Book Review - 'Project Fairy' by Jacqueline Wilson

I never, ever thought I'd come back to Jacqueline Wilson again. I swore I wouldn't; that I was officially done after reading the crime against humanity, the abominable 'Opal Plumstead'. But I was suddenly transfixed by the cover of 'Project Fairy' in the book section of a shop one day. It was by JW, but I couldn't resist. It was too adorable - Rachael Dean is a fine, lovely illustrator for this type of children's lit - and I was in the mood for some lighthearted, harmless escapism (at least I hoped it would be harmless), maybe some fairy fantasy, and nostalgia.

Also, I didn't want to carry hate in my heart forever, and not for an author's long bibliography (not the author herself, to be clear) and works that had been a part of my childhood, and of my start in my reading life.

I decided to give her one last chance, with one final and new book. I wanted to see if she had improved some things, some issues, in her writing. Who knows? Besides, I have to give JW huge props for writing still, for doing what she loves for decades, even though a majority of her books do follow a familiar, tired formula, and use the same stock characters for the same roles and functions - the silly little brother, the absent, deadbeat father, OTT catty mean girls at school, the ex-best friend who joins the bully girls, the new best friend who's a boy, a climax involving the protagonist running away or just briefly going somewhere far away from it all, etc.

'Project Fairy' ended up being no different. But on the whole, it is a harmless little light fantasy read.

Fairies are real! Or is it the little girl protag Mab's imagination, born out of sadness and desperation? You can come to your own conclusion after finishing it. I think the fairies, who are not so sweet and saccharine like you see in other children's media, are intended to be real in 'Project Fairy'.

There's nothing really toxic here. At least there is no sign of any abusive parent apologist BS that unfortunately plagues quite a lot of JW's books - 'The Illustrated Mum', 'Lily Alone', 'Secrets', 'The Diamond Girls', 'Love Lessons', 'The Suitcase Kid', 'Best Friends', 'The Bed and Breakfast Star', 'Little Darlings', and of course 'Opal Plumstead' (I'm still seething) - which I'm sure is unintentional, it's just something I've noticed. There's no fat-shaming and fat-hatred either, but that might be because no one is described as being fat in 'Project Fairy'. Except maybe for Mab's teacher Mrs Horsely, who is only described as old, but the illustration of her is plump and bulky, too. Mab actually mentions fat-shaming once in calling another character out, which feels tacked on, unnatural and not something a young girl of indiscernible age, even in modern times, would say.

She calls a boy out on making a sexist remark, too. Is she an avatar, a proxy, of JW trying to be feminist and sensitive nowadays after all? I can only tell when a character is not white by the illustrations. Did JW have a hand in that?

How old is Mab supposed to be, anyway? I was confused. She acts mature, and then immature depending on which way the story wants her to go. She sucks her thumb once, she doesn't know what some "big" words mean (but a few times she uses other difficult words in her POV narrative), when she's supposedly a good and bright student (mostly told and not shown, typically), it is explicitly stated at one point that her school year doesn't do homework (what?), and it is also said in passing that she's a Junior. I'm British and I'm not sure what that means in terms of school years in the UK. Is it a new term? Is it before British primary school years, which are for children who are about nine to twelve years old? To add more to the confusion, an illustration of Mab's birthday cake has ten candles! In the end, I had Mab, a bundle of childhood hardships and innocence, pegged as seven or eight years old. Surely even her silly and indulgent mother wouldn't give her a pink fairy dress on her birthday and make her wear it to school if she were ten?

Woohoo, segue! Onto the mum now. Who I actually like, surprise of all surprises.

In spite of the typical girl-on-girl hate with the school bullies, and with other girls, and Mab moving on to being friends with a boy, Micky, because, and I quote, "[...] the boys in my class still talked to me. The girls were all under Cathy's influence and ignored me completely, apart from holding their noses." (page 15), there are good adult female figures in Mab's life. Like the lovable teacher Mrs Horsely, and her mum. Unlike too many JW mums, she isn't nasty, abusive or outright neglectful. She loves and adores her kids and tries her best. She's just depressed.

Before the start of the book, she had a breakdown after Mab's dad left them, and it caused Mab and her little brother Robin to be put into care, and a foster home for a bit. Since then Mum has been trying to get better in raising her kids, so she doesn't lose them again. Her obsession with fairies, and believing they are real to an extent, are in fact harmless quirks. It's her hobby, and part of who she is. Fairies and fairy paraphernalia make her happy. Mab, who initially wasn't interested in pink and "girly" things like fairies and was embarrassed by her mother's love of them, comes to see this, and appreciate her mum more later on. She never wanted her to be depressed again, that's for sure.

I kind of wish there was a mention, like a suggestion, of whether Mum was taking any kind of medication, any antidepressants, however. What about therapy? Asking for help when dealing with mental health problems big enough that you had to be institutionalised and separated from your children for a while is a good thing to represent in children's lit! Was it a good thing for Mum to deal with her depression mostly on her own? I'm not sure. It depends on the context. What I am certain and adamant about is that Mab shouldn't have to act like an adult and take care of her out of anxiety.

Something that's not important to mention but I feel I want to because it's personal and relatable: Mab's mum works in a supermarket (grocery store to my US readers), and at first she is scared of her new boss because he appears cold and distant to her, and acts like he wants to fire her. But later on, he is kind and sweet to her; it's only the adjustment period that had stressed him out, and made him distant and seemingly scary. Yeah, I totally relate to that, in my own work in retail.

Additional note: Mab is shown to be good at playing football once - brought on by her new best boy-friend, Micky, because feminism - but it never comes up again.

Mabs like rats and snakes and jungles and other cool "boy" things. Why is this not also expanded upon?

The ending is kind of rushed, too, but perhaps an open ending, where we don't know most of the characters' fates, is realistic? In a story about fairies?

JW has shown she's not afraid to include LBGTQ characters in her kids' books before (though in my opinion, 'Rent a Bridesmaid' contains her one true positive rep), and in 'Project Fairy', there is only the slight implication of queer content. When we first see Robin's group of five-year-old friends, a girl and a boy want him for a boyfriend. He agrees to be a boyfriend to both. Of course, this could be viewed as merely toddlers being cute (Mum is like, "Awe bless 'em!") and not understanding how relationships work. Plus the girl and boy aren't named and they don't appear again afterwards. Mab mentions her neighbours Michael and Lee twice or three times, and they might be a gay couple, but we never meet them, so am I reaching?

The reveal later down the line that Mab's parents were never married is an offhanded, whatever remark. Cool.

It seems that older writers can just reference Twitter once in order to convey that their story definitely takes place in the current age.

Overuse of exclamation points! are! unnecessary!!!

In conclusion, as predictable as 'Project Fairy' is - to me, who is well versed in JW's formulas - and as silly and nonsensical as the kids' book is, I'm pleased I gave it a chance, and gave Jacqueline Wilson a second chance. I am well aware I am around two decades past her predominant target audience now (OW, that is depressing), and I shouldn't judge too harshly. Likely I'll never read any other new novels by her, unless Rachael Dean's pretty and colourful covers can strike my childlike whimsy heart again, but it was worth a shot. Nothing lost, nothing wasted.

Final Score: 3/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Thirsty Mermaids' by Kat Leyh

How did a graphic novel about three mermaids who become human just so they could get drunk become one of the best--no, THE best mermaid story ever told?

Is it odd that I adore mermaids, but dislike most stories about them? It is why I'd put off reading 'Thirsty Mermaids' for this long. That and its content and humour didn't look like it would appeal to me.

I'm glad beyond any measure of flotsam and jetsam I rectified that mistake sooner rather than later.

Read 'Thirsty Mermaids', no matter who you are. It's hilarious (rarely have I read or seen anything so continuously funny and clever), subversive, full of heart, full of tears, full of the best characters ever, and the art is amazing. Mer-mazing. Ok that's the only pun in this review I swear.

Meet Pearl, Tooth and Eez. But also Vivi de la Vega, her sister Angel, her spouse Ada, and the best treasure divers and older M/M couple ever, Spud and Jim. Everybody is diverse - in body type, race, skin colour, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Even the mermaid designs are vastly different from each other. There are subspecies of merfolk creatures. There is nonbinary rep, and Vivi, the bartender who takes in the mermaids-turned-human-by-magic, is a trans woman.

How clever and wonderful is it that the human the mermaids grow closest to is trans? It's not presented as a big deal at all, and it isn't, but there is a very subtle reflection and parallel between the women there. Yeah, it's there, however it's not the basis of their drunken-buddies friendship by any stretch. Their comradery and Vivi's kindness and helpfulness are (despite her not believing they are actually mermaids throughout the majority of the comic). Pearl, Tooth and Eez are lucky to encounter a human like her within their first hour as humans themselves - in the bar, The Thirsty Mermaid, in booze heaven! This is especially true in light of their situation - their hangover situation, where they realise (well, Eez the sea witch does) they don't know how to turn back into merfolk! Vivi invites the poor, clueless comedic messes to stay at her place instantly.

'Thirsty Mermaids' could be called 'Steven Universe' strictly for adults. The influence is obvious. One in the trio of supernatural female-presenting humanoid creatures is even named Pearl (it's not who you'd think it would be, however). It's sort of slice-of-life with comedy bits and moments, and dramatic events, culminating in a high stakes, life-and-death, tough-decision-time climax.

It's one of the best endings in a comic I've ever seen. One of the best, satisfactory endings I've seen in a mermaid story. I'm so happy.

'Thirsty Mermaids' is an emotional roller coaster. And a damn fun one to boot.

It's not coarse or vulgar at all. It's about kindness, understanding, friendship and found family. The only bad taste and self-indulgence here is in the alcohol.

I love it.

Thanks, Kat Leyh!

Final Score: 4.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'She-Hulk by Peter David Omnibus' by Various

I was sure this 'She-Hulk' omnibus would be a disaster for me at first.

It gets quite convoluted, jumpy and cringey, with confusing character motivations and actions. The storylines by Peter David are post-'Civil War', so I was expecting the dark, "edgy", "realistic" and troubled period in Marvel's history, where the heroes barely act like heroes anymore and no one trusts one another, and often unfortunately for good reasons. In 'She-Hulk', the stuff with Bran Murphy, Arthur Moore, the Behemoth, and the X-Men group, the X-Factor - containing mutants I'd never heard of, nor care about - during a Skrull invasion of earth, baffled and bored me more than anything else; especially 'The Darwin Awards' X-Factor issues. Behemoth was set up as a gigantic threat to She-Hulk in one tiny issue, 'Beasts of the Field', but then he doesn't appear until much later on down the line, and predictably, his ultimate plan and subsequent defeat are rushed, quick and underwhelming. What was the point of him?

Is it standard for comics like these to set up villains who then are seemingly forgotten about until it is too late and the readers have either forgotten them as well or have ceased caring, and their final appearance is tacked on and rushed anyway? I've seen this in other 'She-Hulk' omnibuses.

She-Hulk herself has become very cold, bitter and disillusioned (fitting that the starting storyline is titled 'Jaded', I love multilayered meanings), though for understandable reasons. There's the 'Civil War' garbage and baggage, and through some more superhero/supervillain/legal issues BS she's lost her job as a lawyer, and is now a bounty hunter for villains skipping bail.

But I kept going. I kept reading and wow, in my opinion, it is worth it.

She-Hulk had been slowly but surely recovering and growing back into the hero we know and love, striving to do the right thing no matter what, because it's the right thing and it's what heroes do. She saves lives with no hesitation, at the cost of herself. The part in 'Fathers and Daughters' where she is falling from the sky and briefly transforms back into Jen Walters to avoid an impact with a plane full of passengers has to be one of my favourite moments from her. She also gets an impoverished Black single mother, who has been though the worst trauma throughout her entire life, out of jail.

There're Skrull battles, father-and-daughter issues and the mammoth, intergalactic drama from that, and then there's the girl power! She-Hulk teams up with Valkyrie, Sue Storm and Thundra - together they are the (Lady) Liberators. Later we see Storm/Ororo (who admittedly is barely a presence), Gamora, Mantis (all the green Marvel heroines!), Lyja and Quasar/Phyla-Vell (whoever they are). All sorts of heroics are done, especially political and in regard to foreign warfare and disasters, and the women are friends who care for each other. They respect and trust each other. What a relief!

The omnibus includes fun little issues in the mix, too, like 'What the Hell is Going On with Her Comic Book', which harkens back to her John Byrne fourth wall breaking/smashing era in the eighties and nineties, and a 'Sensational She-Hulk' anniversary special, described as 'The She-Hulk Story That's a Riff on Christmas Carol', and that's what it is. Spider-Man and Stan Lee are in it, and Weezie from the John Byrne days makes a one panel cameo. It's comical, existentialist, and pays homage to the different eras of She-Hulk's comics history.

Despite initial gripes, I ended up really liking 'The Whole Hero Thing' and 'Friends in Need' connected storyline. Each issue ended great, satisfactorily. 'Jaded' has fun and exciting moments. Right from the get-go, it's She-Hulk vs Crusher Creel and Titania.

The final issue is the 'Sensational She-Hulk' fill-in story from 1990, 'She-Hulk: The Movie', also by Peter David. I'd read it before in another, classic 'She-Hulk' omnibus containing John Byrne's stuff. Cartoony comedy antics, spoofs, gags, successful copyright license uses, and fourth wall breaking are here. It's an homage and love letter to Mel Brooks. And it's so cute that back in those days superhero films were thought to never be able to reach $200, million in the box office - "Isn't that the most absurd thing you ever heard?". This is the funniest thing in the whole issue, but only in hindsight, and I don't think it was meant to be a joke at the time.

Interweaving throughout the whole omnibus is She-Hulk/Jen's complicated relationship, and growing deep and devoted friendship, with the Skrull runaway Jazinda. I was fond of their development. They really came to love and care for one another. Female friendship, companionship, and support is strong in this comic!

I swear Mallory Book is female J. Jonah Jameson.

The art is fantastic in every issue. Varied with different styles depending on the artist, of course, but all beautiful and lovely. What gorgeously striking colours! Though I wasn't sure about She-Hulk's red-rimmed eyes in the beginning. I guess it does stand out against her green skin, and it reflects where her character is at the moment. I LOVE the covers. One of them, for 'She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision', is done by none other than Stjepan Šejić!

It seems that every 'She-Hulk' comic omnibus I've read, both classic and in the 2000s, has to contain several or at least a few or just one instance where She-Hulk is suddenly naked. The comic creators don't even try to hide how inappropriate and exploitative (and a couple of times solely gross) they're being. A strong superheroine is more than whatever sex appeal she has! A moment in the middle of the Peter David omnibus is especially egregious, where Jazinda accidently zaps away Shulkie's clothes when trying to transport her into her spaceship. This happens right after Jen saves a bunch of people who were the Skrulls' prisoners on a "herding" vessel. Those same people are now cheering and jeering at her naked and humiliated form. Her badass, defiant and character defining act of heroism is undermined, just like that. What tossers these male writers and artists are. I'd call them wankers but that would be too on the nose and obvious.

This is also the second 'She-Hulk' omnibus I've read that features a Black villain who uses dark magic and voodoo, or a similar practice. Both men are very ruthless, sadistic, manipulative, sneaky and evil. To say this is in bad taste and what the hell were they thinking would be a massive understatement.

Jen remains guy-crazy and open for sex whenever she can. However, she's become self-conscious, concerned over if she can love anyone anymore, and isn't really a proud, sex positive feminist, calling herself a "sexual pinball". And was Peter David seriously in for slut-shaming Jazinda, for having thirty-seven partners in her life (that's nothing, dude, plus she's an alien, and who knows how old she is), even though Jazinda herself clearly doesn't care? WTF was that about?

But I still had good thrill and laugh with the comic, all the same. It's a rocky start and middle, but it's over halfway in when it really has fun and remembers what superhero comics are supposed to be; what they represent. It gets feminist, heartfelt, heartbreaking, and funny and awesome.

I know Jen will be a lawyer again in the future. She's already proven she's not lost her hero's touch, no matter what she's been through and how much she denies it.

She-Hulk - starting to smash the patriarchy!

She-Hulk - saving lives in a myriad of ways, as her amazing self.

'She-Hulk by Peter David' - an Artemis Cresent recommendation for She-Hulk fans.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Book Review - 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen (Disney's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas)' by Shea Ernshaw

This was an impulse buy from my local bookshop. I'm happy to announce it turned out to be a good decision.

I didn't grow up with 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. It wasn't a video cassette tape fixture in our house (yes I'm that old) like it was with other Disney movies in my childhood. It wasn't until later on that I watched it once, maybe twice, but other things caught my attention, and I wasn't really into it like so many others were.

Not until this Halloween, when I decided to revisit it on Disney Plus (my free three-month subscription gift from a mobile phone service had just past at that point, but I'll hang on to paying for Disney Plus for a bit longer), and suddenly I'm obsessed. I don't know why I wasn't before - it's got what I usually love: stop motion animation, musicality - with iconic and memorable songs, Halloween, Christmas, weird and creative images, and tinges of that dark, funny and cartoony style. It's a precious, messy but fascinating and charming little gem of a movie, one of its kind, to be remembered throughout generations.

I wanted to read 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen' immediately afterwards. Sally the rag doll in her own story, where she is the lone hero (plus Zero, in the beginning and in the end)? Where she has a massive crisis of identity, and cannot reconcile with being a queen - the queen of Halloween? Where, in her own coming-of-age fairy tale, she learns what it means to be a queen, and the extent of the gargantuan responsibilities to others that come with the title? Where, flawed and fragile (literally) as she is, she goes on journeys to save not only Halloween, but every holiday ever and the human world? Where she discovers revelations about herself, internally and otherwise?

Sign me up.

'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen' is an addictive, flowing, exciting, lovely, atmospheric, dramatic and stakes-filled, hugely creative novel for all ages. In my opinion, it is in a ton of respects what a sequel to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' should be. It explores new worlds, horizons and possibilities; it expands upon the original film's premise. In the Acknowledgments, the author, Shea Ernshaw, and others involved in its planning and writing, they claim to love and have watched the film hundreds of times in their lives, and it shows. It even fills in some plot holes, making it flow organically all the same.

Sally herself is a remarkable and oddly relatable heroine, for a rag doll: in 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen', queen or not, she's as dexterous, clever and resourceful as she is in the film. Her preexisting skills are utilised further. She is also very emotional, flighty and moody. She is in her own head a lot, and is prone to daydreaming, and wishing her life were different from what it is; in the novel's case she just wants more alone time with her true love, Jack Skellington, aka the best skeleton husband ever. As smart and often cunning as she is, she is a romantic at heart.

In my newfound love of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' - and subsequently 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen' - I realise I relate to Sally almost wholeheartedly (except for the rag doll part of course, and living in and then overcoming a past involving domestic abuse). We're both emotional, sensitive, intuitive, creative dreamers unsatisfied with our lowly, insignificant lives (but would be overwhelmed by too much attention). We both find information and comfort from books, like those about myths and fables. For our common sense and need to be alone most times, we yearn for sweet, soppy romantic love nonetheless. It's the feeling of being needed, and wanted for who we are, and simultaneously protected, in an equal, loving and supportive partnership. If it is all for that one special person, who feels the same way, then it should be enough. It should be worth it.

We are both optimists and pessimists, realists and dreamers, loners and social creatures who need love, light and dark, spooky Halloween night creatures and big softies (literally in Sally's case), twilight and crescent moon; contrary and complicated beings. We also fancy ourselves witches who like to brew potions, and who like black cats. In yet another contradiction, we're both nature witches and domestic witches in spirit (though I wouldn't be able to live without the internet, goddesses no).

And in relation to 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen', yes, Sally does cry lots, but that's relatable to me, too! They are for understandable reasons, anyway. There's nothing wrong with expressing your emotions and feeling hopeless sometimes, even in dire situations where action - proactivity - must be instantaneous. We're not robots, and neither is Sally! Self-care and little breaks from everything are fine and should be encouraged, not repulsed. It makes us human, and no less brave and selfless.

The novel contains formatting errors later on, as well as a few inconsistencies and plot holes - unsurprising for a contemporary published lit - but at least there are no glaring grammar mistakes, repeated words and phrases, and other typos I'd come to dread in reading nowadays. Side characters and past details that could have been important are unfortunately forgotten about, too.

I conclude my love letter review of 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen' by typing: It is a worthy and tantalisingly ambitious sequel to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. What a magical ride! And how well it writes the unique yet strangely human and relatable heroine - the dreamer rag doll Sally. It is more interesting, thrilling, action-packed, focused, imaginative and creative than the book sequel to another Disney film, 'Brave', called 'Bravely', in my opinion.

It's far from perfect, but nothing ever will be, and it does the legendary animated musical classic justice.

Final Score: 3.5/5

P.S. There is LBGTQ rep - at the start of the book, there are male lovers described in Valentine's Town, where Jack and Sally have their honeymoon. It's very minor but it's present. The cupids have demonstrated more than once they don't discriminate.

Graphic Novel Review - 'X-Men Vol. 1: Primer' by Brian Wood (Writer), Olivier Coipel (Artist), David López (Artist), Various Inkers and Colourists

I've been flipflopping over whether to buy and read this comic for a while, because of the mixed reviews and my lack of knowledge and experience when it comes to 'X-Men' comics. But it kept grabbing at my attention, it wouldn't leave my mind, so I thought, what the heck, I'll get it already. I mean, it stars six female X-Men - including Kitty Pryde! - in their own adventure, how could I resist?

'X-Men Vol. 1: Primer' - yeah, it is a flawed superhero comic. Most character arcs and baggage, side storylines, and even the main storyline, do not flow very well together, and in the end they are either unresolved or are rushed (or are a combination of both). Some for the dialogue doesn't make sense, and doesn't match what is going on at that exact instant and panel. Such is the trickiness of writing and drawing serialised comic issues on a deadline, I suppose. Darn you, big publishers Marvel and DC.

I get the feeling that a lot of 'X-Men' comics are like this: dumb fun, often rushed dumb fun, even when it is trying to be smart and clever. It is the best way to describe 'Primer' positively: dumb fun.

It's six badass ladies on missions together - Storm, Rogue (oh yeah, this Southern babe kicks arse and takes names and quite literally has a blast doing it! and it's nice to see her as a positive ray of sunshine for a change), Kitty Pryde (needs no introduction, and the comic showcases her personal, leadership, and mutant strengths - bravo), Jubilee (who has kidnapped rescued a baby, so she's a mum now, but wait, how old is she? and is she a bloody vampire?! I heard that'd happened to her but it's not mentioned here - wait wait, is that why she never uses her mutant powers in this series?), Psylocke (she's a good guy? Okay then), and Rachel Grey (whom I know practically nothing about, and seriously, how many telepathic female X-Men are there?!). Though the main thing to focus on is the X-Women - as they should be called, but whatever - saving the world from vengeful, warring microbe siblings, who possess human host bodies, bent on the extinction of the human race (you can roll with it, because fun), and the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning being taken over and in lockdown...seeing super women and girls working together and fighting evil - that alone scores big points for me.

I didn't say anything about Storm/Ororo Monroe above in long and incoherent parentheses because I'm rather confused about her character nowadays. I want to really like her; I've wanted to for years. However, perhaps it's because she's one of the very few prominently used and recognisably mainstream female X-Men in the franchise, and so her characterisation receives the most changes and inconsistencies over the decades, and it's why I have trouble connecting with her, ironically enough. A double-whammy combination of misogyny and racism in all of comics' history certainly wouldn't have helped matters.

I admit my knowledge of Storm is limited to cartoons, movies, and a few 'X-Men' comics here and there, both classic and contemporary, but is she normally so grumpy and cold? Is she normally prone to quick, unnecessary, and contradictory violence? Not that she's a bad character in 'Primer', but as an X-Men leader, she comes close to Cyclops levels of callousness and thoughtlessness towards her own teammates who are also supposed to be her friends - she never goes there, but it's hard for me not to think of that comparison. I can't even imagine her smiling anymore; I think she does once or twice in 'Primer', but just barely. Her permanently pissed-off face in 'Storm, Vol. 1: Make it Rain' is far worse, at any rate. Has she always had cat eyes, too, seemingly appearing whenever she's extra angry? I never noticed until now! Like Jubilee, Storm doesn't use her cool powers in this comic, except flight.

Other characters/cameos: Beast, Wolverine/Logan (of course, when isn't he in an 'X-Men' book, including one with a chiefly all-female lead cast), Pixie, and other X-Men I've never heard of, like Karima Shapandar, Bling, Hellion, and Primer (no relation to the trade title. Wow that's confusing, and incompetent - his inclusion is tiny and he doesn't do anything).

'Primer' ends on a classic 'The Uncanny X-Men' issue, which was the first appearance of Jubilee, and in another parallel to the modern 'X-Men' comic proceeding it, it stars only female X-Men. I'll confess, I had fun reading the campy blast from the past. It's funny, light in tone, OTT, and one of the women is Dazzler. It's marvellous seeing an optimistic and scrappy Jubilee. On the downside, Rogue is back to being angsty and tortured - this is when she'd switched from villainy (remember that about her?) and had accidently absorbed Carol Danvers's mind into her own. There's a 'Jekyll and Hyde' situation going on, with Carol occasionally taking over Rogue's body without her consent. It's Marvel superhero comics in the 80s, what could anyone have expected?

SO.

In conclusion, if 'Crush & Lobo' is my guilty pleasure DC comic read of this year, then 'X-Men Vol. 1: Primer' is my Marvel comic equivalent. It may be objectively crap, but darn it, it's my crap. Women kicking arse, working as a team, and highlighting how human they are in this terrible, terrifying world full of moral grey areas they live in - that is what I came for, and it is what I got. It has its thoughtful moments to go with its actions. Despite its problems, I adore it.

Final Score: 3/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Astonishing X-Men: Kitty Pryde - Shadow & Flame' by Akira Yoshida (Writer), Paul Smith (Artist), Joe Rubenstein (Inker), Chris Walker (Colourist), Christina Strain (Colourist)

I've read this comic twice in my life - the first time I practically forgot all about it. While my three-star rating of 'Astonishing X-Men: Kitty Pryde - Shadow & Flame' hasn't changed on my second read, I nonetheless enjoyed it.

Its biggest flaw is that it lacks depth. Deep emotional resonance and development are needed in a story like this, especially for what is essentially a sequel to 'X-Men: Kitty Pryde & Wolverine'. Kitty's severe PTSD from that miniseries is barely touched on beyond surface level in 'Shadow & Flame'; one or two freezes and nightmares aside, overall it is not made into a big deal. It isn't explored, isn't given a resolution, and isn't remembered in the last couple issues. This is maddening.

However, at least Kitty Pryde, no longer a slightly naive teenage girl (I think she's no longer a teenager..?), has grown into a badass, excelling most other characters, including other X-Men, in intelligence, planning, cunning, wit, snark, fighting skills (she's literally a ninja master - something that was forced on her in 'Kitty Pryde and Wolverine', not that this comic acknowledges and examines that fact much), and in using her mutant powers to their fullest potential. The comic hasn't forgotten she can fly, I'll give it credit for that!

On the other claw, it seems to have forgotten about her codename, Shadowcat, which originated in 'Kitty Pryde & Wolverine'. It's never mentioned.

Plus, Kitty sends Wolverine an email at the beginning when she arrives in Japan again, and after that, he is forgotten about too!

This comic is solid - a solid mess. Kinda. It's a fun and breezy 'Kitty Pryde' story, that loves and respects her, but its underdeveloped elements are infuriating. Another problem is it's too short, and too fast-paced.

I adore Kitty. She is my favourite X-Man, and one of my favourite female superheroes. As well as showing her to be an awesome and capable hero (wasted potential with her PTSD aside), I'm keeping 'Astonishing X-Men: Kitty Pryde - Shadow & Flame' mainly because I wish to own a 'Kitty Pryde' solo title. How many of them are there? Certainly less than how many Wolverine's got, I'll tell you that! She's criminally underrated, underused and underappreciated. Why are there no modern titles starring her as, well, a star? Is she still currently an X-Men leader and school principal? I don't keep up with what's going on with the X-Men in the comics.

(It's undoubtably got to be better than what the movies have done, I'm sure.)

I still hardly know anything about her pet dragon Lockheed, whose species sets the plot up for 'Shadow & Flame', as another of his kind (female, of course) is in Japan. He's apparently her best friend, who she will do anything for, and risk everything for. How they met is not explained to the readers. Things happen too fast.

Well, for a fun time with Kitty Pryde regardless, I recommend 'Astonishing X-Men: Kitty Pryde - Shadow & Flame'. At the very least, buying more books about her might finally induce the heads of Marvel to make further comics with her in a lead role. Remind them that not only does she exist, but she is among the best, and it's not solely about female empowerment and representation. She deserves attention - more mainstream attention, anyway - for the same reason any other popular superheroes do: because she is awesome.

Final Score: 3/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Batgirls Vol. 1: One Way or Another' by Becky Cloonan (Writer), Michael W. Conrad (Writer), Jorge Corona (Artist), Sarah Stern (Colourist), Ivan Plascencia (Colourist)

Let's show some Batgirl love! Come on, now!

These girls sure love being Batgirls - yes, crimefighting partners Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain are both called Batgirl here, don't know how that's not confusing, but anyway--! - they talk with each other about being Batgirl a lot. Whether there is one of them, two of them, or three of them, being a Batgirl is the best, let no one forget that.

And Batgirls stick together, and are the best of girl-friends.

The comic volume, 'Batgirls Vol. 1: One Way or Another', is far from perfect. It continues a DC storyline I'm hopelessly ignorant of, so in the beginning, issues from there are put in here, in an attempt to properly begin these Batgirls' story and bring readers up to speed, which doesn't end up working. Parts and events are outright skipped, other stuff is still going on, and it's all rather jumbled and confusing.

BUT...I got more invested the further I read on, when the book's own storyline receives a more appropriate starting point. The structure and pacing can still be iffy, but the characters and colours make it appealing.

A lot is happening - the main plot basically revolves around Spellbinder, and this is yet another 'Batgirl' mind control story (she gets many of those); meanwhile on the sides, there is a hacker called Seer, a main-threat-to-back-burner-nuisance who is out to destroy Barbara/Oracle's life for some reason (cool name, Seer, for an adversary of someone called Oracle, though); there is a serial murder mystery going on; thieving's going on, too; there're these Magistrate mercenaries called the Saints who're out to kill the Batgirls; said Batgirls - Babs, Steph and Cass - are also fugitives (LONG story there) in hiding, and are readjusting to living in a new headquarters in a Gotham precinct called The Hill; Steph and Cass steal obtain a Batgirl mobile called Bondo; and in the end, Babs obtains a pet robot dog. I think?

It sounds complicated. It is complicated. But overall, taking everything into consideration, it isn't so annoying and clunky. Moments of deep thought, introspection and clarity, expressed in both dialogue and art, show up more often than not. As mentioned above, the characters more than make up for any deficiencies in the plotting.

The three Batgirls are a great team. They care deeply for one another, they clearly have history and experience together, and they have their funny moments, banter and quirks; they are like a comfortable family unit in a most definitely uncomfortable, difficult and dangerous situation. They go above and beyond as superheroine friends and comrades. Theirs is a bat-bond that's wonderful and meaningful, flaws and dysfunction and all. They feel like real women and young girls living together, who love each other dearly. They are the Bat Family women (minus Batwoman, sadly).

Babs is a kindly and reasonable but strict-when-need-be mentor and big sister figure to the two younger Batgirls, who remains Oracle and slightly disabled (she has a limp, I think; she has a cane at one point), but the redheaded brainbox dons her classic Batgirl costume and gets into the action in one issue (she's also currently dating Dick Grayson. I approve). Steph is the impulsive, hyperactive, emotional, blonde-and-blue-eyed cheerleader type, who needs all the support she can get. Cass is the same as she's always been - raised to be an assassin since birth, now fighting for truth and justice. She's also still naive about some social interactions, different word meanings, and figures of speech, and she is freaking adorable. Her newfound love of reading, combined with her serious and scary/cute face, is iconic! Or it should be. Cass is the quiet (and deadly) one to Steph's loud chattiness. Other than their Batgirl monikers and vigilante identities, daddy issues is another common ground they share.

Further note: Barbara Gordon may not be as smart and observant in this comic as she normally is, when she's at her best, but she is and always shall be a computer and intel genius, and the ending makes up for her previous misgivings by showing how she's trained and used her upper body strength for years while tied to a chair. There are glimpses; evidence of why she is an equal to Batman, why she is deserves the same amount of respect as him, and it's part of the reason why I love her so much, why she is my favourite superheroine:

It's because she can defeat her enemies by outwitting them. By being clever. It's not all punching. She has brains and tech as well as heart. She shows the many strengths there are to being only human, to having limitations. She shows how a single person can overcome multiple traumas and tragedies, physically, emotionally and mentally. Life is painfully unfair to her, but she will never give up, never stop fighting, never stop finding reasonable solutions from every angle, never stop loving, never stop laughing.

Barbara Gordon will never give up her goodness, her humanity.

To quote Babs in 'Batgirls':


"[...]--Being routinely underestimated by people like you who think they know what's best for me! As if I don't know myself! I've faced so much worse than any vision from your toxic gas will ever be. Pain is an old friend. And as for fear... [...] I thrive on overcoming it."


Bravery, thy name is Barbara.

Not that the other Batgirls aren't brave, mind you. They certainly are. They're amazing.

Another flaw in the comic: you know the serial murder mystery and mass thievery plots I mentioned? They're pretty much forgotten about in the last couple of issues. They won't be resolved in this volume. Dang.

'Batgirls Vol. 1: One Way or Another' - a treat for Batgirl fans, once they get past the confusing beginning and roll with the rest of it. I also love the colourful and expressive art, and the issue covers, plus those from the variant galley, are massively bold, gorgeous, creative and cute!

Batgirl(s) returns. And she is forever.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'She-Hulk: Jen, Again' by Rainbow Rowell (Writer), Roge Antonio (Artist), Luca Maresca (Artist), Rico Renzi (Colourist)

A beautifully drawn and colourful new 'She-Hulk' comic.

What strikes me most is that while 'She-Hulk: Jen, Again' is less action based than I would have liked, and it's even less lawyer-and-courts based as well, not to mention it is a direct continuation of a recent Marvel story I know nothing about, to me it still flows well, and I could get into it, because of the characters. It is the character scenes and development that do it for me.

She-Hulk/Jen Walters is herself and is as awesome, funny and sassy as ever, with human vulnerability and needs, and with more heart, nuance and gravitas to her due to her experiences (she looks incredible to boot, no matter her form and who is drawing and colouring her). Even Jack of Hearts, who I'd never heard of before reading this comic, grew on me. In a single volume his characterisation managed to convince me that, whether he is being set up as Jen's new love interest (no#219 by my count) or is genuinely her platonic, kindred spirits friend, I'm okay with either option. Amazing, I know. He's handsome, has depth, has believable angst, he appears genuinely sweet and caring, and he spends a lot of time with Jen, as friends hanging out in different places - and eating different foods at different places! - and with her as his helper and saviour, trying to solve the mystery of what happened to him recently.

Jack cares deeply for her, as Shulkie and as mousy renewing (again) lawyer Jen. These gamma radiation machines and people work well together.

Other characters included are Titania (she's back! and is Shulkie's frenemy/fight club opponent now), Volcana (Titania's bestie - yep, she's not been forgotten about!), Mallory Book, Janet Van Dyne (who remains the best, shame she's only a cameo), Patsy Walker (nice, funny gal, but again, shame she's a cameo and doesn't do any superheroing, and is she dating Tony Stark?!), Spider-Woman has a nonspeaking two-page appearance, and then there's Awesome Andy, Ben Grimm, and Reed Richards. It's like a loving tribute to Dan Slott's run on She-Hulk from 2004.

'She-Hulk: Jen, Again' - short and sweet, containing lovely, human character moments between She-Hulk and Jack of Hearts. The volume does end abruptly, with no mysteries or cases solved yet, unfortunately. But I'll take what I can get with any solo 'She-Hulk' related entertainment at this point. Anything to scourge and expunge my memory of the MCU TV show (yeah, I really didn't like it).

'Jen, Again' is Jen again. The Jen I've come to know and love. She's an adult, and an experienced Marvel superhero, who has a big, strong heart to match her mind and muscles.

The strongest green babe in the universe (who is also independent, of her cousin and any other men in her life) is back!

Final Score: 3.5/5