squirrel Girl becomes Squirrel Thor!
Spoiler End.
My favourite line: "You think you can just decide not to hate someone?" "I think--I think you can try. I think that's the most revolutionary thing you can do actually."
I rank 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World' as my favourite story about this character, and 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe' my least favourite. However it's still very good and I adore it. It's what comic books should be - fun and hopeful.
May the unbeatable Doreen Green have more exciting adventures to come. She certainly won't give up any attention without kicking butts and eating nuts!
Final Score: 4/5
Saturday, 29 July 2017
Scribble #54
Just looking at an African woman and an elderly white man talking to each other on a bench, smiling, laughing, and young children laughing as well, among over seven billion people alive on earth, it makes life worth while. I refuse to believe each of us is insignificant, pointless, and do not matter at all.
Tuesday, 25 July 2017
I finished watching the 2002 'Birds of Prey' TV series, and it comes recommended by me. Everyone else mourns the travesty of 'Firefly' getting cancelled way before its time at one season, but for me that honour goes to 'Birds of Prey' and its representation of complex, kickass women protagonists on TV.
In other news, I'm ordering way too many books on Amazon. Will I ever have enough money for a bigger bookshelf?
In other news, I'm ordering way too many books on Amazon. Will I ever have enough money for a bigger bookshelf?
Sunday, 23 July 2017
Graphic Novel Review - 'Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return' by Marjane Satrapi, Anjali Singh (Translator)
I almost feel ashamed for not reading this sooner. Like, what took me so long? I don't know.
But I'm happy I did eventually.
The movie version of 'Persepolis' did cut out some parts, elements and characters from Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel masterpiece, for understandable reasons, such as keeping it at a two-hour length. The original artform tells the tragic, touching story of this magnificent woman with much more detail, and I think the result is better than the film adaptation.
'Persepolis' is very political and never boring. And historically significant. Each panel, deceptive with the art's soft cartoony roundness, in black and white, is memorable yet fleeting, like life itself. Miraculously, nothing feels wasted or unneeded, no matter how mundane an event might seem.
The brave and unstoppable Marjane Satrapi lived through a hard upbringing in Iran in the eighties and nineties, during the Islamic Revolution and the war with Iraq. Lots of people she knew and loved died under an oppressive, barbaric system. Growing up with rebel Marxist parents, and given her own outspokenness, it really does look like she was very lucky to have survived in her own country, which deep down she still loves despite everything (her living relatives are there, after all). She is always, honestly, refreshingly, a flawed human being.
The reader is shown Marjane's early life; from an ordinary child going through so many different phases in a warring country that wants to destroy her individuality and independent spirit, to a young immigrant in Austria sent by her parents for her to have a better and safer education where she can live free to be herself, and then back in Iran after a string of heartbreaks and living in poverty on the streets, suffering through an identity crisis and depression. Marjane's childhood, home circumstances, education, college years, projects, family bonds, friendships, and failed marriage are extraordinary to read about. These true events show her best and worst traits unflinchingly - she is a chainsmoker, she does drugs, and had attempted suicide at one point, among other things. She mentions she had sex many times before marriage and was never ashamed of it, not caring about other people's judgement, hypocrisies and prejudices. Marjane and everybody else are so human it's painful and adds to the tragedy.
But there is humour, on the upside. 'Persepolis' is one of the very few things I've come across that successfully manages that balance between showing death and horror, and having cathartic funny moments present on nearly every page. It's a 350-page comic strip that tells someone's coming-of-age story and makes you think. It is powerful enough to stay with the reader forever.
I learned a lot of things about Iran and its history in 'Persepolis', and that in the midst of war and thousands being bombed, shot at, executed, brainwashed, and sexually assaulted by soldiers and government officials in the name of a tyrant king and religion, there are a great many good people left in the world. In one's family, in fact. Marjane's parents, grandmother and uncles - distant or living or dead - are all fantastic. She and the women around her will stand up for women's rights.
Utterly human and utterly sick of double standards and women being objectified and blamed for it (the sight of women's hair turns men into rapists, seriously?!), Marjane Satrapi is a real feminist figure, angry and proud.
Beautiful, sad, witty, and true. Everybody should read 'Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return' at least once. Humanity will always suffer under an oppressive regime, and this graphic novel can help save lives. Comic books are art - a way to express thoughts and ideas, for ideas are harder to kill than a person. They are not just kid's stuff. They certainly don't have to be white male-centered power fantasies that depict harmful cliches and archetypes of women, who exist as either sexualized objects of heterosexual male desire or as on the receiving end of misogynistic revenge pornography. 'Persepolis' destroys this pattern and those assumptions about comics. Up to ten gay men are present in it, as well.
Vital for every comic book fan and collector.
Final Score: 4/5
But I'm happy I did eventually.
The movie version of 'Persepolis' did cut out some parts, elements and characters from Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel masterpiece, for understandable reasons, such as keeping it at a two-hour length. The original artform tells the tragic, touching story of this magnificent woman with much more detail, and I think the result is better than the film adaptation.
'Persepolis' is very political and never boring. And historically significant. Each panel, deceptive with the art's soft cartoony roundness, in black and white, is memorable yet fleeting, like life itself. Miraculously, nothing feels wasted or unneeded, no matter how mundane an event might seem.
The brave and unstoppable Marjane Satrapi lived through a hard upbringing in Iran in the eighties and nineties, during the Islamic Revolution and the war with Iraq. Lots of people she knew and loved died under an oppressive, barbaric system. Growing up with rebel Marxist parents, and given her own outspokenness, it really does look like she was very lucky to have survived in her own country, which deep down she still loves despite everything (her living relatives are there, after all). She is always, honestly, refreshingly, a flawed human being.
The reader is shown Marjane's early life; from an ordinary child going through so many different phases in a warring country that wants to destroy her individuality and independent spirit, to a young immigrant in Austria sent by her parents for her to have a better and safer education where she can live free to be herself, and then back in Iran after a string of heartbreaks and living in poverty on the streets, suffering through an identity crisis and depression. Marjane's childhood, home circumstances, education, college years, projects, family bonds, friendships, and failed marriage are extraordinary to read about. These true events show her best and worst traits unflinchingly - she is a chainsmoker, she does drugs, and had attempted suicide at one point, among other things. She mentions she had sex many times before marriage and was never ashamed of it, not caring about other people's judgement, hypocrisies and prejudices. Marjane and everybody else are so human it's painful and adds to the tragedy.
But there is humour, on the upside. 'Persepolis' is one of the very few things I've come across that successfully manages that balance between showing death and horror, and having cathartic funny moments present on nearly every page. It's a 350-page comic strip that tells someone's coming-of-age story and makes you think. It is powerful enough to stay with the reader forever.
I learned a lot of things about Iran and its history in 'Persepolis', and that in the midst of war and thousands being bombed, shot at, executed, brainwashed, and sexually assaulted by soldiers and government officials in the name of a tyrant king and religion, there are a great many good people left in the world. In one's family, in fact. Marjane's parents, grandmother and uncles - distant or living or dead - are all fantastic. She and the women around her will stand up for women's rights.
Utterly human and utterly sick of double standards and women being objectified and blamed for it (the sight of women's hair turns men into rapists, seriously?!), Marjane Satrapi is a real feminist figure, angry and proud.
Beautiful, sad, witty, and true. Everybody should read 'Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return' at least once. Humanity will always suffer under an oppressive regime, and this graphic novel can help save lives. Comic books are art - a way to express thoughts and ideas, for ideas are harder to kill than a person. They are not just kid's stuff. They certainly don't have to be white male-centered power fantasies that depict harmful cliches and archetypes of women, who exist as either sexualized objects of heterosexual male desire or as on the receiving end of misogynistic revenge pornography. 'Persepolis' destroys this pattern and those assumptions about comics. Up to ten gay men are present in it, as well.
Vital for every comic book fan and collector.
Final Score: 4/5
Saturday, 22 July 2017
Book Review - 'Witch Wars (Witch Wars #1)' by Sibéal Pounder (Writer), Laura Ellen Anderson (Illustrator)
2022 EDIT: Such silly, kiddie, witchy fun! An all-female hijinks adventure book that can be read in a day.
(Why did I say in my original review that there are no cats whatsoever in this book? They are mentioned; they're just off-page and unnamed. So the cover is still false advertising.)
Final Score: 3.5/5
Oh, how to describe 'Witch Wars'? Well, if 'The Worst Witch' and 'The Hunger Games' had a baby which was raised in the settings of every Saturday morning cartoon imaginable, one after another, whilst high on whatever is keeping the Looney Tunes alive and tripping, then 'Witch Wars' might be the spectacular, cracking and goofy result.
I really enjoyed this witchy product. It took me right back to my days of reading female-led middle school books such as 'Jane Blonde' and 'Emily Windsnap'. Also 'H.I.V.E.' and 'Princess Academy'. There's nothing deep here - it can be read in one day - but it is a lot of fun, with fun characters and creative set pieces.
Tiga Whicabim is a nine-year-old orphan girl, living with the abusive cheese water-fanatic Miss Heks. In a garden shed one day, Tiga finds that a slug is not her only company. She is told by a fairy named Fran (the Fabulous Fairy, as she'll never let you forget) that she is a witch and must go down the plughole into an underground world called Sinkville, where all the pipes lead to and where all the witches live. Once landing in Ritzy City, Tiga is made to compete in the Witch Wars, which used to involve killing but now it's a televised scavenger hunt (the Wars in the title was kept because it's catchy), along with other young witches, in order to win the highest honour of becoming Top Witch, ruler of Ritzy City and beyond.
Everything is fast in 'Witch Wars', with plenty of silly jokes left on the pages. There is no use comparing it to well-known franchises in literature like 'Harry Potter' and 'The Hunger Games', because it is much lighter than any of those. Non-sequiturs and random tidbits are 'Witch Wars''s bread and butter pudding. The dramatics are over-the-top and played for comedy only. People get hurt but in a rule reminiscent of slapstick.
The world of Sinkville is black and grey, but in a fun, soft, bewitching way. Considering that the whole thing is a glorified sewer system, that happens to have mountains, towers, docks, islands and coves, Tiga grows to love it pretty quickly. The witch women wear flat hats (they only get pointy, and their faces warty and noses crooked, from going up and down the small pipes), big frilly dresses, and pointy shoes. The illustrations are great and help lend the book that Saturday morning cartoon aesthetic - low budget drawings with funny writing to make up for it.
Tiga is a curious, adorable gothic heroine with her own fair share of humour, understated compared to the rest of the full-on, loud, OTT cast. Fran is a little fairy with the huge personality of a middle-aged, big-haired celebrity aunt; she's a self-obsessed primadonna, and a self-proclaimed "big star" of fairy and witch film and television. Tiga's new best friend in Sinkville is Peggy Pigwiggle, who has dripping black gunk in her fizzy hair, and cares for Tiga deeply, for she is a poor, lonely witch with no discernible gift but a loving family to give her confidence. Apart from that and coming from Sinkville, Peggy has quite a lot of surprising things in common with Tiga. Fluffanora Brew (yes, that is her name; great isn't it?) is a devil-may-care fashion designer's daughter who's as cool as any spoilt rich girl can be. She becomes Tiga's friend too, for Fluffanora is interested in the fashions of the world above the pipes. Simultaneously a bored, grumpy big sister type and a loving, helpful confidante, Fluffanora is instantly a favourite character of mine. Rivals in the Witch Wars include the haughty bully Felicity Bat, from a prestigious and infamous family legacy, and the mean girl Aggie Hoof, obsessed with the fashion magazine 'Toad'. Lizzie Beast and Patty Pigeon also make up the list of creatively silly names in this book.
There's non-stereotypical personality traits to mix in this witch's bowl (cauldrons are out of style now, according to Sinkville). There's friendship, sulky fairies, riddles and shortcuts. Not a lot of magic or spells occur in this witch book, especially one for children, but it doesn't matter. My favourite magical moment is the witches' setting up for camp by growing one of their shoes big and living in it like a house. That and growing wigs together for a bald witch who thinks she is Rapunzel. Caring for others, practical tactics, and brainpower help out our heroes on this journey to becoming the best of the best. No boarding school clichés or lessons, just a reality show contest from the get-go.
And the truly unique part of 'Witch Wars', and what makes it stand out the most? There is not a single male character in it. None mentioned whatsoever in the entire book. No romance crap or catty rivalries revolving around boys - it's a wacky, unruly competition to rule a disadvantaged world all the way. Girls rule this world!
Flaws: Without the illustrations, the reader wouldn't get a clear picture of what each character looks like, and they certainly wouldn't know that Peggy, Fluffanora and Aggie are meant to have dark skin. Nothing is really explained about Tiga's origin and how she came to be adopted by Miss Heks, who hates her but had kept her anyway, but maybe that's for the sequels to explore. And the cover lies! There are no cats in 'Witch Wars' at all, black or any other colour and breed. It's the fairies that fill the role similar to that of the witches' familiars here. Think of the cute and comedic potential lost by not including any cats in a witch adventure! Cats make everything better - just ask the internet!
'Witch Wars' is a hilarious new cartoon--er, I mean kid's book. Maybe I will check out the sequels, for I enjoy these characters and this world, and I have nothing to lose by diving into these quick reads.
Final Score: 3.5/5
I really enjoyed this witchy product. It took me right back to my days of reading female-led middle school books such as 'Jane Blonde' and 'Emily Windsnap'. Also 'H.I.V.E.' and 'Princess Academy'. There's nothing deep here - it can be read in one day - but it is a lot of fun, with fun characters and creative set pieces.
Tiga Whicabim is a nine-year-old orphan girl, living with the abusive cheese water-fanatic Miss Heks. In a garden shed one day, Tiga finds that a slug is not her only company. She is told by a fairy named Fran (the Fabulous Fairy, as she'll never let you forget) that she is a witch and must go down the plughole into an underground world called Sinkville, where all the pipes lead to and where all the witches live. Once landing in Ritzy City, Tiga is made to compete in the Witch Wars, which used to involve killing but now it's a televised scavenger hunt (the Wars in the title was kept because it's catchy), along with other young witches, in order to win the highest honour of becoming Top Witch, ruler of Ritzy City and beyond.
Everything is fast in 'Witch Wars', with plenty of silly jokes left on the pages. There is no use comparing it to well-known franchises in literature like 'Harry Potter' and 'The Hunger Games', because it is much lighter than any of those. Non-sequiturs and random tidbits are 'Witch Wars''s bread and butter pudding. The dramatics are over-the-top and played for comedy only. People get hurt but in a rule reminiscent of slapstick.
The world of Sinkville is black and grey, but in a fun, soft, bewitching way. Considering that the whole thing is a glorified sewer system, that happens to have mountains, towers, docks, islands and coves, Tiga grows to love it pretty quickly. The witch women wear flat hats (they only get pointy, and their faces warty and noses crooked, from going up and down the small pipes), big frilly dresses, and pointy shoes. The illustrations are great and help lend the book that Saturday morning cartoon aesthetic - low budget drawings with funny writing to make up for it.
Tiga is a curious, adorable gothic heroine with her own fair share of humour, understated compared to the rest of the full-on, loud, OTT cast. Fran is a little fairy with the huge personality of a middle-aged, big-haired celebrity aunt; she's a self-obsessed primadonna, and a self-proclaimed "big star" of fairy and witch film and television. Tiga's new best friend in Sinkville is Peggy Pigwiggle, who has dripping black gunk in her fizzy hair, and cares for Tiga deeply, for she is a poor, lonely witch with no discernible gift but a loving family to give her confidence. Apart from that and coming from Sinkville, Peggy has quite a lot of surprising things in common with Tiga. Fluffanora Brew (yes, that is her name; great isn't it?) is a devil-may-care fashion designer's daughter who's as cool as any spoilt rich girl can be. She becomes Tiga's friend too, for Fluffanora is interested in the fashions of the world above the pipes. Simultaneously a bored, grumpy big sister type and a loving, helpful confidante, Fluffanora is instantly a favourite character of mine. Rivals in the Witch Wars include the haughty bully Felicity Bat, from a prestigious and infamous family legacy, and the mean girl Aggie Hoof, obsessed with the fashion magazine 'Toad'. Lizzie Beast and Patty Pigeon also make up the list of creatively silly names in this book.
There's non-stereotypical personality traits to mix in this witch's bowl (cauldrons are out of style now, according to Sinkville). There's friendship, sulky fairies, riddles and shortcuts. Not a lot of magic or spells occur in this witch book, especially one for children, but it doesn't matter. My favourite magical moment is the witches' setting up for camp by growing one of their shoes big and living in it like a house. That and growing wigs together for a bald witch who thinks she is Rapunzel. Caring for others, practical tactics, and brainpower help out our heroes on this journey to becoming the best of the best. No boarding school clichés or lessons, just a reality show contest from the get-go.
And the truly unique part of 'Witch Wars', and what makes it stand out the most? There is not a single male character in it. None mentioned whatsoever in the entire book. No romance crap or catty rivalries revolving around boys - it's a wacky, unruly competition to rule a disadvantaged world all the way. Girls rule this world!
Flaws: Without the illustrations, the reader wouldn't get a clear picture of what each character looks like, and they certainly wouldn't know that Peggy, Fluffanora and Aggie are meant to have dark skin. Nothing is really explained about Tiga's origin and how she came to be adopted by Miss Heks, who hates her but had kept her anyway, but maybe that's for the sequels to explore. And the cover lies! There are no cats in 'Witch Wars' at all, black or any other colour and breed. It's the fairies that fill the role similar to that of the witches' familiars here. Think of the cute and comedic potential lost by not including any cats in a witch adventure! Cats make everything better - just ask the internet!
'Witch Wars' is a hilarious new cartoon--er, I mean kid's book. Maybe I will check out the sequels, for I enjoy these characters and this world, and I have nothing to lose by diving into these quick reads.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Friday, 21 July 2017
Sexists and misogynists will find any excuse to complain about anything not about them. Just what is this about a woman Doctor Who taking away role models for boys? First of all: Fuck off. You have literally thousands of male role models over the centuries to emulate, fictional and non-fictional. Just like with the female-led 'Ghostbusters' reboot, your original male-orientated/catered franchise will not magically disappear from existence at the presence of a woman in the spotlight. Over fifty years and twelve male Doctors are still being remembered. Big shock, I know, that the universe doesn't explode whenever anything in it doesn't revolve around men. Second: Why the hell can't a woman be a role model for boys? Girls are made to look up to male heroes all throughout their lives, because female role models are so limited, ignored and are generally weak and/or unheroic in comparison that we give them no choice. Nobody generally gives this a second thought, because it's the norm, the default, and so we don't question it. But when a heroic woman protagonist is put in center stage, and is not part of the Smurfette Principle in a group of diverse boys, it's all "Oh won't somebody think of those poor fragile wittle boys who simply can't identify with girls because they have those alien things called vaginas?! Their role model quota is so small as it is! Why, horror of horrors, they may have to see women as human beings who exist!!!! DEVIL!!! ANARCHY!!! BURN THE WITCH!!!"
A woman's existence is not political. Nobody's identity should be a political issue. Recognizing the diversity of humanity should not be up for debate. Get over yourselves, you overly-privileged, attention-seeking ignoramuses. Change is good, healthy, economically sound, and safe for everybody, including you. Share that power you have always had and never earned. Despite the sudden backward political climate right now, tolerance and decency are not dead. Think before you speak and act.
Also, the first female Doctor will mark the first transgender Doctor as well. Imagine, a transgender hero in a popular mainstream science-fiction show spanning five decades. So there.
A woman's existence is not political. Nobody's identity should be a political issue. Recognizing the diversity of humanity should not be up for debate. Get over yourselves, you overly-privileged, attention-seeking ignoramuses. Change is good, healthy, economically sound, and safe for everybody, including you. Share that power you have always had and never earned. Despite the sudden backward political climate right now, tolerance and decency are not dead. Think before you speak and act.
Also, the first female Doctor will mark the first transgender Doctor as well. Imagine, a transgender hero in a popular mainstream science-fiction show spanning five decades. So there.
Sunday, 16 July 2017
Doctor Who is now a woman. It only took them fifty-four years.
Does this mean I'll start watching it again? Well since Steven Moffat will no longer be the showrunner, then maybe 'Doctor Who' will be good again. Have the companions still be female - and don't think your black/LBGTQ representation quota is filled after the last season, and go back to straight white people all over again.
Progress can only be successful when you're committed to it - keep going with it, until it becomes the new norm.
Now to be done with queerbaiting, having women's existences revolve entirely around men, and killing off and/or sidelining POC characters, then TV can truly be great for the 21st century.
See what happens when you respect your audience, and actually follow through with your promises?
Does this mean I'll start watching it again? Well since Steven Moffat will no longer be the showrunner, then maybe 'Doctor Who' will be good again. Have the companions still be female - and don't think your black/LBGTQ representation quota is filled after the last season, and go back to straight white people all over again.
Progress can only be successful when you're committed to it - keep going with it, until it becomes the new norm.
Now to be done with queerbaiting, having women's existences revolve entirely around men, and killing off and/or sidelining POC characters, then TV can truly be great for the 21st century.
See what happens when you respect your audience, and actually follow through with your promises?
Wednesday, 12 July 2017
Book Review - 'Little Miss Star (Mr. Men and Little Miss)' by Roger Hargreaves
The most meta 'Little Miss' book to date, at a time before that meant anything.
'Little Miss Star' wants to be famous. But how will she do it? Read to find out.
Adorable. Simply adorable.
What precious books. The 'Little Miss' titles I like best are the ones that go against the grain, and go down unexpected routes in their stories, and where the focus point female character is not a lazily-conceived distaff counterpart to any of the 'Mr. Men'. Children love and crave originality and surprises as much as adults.
All in all, a nice, fun little distraction by the Little Misses.
Final Score: 4/5
'Little Miss Star' wants to be famous. But how will she do it? Read to find out.
Adorable. Simply adorable.
What precious books. The 'Little Miss' titles I like best are the ones that go against the grain, and go down unexpected routes in their stories, and where the focus point female character is not a lazily-conceived distaff counterpart to any of the 'Mr. Men'. Children love and crave originality and surprises as much as adults.
All in all, a nice, fun little distraction by the Little Misses.
Final Score: 4/5
Book Review - 'Little Miss Busy (Mr .Men and Little Miss)' by Roger Hargreaves
Everybody knows someone who is always busy, and can't imagine being anything else. You are probably that person yourself, or you used to be at some point. It's good to keep doing things - good things - and do them well. It's good to have purpose, to know what's what.
But remember to take a holiday once in a while! And resting from sickness is not the end of the world. Let others help you out. It's okay.
'Little Miss Busy' is a relatable Little Miss. Exaggerated, of course, but relatable. She is always on! She must do things and keep things in order, without a break, even when she is ill. She is happiest when she is organizing and getting on with practical matters!
Hilarious and clever stuff.
Final Score: 4/5
But remember to take a holiday once in a while! And resting from sickness is not the end of the world. Let others help you out. It's okay.
'Little Miss Busy' is a relatable Little Miss. Exaggerated, of course, but relatable. She is always on! She must do things and keep things in order, without a break, even when she is ill. She is happiest when she is organizing and getting on with practical matters!
Hilarious and clever stuff.
Final Score: 4/5
Book Review - 'Little Miss Lucky (Mr. Men and Little Miss)' by Roger Hargreaves
Instantly a favourite, simply because Little Miss Lucky likes to read books! In bed!
Plus she's as cute and lovely as a tea cosy. 'Little Miss Lucky' is comfortable yet quite shocking and scary, which is good for kids. It's another 'Little Miss' entry with an interesting twist - don't dismiss it because of the title; it is very different to what I was expecting. I like to be surprised by a children's picture book.
How nostalgic these Roger Hargreaves classics are.
Final Score: 4/5
Plus she's as cute and lovely as a tea cosy. 'Little Miss Lucky' is comfortable yet quite shocking and scary, which is good for kids. It's another 'Little Miss' entry with an interesting twist - don't dismiss it because of the title; it is very different to what I was expecting. I like to be surprised by a children's picture book.
How nostalgic these Roger Hargreaves classics are.
Final Score: 4/5
Book Review - 'Little Miss Twins (Mr. Men and Little Miss)' by Roger Hargreaves
Twins!
One of the most fun 'Little Miss' books, breaking away from the usual formula. Why yes, you are seeing double!
Everywhere in Twoland is twice the fun fun! Every last thing said is said two times - the charm charm! The ending is a genuinely funny and brilliant punchline.
Colourful and original.
Final Score: 4/5
One of the most fun 'Little Miss' books, breaking away from the usual formula. Why yes, you are seeing double!
Everywhere in Twoland is twice the fun fun! Every last thing said is said two times - the charm charm! The ending is a genuinely funny and brilliant punchline.
Colourful and original.
Final Score: 4/5
Book Review - 'Little Miss Shy (Mr. Men and Little Miss)' by Roger Hargreaves
Little Miss Shy is so shy, so scared of people and leaving her house, it's adorable. A sweet little children's story with a nice message on confidence.
Communication and friendship are key. And parties are fun! People are shy at heart, just more or less shy than others, in how they express it.
Final Score: 4/5
Communication and friendship are key. And parties are fun! People are shy at heart, just more or less shy than others, in how they express it.
Final Score: 4/5
Sunday, 9 July 2017
Book Review - 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World' by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale
2021 EDIT: Just as good as on the first read. A fantastic, fun, funny, friendly, feminist, flouncy, furry, fuzzy and fabulous Marvel superhero book. What a charmer.
Read my original review for more.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
Oh my gosh, this is so much fun! One of the funniest, most charming and exciting reads of the year.
Squirrel Girl does it again! In her origin story in novel form, written by the wonderful Shannon and Dean Hale. Squirrel power - the unbeatable superheroine of Marvel - and where it all began...
Doreen Green is an adorable, optimistic and full of nutty energy girl of fourteen-years-old, born with a bushy tail and other squirrely attributes like two buck teeth, retractable claws, super agility and strength. And talking to squirrels. She, along with her parents, move into a new town of Shady Oaks in New Jersey, which is a rundown, petty crime-laden location in juxtaposition to her bright nature, with unfriendly and mean kids at her new school.
This set-up leads to Doreen steadily finding her calling, as a superhero she has always thought of herself in her head until now - Squirrel Girl! who saves other squirrels, dogs, babies, juvenile graffiti gang members, and LARPers taking things too far. A sinister plot involving a robotic takeover and specifically testing and challenging Squirrel Girl to boost some bad guy-wannabe's ego is going on, and the realities of being a (very young) hero in the modern internet age in the Marvel Universe soon begin to sink in for the ray of sunshine and ball of furry hugs that is Doreen Green. It is also here where she first meets her beloved squirrel sidekick, Tippy-Toe. Take that, Wolverine and your jacket!
With 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World', Marvel once again proves how fun it can be when it just goes along for the ride and doesn't take itself too seriously. The authors of the book play along with writing about a superhero world inhabited by colourful characters and crazy science, and you can tell they were having a blast with the silly material and making it all as charming and accessible as possible. It is an all-ages novel - so nice to see something inclusive for younger audiences for Marvel's superhero properties for a change - so it never gets too dark or mean-spirited (Asgard forbid in a Squirrel Girl story!), and nobody dies in it. Nonetheless it is so entertaining and heartfelt, I had a big smile on my face as I shot through the book in two days.
Doreen's lovable if naive personality is infectious; she is the imaginative child we as adults wish we could be again, living in our own worlds. She listens to and hums loud, upbeat music, and is so hyperactive that rare moments of exhaustion only make her move about even more. Plus she provides hilarious commentary in page footnotes throughout 'Squirrel Meets World', similar to how she would break the fourth wall in the comics; like a teen girl, child-friendly Deadpool. It is her coming-of-age hero's tale (tail, more like; yeah, she makes up funnier word play than me), where she is finding out who she is, and why she does what she does. Can Squirrel Girl be a true superhero? Or a joke, like her initial creation?
And squirrels are awesome little creatures. You learn so much about them on this adventure. Add in babysitting and you get a cute bundle of joy of a book full of robot action, carjacking, compromised dogs, text messages between Squirrel Girl and the Avengers (and Rocket Raccoon), and a talking courgette.
Doreen's parents, Dor and Maureen (get it? Doreen sure does), are as softhearted and scatterbrained as she is. They parent her so sweetly that grounding their kid is a foreign concept to them. They claim that she must hide her squirrel tail in public because people would get jealous of not having a tail themselves. Bless them; they were only trying to protect her from a cruel world where "freak" is still a normal, pejorative term in a world where superpowered humans, aliens and Norse gods exist. Young Doreen believes whatever her parents tell her, until she attempts to become a hero for her new home turf and she can't hide from the harsh reality any longer. But regardless, Maureen and Dor love and support their strange, unique daughter in her choices, unconditionally. They are a cracking, hysterically-funny couple, and surprisingly complex. And so is Squirrel Girl.
The friends she meets and makes aren't limited to the butt-kicking Tippy-Toe and her hundreds of squirrel kin, eating nuts in trees and scouting territories. There is Ana Sofia from school, a lonely deaf girl, also a POC, who is understandably tired of trying to communicate with people and explain her disability over and over again, and is prone to intense glaring. But she's really very sweet, and acts as the detective, computer programmer and hacker Intel person for Squirrel Girl. She loves socks, maths, comic books, and has a crush on Thor (who doesn't?). Ana Sofia would make a great superhero, in fact: it is colossally rare to see a deaf character in anything in the media, much less in a superhero story, and an origin story at that. A three-dimensional dark-skinned female with an honestly-depicted disability. Fantastic representation.
Speaking of which, ethnic minorities and people with dark skin are a constant in 'Squirrel Meets World', and even better, some white people are described as being white when we are introduced to them, negating the white-as-default narrative BS. Doreen has a family in Canada, too!
'Squirrel Meets World' has the makings of a Marvel goldmine. It came so close to getting five stars from me. However, I feel it falls a little flat in terms of its build-up to a battle climax to save Shady Oaks (and the world, possibly. Probably). The final showdown crams in a lot with little page-room for well-rounded development for the many characters, and everything is solved pretty easily. An attempt to sabotage Squirrel Girl's reputation via internet trolling and online abuse felt kind of tacked on for a reason to ensure her breakdown for the beginning of the book's third act (and for her friends to suddenly, seemingly abandon her when she needs them), and it could have been far more explored as commentary. The mystery villain is rather obvious - that this is a kids' book is no excuse - and doesn't get especially interesting until the final battle with the heroine, ironically enough.
Spoiler:
The young computer nerd is a H.Y.D.R.A. experiment leftover. He builds robot parents for himself that, when Squirrel Girl decapitates them, merge together by their necks to become a killer robot spider, with blades for arms and legs. Holy nuts and bolts, what a scary-as-hell image. That is 'Human Centipede' horror right there, for a lighthearted, all-ages book.
Spoiler end.
There's no LBGTQ representation, sadly.
Lastly, why does Doreen think that Iron Man is a mere Avengers' errand boy? Is there a joke here I'm missing? Poor bastard.
Bonus, and this has to be added:
Spoiler:
Thor and Black Widow show up from S.H.I.E.L.D. after Squirrel Girl's win against the bad guy/her "nemesis" in Shady Oak. Thor bonds with Ana Sofia over socks, and he coos a baby as he takes him back to his mother via hammer leap. Not bizarre enough? Black Widow, the snarky stick-in-the-mud, laughs - she seriously laughs at the end of her cameo. How I envy those who might try and succeed at imagining Scarlett Johansson crying in fits of joyous laughter in her tight black leather fetish suit.
Spoiler end.
Just... what a gem. What a charm against cynicism, hate, and the gritty and edgy age of superheroes 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World' is. Sweet, sensitive, ridiculously funny and cute, it is like a sugar rush: a colourful, action-packed Saturday morning cartoon expertly implemented for the novel medium. Think 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and 'The Lego Batman Movie'. And there is no romance! It says something when the recent books that I've read and loved have no romances in them.
I enjoyed Squirrel Girl and friends immensely. Maybe I'll forgive Marvel, and lift my boycott, at least a little. I crave superheroines and comics too much.
Final Score: 4/5
Read my original review for more.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
Oh my gosh, this is so much fun! One of the funniest, most charming and exciting reads of the year.
Squirrel Girl does it again! In her origin story in novel form, written by the wonderful Shannon and Dean Hale. Squirrel power - the unbeatable superheroine of Marvel - and where it all began...
Doreen Green is an adorable, optimistic and full of nutty energy girl of fourteen-years-old, born with a bushy tail and other squirrely attributes like two buck teeth, retractable claws, super agility and strength. And talking to squirrels. She, along with her parents, move into a new town of Shady Oaks in New Jersey, which is a rundown, petty crime-laden location in juxtaposition to her bright nature, with unfriendly and mean kids at her new school.
This set-up leads to Doreen steadily finding her calling, as a superhero she has always thought of herself in her head until now - Squirrel Girl! who saves other squirrels, dogs, babies, juvenile graffiti gang members, and LARPers taking things too far. A sinister plot involving a robotic takeover and specifically testing and challenging Squirrel Girl to boost some bad guy-wannabe's ego is going on, and the realities of being a (very young) hero in the modern internet age in the Marvel Universe soon begin to sink in for the ray of sunshine and ball of furry hugs that is Doreen Green. It is also here where she first meets her beloved squirrel sidekick, Tippy-Toe. Take that, Wolverine and your jacket!
With 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World', Marvel once again proves how fun it can be when it just goes along for the ride and doesn't take itself too seriously. The authors of the book play along with writing about a superhero world inhabited by colourful characters and crazy science, and you can tell they were having a blast with the silly material and making it all as charming and accessible as possible. It is an all-ages novel - so nice to see something inclusive for younger audiences for Marvel's superhero properties for a change - so it never gets too dark or mean-spirited (Asgard forbid in a Squirrel Girl story!), and nobody dies in it. Nonetheless it is so entertaining and heartfelt, I had a big smile on my face as I shot through the book in two days.
Doreen's lovable if naive personality is infectious; she is the imaginative child we as adults wish we could be again, living in our own worlds. She listens to and hums loud, upbeat music, and is so hyperactive that rare moments of exhaustion only make her move about even more. Plus she provides hilarious commentary in page footnotes throughout 'Squirrel Meets World', similar to how she would break the fourth wall in the comics; like a teen girl, child-friendly Deadpool. It is her coming-of-age hero's tale (tail, more like; yeah, she makes up funnier word play than me), where she is finding out who she is, and why she does what she does. Can Squirrel Girl be a true superhero? Or a joke, like her initial creation?
And squirrels are awesome little creatures. You learn so much about them on this adventure. Add in babysitting and you get a cute bundle of joy of a book full of robot action, carjacking, compromised dogs, text messages between Squirrel Girl and the Avengers (and Rocket Raccoon), and a talking courgette.
Doreen's parents, Dor and Maureen (get it? Doreen sure does), are as softhearted and scatterbrained as she is. They parent her so sweetly that grounding their kid is a foreign concept to them. They claim that she must hide her squirrel tail in public because people would get jealous of not having a tail themselves. Bless them; they were only trying to protect her from a cruel world where "freak" is still a normal, pejorative term in a world where superpowered humans, aliens and Norse gods exist. Young Doreen believes whatever her parents tell her, until she attempts to become a hero for her new home turf and she can't hide from the harsh reality any longer. But regardless, Maureen and Dor love and support their strange, unique daughter in her choices, unconditionally. They are a cracking, hysterically-funny couple, and surprisingly complex. And so is Squirrel Girl.
The friends she meets and makes aren't limited to the butt-kicking Tippy-Toe and her hundreds of squirrel kin, eating nuts in trees and scouting territories. There is Ana Sofia from school, a lonely deaf girl, also a POC, who is understandably tired of trying to communicate with people and explain her disability over and over again, and is prone to intense glaring. But she's really very sweet, and acts as the detective, computer programmer and hacker Intel person for Squirrel Girl. She loves socks, maths, comic books, and has a crush on Thor (who doesn't?). Ana Sofia would make a great superhero, in fact: it is colossally rare to see a deaf character in anything in the media, much less in a superhero story, and an origin story at that. A three-dimensional dark-skinned female with an honestly-depicted disability. Fantastic representation.
Speaking of which, ethnic minorities and people with dark skin are a constant in 'Squirrel Meets World', and even better, some white people are described as being white when we are introduced to them, negating the white-as-default narrative BS. Doreen has a family in Canada, too!
'Squirrel Meets World' has the makings of a Marvel goldmine. It came so close to getting five stars from me. However, I feel it falls a little flat in terms of its build-up to a battle climax to save Shady Oaks (and the world, possibly. Probably). The final showdown crams in a lot with little page-room for well-rounded development for the many characters, and everything is solved pretty easily. An attempt to sabotage Squirrel Girl's reputation via internet trolling and online abuse felt kind of tacked on for a reason to ensure her breakdown for the beginning of the book's third act (and for her friends to suddenly, seemingly abandon her when she needs them), and it could have been far more explored as commentary. The mystery villain is rather obvious - that this is a kids' book is no excuse - and doesn't get especially interesting until the final battle with the heroine, ironically enough.
Spoiler:
The young computer nerd is a H.Y.D.R.A. experiment leftover. He builds robot parents for himself that, when Squirrel Girl decapitates them, merge together by their necks to become a killer robot spider, with blades for arms and legs. Holy nuts and bolts, what a scary-as-hell image. That is 'Human Centipede' horror right there, for a lighthearted, all-ages book.
Spoiler end.
There's no LBGTQ representation, sadly.
Lastly, why does Doreen think that Iron Man is a mere Avengers' errand boy? Is there a joke here I'm missing? Poor bastard.
Bonus, and this has to be added:
Spoiler:
Thor and Black Widow show up from S.H.I.E.L.D. after Squirrel Girl's win against the bad guy/her "nemesis" in Shady Oak. Thor bonds with Ana Sofia over socks, and he coos a baby as he takes him back to his mother via hammer leap. Not bizarre enough? Black Widow, the snarky stick-in-the-mud, laughs - she seriously laughs at the end of her cameo. How I envy those who might try and succeed at imagining Scarlett Johansson crying in fits of joyous laughter in her tight black leather fetish suit.
Spoiler end.
Just... what a gem. What a charm against cynicism, hate, and the gritty and edgy age of superheroes 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World' is. Sweet, sensitive, ridiculously funny and cute, it is like a sugar rush: a colourful, action-packed Saturday morning cartoon expertly implemented for the novel medium. Think 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and 'The Lego Batman Movie'. And there is no romance! It says something when the recent books that I've read and loved have no romances in them.
I enjoyed Squirrel Girl and friends immensely. Maybe I'll forgive Marvel, and lift my boycott, at least a little. I crave superheroines and comics too much.
Final Score: 4/5
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