My boyfriend got me a 'Sailor Moon' brooch chain watch and 'Harry Potter' golden snitch earrings from a con today :)
In other news, the pics of the cast of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child', the play, look fantastic.
In other other news, "everyone is an arsehole for no reason" can also very easily apply to "serious" and "dark and gritty" stories.
Tuesday 31 May 2016
Monday 30 May 2016
I don't know why, in most comedies, "funny" has become equated with "everyone is an arsehole for no reason". I don't know how this type of material has persisted for so long, but it needs to stop. Now. Aside from being charmless and pointlessly mean-spirited, it's just lazy, and there is no wit or creativity to it. I implore: Remember what a joke is!
Graphic Novel Review - 'Wonder Woman: The War Years 1941-1945' by Roy Thomas
To think that it's only recently I'd considered myself a Wonder Woman fan! In this year alone I've read more about her, seen the animated movie, bought merchandise of the Amazon princess, and watched all three seasons of the Lynda Carter TV series - DVD boxsets owned! (EBay purchases - not bad, considering I live in the UK, where they are very obscure and hard to come by). So it figures I had to get something that includes Wonder Woman's true introduction: Her original comic book issues from the 1940s. And by the great and illustrious Hera I chanced upon 'Wonder Woman: The War Years 1941-1945' in stores (in the wake of 'Batman v Superman', mind you, but it's a start).
All I can say about this archive collection is that Wonder Woman's first adventures are typically written for their time, even with William Moulton Marston's ideas of feminism (which actually aren’t, since he believed women were superior to men, not their equals). Each and every issue is cheesy, ridiculous, nonsensical, and rather short-sighted, yet fun in their own right. They're also very racist, with the most unflattering depictions of Asian people, especially the Japanese who are villainous and are repeatedly referred to in derogatory terms. Apparently Wonder Woman once fought for equality and freedom for women, but prejudice against non-white people (and Germans) was okay with her!
However, I took this with a grain of salt because the issues were written during the Second World War, when fear, distrust and xenophobia were understandable in America. As a result US insecurity would be at an all-time high. Their superhero comics contained not-so-subtle messages about how America is the best country in the world. Propaganda commentary and jabs at Hitler are also present in this archive.
Wonder Woman became one of America's positive ambassadors (that she's an Amazon from an island based on ancient Greek legends does dispel a little of that xenophobia in WWII, intentional or not) alongside Superman and Batman. She continued in her heroism even after the war stories of her male counterparts were finished. When looking at the bigger picture, to have a woman become a symbol for the United States' hopes and dreams for the future shows wonderful progress for its time.
From the very beginning, Wonder Woman carries her own stories. Sure, she's hopelessly in love with Steve Trevor, the first man she ever sees when his fighter plane crash lands on Paradise Island, but she's competent at achieving all her tasks. She's strong, witty and cunning in times of crisis. Knowing her Amazonian legacy - its origins in slavery - she comes to realise why she must never let a man dominate her (men chaining up her bracelets is one of her weaknesses). She constantly rescues Steve from danger: This reverses traditional gender roles, particularly in comics - it's the dude-in-distress being saved by the kick-butt action heroine in 'Wonder Woman'. A good example of feminist progress is in one story where Wonder Woman tells a woman that she can get a job and earn her own living; and do without her evil, abusive husband.
Still, there is a strong emphasis on Wondy's femininity. She's always being described as beautiful ("as Aphrodite!" but is also "as wise as Athena"). She likes shopping. Plus she's vain, to the point where she wouldn't damage her eyelashes, even if it'll save her life!
But in giving the benefit of the doubt, I think this is to show how traditional feminine norms and behaviour in society can be seen as a strength, not a weakness. Let Wonder Woman be pretty and confident. Let her be as good as any man, even when she's bound, chained-up and/or gassed (Marston's kinks do show here)! Her super strength, speed, agility and other powers are her own, and are due to rather than in spite of her femininity, if that makes sense.
Probably not, but femininity and womanhood are represented as good things, overall.
Though Steve Trevor is much more interested in his striking and beautiful saviour than in his nurse-turned-secretary, the mousy Diana Prince. Speaking of, aside from being arrogant and fairly reckless, Steve's a moron: He sees Diana change into Wonder Woman twice in the later issues in this collection. He finally finds out her secret, but he then believes whatever BS Diana/Wonder Woman tells him to convince him that he didn't see what he thought he saw. Why can't she just tell him who she is, anyway? It's never explained. So much for her significance as the hero of truth and honesty.
Another character of note who's claimed a permanent place in Wondy's mythos is Etta Candy, a college sorority leader who is always - and I do mean always - the butt of fat jokes. These early comic issues are still really shallow; nearly all of Etta's dialogue mentions how much she loves candy (yeah, we get it, Marston!) and her catchphrase is "Woo-Woo!”
Though on the other hand, Etta is one of Wonder Woman's closest and most trusted allies, as she and her sorority girls are counted on every time to help the Amazon in any situation and save her life (wow these girls are smart and resilient!). So Etta isn't entirely body-shamed. She's useful and a prominent female friend for Wondy outside of Paradise Island.
Incidentally, Wonder Woman has telepathic connections to her friends and owns a "mental radio", I am not joking. I did say these comics are cheesy as hell! Heck, Paradise Island - where the princess Diana has loving relationships with her Amazon sisters and her mother Hippolyta - is also home to giant animals; not just kangaroos but boxing cats!
And I'm glad to own 'Wonder Woman: The War Years', and to get a feel of her origins, despite everything. Some of these adventures are fun and humorous, though maybe with the needed perception of zeitgeist and understanding the time period in which they were published. A good look for any Wonder Woman fan.
Final Score: 3.5/5
All I can say about this archive collection is that Wonder Woman's first adventures are typically written for their time, even with William Moulton Marston's ideas of feminism (which actually aren’t, since he believed women were superior to men, not their equals). Each and every issue is cheesy, ridiculous, nonsensical, and rather short-sighted, yet fun in their own right. They're also very racist, with the most unflattering depictions of Asian people, especially the Japanese who are villainous and are repeatedly referred to in derogatory terms. Apparently Wonder Woman once fought for equality and freedom for women, but prejudice against non-white people (and Germans) was okay with her!
However, I took this with a grain of salt because the issues were written during the Second World War, when fear, distrust and xenophobia were understandable in America. As a result US insecurity would be at an all-time high. Their superhero comics contained not-so-subtle messages about how America is the best country in the world. Propaganda commentary and jabs at Hitler are also present in this archive.
Wonder Woman became one of America's positive ambassadors (that she's an Amazon from an island based on ancient Greek legends does dispel a little of that xenophobia in WWII, intentional or not) alongside Superman and Batman. She continued in her heroism even after the war stories of her male counterparts were finished. When looking at the bigger picture, to have a woman become a symbol for the United States' hopes and dreams for the future shows wonderful progress for its time.
From the very beginning, Wonder Woman carries her own stories. Sure, she's hopelessly in love with Steve Trevor, the first man she ever sees when his fighter plane crash lands on Paradise Island, but she's competent at achieving all her tasks. She's strong, witty and cunning in times of crisis. Knowing her Amazonian legacy - its origins in slavery - she comes to realise why she must never let a man dominate her (men chaining up her bracelets is one of her weaknesses). She constantly rescues Steve from danger: This reverses traditional gender roles, particularly in comics - it's the dude-in-distress being saved by the kick-butt action heroine in 'Wonder Woman'. A good example of feminist progress is in one story where Wonder Woman tells a woman that she can get a job and earn her own living; and do without her evil, abusive husband.
Still, there is a strong emphasis on Wondy's femininity. She's always being described as beautiful ("as Aphrodite!" but is also "as wise as Athena"). She likes shopping. Plus she's vain, to the point where she wouldn't damage her eyelashes, even if it'll save her life!
But in giving the benefit of the doubt, I think this is to show how traditional feminine norms and behaviour in society can be seen as a strength, not a weakness. Let Wonder Woman be pretty and confident. Let her be as good as any man, even when she's bound, chained-up and/or gassed (Marston's kinks do show here)! Her super strength, speed, agility and other powers are her own, and are due to rather than in spite of her femininity, if that makes sense.
Probably not, but femininity and womanhood are represented as good things, overall.
Though Steve Trevor is much more interested in his striking and beautiful saviour than in his nurse-turned-secretary, the mousy Diana Prince. Speaking of, aside from being arrogant and fairly reckless, Steve's a moron: He sees Diana change into Wonder Woman twice in the later issues in this collection. He finally finds out her secret, but he then believes whatever BS Diana/Wonder Woman tells him to convince him that he didn't see what he thought he saw. Why can't she just tell him who she is, anyway? It's never explained. So much for her significance as the hero of truth and honesty.
Another character of note who's claimed a permanent place in Wondy's mythos is Etta Candy, a college sorority leader who is always - and I do mean always - the butt of fat jokes. These early comic issues are still really shallow; nearly all of Etta's dialogue mentions how much she loves candy (yeah, we get it, Marston!) and her catchphrase is "Woo-Woo!”
Though on the other hand, Etta is one of Wonder Woman's closest and most trusted allies, as she and her sorority girls are counted on every time to help the Amazon in any situation and save her life (wow these girls are smart and resilient!). So Etta isn't entirely body-shamed. She's useful and a prominent female friend for Wondy outside of Paradise Island.
Incidentally, Wonder Woman has telepathic connections to her friends and owns a "mental radio", I am not joking. I did say these comics are cheesy as hell! Heck, Paradise Island - where the princess Diana has loving relationships with her Amazon sisters and her mother Hippolyta - is also home to giant animals; not just kangaroos but boxing cats!
And I'm glad to own 'Wonder Woman: The War Years', and to get a feel of her origins, despite everything. Some of these adventures are fun and humorous, though maybe with the needed perception of zeitgeist and understanding the time period in which they were published. A good look for any Wonder Woman fan.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Wednesday 25 May 2016
Friday 20 May 2016
Graphic Novel Review - 'Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant' by Tony Cliff
2023 EDIT:
Reread: Not as fun this time round, I'm afraid. I've noticed some inconsistencies and plot holes, too, and Delilah and Selim's enemies conveniently don't fire their weapons at them when they should. The pacing is too fast and rushed, and we hardly see the villains, and they're crap villains, at that. Selim is annoying and inconsistent himself, to boot. Delilah deserves better. Plus she's the only female character (the only real one) in the whole book. And why did she have to be white? Like the only white character? Like a white saviour?
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
This is a lot of fun. I seriously want to cosplay as Delilah Dirk.
While 'Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant' is narrated from the perspective of the Turkish Lieutenant himself, Erdemoglu Selim, the reader is still treated to the delightful main heroine - we are in awe of her as much as Selim.
Delilah, a half-English/half-Greek former debutante, is reminiscent of Carmen Sandiego: she is a globetrotter and a thief. Also a swordswoman. Despite her jokey and light-hearted disposition, she kills her enemies as casually as any male antihero. She is extremely talented, smart, resourceful, and seemingly unstoppable, with Selim occasionally glimpsing a softer, more vulnerable side to her in their travels. Insights into Delilah's history are also touched on, and would be further explored in the sequels.
Selim himself is the humble everyman, more of a tea-man than a lieutenant, who has been used and abused all his life in his homeland. Until fate tasks him with meeting the prisoner Delilah Dirk. She escapes, and saves him from execution for unfounded charges of treachery and treason, and the two begin their adventures together, gradually striking an unlikely partnership.
Even though Selim believes he is cowardly and unfit for the troublemaking lifestyle of Delilah, he is actually rather brave, and can be as smart, snarky, and cunning as she is. He also really loves making tea, did I mention that already? One of my favourite scenes is when Selim considers abandoning Delilah on their first heist as a team, resulting in him living the high life (married to a woman he'd eyed in an earlier scene) while she is in a prison cell. He comes to realise how, in making such a choice, he'll be ungrateful to her, after she had saved his life. He'll truly be a coward then, so he ends up sticking to the plan, thus ridding any future guilt. It's a brilliantly subversive take on how easily some men ignore the efforts, words and actions of women; bad things may happen when she is callously left to fend for herself, and women cannot be free until men fight for their freedom too.
And who can forget the ominous and barely-seen baddie ZAKUL!!! (ooohhhs and aaahhhs).
The artwork is crisp and cartoony, and the story is so fast-paced, action-packed and full of humour that 'Delilah Dirk' would make a great DreamWorks animated movie.
I wish this comic could have shown us more of Delilah and less of Selim, though. And I have to ask, why did Delilah have to be white, in a Middle East/Western Asia setting full of Middle Eastern characters? I know she's an explorer, but this could have been a fantastic opportunity for a mainstream comic book to feature an all-Middle Eastern cast, one which could appeal to everyone, with a POC female lead to boot. She could have at least been wholly Greek and not half.
'Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant', like any good graphic novel, offers its readers a really good time. It's nothing complex. There is little dialogue in its many pages of nice artistry of landscapes, the sea, forests and castles. But it's an exciting action and comedy and historical fiction blend. I'm glad I bought it.
Final Score: 4/5
Reread: Not as fun this time round, I'm afraid. I've noticed some inconsistencies and plot holes, too, and Delilah and Selim's enemies conveniently don't fire their weapons at them when they should. The pacing is too fast and rushed, and we hardly see the villains, and they're crap villains, at that. Selim is annoying and inconsistent himself, to boot. Delilah deserves better. Plus she's the only female character (the only real one) in the whole book. And why did she have to be white? Like the only white character? Like a white saviour?
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
This is a lot of fun. I seriously want to cosplay as Delilah Dirk.
While 'Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant' is narrated from the perspective of the Turkish Lieutenant himself, Erdemoglu Selim, the reader is still treated to the delightful main heroine - we are in awe of her as much as Selim.
Delilah, a half-English/half-Greek former debutante, is reminiscent of Carmen Sandiego: she is a globetrotter and a thief. Also a swordswoman. Despite her jokey and light-hearted disposition, she kills her enemies as casually as any male antihero. She is extremely talented, smart, resourceful, and seemingly unstoppable, with Selim occasionally glimpsing a softer, more vulnerable side to her in their travels. Insights into Delilah's history are also touched on, and would be further explored in the sequels.
Selim himself is the humble everyman, more of a tea-man than a lieutenant, who has been used and abused all his life in his homeland. Until fate tasks him with meeting the prisoner Delilah Dirk. She escapes, and saves him from execution for unfounded charges of treachery and treason, and the two begin their adventures together, gradually striking an unlikely partnership.
Even though Selim believes he is cowardly and unfit for the troublemaking lifestyle of Delilah, he is actually rather brave, and can be as smart, snarky, and cunning as she is. He also really loves making tea, did I mention that already? One of my favourite scenes is when Selim considers abandoning Delilah on their first heist as a team, resulting in him living the high life (married to a woman he'd eyed in an earlier scene) while she is in a prison cell. He comes to realise how, in making such a choice, he'll be ungrateful to her, after she had saved his life. He'll truly be a coward then, so he ends up sticking to the plan, thus ridding any future guilt. It's a brilliantly subversive take on how easily some men ignore the efforts, words and actions of women; bad things may happen when she is callously left to fend for herself, and women cannot be free until men fight for their freedom too.
And who can forget the ominous and barely-seen baddie ZAKUL!!! (ooohhhs and aaahhhs).
The artwork is crisp and cartoony, and the story is so fast-paced, action-packed and full of humour that 'Delilah Dirk' would make a great DreamWorks animated movie.
I wish this comic could have shown us more of Delilah and less of Selim, though. And I have to ask, why did Delilah have to be white, in a Middle East/Western Asia setting full of Middle Eastern characters? I know she's an explorer, but this could have been a fantastic opportunity for a mainstream comic book to feature an all-Middle Eastern cast, one which could appeal to everyone, with a POC female lead to boot. She could have at least been wholly Greek and not half.
'Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant', like any good graphic novel, offers its readers a really good time. It's nothing complex. There is little dialogue in its many pages of nice artistry of landscapes, the sea, forests and castles. But it's an exciting action and comedy and historical fiction blend. I'm glad I bought it.
Final Score: 4/5
Graphic Novel Review - 'Starfire, Vol. 1: Welcome Home' by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti (Writers), Emanuela Lupacchino (Artist), Mirco Pierfederici (Artist's assistant)
This superhero comic book is so... nice. That's what I would call 'Starfire, Vol. 1: Welcome Home' in one word.
It's just such a breath of fresh air to dive into something superhero related these days that is positive, where people are nice, and isn’t "dark and gritty" (which has quickly become synonymous with “lazy and boring”) and caught up in catering to stunted male adolescent power fantasies. Don't get me wrong, there exist excellent serious, realistic storylines about superheroes - ones that deconstruct its tropes with a carefully-planned and penned craft - and 'Starfire, Vol. 1' does contain deep, nuanced scenes plus violent moments. But it overall gave me a good feeling while reading.
The reader enters and explores a new environment along with Starfire, aka Koriand'r, aka Kori. The alien princess from Tamaran wishes to learn more about life on earth on her own, without any superhero business getting in her way. Thanks to some help and advice from Superman, Kori makes her new home in Key West, a small sunny coastal town - just her style! She meets new friends (the residents have never heard of her for some bizarre reason, though there are a lot of superheroes in the DCU), and she must earn a living by finding work (relatable!). But she also finds that trouble is always going to be looking for her -be it natural disasters, underground monsters, mutants, or alien threats - no matter how much she may enjoy living like a "normal human".
The artwork is lovely; one of the most colourful I've seen in comics in recent years, fitting the setting and the benign mood of the main character perfectly. It does show off how beautiful Starfire is without overtly sexualising her (aside from her bare midriff and legs, and occasional shower bits). With her long, fiery hair and array of facial expressions (the drastic ones are especially well drawn), she clearly has big aspirations and will not hide anything. Where her sexuality is concerned she possesses her own agency and is comfortable and confident about herself. That’s a good thing.
Starfire's personality here resembles her 'Teen Titans' animated counterpart, which will more than likely please her fans who grew up watching that show. She's really funny in her observations, and mimicking human speech mostly picked up from TV. Like an angel sent from Heaven to pass judgement, she is insightful: loving how diverse the human race is. Caring and compassionate towards any living thing, Kori is beautiful on the inside as well as out. As her own hero she gets to shine in a number of ways, and despite the weight of the responsibility of her powers and her place on earth and on Tamaran, she will try to find peaceful solutions to large scale attacks.
How great is it that a comic featuring Starfire - in her own solo series - remembers to give her a character and isn't distracted by her obvious sex appeal! She isn’t a bland object of wish fulfilment for the presumed straight male reader. Like, seriously, how many exploitative nude drawings (done professionally) of her are there? The excuse of her bare skin absorbing the sun’s rays thereby boosting her powers is an old, poor one. Even for an alien, isn't she still meant to be underaged? The way 'Starfire, Vol. 1' handles her is mature, but bright and fun at the same time.
The first volume, as it develops, shows a dark side to Kori. She isn’t afraid to consider killing when people she cares for, and innocents, are hurt. No surprise since her backstory involves an invasion on her home planet, her parents being murdered, and slavery. Despite the sunny disposition, there are violent moments in the comic, and Kori reacts accordingly, either in confused shock or rage, as she discovers more things about earth and humans in Key West. Everywhere and everything in life has a balance of light and dark, good and bad; Kori becomes fascinated by how humans cope with varied phenomena and tragedies all the time.
I love her relationships with other female characters, for indeed she is not alone. Sheriff Stella Gomez is wonderful as Kori's strong, earth mother guide to humanity, and plays the straight man in their duo, leading to hilarious as well as touching results. And there's the terrakinetic Atlee, who acts as an assured parallel to Starfire. Hooray for the Power Girl mention! Kori also develops a slow-building love for Stella's brother Sol, a nice, charismatic man with secrets. By the end of the volume you can tell there is a love triangle on the horizon, which I am not looking forward to, let me tell you.
Anyway, I recommend 'Starfire, Vol. 1: Welcome Home' to anyone. It has comedy, drama, action, mystery, and a little horror. It's about time that Starfire received her due, and is treated with the respect she deserves by DC.
A feel-good read.
Final Score: 4/5
It's just such a breath of fresh air to dive into something superhero related these days that is positive, where people are nice, and isn’t "dark and gritty" (which has quickly become synonymous with “lazy and boring”) and caught up in catering to stunted male adolescent power fantasies. Don't get me wrong, there exist excellent serious, realistic storylines about superheroes - ones that deconstruct its tropes with a carefully-planned and penned craft - and 'Starfire, Vol. 1' does contain deep, nuanced scenes plus violent moments. But it overall gave me a good feeling while reading.
The reader enters and explores a new environment along with Starfire, aka Koriand'r, aka Kori. The alien princess from Tamaran wishes to learn more about life on earth on her own, without any superhero business getting in her way. Thanks to some help and advice from Superman, Kori makes her new home in Key West, a small sunny coastal town - just her style! She meets new friends (the residents have never heard of her for some bizarre reason, though there are a lot of superheroes in the DCU), and she must earn a living by finding work (relatable!). But she also finds that trouble is always going to be looking for her -be it natural disasters, underground monsters, mutants, or alien threats - no matter how much she may enjoy living like a "normal human".
The artwork is lovely; one of the most colourful I've seen in comics in recent years, fitting the setting and the benign mood of the main character perfectly. It does show off how beautiful Starfire is without overtly sexualising her (aside from her bare midriff and legs, and occasional shower bits). With her long, fiery hair and array of facial expressions (the drastic ones are especially well drawn), she clearly has big aspirations and will not hide anything. Where her sexuality is concerned she possesses her own agency and is comfortable and confident about herself. That’s a good thing.
Starfire's personality here resembles her 'Teen Titans' animated counterpart, which will more than likely please her fans who grew up watching that show. She's really funny in her observations, and mimicking human speech mostly picked up from TV. Like an angel sent from Heaven to pass judgement, she is insightful: loving how diverse the human race is. Caring and compassionate towards any living thing, Kori is beautiful on the inside as well as out. As her own hero she gets to shine in a number of ways, and despite the weight of the responsibility of her powers and her place on earth and on Tamaran, she will try to find peaceful solutions to large scale attacks.
How great is it that a comic featuring Starfire - in her own solo series - remembers to give her a character and isn't distracted by her obvious sex appeal! She isn’t a bland object of wish fulfilment for the presumed straight male reader. Like, seriously, how many exploitative nude drawings (done professionally) of her are there? The excuse of her bare skin absorbing the sun’s rays thereby boosting her powers is an old, poor one. Even for an alien, isn't she still meant to be underaged? The way 'Starfire, Vol. 1' handles her is mature, but bright and fun at the same time.
The first volume, as it develops, shows a dark side to Kori. She isn’t afraid to consider killing when people she cares for, and innocents, are hurt. No surprise since her backstory involves an invasion on her home planet, her parents being murdered, and slavery. Despite the sunny disposition, there are violent moments in the comic, and Kori reacts accordingly, either in confused shock or rage, as she discovers more things about earth and humans in Key West. Everywhere and everything in life has a balance of light and dark, good and bad; Kori becomes fascinated by how humans cope with varied phenomena and tragedies all the time.
I love her relationships with other female characters, for indeed she is not alone. Sheriff Stella Gomez is wonderful as Kori's strong, earth mother guide to humanity, and plays the straight man in their duo, leading to hilarious as well as touching results. And there's the terrakinetic Atlee, who acts as an assured parallel to Starfire. Hooray for the Power Girl mention! Kori also develops a slow-building love for Stella's brother Sol, a nice, charismatic man with secrets. By the end of the volume you can tell there is a love triangle on the horizon, which I am not looking forward to, let me tell you.
Anyway, I recommend 'Starfire, Vol. 1: Welcome Home' to anyone. It has comedy, drama, action, mystery, and a little horror. It's about time that Starfire received her due, and is treated with the respect she deserves by DC.
A feel-good read.
Final Score: 4/5
Thursday 19 May 2016
My May Book Buys
I don't do this normally, but without any planning whatsoever, I bought 4 books in town after work today.
Isn't this just gorgeous? My To-Read collection!
Tuesday 17 May 2016
Can we just, you know, not judge a woman based on what she's wearing? See that those who abuse her are the ones with the problem, not her? Can her humanity not cease to be because of how she looks, in any given situation ever, where nobody wins or gains anything? Can we not hold the opinions of straight white men as the only ones that are important and worth listening to? Please? Can we move on from all this?
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