Saturday, February 17, 2007

I DEMAND THIS STORY!

From Jesse's Livejournal:
I think it's pretty clear that Lois Lane, written up to her best and not as a marriage-obsessed ninny, is honest and fearless. (Frankly, I believe the fearlessness is amply demonstrated by the amazing number of building collapses, floods and explosions Lois has been in- she's been through all that and she can still leave the house. I couldn't.)

"Honest and fearless" are the primary job prerequisites for being a Green Lantern. (For anyone reading this not into the whole comics thing, a Green Lantern is a space cop with a magic ring that can do anything, as long as it's colored green. It's a cool gig.)
Damn! He's right! Why haven't I thought of this one? She's honest! She's fearless! And most importantly, she's stupid!! She's absolutely perfect for the Green Lantern Corps!

Come on, DC, we all know those Elseworlds are coming back. This is an ideal story idea. Even without them, there's the return of the Multiverse, dream sequences, drugged hallucinations, Lex Luthor, Dr. Destiny and all sorts of crazy ways to make this happen. Just ten pages and I will love you forever! (Or until I see her in an Ivan Reis costume.)

About Fucking Time.

Newsarama:
WONDER WOMAN #5 (JAN070319), which was previously slated to feature the final chapter of the 5-part story "Who Is Wonder Woman," will feature a new story when it arrives in stores on March 14.

This new story is by Will Pfeifer (CATWOMAN, AMAZONS ATTACK), with art by Jean Diaz, Geraldo Borges and Wellington Diaz and a cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson. In it, Wonder Woman learns that a new women's movement has begun, inspired by her killing of Max Lord - and leaving Diana torn between the good intentions of the movement and the validation it gives her violent act. Worse yet, she's ordered to investigate a possible connection between Wonder Woman and this movement by Sarge Steel and the department of Metahuman Affairs!

Chapter five of "Who Is Wonder Woman" will be rescheduled at a future date.

Retailers may adjust orders on WONDER WOMAN #5 (JAN070319) now through its final order cutoff date of Thursday, February 22.

Also, orders for the WONDER WOMAN: WHO IS WONDER WOMAN? HC (FEB070299) have been cancelled. This title will be resolicited at a future date.
A step in the right direction, at least. Actually getting the damned book out!

The article says issue 4 is due out on February 21st. If that gets delayed they should do a two page recap and print the last two issues as flashbacks or a story told by the characters. It'll look bad and sloppy, but honestly, this has gone on too damned long.

Friday, February 16, 2007

That's one of dem furrin comics, isn't it?

Contrary to popular belief (and possibly what I've written on this blog) I don't absolutely despise Manga. I'll read it, of course, but I don't like to review or rant or comment on it. I just finished reading Revolutionary Girl Utena, Volume 5. I imagine with a simple search I'll be able to find blog articles on the sexuality in the story. The gender roles that switched, the gender roles that weren't, Utena as a romance hero vs Utena as an action hero, homosexual undertones, homosexual overtones, lesbian text, bisexuality, whatever you can think of. Probably all written by people who know Japan better than I do because I don't know a damned thing about Japanese culture. I've never been there, and I don't really have the inclination or funds to go. I try to read enough about Eastern religion and philosophy to recognize when someone's blatantly ripping off and/or disrespecting an Eastern religion in paganism, but really that's not the same as studying culture. So, while I'll read and enjoy anime or manga that's been recommended for a very specific reason (Utena was suggested after I did a short message board post on why I liked Wonder Woman) I can't break down the story like I can a book by a British or American writer, because I feel like I'm out of my element when it comes to the symbolism. I'll make an exception here, though.


(I told you I'd use that banner). Spoilers, but I'll summarize first (and gender-specify because I know shit-all about japanese names and I'm willing to bet some of you are in the same boat) for those of you who haven't read the series but still want to read the post.

Please note, this is the Manga only. I haven't watched the anime, and I've heard it goes totally different.

In this series, Utena (female) gets rescued from drowning as a little girl by The Prince (male) and decides she is going to be just like him when she grows up. (Also, he's promised they'll meet again if she's noble and strong so most of this series is her looking for him). After moving to a new school, Utena rescues Anthy (female) from her abusive spouse Saionji (male) in a duel (which has special effects and a sword beign pulled out of a woman's chest), and then gets informed that Anthy is the Rose Bride and is now her Bride because she won the duel. There are lots of MYSTERIOUS and SECRET happenings with the duelists, and there's a special dueling field that is directly underneath the floating upsidedown castle where The Prince lives.

Utena then duels Juri (female) over the affections of Touga (male), and Miki (male) because Miki's sister is being held hostage. Then Touga (male) because he was leading her on, pretending to be The Prince. After she's won against just about everyone, enter Akio (male), who is Anthy's brother and apparently The Prince. He gets into a romantic relationship with Utena. Touga, who still has a crush on Utena, tells her that Akio is just toying with her emotions like he toyed with his emotions and one things leads to another and Utena ends up dueling Akio. Akio wins, turns Utena into the Rose Bride, and reveals that oops, no he's not The Prince but he's The Bad Guy who has been manipulating them all series. Well, that sucks, and the enchantment around being the Bride manages to keep Utena from stopping Akio from climbing up into the floating upside down castle to kill The Prince. She snaps out of it, though, and is then pissed and gets Anthy (who switches sides more than Ares in Wonder Woman) to lead her and the other four duelists up to the floating upside-down castle.

While inside the floating upside-down castle, Juri, Miki, and Saionji try to get everyone to turn back, so Anthy imprisons them in glass coffins because all of a sudden she's a major power and shit, and Touga and Utena follow her on. Touga gets injured, Utena moves on and finds The Prince, already injured and dying. She then fights Akio, gets the exposition, does some funky power merging thing with The Prince's Soul, merges Akio and The Prince (because they were just two halves of the same diety), saves the world and gets locked up in the floating upside down castle -- or it gets destroyed, I'm not too clear on this.

Touga wakes up to find that he remembers everything, but no one else (Juri, Miki, and Saionji) remember Utena, Akio, dueling, or the floating upside-down castle. He finds Anthy, who is now acting exactly like Utena, and she explains that Utena's waiting in the floating upside-down castle and that someday she'll go up there and they'll hook up.

The reason I gender-specified (instead of letting people guess!) is to point out who was in a samesex relationship with a divine figure and who wasn't. Akio and Anthy are established as divine figures in the end. Touga was with Akio, and Utena was with Anthy. Saionji was with Anthy, so he was with a divine figure, but he didn't have a samesex relationship. Miki has no romantic relationship (his sister prevents it). Juri only has romantic interest in Touga and Ruka (male). She actually doesn't interact with women much at all. Juri, Miki, and Saoinji are unable to go forward in the castle, and they end up forgetting the entire experience.

Kalinara swears Juri is a lesbian in the anime, but in the manga she's like the token heterosexual woman of the story. Only shows interest in male characters. They make a point of having her say she's not dueling for Anthy, but for Touga. She doesn't even interact with women other than Utena. (Actually, I was surprised in the second volume when they pointed out that Juri was a she! She's thin, in a male uniform, and only ever spent time with male characters). I'll probably rent the anime just to see how much differently everything works out with the character sexuality realigned. But in the manga, it lines up so that the bisexual characters get to advance, but the straight (by which I mean strictly) heterosexual characters get caught up, and the straight homosexual side-characters don't ever make it to floating upside-down castle.

So I wonder, is there a point to that particular division? Was not embracing both genders romantically a sign of being blind/unaccepting of divinity and destiny in this book? Or was it simply because these three characters were minor, they just weren't important enough to get a samesex relationship or an epiphany?

Maybe someone who wasn't surprised to find out this book wasn't set in a small communist South American nation can help me out here.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Personal Note: To Anyone Who's Tried to Contact Me.

I'm on dayshift this month and its cut into my free time, so if I'm curt over instant messenger or not answering e-mail and comments, that's why. Also why I'm missing a lot of posts I'd otherwise comment on since the New Year. My various blogs are only getting updated as I need to write/vent/make jokes to preserve my sanity.

I'd like to stay social, but trying to stay social gets stressful enough that a relaxation activity becomes extremely tasking as you try not to offend everybody you know but can't get to speaking to them right away.

I have to prioritize, I know.

Anyway, that's my blanket "no offense or snubbing meant" disclaimer.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Will there be people-eating monsters involved?

Tonight brought a great deal of snow to Oklahoma (so my plans to get together with a large group of friends and burn valentines in front of the Hallmark store were canceled), a new hiding place to my cat (which I still have yet to find -- and in my little apartment here are few enough options to seriously assume stepping through the mirror into another world), the unique experience of being serenaded over a text-based instant messenger (which Chris ruined three songs in by stating that he does this regularly for Kalinara), and great news on the latent goth front:
I'll be making an official announcement there, but here's the unofficial pre-announcement. This year will bring (drumroll, please) a NEW COURTNEY CRUMRIN BOOK!

Yes, it's true, the next chapter in the grand Courtney saga will come out starting in August. This time, it's going to come out a little different. Instead of four individual chapters, the forthcoming installment will appear in two perfect-bound 48 page editions; before being bound together into a single digest at the end of the year. The final collection will be the same charming mini-format as the first three, while the two issues will look more like the Portrait of the Warlock one-shot.
(Via)

Valentine's Day

I'm sure everyone was expecting a Steve Trevor post, but really I'm in a Starman mood lately and I always had a soft spot for the Shade and Hope O'Dare as a couple. I like to think that since the series ended they've gotten together and had an adorably creepy little baby girl with shadow powers who will be vexing the Justice Society or the Flash in some future storyline. (Actually, I'd overlook my "no more blonde teenaged girls" policy if such a character were to show up with pale yellow hair.)

It would be living together, at best, I can't see either of them too fond of anything official even in the case of a baby. So why wish a baby on them? Because the idea of shadow powers (not to mention Shade's probable parenting style) introduced into the fanatical law enforcement legacy of the O'Dares makes me giggle.

(And I'd rather never see either of the two characters again than have them established as not romantically linked.)

Anyway, in honor of Valentine's Day, can you top the Shade's original smartass answer to Hope's stupid question?

Monday, February 12, 2007

Okay, its safe to blog again.

Hell yeah!
Although it's difficult to tell when the unpredictable Oscar winner is being serious, Cage insisted he was. "I am serious about She-Hulk, and I think it should be done," he said. "No, I don't want to direct it or necessarily even be in it." Cage added about Mendes: "Can't you see her as the She-Hulk? I think she'd be great."

Cage said he is talking to producer and former Marvel executive Avi Arad. "I'm trying to put that together. I'm talking to Avi," Cage said. Turning to Mendes, who was seated beside him, he added: "You in a bikini kicking a lot of ass, throwing cars. Awesome!"

"Why do I have to be in a bikini?" Mendes asked.

"Because that's the character," Cage replied. "That's what she wears. You have to be in a bikini."
I want to see this. It would be wonderfully cheesy.

And yes, she would wear a bikini. Its She-Hulk. She is a mouse who sees herself as big, muscular, green, and glamorous when Hulked out. That's why I relate to her. She'd never walk out the door in one as Jennifer Walters, but as She-Hulk she would wear a bikini.

(H/T Kalinara and Mike)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Is it safe to blog yet? II

Nope.

If anyone needs me, I'll be under my rock.