laura loves comics

DC Relaunch Reads: Why I'm Excited

2011-07-13T11:50:00.000-05:00

Though I'm sad and upset that a lot of my favorite DC titles aren't going to be relaunched this coming September (Think Secret Six and Gotham Sirens), on the whole, I'm pretty excited. See, I'm not a big DC reader. (I know, I just blasphemed all over this space) I blame it on my upbringing. My comic-reading uncle who got me into comics was a big Marvel man, and I spent many a lazy summer day flipping the pages of his old Avengers and Spiderman issues, lusting over Scarlet Witch's costume and wishing I were in the arms of the macho Thor. (Gosh, my childhood was warped)

Being a child of the 90s, I grew up watching the super popular X-men series (1992), which explains my obsession with Storm, big hair, and shoulder pads. Sure I watched Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95) and Wild C.A.T.S.(1994), but neither the stylistically drawn characters of Catwoman or Poison Ivy nor the outspoken and commanding personality of Zealot could captivate my attention as much as the blue eyes, melodic voice, and awesometastic hair of Ororo Munroe could.

Young and very impressionable, I was hooked with everything "X." I got comfortable with the characters and the stories, which made it easier for me to transition to other Marvel titles. For a long time (as in until 2007), my knowledge of all things DC came from whatever I remembered watching in cartoons or in movies. OK, that's not true. I read a little bit of Catwoman back in the early 90s, but I don't remember much of it now, only that her costume was purple and awesome.

At some point, more specifically, during high school, I gave up all kind of pleasurable reading, desperate to mold myself into the nerdiest chemical engineer to ever walk the earth. Eight years and an English degree later, I married a comic-loving man who got me back into reading them. Of course, I wanted to impress him. So I spouted off whatever bits of Marvel knowledge that had stuck. Marvel was familiar. Marvel was comfortable.

One of the first DC titles that my fonfon ru got me interested in was Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges's Shadowpact series. Gail Simone's Secret Six followed. After that, I was hooked. I read Kingdom Come, Identity Crisis, 52... Slowly, I was adding to my DC arsenal. But I never felt quite as comfortable with DC characters, their own stories, and how they connected with previous arcs/characters.

I'm the type of reader who WANTS to read between every single line. I wanna know exactly why a character puts on a sly smile when mentioning something seemingly trivial. I want to be a CONTINUTY MAVEN!

So there.

Here's what my September list is looking like so far:
09.07
1. Action Comics
2. Batgirl
3. Green Arrow
4. Swamp Thing

09.14
5. Batman and Robin
6. Demon Knights
7. Green Lantern
8. Red Lanterns

09.21
9. Birds of Prey
10. Wonder Woman

09.28
11. Aquaman
12. Justice League Dark
13. The Savage Hawkman

♥ Laura

Fashion Post: I Love Thor.

2011-04-30T14:23:00.002-05:00

Thor redesigned by Olivier Coipel via

outfit details:
navy dress: F21, modified by me :: grey leggings: JCPenney :: striped legwarmers: courtesy of Mel ::
red cardi: thrifted :: black booties: Payless :: bangles: Maurices :: wing earrings: made be me

As some of you may already know, I am a huge comic book geek, and one of my most favoritest (if not my ultimate favorite) Marvel comic book character has been Thor. So, when, two days ago, I was lucky enough to score a couple of movie passes for an advanced screening of the movie, I was overcome with child-like glee--the kind that leaves you sleepless, uninterested in food, and extremely anxious but also paranoid (OK, maybe that's just me).

Anyway, when I started blogging, I stumbled upon Betty Felon's tumblr. And I love all her reinterpretations of superhero styles into wearable street wear. Secretly (ok, not really that "secretly"), I longed to be able to put together something like those of her awesome outfits. Given that I had two days notice of the event and a thesis to turn in, I jumped at the opportunity, which I am oh so glad for since my mild depression over the slump of the semester was magically lifted.

So I set off to aSECRET MISSION-- to make a street-wear worthy Thor outfit! I didn't want to have to pay too much for a new outfit, so I got this dress from F21 (which was WAY too big at the top/back, but still worked) for $11. All the rest I had on hand.

I won't say much about the movie, except that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Apart from being a huge Thor fan, I think Chris Hemsworth is a hunk of hotness. I also love Kenneth Branagh and am in awe of his amazing ability to reinterpret a comic book character, with a lot of continuity behind it, for people to enjoy. Coming from an academic standpoint, this movie really holds dear to my heart (and the months' worth of work I've done with Old English and Anglo-Saxon magic). As a comic book reader, I thought the essentials were taken care of, and that Tom Hiddleston was an amazing, amazing Loki.

♥ Laura

Meeting Schmeeting

2011-04-14T10:20:00.000-05:00

Let's just start with this: This semester has been extremely busy.

Apart from the unending amounts of reading and writing I have to do, I also have a few obligations that require me either presenting or attending meetings.

I dunno about you, but I am not a "meeting" kind of gal. If there's food, fine, I'll look interested. But in all honesty, meetings are really awkward, and most of the time, they're set only to force people to finally do something they should've already done on their own a long time ago. Ok, I exaggerate.

But that's what stress does to one, I suppose... Drive them to exaggeration.

My recent curiosities have (finally) impelled me to seek out new comic book titles, and I am happy to announce that I am no longer a Green Lantern virgin. As an added tidbit, it was really Guy Gardner who forced me into it. [ooh!]

I came upon this little treasure of a strip a few days ago:

via

I'll go into Leezle Pon some other day, since he's battled Despotellis who infected Guy Gardner with his nasty bits. And we all know how much I love me my Guy Gardner.

Back to the topic. This strip made me WISH I was like Dkrtzy (whom I only learned about after reading this strip!)

via

If I were a bio sentient mathematical equation, I would be totally set. Apart from the most RAD ability to erase the "brains of [my] enemies" (because we all know that "brains" are just a conglomeration of 2D, multi-colored, crayon-drawn scribbles on the paper-canvas that is known as the "head"), can you imagine how meetings with my colleagues would be like?

Colleague A: Hey guys, I've noticed that some people haven't been coming to our meetings.

Colleague B: Oh are you talking about her?

Colleague A: Seriously. I can't believe she's been able to dodge meetings every since she started working here! I swear, it's totally unfair.

Colleague B: I bet she's sleeping with...

Colleague C: You MORONS! Don't you know that Laura is a progressive mathematical equation who can only be perceived by the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY? Be grateful she hasn't erased your brains yet.

Yup, what a sweet life I'd live.

♥ Laura

From the Ashes...

2011-04-13T23:38:00.001-05:00

via

It's been a while since I've blogged about my love for all things nerdy. Other priorities have taken over, but now I am starved for a geektastic outlet. I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I've decided to take this blog in a different direction.

I realized that I have been increasingly understanding the world around me through my nerdiness. So, I'm going to pull this blog from the ashes (so to speak) and from it, draw this new idea.

Stay Tuned.

♥ Laura

A Letter to Matt Fraction

2010-09-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

Picked this up from my local library. (Support your library, kids. Explore it. You'll be surprised with the treasures you'll find.)

The Five Fists of Science (2006)

story: Matt Fraction

art: Steven Sanders

This inspired me to write a letter.

Dear Mr. Fraction,

I consider myself to be an astute reader. I have worked, since childhood, to accumulate a book base to build my cred (street and off-street) up to "book snob." As my snobbishness grew, I thought myself too good to even glance at the works of popular and well-loved authors such as Jane Austen, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain. And while I still feel somewhat that way (to a much lesser degree now that I know much more) about Jane Austen, I have recently gained an immense appreciation towards American Literature and the genius of Melville through. Even after that, I still felt hesitant towards Twain, though, even though I vividly recall the details in his "Mysterious Stranger." I somehow only associated him with steamboats, rivers, and rafts. Upon reading your Five Fists of Science graphic novel, though, I think I will pick up some Twain when ample time becomes available to me to leisurely enjoy a book.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

♥ Laura

Awesome Comics of the Week: Mystery Society #2 and X-Factor #209

2010-09-17T20:15:00.001-05:00

So, guys and gals, I am super thrilled today because I finally can see. Literally. After living 25 years on this green earth without the aid of any optical prosthetic, (monocle, glass eye, or otherwise) I finally succumbed to what I deemed all along was necessary. And thank goodness I did. I finally realized how clear things can look like! The grass is greener, the sky bluer, even the cement looks lustrous with my renewed sight.

But enough of this dribble. Onward ho to more fantastic things. Let's start with Peter David's X-Factor #209.

What can I say? I am a total X-Factor whore. This arc is actually, in my opinion, one of the more dynamic, more exciting ones so far. I love that Shatterstar and Longshot are part of the team now, and I am ever so pleased to have Layla back. I think Peter David is just so great at fleshing out individual characters and keeping consistent and true to their individualities, not just in how they talk, but in what they believe. The whole involvement with Asgard is really getting me pumped, first with Hela (who I think is absolutely gorgeous) and it's looking like Thor'll be thrown in the mix soon enough. The art (by Emanuela Lupacchino) is... Ok. One of the better artists who have drawn the comic, but not the best. All the women still look the same, but at least they look human. I'm surprised to see Layla Miller have ginormous boobs. Oh well, it was bound to happen. When are she and Jamie gonna get together? WHEN?

Second on my list is Steve Niles' Mystery Society #2

So, apparently, issue #3 came out this week, but I guess we came in to the shop too late, and all the copies were gone. Oh hwell. We'll get it one of these days. I LOVED the first issue. A huge part of that is really influenced by the amazing art by Fiona Staples. Seeing her art makes me wish I stuck to it when I was a kid. I used to be really in to drawing and design, and that got nipped pretty quickly, and my path to science and medicine plotted out for me (which isn't even the case now). But that is neither here nor there. I am enamored, not just by Nick Mystery, but by his beautiful, elegant, and almost vapid wife, Anastasia. Maybe posh is a better word. I'm really IN to "build phases," by that I mean, the accumulating-the-members-of-the-team phase. So, we'll see how the plot eventually develops... I really can't wait until the next issues come out.

Till later,

♥ Laura

My new source of excitement

2010-09-10T22:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am a sucker for Marvel movies. Let's not go into talking about the quality of the movies because I don't care-- I can get my story fix by reading the comics. Anyway, it's no secret that I am melting over the THOR movie due next year and the AVENGERS movie in a couple of years, but the X-MEN FIRST CLASS movie just earned more cookies in my book when I found out that January Jones got cast as my favorite X-men character ever, Emma Frost.

OK. So that's not totally true. For a long time, Storm was my fave, but I always liked, ok, more like LOVED Emma Frost even though she was the evil, malicious, and malevolent White Queen. I wanted to be her, I won't lie, and now, I'm so pleased that she has Scott Summers wrapped around her finger. Not to mention Namor.

Anywho, I am also a HUGE January Jones fan. I love her reply about looking profoundly sad in the critically acclaimed show, Mad Men, "No, it's just that my people are Nordic." SO! When the news about the casting broke, I was delighted!

This first look at Jones as Emma came out two days ago. My husband declared, "ugly costume, huh?" and I slapped him silly in disagreement. Look at those boots! And the hat is just adorable. I'm still not so sure about the date of the setting, but judging from the costuming here, it looks to be from retro times... I'm gonna guess "mod" with the cut of the dress, but then again, mod is so totally in these days.

So, there you go. My excitement over this, along with my excitement over the Thor movie, will carry me over throughout the whole schoolyear and give me something to work towards.

But tonight, it's all about getting the zzzzs.

night.
♥ Laura

Comics of Weeks Past

2010-09-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

I apologise for taking so long to post again. I've been extremely busy with school work and getting some kind of routine down that I've neglected getting comics read and commented on on time. Wednesday nights are looking to be busy for me this semester, so I end up reading comics Thursday nights or during the weekend. Anywhoozles, here are a couple from last week's haul that I thought were interesting.

Secret Six #25
I am a huge Gail Simone fangirl, and I will stick to reading Secret Six as long as she writes it. While I am upset that the original team has been disbanded, this issue totally rocked my socks. After the previous (kinda confusing, totally out of nowhere, but still awesome) issue, I was relieved to see that Simone didn't abandon the previous plot. Also, even though I'm not so accepting when new (and less known) characters get involved, the panels that made me chortle with glee involved King Shark. When he growled, "KING SHARK VS. MEGA-BIRD!" and, "JAWS 7, EVEN MORE REVENGE" as he took a huge chunk of those griffin-like creatures, my eyes shimmered in wonder and awe.

Isn't he dreamy?

The second comic I wanted to (briefly) comment on is part 2 of the Children's Crusade Avengers Arc.

Avengers: Children's Crusade 2/9
When Heinberg wrote Young Avengers a while back, I was completely hooked. Theeeen... nothing happened. Then, of course, I discovered the Runaways, and nothing (I deemed) could hold a candle to them. But then, the Vaughn stopped writing the Runaways, and my monthly ration of teen romance/angst/adventure/apathy promptly ended. (Sorry guys, Whedon's run SUCKED. ) Anyway, this month's Children's Crusade issue actually reminded me of the early Runaways issues. It may be because of the focus on Wiccan and his (very amusing) aesthetic choices-- I giggled with all the Sound of Music references. Nonetheless, I thought the Young Avengers actually acted like teens here, and I felt like each of their characters got the chance to be (briefly) fleshed out, so they all stand out from one another. It's been a while since that's happened. Although I am getting tired of how s..l..o..w their character developments are going. Then again, you can't tell a story if there isn't a title comic to tell it in.
Ok. That's it for tonight. As you can probably tell, I am not fully functional, so my prose is extremely clunky and unedited. My apologies. Will get better when I have time to edit.
ciao,
♥ Laura

Money Must Be Spent

2010-08-20T14:29:00.000-05:00

After seeing this today, I am really SERIOUSLY considering purchasing a PS3. With all the anticipated hullaballoo of the upcoming schoolyear, though, I am not even sure I will be able to play ANY games. Nonetheless, I can dream.

Comic reviews to be posted soon, just gotta take care of other stuffs.

ciao,
♥ Laura

Blows My Mind to Shreds: Strange Science Fantasy #2

2010-08-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

Oh man, where have I been? The past couple months have been a little bit tight, and so perusing the comic book shelves has been an indulgence for me and my husband. Rarely do we pick up unfamiliar titles or those with intriguing covers, and even rarer do we scour the web for recommendations lest we get tempted to squander our tomato funds. But once in a while, we cough up four dollars in anticipation of a mind orgasm previewed by an amazing cover with the words "The Shogunaut has landed." That's exactly what we got. I got multiple ones.

The first thing that I noticed with this comic was the hypnotic smell of the paper. (not to mention the thickness and texture of the pages) I'm a bibliophile (which means I spend most of my reading time on land, some in water), and will never EVER EVER! switch to the convenient and stylish digital readers because it changes the reading experience. ANYWAY! That's the first thing I noticed.

The rest just kinda attacked my mind-- the art, the stories, the narration, the panels, the font--all joined as one and banged roughly and without care on my delicate brain house. It was amusing, it was profound, it was genius. Nature and Science and Magic all team up against God, basically. It's a story of war; It's a story of bravery. It's a quest and a conquest. It's a story about faith AND about individuality. Most importantly, it's a story about love.

Reading this, I imagine one of those radio broadcasters from the 40's narrating the story, while the accompanying panels illustrate a most imaginative and vivid palette that results from the lack of mind-numbing television.

What a treat.

♥ Laura

Not So Sure If It's Awesome, But It Sure Was Super:

2010-08-12T09:53:00.000-05:00

I loved issue #1. I raved about issue #1. I couldn't wait to see what Straczynski had up his sleeve to make, what I think, is a flat, overused archetype into something more interesting, more modern, more humanized. Alas, while the first issue made me think that Superman was going to take care of himself and his needs, this issue reverts back to the old Superman, thinking more about what he can do for everyone else, saving everyone's lives, single-handedly saving a national problem, being absolutely Super in every way.

This irked me. Why did Superman have to be so damn amazing even when he's not flying or actively doing superhero-ey stuff? How in the hey could he solve the national unemployment problem AND the illegal alien immigration problem just like that? (Was that even really a problem? If so, who gave him authority to preside over the the well-being of the human race?)

But that's where Stracyzynski catches me. This issue is all about what one person can do for humanity-- the gospel that Superman preaches and acts on. A god who wants to be human to serve the human good. Is that what Superman is fated to be?

And though it upsets me that he seems to be infallible, genial, and perfect in every way, perhaps that's exactly the key to his long-standing fame and admiration.

♥ Laura

(Another) Awesome Comic of the Week: Invincible Iron Man #29

2010-08-12T09:38:00.001-05:00

Like I just said, it was really hard for me to just pick one AWESOME comic of the week. I never was a big Iron Man fan. I never really read his comics until a few issues back, and yes, that would make me a fan by way of movie, although in my defense, I already knew he was an ass before they came out. Instead of being totally asshole-ish and arrogant though, we see Stark in such a milder light this time: giving in to Potts' request for an armor, his seemly romance with his long-time secretary, getting involved in the workings with his much smaller, more character-filled work staff, to name a few. What won it for me, though, is the variety of stories and character perspectives packed into one issue. I gotta say, the pacing in this issue is just well-done. There were multiple plot points exposed and given just the right amount of pages, and all plots seem to be interconnected leading to one gigantic revelation.

♥ Laura

Awesome Comic of the Week: X-men Curse of the Mutants #2

2010-08-12T09:13:00.000-05:00

I'll say it now: this choice was made by a complete X-men obsessed freak, so many may disagree that this comic deserves the title for this weeks' batch. Fine. I understand. I got into a long argument with my husband last night about why he thought this comic was terrible, despite the fact that he finished it, laughed at some bits, and was thrilled to see Blade make an appearance. I have to admit, though, that choosing ONE awesome comics for this week's post was extremely hard for me, and as I stare at the others looking up at me, begging me to give them a chance, I decided to write on all 4 I thought were phenomenal. This'll make up for last week's lack of thrill and perhaps the weeks to come.

I still stand by my choice for this particular X-men comic, though. Why?
1. The playful banter between Colossus and Wolverine at the very beginning hooked me. I mean, really, when you've been working with the same people every single day for the last, oh, forty years, wouldn't you develop some sort of dynamics with them? I was amused and completely sold.
2. Blade teaming up with the X-men??!?

The X-men have fought mutants, mutant haters, sentinels, and aliens. I am just thrilled to see them fight vampires. And where there are vampires, there is Blade. This time, he's got some weird facial/head hair going on. . . I'm enthralled by his somewhat pedo-stache and his amusing statements like, "This baby bends the harmful rays out of the way better than SPF ten-billion sunblock" or "You don't dig up Hitler to get rid of Saddam Hussein!"
3. Jubilee is back. REPRESENT!
4. Kavita Rao knocked unconscious by Jubilee. I only wish Gishler gave us more than just a panel of, what I can only imagine was, an epic battle. Never liked the woman, never will.

♥ Laura

Just a smidgen of update

2010-08-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

Oh, it's been a while. I went back and forth about writing a post on last week's Awesome comic, but I decided that since I wasn't blown away by any particular issue, I would wait until I was again. Disappointed I was, but that's the truth of the matter. I'm hoping I get a better batch tomorrow.

In other news, I haven't been really on track with keeping up with comics goings on since school is about to start again, and I have a lot of stuff to get done before the semester actually begins (tons of research that, now, has to be done.) So, when I found out about this, I was like, "whoa... Bono is back?"

♥ Laura

Awesome Comic of the Week: Franken-Castle #19

2010-07-30T10:03:00.000-05:00

I just had to read this month's installment of Franken-Castle what with Daken on the cover and everything. And I wasn't disappointed. I have to confess, I am easily placated with obscene amounts of mind-numbing, vomit-inducing violence. (While I ponder upon that former statement, the Deadpool/Wolverine comic that came out last year comes to mind.) This is probably the foremost (perhaps, only) reason I enjoyed this particular issue. Would you consider me morbid if I said I laughed contentedly at the part when Daken gets hit by a train while trying to pin the Punisher down? I thought so.

♥ Laura

One of these Thors is not like the other...

2010-07-28T20:56:00.001-05:00

So I just finished reading this month's installment of Thor by Kieron Gillen. I'm not about to complain; I mean, I was satisfied because I got my monthly dose of comic book mythology awesomeness, but it really got me thinking about Thor in general.

Over ice cream today, I thought about my history with Thor. I never actually read Thor from years back, but that was only because I just didn't think he was worth reading. I only started reading the series as the behest of my husband who marveled at Stracazynski's take on the Aesir. I was instantly captivated. I devoured every issue that Straczynski moulded (I think he moulded every single issue like a sculptor gets his fingerprints all over his art). I became a Thor-aholic. I couldn't wait for the next issue to come out.

Now that Gillen is writing it, though, I don't feel the same excitement over the comics. Don't get me wrong, I still think Thor is interesting [I am a slave for all things Norse], it's just that I'm not grabbed by it anymore. And I think I finally got it all figured out.

I think Straczynski understood that Thor was both a man and a god, and he made sure to make that balance apparent in his work, that is, Donald Blake actually was integral in Thor's decision-making. This, just like what Straczinski is doing to Superman, humanizes Thor, and makes him a little bit more understandable and relatable to the feeble human mind. For me, Straczinski's Thor was not just a deus ex machina member of the Avengers who came at the very last minute to kill whoever the Avengers were attempting to beat some super powerful mega villain. Thor became a being that was both human and divine-- one who faced the same problems humans had but also had the powers and sensibilities of a god.

I hope that when Matt Fraction picks the series up, he doesn't lose this perspective that had me starstruck even when I only subconsciously understood it. I can only hope.
♥ Laura

Avengers Movie

2010-07-26T10:21:00.000-05:00

I really feel blah this summer for not planning ahead to go to any conventions. This blahness is exacerbated by the amazing pictures and updates MARVEL has been posting on their fb page, to which I have subscribed. This makes it easier to be in the loop with the goings on of the Marvel comic world instead of having to troll their website 24/7.

Anywho, I found this picture in one of their updates:

THRILLED!

Well, not so much that Joss Whedon is directing it, but I am pretty pleased with the casting. Effing Robert Downey Junior seems to be playing himself a lot these days... Which is fine by me, since coincidentally, RDJ is just how I imagine Tony Stark to be.

Scarlet Johanssen, eh. I don't know why Black Widow would be integral to any Avengers plot, but I'm assuming she won't have any function whatsoever since her acting skills are nil.

Oh my two favorite Chris's.. standing right next to each other. Chris Hemsworth is amazingly hot and has exceeded my expectations for Thor. Just look at his pictures! I cannot believe he has bulked up that much. And when he grows his facial hair out he just looks the part. Now, I know there has been lots of complaints about Chris Evans double dipping into the Marvel world. Who cares? I mean, if one really takes a good look, who else could play Captain America? [ I am most biased in this opinion since I think Evans is both attractive and charming, and therefore, has my full support] The funniest suggestion, I thought, was John Krasinski, who to me just has much too long of a face, a weak chin, and a comical nose to play one of the most iconic American heroes of all time.

Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk? Sigh. I dunno, I just don't know. I'm not a big fan of the way he talks. There, I said it.

Here's the most exciting bit! HAWKEYE is going to be played by JEREMY RENNER! And I can totally see him being Hawkeye. Now, I hope Whedon is smart enough to make sure Renner borrows some 'tude and bad-assery from Ultimate Hawkeye. I got no beef against the regular man, but Ultimate Hawkeye is a force to be reckoned with.

So, that's that. I just wanted to post more of my dorkiness for the world to know. But you can't say you aren't excited for the Avengers movie to come out! Till next time,

♥ Laura

Awesome comic of the week: X-Factor 207

2010-07-23T23:33:00.000-05:00

Again, a pretty skimpy week.

I've been trying to look up comics that I could add to my subscriptions, but I haven't found anything that I thought was just really worth adding. Then, today, I found out that one of my favorite titles,Madame Xanadu, is being cancelled. UGH. What's a girl to do?

So, in efforts to cheer myself up, I've been looking up Thor's Hammer Necklaces. Here are my favorites so far, in no particular order:
1. Hammer necklace by dwarvenmorning
2. Small Thor's Hammer by Moon's Light Magic
3. Bronze Thor's Hammer by Cloudberry Market

Anywho, let's move on to the purpose of this post, and that is Peter David's X-Factor #207.

Now, let me just say this: This series is what brought me back to reading comic books. Honestly. When I first read this series a couple years back, I got reminded of how awesome comics were. I love what Peter David has done to the characters and to the team. And although some arcs are a bit blah, I think, overall, it's very consistent and well-done.

So, what did I like about this issue?

Well, firstly, there's Hela. Who doesn't like a dark, mysterious lady? Her getting involved means a possibility of a Thor team-up. MAYBE.
Secondly, Layla Miller is back. I know, I know, she's not the same Layla I used to love. It seems that kids in the Marvel universe nowadays need to grow up before they can be part of something. Take Layla and Hope Summers for instance. They both had to get older FAST before they could be of any purpose to anyone.
Thirdly, I just love the developing relationship between Shatterstar and Rictor. This tender exposition is something I love with contemporary comics-- it's a soap opera of sorts, except cooler because everyone has powers.
And by golly, RAHNE IS PREGGERS?
If the abovementioned don't add up to "awesome comic," I don't know what will.

Till next week,
♥ Laura

Thor Movie Thoughts: A Rambling

2010-07-23T12:05:00.001-05:00

So, there's been a large influx of pictures all over the interwebs of screenshots from the upcoming Thor movie. Being the Thor whore that I am, I have been all over them for the past few days, imagining possibilities, conjuring up possible plot lines, scrutinizing, criticizing. Here are two pics and my thoughts:

1. Thor/Donald Blake pulling out the hammer from, what seems to me, a hardened mass of mud. My god, (Thor) when I saw this picture, I almost fainted. I cannot believe that Chris Hemsworth bulked up that much! And look at that perfect amount of scruffiness that just renders him sexy. Although I'm a little upset that the hammer is the old-style design, I forgive whoever OKed that decision because I think Mr. Hemsworth looks just like the Thor I imagine.

2. Odin and Thor, full Asgardian garb in, what I am assuming is, the hall of Valhalla. Firstly, what happened to the traditional depiction of the hall being covered in furs, golden serving ware, and casks of wine and mead? Look at the background in this pic: observe the intricate-looking, but uniformly made (almost mass produced) giant discs that make it seem like the characters occupy a tiny space in the insides of a huge clock. These men are warrior gods, for goodness sakes! Won't they want to have their war gear in constant display instead of Jotunheimian cogs and gadgets? I got to say though, I am much more pleased with how the costumes turned out, especially since the concept drawings came out on the interwebs. I love that Thor's arms are still covered in that mail-esque metal working and that those dots on his chest are raised buckles. But, I still say, they should have gone with the Ultimate Thor story and costume as well.

Nonetheless, I love Kenneth Branagh too much to bash his choices for the movie. I am still excited to my socks to see it in theaters, so I can drool to a big screen version of my favorite hero.

♥ Laura

Runaways Movie

2010-07-18T22:27:00.000-05:00

So.. Runaways is going to be made a movie, and I am less than thrilled. As much as I LOVE Runaways, I don't think a movie will do anything to contribute to their popularity. SERIOUSLY. Teens actors will just botch it. I just know it. GAH.

♥ Laura

Awesome comic of the week: Superman #701

2010-07-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

I have been staring at my screen for minutes just trying to figure out how to start this post. Really. I suppose I could start by saying, AGAIN, that I am not a DC kind of girl. But I've said that a million times, and truthfully, I find myself slowly changing my mind. I mean, I do subscribe to a few titles: Secret Six, (for now) Bruce Wayne/ Return of Batman, Gotham Sirens... I even enjoyed more than a handful of titles and arcs: Shadowpact, JLI, 52, Identity Crisis... So, I guess I really can't say I'm NOT a DC kind of girl anymore. Recently too, I think that DC is making some strides in appointing AMAZING writers and artists. I'm thinking Gail Simone here, but also Paul Cornell and J. M. Straczynski, two of my favorite comic book writers.

When I heard the news that Straczynski and Cornell were exclusively writing for DC for a while, I was crushed. This meant I wouldn't expect to see Captain Britain of any of the MI13 crew any time soon. This also meant that The Twelve would be put on hold. Plus! What? I wondered, would happen to THOR???

So I was still so sulky about this change when I picked up the Brave and the Bold team-up of Aquaman and Etrigan. That sold me. I just HAD to get everything Straczynski EVEN if it was from DC. So even though I hesitated with Superman 701, I caved in and got it anywho.

Let me explain myself here a bit. Yes i know I said I was going to get ALL of Straczynski's works, but I also said the I was hesitant towards his Superman. WHY? I think that, like Batman, there aren't a lot of interesting Superman stories anymore. Also, he's just too strong, too perfect, too... unreal.

These are exactly what Straczynski seems to be going against in this month's issue.

Somehow, just like he did to Thor, Staczynski makes Superman interesting again. Maybe it's the humanizing effect of his new plan to walk across the US. Maybe it's the story itself that is to be credited. Maybe it's that combined with the amazing art. I am totally excited to see how this develops and how Wonderwoman shapes up as well.

♥ Laura

Good news, everybody...

2010-07-14T08:21:00.000-05:00

Paul Cornell takes on Knight and Squire, the English version of Batman and Robin in a 6-issue mini series. No word on when it's due out yet, but I am extremely pleased and excited to my chocolate toes! Finally! some English superhero-ness!

My current musings: (short post today since my cat is sleeping on my right arm)
Straczynski's Superman comes out today and his Wonder Woman follows in a couple weeks... should I pick them up? I'm not a DC kinda girl, but I've loved all of Straczynski's stuffs so far, so I might go on ahead and check them out. ALSO, when is he going to finish THE TWELVE?

♥ Laura

Awesome comic of the week: X-Women one shot

2010-07-09T08:28:00.000-05:00

I got 3 awesome comics from this week's haul. I promise to do all of them as soon as possible.

Let's start off with my favorite, written by Chris Claremont with the art by Milo Manara, a one shot of X-Women.

I'll confess, I purchased this comic because of the cover. It looks like an explosion of lewd lesbian temptation, so I just HAD to buy it... I kid. Although it may seem that way, I really like it when artists portray women as soft and delicate creatures. In the cover, it really makes no sense why all four girls have their mouths rounded out while wither hanging from vines or cavorting in the water while fully clothed. But what do I know about being a superhero?

When I saw this on the comic stands, I excitedly squealed, "Chris Claremont!" And when I got home, i immediately started researching Milo Manara. Oh man, do I love his stuff! It's like he knows how women want to be drawn: soft and graceful with flowy hair and big, puffy lips. The clothing he chooses to drape his women in only flatter their figures.

The picture above has got to by one of my favorite drawings of his. Exquisite.

Story-wise, I must admit, I just really had fun reading this comic. But I really would have liked more characterization on Betsy's part. Kitty Pride really is the least favorite of all the X-men characters, and it really irked me when Magneto brought her back from that absurd bullet traveling in space. But oh well, I suppose there are a people out there who are attracted to the girl-next-door sort. Blah. But it was nice to just see these women "adventuring"-- it's like those marvel swimsuit editions were finally given stories. hahaha.

♥ Laura

Gar would have loved it...

2010-07-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

Like many people, I have a huge bag of celery in my fridge. Unlike those people, I absolutely loathe the vegetable. I have never liked eating it with hot wings or with ranch dressing or with peanut butter and raisins. I just cannot get over how utterly disgusting it tastes and how crunchy it is. I bought a bag for $1.49 yesterday because I needed two stalks for a braised lamb shank recipe cooking in my oven as I type. I chose the largest of the stalks in the bag and I still had a TON leftover.

I really hate wasting food, and I'm also a cheapskate, so even though I HATE HATE HATE celery, I looked up a recipe that would use up all the ones that would have sat in the fridge until next month anyway.

I found a delicious Cream of Celery recipe from The Joy of Soup, made a silent promise to find more recipes that don't call for celery, and chopped five heaping cups of those green sticks.

After about 20 minutes of cooking, I was uber surprised at how delicious the soup was! There was no trace of celery in it! I was so proud of myself, I kept on thinking (as I stirred) Man, Laura! I'm sure Beast Boy would totally love this soup! But then I remembered that I had two pounds of bacon sitting in the freezer, and bacon totally makes anything 100 times better! I just added 2 chopped strips to the recipe and nommed a bowl right up!

♥ Laura

These are a few of my favorite things!

2010-07-06T12:51:00.001-05:00

I found this while trolling around on the interwebs again early this morning. Like, yay! I am a big Hello Kitty tool. Yes, I admit it, I am a sucker for everything and anything Hello Kitty. So imagine my glee when I found this pic pic! I don't care much for the trekster kitties, or any of the other non comic ones, maybe except for the kitty gundam... maybe. Is that a gundam? I'm pretty sure it is. Anywhoozles, I found out that these are made by illustrator Yodanz. So check out the link for more kitty goodness.

While we're on HK business, I'm just gonna sneak in a pic of these shoes that I cannot wait to purchase when they come out on Sept 1!!!

Hello Kitty Doc Martens!!!!! Aren't they precious?

♥ Laura

What I really think about when reading comics...

2010-07-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

I am currently reading volume 9 of Bill Willingham's Fables. I know, I know, I'm a LOT late on the news, and I really should have picked it up a long time ago, but I used to be extremely picky about what I read. Also, I didn't think Fables would fit my style. I remember thumbing through the first few pages of volume one a few years back thinking to myself, You are much too old for this fairy tale stuff, Laura. Go back to reading X-men. I know, it makes no sense.

Now, I am addicted. I HAVE to get my hands on all the issues. And I HAVE to delegate the remainder of my summer break to getting up to speed on all the goings on in the Fables world. Whenever I sit down to read a volume (I usually try to finish a trade in one sitting), I get completely lost. I concentrate on the the clothing, the look of the characters, and any accessory that they may be sporting. Right now, i am really digging the effortless and classy style that Snow sports. I love the flowy ensembles she chooses even if they look costumey... (I'm talking about the jacket with the fringes hanging from her arms). If I had picked up the series when it started, I am sure I would have gravitated towards Red Rose's look: spunky and spirited topped with a bountiful shock of red hair.

Recently, I've been trolling the interwebs for new clothing or hair ideas since I'm really itching for a change. Somehow, I stumbles upon the following photos and I immediately thought, Fables!

Shoe 1: Swan Princess-y but I am sure it would work for Snow as well. My gosh, I would love to own a pair of these darlings. I mean, look at all that glitter! Plus, the construction and heel style are actually quite interesting-- even when you strip all the flashiness away from the shoe, it would still be a most amazing piece.

Shoe 2: Very Alive in Wonderland-esque a la Tim Burton. I really like the unsymmetrical look to the pair with the unevenly sized roses and the odd assortment of charms draped onto each side.

Shoe 3: These shoes are horrendous looking, but I had to put it here because I really just LOVE Bigby. I mean, how could you not? He's Wolverine, but taller and much, much nicer.

♥ . ♥ . ♥ . ♥ . ♥

While we're talking about fashion, I thought I would put my two cents about Wonder Woman's redesigned costume by Jim Lee.

I've seen lots of reviews on her costume, a lot of it negative. While picking up our comics from the shop last week, our local comic book guy asked me what I thought of the design, no assessment, just what came to my head when I first saw the design. I looked at it, grimaced, and said, "this is just horrid." After talking about it more with my husband, I felt really guilty about my assessment. I mean, I love Jim Lee... and I can't believe he created this costume! Maybe back in the 90s, this would've been fly, but now?

Qualms:
1. The details on her costume, the lines that make her clothing seem like metal, remind me of robot/sci-fi animes like Gundam Wing or Evangelion.

I mean, even those buckles on her feet seem like they were meant to latch and lock into some sort of robot. Maybe Wonder Woman's invisible plane now turns into a mecha!

2. Her jacket. Why would she all of a sudden decide that she needed a jacket? Besides the fact that it's too short and cropped to look cool and modern, the color choice seemed like an afterthought. I imagine the thinking process went like this:
Well, I got the red and gold... And blue tights just seems to be so unflattering... and I already put the white stars on the jacket, what color should I make the actual jacket? black? No, that would just be too color coordinated. Oh shit! I forgot blue!

3. Her gloves. Or arm warmers. Whatever they are, they sure as hell ain't just bangles no more. What? did wearing those bangles irritate her skin so much that she needed some cloth lining underneath to protect her skin? Isn't she supposed to be above the concerns of humans anywho? Also, wouldn't that just be uncomfortable having a loop go through one of your fingers?

* A lot of people have complained about her "leggings." I see no leggings here, actually, more of like an armor. She may be wearing leggings underneath it all, I dunno.

So yeah, I am really quite disappointed with this "redesign." I can only hope that the stories coming out with this costume are set back where Wonder Woman would be ahead of the fashion curve, the disappointing 90s.

♥ Laura

Maybe this time, BP will do something...

2010-07-02T21:12:00.000-05:00

Since Aquaman looks pissed.

by the always witty Kate Beaton

♥ Laura

Harry Potter #7 trailer

2010-07-02T19:29:00.000-05:00

So, this isn't a comic post, but I just had to put it up here since I am exuding excitement as I type. I saw the trailer a few days back, but I just only got a chance to really look at it today. Well, I dunno if the acting will ever change, but it does seem that the graphics, effects, and lighting in the upcoming movie are more authentic to what I perceived them to be as described in the books.

My favorite movies in the series are the first and second ones because they remained faithful to the book. I understand that movie producers, directors, etc also want to exercise their creative interpretations of the books, but I really just enjoyed seeing how what I had imagined settings, clothing, and people to look like in the book come to life. In my opinion, the earlier movies depicted a more believable other world for me because they didn't only concentrate on the teen angst and drama among the characters, but the people who worked on it made sure to pay attention to the setting around these characters, their demeanor, and their clothing.

Hopefully, the last two movies won't disappoint.

Here's the trailer. Enjoy.

♥ Laura

Must I get a new system, must I?

2010-06-28T20:28:00.000-05:00

♥ Laura

Old Comics, New

2010-06-28T12:52:00.000-05:00

I grew up reading "Archie," "Snoopy," "Asterix," and "Calvin and Hobbes," and I still love going back and reading through these old goodies once in a while. But I also love it when artists and writers take from older material, basing their own work around them. Sometimes it's poking fun, sometimes it's just inspirational, but whenever I encounter people playing with older characters, I really do love it.

This was sent to me by my interweb-trolling husband just moments ago. And you best be sure I was jumping out of my seat here at the quiet section in the library:

Weapon Brown and Cal-v.1n

I just included the link because I am working at the mo, and didn't want to forget to add this to the blog. So if you want more info, please clickity click click up there.

Oh Charlie, spit curls never looked manlier till now. Look at that codpiece!

With Calvin, this is how I expected him to turn out anyway. I hope there are laser-shooting-dinosaurs included.

♥ Laura

Generation [suck]X

2010-06-26T18:11:00.000-05:00

So, after years and years of longing to watch this movie, I finally found (more like remembered, really) it online.

I've included the first part of nine in here, so check it all out when you have the time to. I had a couple hours to spare, so I decided to finally check it out.

I am pretty sure that this movie had no script at all, or if it did, it was all written in one sitting by a small child. I am also convinced that the 90s was this horrible time period where a lack of respect of adult authority and bad fashion collided producing youth with no table manners (like Jubilee shoving a bland looking sandwich in her mouth) and no class (underwear and hiked up spandex as a uniform?) The word "babe" (a 90s coinage, I bet) is a dirty and unappealing garbage that dribbled out of the mouths of 90s youth.

I started listing the qualms I had with the movie- from casting to acting to plot, but I found that writing out what I liked would be much more productive (and a lot shorter).

Likes:

1. Sean Cassidy- Jeremy Ratchford is HILARIOUS in this movie! Did he mean to be? I'd like to think so.

2. Emma Frost- even though I don't know where the freaky, hurricane-like outburst of powers in the beginning threw me off, Finola Hughes really embodied the shoulder pad-wearing Emma Frost of the 90s comics I loved. Maybe I'm just biased towards any rendition of Emma Frost, but then again, don't be calling that shiny,skinny blonde in the Wolverine movie "Emma," 'cause she ain't her.

3. Nothing else. Oh wait! the campiness of it is a plus! Although, I would much rather watch the original Batman movie over and over again instead of seeing Gen X a second time.

♥ Laura

I want to be Helen Mirren when I grow up

2010-06-26T17:44:00.001-05:00

So, while I was looking up more info on the 1996 straight-to-TV movie GENERATION X on Imdb, (more on that later) I found this:

oh em geeeeee! Helen Mirren is sooo amazing! dare I say, HOT?
♥ Laura

Thoughts on my thesis

2010-06-25T15:48:00.000-05:00

It's Friday afternoon. I am sitting at the library trying to motivate myself to do something useful. I have a stack of books that I should be ploughing through, but I just can't find the energy or the desire to at the moment. I have been sporadically thinking about my upcoming thesis, and at one time even motioned to do some scholarly research on comic books, though I really am not sure what about comics should I research. At first I was really interested in how comic book writers and readers deal with time. I mean, an arc may only take a few hours in comic book land, but it takes weeks before the reader is given the story. In the weeks that pass, writers are also able to insert references into the narratives such as current events that the reader will definitely pick up.

Another idea I thought I wanted to pursue is analyzing comic book covers and find a relation to the time period these were published, etc.

I have other ideas, no doubt influenced by the growing number of comic book literature available to the public as well as the discussions that I have with my husband. I mean, comics offer stories-- stories that can be analysed just as the literature that I am accustomed to reading and writing about. Comics have characters that have personalities that are developed. They have plots that need to be revealed. There, of course, is the visual element-- the art-- used in the work that also influences the story. Comics have dialougues. They have setting, point of view. They use all the literary devices that I know. So, why can't I do a thesis on comics?

Do you guys have any thesis ideas on comics? Do you know of any melding of scholarly work/academia with comic books?

♥ Laura

Comics Haul- 23.06.10

2010-06-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna try out a new thing here. Since I can barely motivate myself to write a full on review, and I'd really like to keep track of all comic books I read each week, I've decided to do shorter reviews (that is, one sentence and MAYBE a bit more) on each comic. I'll keep the sweetness rating, of course :D

BATMAN: The Return of Bruce Wayne #3 Grant Morrison
Bruce as the Black Pirate. Bat-people in caves preserve his costume and revere it. I do like pirates.
6/10 macarons

FANTASTIC FOUR #580 Jonathan Hickman
Franklin feels left out because Daddy seems to like spending more time with Valeria. That's understood and explained by uncle Johnny who takes them to the biggest toystore opening owned by Mr. Impossible and... ARCADE (never liked Arcade, never) who claims to be reformed. Fishy and false! Fun day for the kids (Franklin and Leech) and big revelation for Mr. Grimm when Valeria and all the other students come up with formula that can make him human for one week a year. Awesome possum!
7/10 macarons

Zatanna #2 Paul Dini
Man, I'm a sucker for magic. But it has to be done well-- it's gotta be interesting. What can I say about this? Damn, Zatanna has gigantic boobs. If she were a real person, she'd be lugging some triple G's there... Dreams, Great art, I do like this.
7/10 macarons

Green Arrow #1 J.T. Krul

Amazing cover that caught my attention. I would love a poster size of that. Was so hyped up by the interview I read about making more apparent the connection between Green Arrow and one of my favorite literary figures ever since I was a kid-- Robin Hood. What a disappointment. Ollie is incredibly flat as a character. Where is the emotion? the grief? Also, where is the corruption in Star City? I need more drama; I wish it was more believable. The pacing of the story-- the introduction of the characters, the plot, etc, was just not well thought out.
3/10 macarons, mostly for the awesome cover.

Avengers #2 Bendis
Interesting story and development. I am a big Wonderman Fan, and I am really liking the new Kree Noh-varr. Only qualm really is the art that, to me, looks hastily drawn and unemotional. \
7/10

X-Factor #206 Peter David
What's up with Layla Miller??? Where did she get her new bang? And why are Siryn (or Banshee, whatever) and Jamie holding hands??? ?And... Monet is black?
7/10

Ultimate Avengers #2
Ultimate Ghostrider's origin story is totally AWESOME. I love that Millar actually spun characters that we all know and made them much more interesting or relevant. This is what the Ultimate Universe should be.
8/10

What I'm Reading Now: Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers of Victory

2010-06-21T10:57:00.001-05:00

I rarely get excited by anything DC. I usually bypass Superman and yes, even Batman comics, and I steer clear of Wonder Woman and Green Lantern all together. Part of this aversion is caused, I think, by my unfamiliarity with anything DC. I know very little about any of the characters' stories or the histories of any of its superhero groups. And I am the type of person who is often intimidated by something they don't understand. I recall trying to read and appreciate some DC arcs such as Countdown or 52. While I was generally amused, I never really could fully comprehend the characters or the gravity of the crisis at hand. The first DC title that got me really excited was Shadowpact by Bill Willingham. I think it was because he assembled a MAGICAL team-- something that is, in my opinion, extremely hard to write in comics since there is such a fine line between cheesy and amazing when it comes to explaining and portraying magic. Apart from the team being "magical," Willingham also explored their individual ties with magic and the mystical world, so really, I was getting mini stories along with the overarching plot.

Another DC title I read is Gail Simone's Secret Six. My gosh, I can't contain myself about this series! I love love love!!! Gail Simone! I think her writing is exquisite-- she has the talent of making sure that each of her characters constantly stays distinct, and her dialogues are believable and amusing at the same time. I can honestly say that I love each and every one of her characters-- all for different reasons.

So it seems that I'm a big "group" kind of person. Well, what can I say? My tastes in comics are like my tastes in dining. I don't like getting bored, so I especially like it when my meal consists of small portions of differing flavors. (My gosh, I love Korean restaurants!)I like the drama and tension that groups bring, and I like to root for different characters. So it's no surprise that I really enjoyed Grant Morrison's first volume of Seven Soldiers of Victory.

I'm already a Grant Morrison fan, anywho: I cried reading WE3 and I gushed over his depiction of Emma Frost in his New X-men. In this series, however, I found myself actually LIKING all of the unfamiliar characters he pooled together. I'm a big Anglo-Saxon freak so of course, I liked Justin and Vanguard and the whole Avalon story. I love pirates, so of course I liked the Manhattan Guardian story with the underground pirates! AAAANd... I like magic, so yes, I did like the Zatanna story. I also love, love, LOVE! all the art in each of the stories. Especially Frazer Irving's depiction of Klarion and his Roanoke Puritans.

No conclusion. Must get back to working.
Laura

dildocopter

2010-06-18T21:34:00.001-05:00

This is completely unrelated to comics, but I just had to post it. I saw the funniest thing today: A minivan full of drunk college kids waving a dildo through the sunroof. that's right, a minivan with a sunroof. wowzers.

Partying it up with Emma Frost

2010-06-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to squeeze this tiny little post before I call it a day.

I just finished reading Heralds #1by Katherine Immonen.

I know it came out a while back, but I hesitate to pick up anything she writes now because of what she did to my second favorite comic book group ever, the Runaways. That didn't stop my husband from purchasing them anyway. So, while I was mooing away wishing I had something to do, I picked it up. Hmmm, what do I think of it? I was initially excited and glad that Emma Frost's birthday seemed to be of some relevance to the comic, you know, celebrating the most awesome character ever? Then, all the other girls started pouring in...

Ok let's begin:

Me and Monica Rambeau do not mix. Why? Firstly, she and Dr. Voodoo (who I still think is totally undeserving of the title Sorcerer Supreme) have a thing going on. Secondly, she's one of those unattractive, empowered females who don't seem to be able to balance being pretty and being bad ass. Thirdly, her powers are amazing. The third point both repulses me and redeems her as a character. And that is repulsive.

Why, oh why, in tarnation has Hellcat's hair not grown yet? The short hair on her is freakishly ugly. I mean, isn't she supposed to be one of the most fashion-forward and stylish women in the Marvel universe? she looks extremely dowdy and so girl-next-door with her ugly, blunt cut. Also, what's up with the attitude? I really liked how Immonen portrayed her sense of humor in her run Hellcat (I also loved her being in Alaska), and all of a sudden, she just lost it here.

Abigail Brand. Gah. Go back to deep space. (I really do hate space stories)

Jennifer. Susan. Walters. I guess they needed a powerhouse for this mission, so they picked She-Hulk. But the "team" would still be fine with just Valkyrie.

Now, Valkyrie I DO like, but could she be a little *just a tad bit* less mannish? I mean, I know she's an Asgardian warrior, but she isn't an Amazon. (Bee tee dubs, Best Asgardian woman award ever goes to KELDA!)

Anyway, on to the story itself. On the whole, it's pretty interesting, actually. I was delighted to see dinosaurs, aliens, and scientists all in the same page. My goodness, I was falling out of my seat when Hellcat asked Brand, "Do you guys have Oppenheimer?" I don't know much about Frankie Raye (other than she was a herald of Galactus, was Johnny Storm's love interest, led to the destruction of the Skrull world?, died) but I was curious to see what was going to happen. Other than that though, I felt that the mingling of all these women was just so... forced. Why the hell would any of these people think that throwing Emma Frost a party would be "fun?" I mean, this is Emma Fucking Frost we are talking about here. I would have a blast partying with her, but would any sane person feel the same way?

Though the dialogue needs some work, I think the story held my attention enough to get the next issue. maybe.

6/10 choco cakes!

Slow to blog...

2010-06-18T14:12:00.000-05:00

So. It seems like I won't be getting caught up with the blogging from last week's haul anyway. Why? because I decided that I was going to get crafty and repaint my dining table. I have been complaining for YEARS about how ugly and boring our dining table has been, and now that I have some time and initiative to do something, I decided to go for it. I also have been addicted to Frontierville on FB. It's disgusting, I know. But what can I do? I figure that after this week, with all the crafty projects done, I will be able to resume back to non-stop reading.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I was a lot disappointed when I stopped by my local comic shop and they didn't have ANYTHING for me. pooooosh! Luckily, my husband picked up The Heroic Age: The New Avengers #1

I was really skeptical about this at first. I am not a huge fan of anyone in the cover, except for Wolverine. And I am uber selective when it comes to Wolverine comics. So, when my husband told me that I may be pleasantly surprised, I took it with a grain of salt and tried to forgo reading it. Well... Pleasant surprise, pleasant surprise. Three of my top 25 characters are in it: Dr. Strange, Daimon Hellstrom, and Victoria Hand (I know, right?) Maybe I'll go compile the rest of my list here sometime.

Short summary:
So now, Luke Cage is given free rein of creating his own Avengers team, sans Iron Man and Thor, that is, so it's still gonna be a pretty lame Avengers team. They get to live and operate in the original Avengers Mansion, the only requirement being that Victoria Hand gets to "facilitate" their work. In other parts of the world, Dr. Strange gets possessed by some evil entity that has already taken over Daimon Hellstrom and is hellbent on acquiring the eye of Agamotto in order to, of course, take over the world. There's a little magical skirmish between the possessed Hellstrom and Strange and Dr. Voodoo, but in the end, Voodoo sends the eye to the Avengers Mansion, hoping for its protection. Well, Strange and Hellstrom track the amulet and whatever is possessing them ends up possessing Luke Cage.

It's off to a dynamic start, I'll give it that. The art is great; I've always liked Stuart Immonen's crisp, clean art, and I find that it really suits the storyline. I'm just not so sure about the actual team members of the Avengers and if I like them. Granted, there may be great redefining of characters/relations told in the future, I just don't have any interest in Jessica Jones, Luke Cage (or their baby), the Thing, or Mockingbird. But that's just me whining.

7/10 macarons

a break within a break

2010-06-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

So I just got back from my little one week holiday to Mexico, thus the lack of any posting last week. I only got my comics two days back, and I haven't been feeling up to par really on anything. It may be because I really enjoyed the balmy weather and the ocean, so now I really am not motivated to do anything else. The laziness has set... forever, it seems.

But today, I got inspired to finally get up and prepare for the chicken mole enchiladas I've been craving for since I got back. I ♥ mole, I discovered. I realize that it would be a feat to make mole from scratch with my limited cooking abilities (income and patience as well), so I ended up purchasing some to start. I am sure it won't taste as smashingly good as authentic mole, but what can I do?

Anywhoozles, since I'm feeling a little perky now, so I'm going to write a little bit. I am still finishing off my haul from last week, so I'll get to those ASAP. Since I didn't get anything this week, I'll be caught up. This time though, I wanted to talk about what I thought of Mike Madrid's The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines.

t
I brought it with me to read at the beach and learned so much about female comic book characters and some female writers as well. I am not big on "feminist" works. It's not my thing, I think I mention that each blog entry. I picked this book up because a friend had recommended it to me, and I really was itching for comic book scholarship literature. (does that make sense?) Madrid's writing style is to the point and, overall, amusing. His interests obviously are geared towards female characters I have very very very limited knowledge about, and mostly towards DC comics. I thought that I wouldn't get past the first chapter. On the contrary, it turned out to be a quite exciting read, actually.

The chapters are separated according to era, beginning with the early 21st century to contemporary views. Madrid seems to be really interested in connecting the views on women in society and how those were translated into comic book characters, their lives, powers, and costumes. This book really got me thinking about which female characters I really liked or responded well to and made me assess why I did like them. I found myself asking, "Is there a female archetypal figure that works to please a large enough amount of comic book readers to keep them alive?" All in all, the book gives a general overview of the formation and evolution of female comic book characters throughout the decades. A lot of the examples he presents are DC characters (I'm not a big fan) but his writing and analysis kept me reading and interested in what he had to say. I only wish that he included a bibliography so that people like me could look to his references especially sales records and such. I want to know where he's getting this info!!! Also, I really wish that Madrid wrote more about female comic book writers and what they were and are able to bring to the table. Overall, i got a lot out of it, and it was fun to stop and chat about tidbits I learned while sipping my drink.

7/10 cupcakes!

Sorry, no macarons at the mo. After playing with the new blogger templates (since I am too lazy to make my own layout) my macarons had shadowy borders. (-_-) not pleasant to look at.

Well, this is it for today. I still have tons of shtuffs to cut up, and I want to get back to my Sherlock Holmes reading. I just started reading them (I am ashamed to admit) and I am addicted.

till next post, kidsies.

Monstrous Haul: 06/03/10

2010-06-04T09:37:00.000-05:00

So my comic book haul this week was rather skimpy, so I ended up doing other things to get my fix. I spent the whole day watching all 3 X-men movies and setting up this blog. I've seen the movies more than I'd like to admit, but what can I say? I can't resist. I'm not saying I absolutely LOVED the movies... or even really like them for that matter because I really don't. In all honesty, the quality of the movies exponentially declined in many ways, not just plot-wise. But I watch them nonetheless. And I'll admit, I got somewhat emotional watching the 3rd movie, and I'm not so sure what prompted that reaction. It may have been the death (gasp) of Scott Summers, who was portrayed to be an annoying whiner. Or, it could have been the majesty of Angel's wings... hmmm. I really think it may have been the latter.

I won't go into any more detail about the movies. Let's move on to something a little bit more current.

Like I said, my haul was pretty light. I thought the much awaited Green Arrow comic was due yesterday, but it wasn't. Pish. So, all I had was iZombie #2 and Franken-Castle. Lots of monsters and freaks in this week's issues.

Let's start with Chris Roberson and Michael Allred's iZombie. I'll be honest. I picked the first issue up last month mainly because of the art. I'm not really big on stories with female leads, and I rarely go for non-mainstream stories. What really attracted me was the stylistic, moddish look of Ellie the ghost and the laid back punkish rendition of zombie Gwen. Would it be dorky for me to say that I like looking for clothing and beauty inspiration in comic books? Let's not even go to the portrayal/objectification issue of women in comics. I just don't care about those, so drop it.

In this second issue, the plot thickens. Gwen's paintings offer a peek into the memories of Frederick Harris, the man whose brains she just ingested. Four big revelations for our supernatural duo:

1. How Fred's wife and son look like.

2. A Mummy murderer???

3. A familiar looking house.

4. A fiery hot redhead who may!!! have led to his death. *gasp*

So, we've got zombies, ghosts, a mummy, and some vampires. Of course, when vampires are present, there are also those who hunt them. The plot seems to be moving at a really fast pace. By the end of the comic, the redhead vampire, Claire, lures Scott's co-workers for a night of "fun." It seems that the mummy knows of and something about Gwen. And the ever adorable Ellie's desire to travel looks as if it could develop into something interesting. So far, so good. It's the second issue, so I'm really looking forward to see where the story goes. I'm not so sure about the monster overload; I just hope there are no werewolves.

7/10 macarons!

Moving on to another monster mash, let's take a look at Rick Remender's Franken- Castle #17. I'll start off, yet again, with commenting about the art. I ♥ Roland Boschi's rendition of Morbius. I can't find a pic online, and I'm too lazy to upload one, so take a look here if you're really interested to check out how the living vampire looks. I also like the way he made Frank Castle look with the clunky and visibly heavy boots and disproportionately small head. He looks brooding and menacing, but also clumsy. This is perhaps setting up a new kind of Punisher, almost-- one who relies more on brawn and his size rather than speed or agility. Kind of like Godzilla, I suppose. It seems to be going on that direction, anyway, as evidenced in the fight scene at the end. I mean, sure, Frank's still got his guns, but he barely moves. I am glad that the monster island arc is over, though. Not that it was bad, but I just am ready for the Punisher (is he still the Punisher?!? or Franken-Castle?!?!) to move on.

7/10 macarons!

I should add that I read all 6 issues of Brad Meltzer's JLA arc on the Red Tornado from 2006/07 and I absolutely loved it. I'm not a huge DC fan to begin with, but that's just because I really am not familiar with any of the characters or storylines. I'm learning though. So, next time, I'll do a post on my insight on that run.

Ciao till later.

To Dress A God

2010-06-03T15:50:00.000-05:00

My husband sent me this picture this morning:

originally from CBR

The big Thor dork that I am, of course, I swooned. Then I looked again. I'm not quite sure I like this costuming. It almost looks too synthetic with the plastic-looking armor and arm bands. I'm not digging the boots either. There seems to be way too much detailing on the breastplate that the "scaly" arm protection seems too much and out of place, like an afterthought. I dunno what the little red kerchiefs peeking out of his forearms are for either... To pull the outfit together with the color of the cape?

Is the goal of costume designers to make Thor look as contemporary/realistic as possible? Because, for me, this is just not working. Thor's feathered helmet is nowhere in sight, so that's a good thing. But, the cape is still there. That gigantic piece of red fabric just screams "LAME" unless you look like Coipel's Thor:

Big, beefy, and privy to the secrets of nature, (how else would his cape get so much lift like that) Coipel's Thor can totally ROCK that cape. I suppose his physique is also different. He's thick and everything about his is GRAND. Even his boots are grand. The costume is also different-- focusing more on the actual (what we can only assume is) metal armor covering him from neck to ankles. The blue tunic he wears looks like cloth or perhaps a soft, well-worn leather. Draped over him, it seems to be an implement of modesty. What other GRAND things are you hiding, Thor?

Perhaps, Coipel's Thor is too fantastical, too unreal. Well, then why did costumers of the Thor movie look to the Ultimates' Thor?

While I prefer this cleaner, simpler look, I still have NO idea what the little circles are for! I do love how this version of Thor retains the same air of magnificence and awe a god deserves without the old-fashioned metal armor OR the cape. I mean, why the hell would he need all that anyway? He doesn't need the extra protection? He's a super powered being, a GOD! after all!

Laura Loves Comics?

2010-06-03T14:13:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm Laura and I ♥ COMICS!

I'm starting this blog for a few reasons. Firstly, I really want to be able to record and archive my thoughts comics I read. Obviously, I won't be able to write about EACH and EVERY comic, but I'm going to try anyway. Secondly, I am summer break, and I really don't want to stop writing and get suckered into a lull of not working my brain. So this blog will serve as a means of mental exercise. (maybe) Hopefully, I get into the habit of writing, reviewing and such.

My comic history:

By no means am I boasting any kind of expertise. My comic book knowledge is very much mainstream, and I find myself learning (and forgetting) so much about comics with every issue that I read. Since I am continuing to build my foundation in comics, I will probably talk about arcs from ages ago in this blog. Nonetheless, I am an avid fan of everything comic and comic book related. So expect talk about movies, merchandise, etc...

. . .

I am not quite sure what the first comic I read was, or when that was for that matter... but I do know that I started purchasing them on my own (with my sweaty, hard-earned money) when I was 8. Since my allowance was nothing to boast about, I could probably get up to three issues every six months. I was a big fan of X-men and all other "X" titles. My collection was very disconnected. I don't recall ever having two consecutive issues at the time. But I continued reading, anyhow.

About the same time, an uncle allowed me the privilege of reading his collection of Marvel comics from the 70s and 80s. Mostly Spiderman and Avengers comics, I got introduced to a lot of characters that way. THEN, school took over.

For a while, I didn't have the chance to read any comics because of schooling. A long period of time passed before I got into reading them again... about 11 years. Thanks to my husband, (a bona fide comic book enthusiast (*geek???) my interest in comics was renewed. So now, every Wednesday (or so) I am able to relax and get lost in the amazing world of comics.