I just read Fear Itself, Marvel's latest super event, and I was really pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it. There were themes. I felt emotions. The art was good. It made sense. You can't count on those things in events. It made me a little bit less cynical about the whole thing for a moment.
...but then again, they've got X-Men vs. Avengers coming up next, and I really don't see how that won't be a disaster.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
comics?
Last year I was crazy into comic books. It was part of my weekly routine. I picked up probably at least three books a week. Now I don't think I've been in a comic book shop since this fall.
There are outside reasons for this, like the closure of my favorite store (Double Danger R.I.P.), being in college, having less money and time, but most importantly the things I cared about disappeared.
This mostly has to do with DC comics and the New 52. (I have mail subscriptions for the Marvel titles I love, and am actually happier reading creator owned comics in trade.) Before September I had been reading Birds of Prey, Secret Six, and Batman Inc. New 52 happened and those books stopped, or changed dramatically. A lot of the New 52 titles look really great, especially Batwoman, but I never got in the habit of picking them up. I didn't feel like reinvesting in a universe that was liable to suddenly reinvent itself.
Here is what this comic reader is looking for: consistency. I want to see characters behaving in ways that make sense for them. I want the to develop and grow. I love how comics are long-long-long form serialzed storytelling, but this doesn't matter if the world gets restarted every few years. I don't care if characters get old. I would rather see them deal with their past than have events I care about get erased.
There are other reasons to be annoyed about comics, especially the representation or lack of women, people of color, and queer people, but that isn't why I stopped reading comics. If anything wanting to support good representations is part of what got me following certain comics to begin with. I get invested in characters, but then when they: disappear, get retooled, get ignored, forgotten, dismissed, etc, I have to step back, and keep my money in my pocket.
Comic companies need to realize that getting new readers isn't there only concern, and stop being dicks so they keep people who are already fans.
There are outside reasons for this, like the closure of my favorite store (Double Danger R.I.P.), being in college, having less money and time, but most importantly the things I cared about disappeared.
This mostly has to do with DC comics and the New 52. (I have mail subscriptions for the Marvel titles I love, and am actually happier reading creator owned comics in trade.) Before September I had been reading Birds of Prey, Secret Six, and Batman Inc. New 52 happened and those books stopped, or changed dramatically. A lot of the New 52 titles look really great, especially Batwoman, but I never got in the habit of picking them up. I didn't feel like reinvesting in a universe that was liable to suddenly reinvent itself.
Here is what this comic reader is looking for: consistency. I want to see characters behaving in ways that make sense for them. I want the to develop and grow. I love how comics are long-long-long form serialzed storytelling, but this doesn't matter if the world gets restarted every few years. I don't care if characters get old. I would rather see them deal with their past than have events I care about get erased.
There are other reasons to be annoyed about comics, especially the representation or lack of women, people of color, and queer people, but that isn't why I stopped reading comics. If anything wanting to support good representations is part of what got me following certain comics to begin with. I get invested in characters, but then when they: disappear, get retooled, get ignored, forgotten, dismissed, etc, I have to step back, and keep my money in my pocket.
Comic companies need to realize that getting new readers isn't there only concern, and stop being dicks so they keep people who are already fans.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
tackling big things
I just started knitting a sweater. It is very frightening. It's going to eventually be an actual garment that a baby will wear. I know all of the stitches but the whole concept/assembly/thing is much more complicated. It's stressful and exciting.
yay!
sweater!
yay!
sweater!
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Overwhelming Charm
I watched the entire first season of Justified today, and over all, I really enjoyed it. It was well made, compelling, structurally sound television with great acting. This conclusion is in no way radical. Neither is my main quibble, that it is so focused on it's hero to a point that all other characters are neglected.
Spoliers to follow.
Raylan is really awesome. I completely buy into the belief of his general awesomeness, which is the main hook for the show. Every member of the audience wants to be him or screw him or both. He's a nuanced anti-hero and obviously the leading man.
The problem is that in his shadows smaller characters don't grow so well.
Raylan's love interests Ava and Winona are both a little flat, and are only ever shown in relationship to their involvement with Raylan and other men.
His colleagues Tim and Rachel are intriguing, but unexplored. His boss, Art, has more screen time and development than the other too, but could still use fleshing out.
It's a rare breed of show where one off characters have chances to become more nuanced than returning supporting players. I appreciate the depth in the weekly stories, but it's puzzling, and I'd expect that character who reappar would get their time first.
The one character who really compares to Raylan's presence is Boyd, who is a wonderful balance of psychotic, confused, idealistic, and nuts. Boyd is awesome.
I hope that season two does more with the existing characters.
Spoliers to follow.
Raylan is really awesome. I completely buy into the belief of his general awesomeness, which is the main hook for the show. Every member of the audience wants to be him or screw him or both. He's a nuanced anti-hero and obviously the leading man.
The problem is that in his shadows smaller characters don't grow so well.
Raylan's love interests Ava and Winona are both a little flat, and are only ever shown in relationship to their involvement with Raylan and other men.
His colleagues Tim and Rachel are intriguing, but unexplored. His boss, Art, has more screen time and development than the other too, but could still use fleshing out.
It's a rare breed of show where one off characters have chances to become more nuanced than returning supporting players. I appreciate the depth in the weekly stories, but it's puzzling, and I'd expect that character who reappar would get their time first.
The one character who really compares to Raylan's presence is Boyd, who is a wonderful balance of psychotic, confused, idealistic, and nuts. Boyd is awesome.
I hope that season two does more with the existing characters.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
!!
Is watching slash vids for school. This is why I love college. Because vids! Kirk and Spok and Firefly! This is already what I am thinking about! Now I get to think about it for a grade!
love love love love love = my brain on coffee and fandom
love love love love love = my brain on coffee and fandom
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