Comic-book Catch up #4

Featuring Ms Marvel #3, Tomb Raider #3, Lazarus #8

Ms Marvel #3

Kamala Khan is experiencing the backlash from sneaking out. Her parents are upset, she’s still upset with Bruno. Bruno has his own mayhem happening, his brother asks him to steal from his register at the convenience store. Zoe is getting all the attention for getting saved while Kamala tries to get a grip on her powers and ends up in hiding even though she’s the hero in this story. She’s worrying she’s outgrowing her life “like a pair of pants that no longer fit” and in the next moment she’s confronting both teenage drama and an armed robber head on. G Willow Wilson writes teenage well, and she provides insight to the way that Kamala’s culture separates her from others in Jersey City, but also how it bonds her with her friends. She questions authority but is realistically insecure and charming. 

Tomb Raider #3

We’re treated to a bit more backstory on the hard hitting Reyes. In Dublin, her daughter is in imminent danger from the Solarii cult. They want the artifact Lara stole. Only, she still doesn’t remember it. She tries to lie, but the cult members don’t buy it. Suddenly, someone takes aim and shoots the gangsters and Lara breaks a glass over someone’s head. Meanwhile, Sam is in trouble. Lara and Reyes make a break for it, with the men in hot pursuit, Reyes and her daughter split from Lara (I love when characters don’t all orbit the main protagonist, btw. So Reyes calling Lara out on being the cause of this, on being bad luck. Worthwhile). Lara clubs a goon with the a busker’s guitar and grabs his gun. Reyes’ daughter says she was too mean to Lara. Lara finds out that Sam has been taken and throws down, but one goon sneaks up on her- she averts disaster but causing a soccer riot. But the goons just keep coming. Luckily, Reyes shows her daughter what it means to be loyal and double backs for Lara, with a “Don’t thank me, it was Miss Manners here.” And Lara declares they’ll go back to Yamatai to stop this and save Sam.

Sam Nishimura has the best answering machine message of all time. “I’m either off shooting an award winning documentary or passed out drunk. You know what to do.”

Lazarus #8

The first 5 were amazing, a new series with so much promise. One with a female lead (and still more females with their own agendas) that creates a world that is bleak, violent and corporate. One of all out class warfare. How could I not be in love? But the momentum has slowed, flashbacks to Forever’s childhood bog down the series instead of advance it. Currently, Forever is looking for and IED while the Barretts are looking to go get jobs with the Carlyles, they’re headed for Denver. Them and everyone else. Like pioneers travelling to a new frontier, to their last ditch effort: the road is hard. Worse when Forever finds that Denver is the target of this attack. But her father refuses to cancel the lift. Forever is in a race to stop the plot in the final pages. but it won’t be resolved til next month. 

Commentary about Female Heroes’ Costumes (part 2)

So in Part 1 of this rant I touched on the fact that I like showing off my body. I do. I really do. And you can tell me “society told me I needed to” I don’t actually care. I like make up, I like tight clothes, I like looking good. So I sympathized when I Setsu Oh raving about Lara Croft’s recent breast reduction, People jumped in from left and right about how it’s more “realistic” and less “hypersexualized” as if DD cups don’t exist in the wild. @SetsuOh also went on to say that big breasted women are usually touted as bimbos, so a well endowed PhD and survival skills? Bad ass and out of the normal stereotype.

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But I think this is a situation where either way there’s something to complain about. But asserting that big breasted women can’t be Indiana Jones because it’s not realistic is fucking stupid.

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Which leads me to my next point. Of women who show off their bodies, the more endowed: the higher the chance it will somehow be labelled as vulgar. Because having a female body is vulgar. No, I don’t believe that, but it seems to be the consensus among most of humanity. 

What do I mean?

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This image was posted along with an article about cosplayers hypersexualizing characters. I agreed with some points… BUT the accompanying text for this reads, “I mean, really? REALLY? If I had kids with me at this convention, I would actually be pretty pissed off as a parent.” And I just have a question: I mean these kids will, at some point, go to a beach or pool, am I right?” She’s wearing slightly more than you average bikini. And yet it’s easy to look and say “SLUT” isn’t it? I have news… That’s not her fault. That’s everyone else’s fault for buying into the hype that if a girl shows off her body then she’s a bimbo and a slut and not worthy of respect. (The post is here, and I agreed with everything up until that point)

Actually, I found this article about MJ’s sexualization over the years. It’s fascinating. It’s also fascinating that photos of Kirsten Dunst from the films were included based only on the fact that she has nipples. 

And on cosplay in general “By wearing their likeness, you are allowing all that the character has come to represent. By emphasizing your own body in the costume that you yourself have created or paid for, you are granting another the right to utilize your form first as approval for continued actions and for generating the idea that women both appreciate and prefer to be cast in this light.” From the post Cosplay and the Female Form and I always feel a little betrayed when those who include themselves as “geeks” and “feminists” say something that is so dubious. Maybe this statement seems innocuous to you, so I’ll explain my position: I like to look good. I like when men look good, too.

So what? It is, in fact, certain individuals claiming feminism who say that women cannot both be beautiful and clever, sexy and strong, pretty and courageous. 

I’m all set.

But with that in mind, I think that the costume should fit the character. Lady Sif should not show up in a chainmail bikini… But you know what, Sonja doesn’t have to go full armor either. I actually think that MJ Watson costume is really dumb, I just don’t find it offensive. I don’t find Kirsten Dunst having nipples to be sexualization, I don’t need other women to tell me what to wear so I can properly represent my gender. No one has to do that.

Don’t understand? I’m assuming we all have Netflix at this point, watch the 30 Rock episode “TGS Hates Women” with guest star Sarah Silverman. She’s hired on and comes in looking like a “sexy baby” and Liz Lemon goes to council her on how she’s too girly for the Girly Show, Tina Fey whose character Liz Lemon became a feminist icon for holding a high profile job and being “real bodied” and too lazy for sex and wanting to eat junk food immediately hates on Sarah’s character for not being like her.

Right after this Sarah lays the smackdown. There’s not clip on youtube, you’ll just have to watch it. You should anyway.

But some images are more ridiculous than others:

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Tomb Raider #1

I always like origin stories. There’s always that point where the character needs to choose what they’re going to do with themselves. The same story could make you the villain, could make you vengeful distrustful, hard and cold; it could make you catatonic; or, it could make you something bigger, something better. 

This picks up where the videogame reboot did. When Lara Croft, driven in pursuit of adventure, for academic reasons and to solve a mystery, things go bad. Real bad. They try to find the island of Yamatai. But the ship sinks, people die. For 21 year old Lara Croft, that’s too much. When she’s called by another of the trip’s survivors, Jonah, he starts ranting that they have to break the circle and the stole gold before a tidal wave overtakes the desert and leaves her stranded. After all they went through, they haven’t really escaped.

I don’t really know exactly what I am doing with this series, I haven’t played Tomb Raider since Tomb Raider: Legend for GameCube.

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Also, all the promos I’ve seen for the new game reminds me of Katniss Everdeen. This comic book reminds me of Katniss Everdeen. Which is not a bad thing, per se. Also, I know I’m wrong and people are actually going to show up and tell me that I’m an asshat for comparing Tomb Raider with the Hunger Games, but I don’t even care. Bring it.

This picks up where the new game left off, so your enjoyment will increase with your appreciation of that game. I’ll give whatever Gail Simone is doing a fair shot, when I saw this issue was titled Survivor’s Guilt! I instantly thought of Annisia from Red Sonja, and how survivor’s guilt made her the bad guy. Who we become under duress isn’t a calculated choice, if this is to fill the gap in between the new reboot and a possible sequel, I wanna see how LC grows up.

 

Legends of Red Sonja #2

The Grey Riders are still hunting down Red Sonja, ready to exact their revenge for her doings against them. 

Meljean Brook’s “The Undefeated” was my favorite of the two tall tales. Told to the Grey Riders hunting Sonja through the eyes of The Beheader, a fierce warrior; Red’s armor gets even skimpier. He says that her prowess in inflated, that the stories take on a life of their own. A drunken wager between The Beheader and Red Sonja lead them on a quest to pry a ruby from the jaws of an elephant beast. The Beheader paints her as a coward who hides behind men. The ruby around his neck proves he won the wager, right? Maybe Red Sonja isn’t as fierce as lore makes her… uh huh..

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In Tamora Pierce’s story, the Grey Riders are greeted by a child whose family has recently employed Sonja to protect her mother, a Goddess. Cassandra James’ art here was rather weird. Belly buttons in odd places, Sonja’s face crooked. It didn’t have the swagger of the first story. Interestingly, Red’s tale by Tamora Pierce is told through the eyes of a young girl, since Pierce is well known for the Young Adult series the Beka Cooper trilogy and Song of the Lioness featuring young female protags, it certainly added another dimension. 

Through out all this, Sonja is lurking in the shadows, making sure the Grey Riders are drawn off course. 

Next Month: January 22nd: Rhianna Pratchett, author of the Lara Croft video game origin story entertains us with a “legend” along with writer of Sherlock Holmes/Damsels/Raise the Dead Dynamite comics superstar Leah Moore. Nichola Scott, who worked with Gail Simone on Birds of Prey makes some art.