(Audio)book review: The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid

The Supergirls; Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy and the History of Comic Book Heroines

Written by: Mike Madrid

Read by: Colby Elliott

Published: 2009

Synopsis: A much-needed alternative history of American comic book superheroines—from Wonder Woman to Supergirl and beyond—where they fit in popular culture and why, and what these crime-fighting females say about the role of women in American society from their creation to now, and into the future. The Supergirls is an entertaining and informative look at these modern-day icons, exploring how superheroines fare in American comics, and what it means for the culture when they do everything the superhero does, but in thongs and high heels.

Has Wonder Woman hit the comic book glass ceiling? Is that the one opposition that even her Amazonian strength can’t defeat?
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What do you do when you're a book reader who has gotten into comics but are too lazy to read the years and years of back issues? You read a bunch of non-fiction books about said comics instead. And since just about everyone can already recite the history of many, many, many male heroes you obviously leapfrog over those non-fiction books and instead set your sights on the ones that are about the ladies and that dastardly F word (dare I say it?), feminism. Females don't get an easy ride in comics. They get an even rawer deal when it comes to female fans. It seems like whenever a fight breaks out between comic fans online there's a female superhero at the centre of it, and it's typically male fans (self-proclaimed REAL fans) versus female/feminist readers. Take for instance the Milo Manara Spider-Woman variant cover controversy. It got to the point where it was near impossible to explain your dislike for that cover without "real" fans shutting you down for pushing the *ahem* feminazi agenda.

The over sexualisation of female characters is a huge issue for a lot of female readers. The Hawkeye Initiative is a brilliant art project that exemplified just how sexualised female heroes are compared to their male colleagues. Not only are women posed to best flaunt their breasts and ass, but their costumes, complete with boob and stomach windows, knee high stiletto boots and g-strings, are impractical and bordering on the absolutely absurd. But it's amazing to see how much we've internalised this type of characterisation of females, because it's often only when a male is replicated in those poses and costumes that the absurdity is actually evident.

Which is where Mike Madrid's book comes in. It's primarily a historical account of female heroes in comics but as the subheading suggests it also explores feminism and fashion as it relates to this history. I saw a few complaints on Goodreads which suggested that the focus on fashion was at the expense of a feminist examination of female superheroes but that's not how I experienced the book at all. When Madrid describes the changes in Wonder Woman's costume, whether that's the longer hems during the 1950s when the comics code authority came in or the elimination of just about all of her clothes sans g-string and bodice during the 1990s,  he does so in the context of the particular era. He isn't describing the g-string to be salacious but because the fact that the costume incorporated a g-string instead of a skirt or pair of pants is intimately tied to the sexual politics of comics at the time. The g-string wasn't just a random choice of the artist drawing Wonder Woman at the time, it was a requisite for female heroes during the "babe" era as Madrid describes it. Or at another point in the book Madrid points out that after J-Lo wore her scandalous Gammys dress every article questioned whether she could actually sit or walk in it while nowhere near that amount of attention has been paid to the accidents waiting to happen that so many female heroes are costumed in while they attempt to save the world and wrangle the bad guys. I did listen to this as an audiobook though, so perhaps the reader's inflection and tone made it clear that Madrid wasn't salivating over the ladies but critiquing a very important component of the character, while that distinction isn't quite as obvious in the text.

This book is fascinating and frustrating. Fascinating because it's interesting to see how the real world impacted the comics world, especially when it came to the female characters. When WWII hit and women were needed in the workforce, super-heroines suddenly became a lot stronger and were all about helping with the war efforts. But when the war ended and the men came home, the female heroes were also relegated to smaller roles and positions as side kicks again much like the women who were forced to become secretaries and housewives again. Even Wonder Woman, everyone's go to feminist superhero icon was relegated to being the freaking secretary of the early Justice League even though she was stronger and more powerful than most of the men! However it's frustrating to see how secondary women have always been in comics. It wasn't that I was surprised by this really, even today female characters are left off of merchandise and relegated to support positions, but I hadn't ever really considered how rarely female heroes were written for women. With the exception of Wonder Woman, a great number of female heroes began as female sidekicks to their male characters. They were occasionally included to draw in female readers in the 1940s and 1950s, but they were essentially a sexy way to hook young boys into keeping up their subscriptions to Superman or Batman. Or, in the case of Batwoman, they were included to dispel rumours of a homosexual relationship brewing between Batman and Robin. It's really no wonder then that female characters are still considered secondary to many male (and female to be honest) readers with origins like that.

Even though this book is about female heroes Madrid often used the dominant male heroes of the era to anchor his discussion of the females. While I felt like he occasionally spent too much on these parts, I actually think the book succeeded best when it was comparing the female characters with the male. A prime example of this was when he talked about the female iterations of popular male characters. Not only were the women always called 'girl' or 'miss' in their titles, automatically infantilising them and setting them up as secondary to the men, but their powers were often weighted towards female attributes. Case in point: Mary Marvel is Captain Marvel's twin but where he had a military title and powers like speed and stamina, she had the power of grace. A similar strong point of comparison was made early in the book where Madrid highlights the fact that while male heroes were heroes because they believed in justice, their female sidekicks were heroes because they were in love with the heroes. Talk about setting the females up to fade away into obscurity.

So if you are a fan of females and superheroes this book is made for you. It's not perfect and it does seem to skew heavily towards the first half of the 20th century (the 70s/80s/90s seem to race past) but if this is a subject that interests you I think it's probably a great book to read in collaboration with a number of other books on the subject. And at the very least it's a book full of delicious trivia and historical facts with a nice frosting of feminism which I know I always enjoy.

2015 Reading Resolutions - Diversifying my TBR

Okay, remember when I said I didn't have any reading resolutions and that making fixed plans probably wouldn't work out how I wanted them to? Well I decided to throw caution to the wind and write up a post of books that I want to read that will help me diversify my regular reading status quo. I'm trying to make up this list with books I already have in my possession since I really, really need to stop spending so much money on books I don't read for several years after purchase and the rest I'm going to endeavour to get from my library.

My aim isn't necessarily to read all of these books, although I'm hoping that by writing out such a long list I will be "in the mood" for at least one of these books per month. That way if I'm having an especially white/middle class/American/male month, at least I'm getting a little variety in my diet. The idea isn't that these are the only POC/female/non-fiction reads I'm interested in nor are they the only ones I'll read all year. I might end up reading very few of these particular books but still bring up my end of year stats with other books that I discover throughout the year. Basically, I'm hoping that by listing out some diverse reading options here I'll be able to switch something on in my brain that will subconsciously lead to me picking up more of these types of books.

As for the types of books on this list, I'm aiming for more non-fiction, more female writers and more non-American and POC US writers. Ideally those non-American writers won't simply be Australian/English/Canadian authors, but let's not shoot for Pluto when we haven't yet walked on the Moon. And as you'll see from the list, technically some of these books fulfil two or three of the criteria which is just an awesome bonus.

The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay

House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films by Kier-La Janisse

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy and the history of comic book heroines by Mike Madrid

Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Ewles

Superheroes!: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture by Laurence Maslon, Michael Kantor

Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found by Frances Larson

Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin

Dear Life by Alice Munroe

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Mr Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

Bringing up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Panopticon by Jenni Fagen

The Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Odaatje

Under the Skin by Michel Faber

The Returned by Jason Mott

We by Yevgeny Zamytin

Popular Hits of the Showa Era by Ryu Murakami

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Pages to Panels: New Comics to Jump Straight Into

One of the biggest hurdles I had to get past in comics was working out where to start. I think that's probably why I began with one off graphic novels like Maus (shhh, I got volume 1+2 in a single volume so it counts) and From Hell. But one of the things I love about comics is how sprawling the narratives are. They don't have to wrap everything up in 300 pages or limit themselves to a trilogy. They can expand for years, even decades, and restart when things are starting to get stale. While the impatient part of me loves reading comic series which have wrapped up already so I can just read straight through, I think my love of getting into a series early trumps the joy of spending an entire weekend reading through volumes 1-10 of Transmetropolitan. Following along on that unfolding adventure is one of the true joys of comics. Waiting for the next issue and then devouring it in a single sitting brings back memories of the Harry Potter releases when I was younger, and anything that reminds me of that kind of joy and excitement is obviously getting a huge thumbs up from me.

You can definitely still get this joy if you jump into an established (but still ongoing) story, but I thought I'd share some of my recent first issue finds that are shaping up to be pretty excellent arcs that'll be sure to captivate. 

Bitch Planet (Kelly-Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro) came out a week ago and damn, do I love it. It's essentially a 1970s exploitation film infused with a brand of feminism you'd be unlikely to find anywhere near one of those films. The titular Bitch Planet is where the disobedient (and outright criminal) women are sent. It's essentially an outer space Australia (minus the men), complete with people being sent for downright dog shit reasons except instead of it being poor people being villainised for stealing a loaf of bread it's women being villainised for getting in the way of their husband's affair. Well, they aren't all quite so innocent but the-whole-planet- for-disobedient-women is shady as hell. As DeConnick says of the 5 female protagonists:

“there are five women, all ridiculous and real, and all very different. One shouldn’t be there. The other four are unrepentant and guilty as Hell.”

 I really enjoyed this first issue. It's about as subtle as a punch to the face and it's insanely campy but SO GOOD. But if you don't think a neon pink holographic depiction of the Madonna-whore complex used as a confession program in a women's prison is the dopest shit around then this is not the comic for you.

But don't just take my word for it: AV Club review

Black Market (Frank Barbiere and Victor Santos) is technically up to its fourth issue, but that's still pretty close to getting in at the ground floor. It's ground floor adjacent, it's basically the mezzanine floor. Black Market is what I'd describe as superhero adjacent. It's not really in the same genre as Batman or The Avengers but it is indelibly tied to it. The story comes down to a moral quandary. What if the key to curing every known disease on Earth lay in the DNA of superheroes? If superheroes are here to help, isn't this the ultimate sacrifice and way for them to help? Down on his luck with an ailing wife, Brainiac Ray Willis finds himself caught up in the mess of harvesting (or trying to at least) superhero blood with his scummy brother Denny. Black Market manages to traverse between the well known tropes of the superhero comic genre right side up and completely flipped on their head. It's the exact right mix of science and superhero, fantasy and grim reality. A brilliant little series so far.

But don't just take my word for it: Comic Vine review

Chances are, even if you've never touched a comic in your life, you've heard about ODY-C (Matt Fraction and Christian Ward). It's the ambitious and incredibly creative gender-swapped, futuristic sci-fi adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey. I don't even know what to write here because, come on, if gender-swapped outer space Odyssey doesn't sell it to you nothing will. No one could ever accuse Matt Fraction of coasting. Whether he's writing for Marvel or tackling epic poems, you know he's going to push the envelope. I don't think you need to have read The Odyssey to truly enjoy this comic, but like any adaptation a great deal of the enjoyment (for me anyway) is knowing how the new writer tackles the original story's themes, characters and style. The art is also something else. That cover above doesn't even begin to do justice to the epicness of the art within. It really plays with traditional comic panels and forms, so I'm not sure if that would make it harder or easier to read for a comic newbie. But read it regardless.

But don't just take my word for it: IGN review

Grant Morrison's Multiversity is an interesting addition to this post. Technically there is more than one issue out, but they're all technically first issues. Multiversity is, essentially, a series of one shots (single issues) that take place within the 52 alternative universes set up in the mid-2000s series 52. These may only be one-shots now, but it has been pretty heavily signposted that they may be expanded into full-run series. It's an interesting and eclectic mix of storytelling. Each issue, while interrelated, presents a world very different to the issue before it, told in a very different way. I'd imagine people will definitely gravitate towards particular one-shots and away from others - depending on the characters, genre and style. It's also one of the few comic series that doesn't include a single straight, white male protagonist. Full warning though, Grant Morrison is weird. I love his writing and his comics are some of my favourites, but I often feel like things are flying way over my head when I read him. But I personally kind of like that. I like that feeling that I could revisit a comic of his in 10 years and the Kayleigh then will respond to it very differently to the Kayleigh now. But it's also something that will turn some people off completely. So tread carefully with this one if you haven't read Morrison before, maybe keep an eye out for Comixology sales or borrow a copy from a friend.

But don't just take my word for it: Pop Matter's Pax Americana Multiversity review

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Read my previous Pages to Panels posts: 

Pages to Panels: A Bookish Guide (1)

Pages to Panels: Superheroes (2)

Graphic Novel Mini-reviews # (It's all about the lady heroes)

X-Men: Days of Future Past (Uncanny X-Men)

Written and illustrated by: Chris Clairmont and John Byrne

Published in: 1981

My Thoughts: I decided to give the comic a read after seeing the film and seeing how much criticism the film received for taking the Kitty Pryde role and giving it to Wolverine. It was my first (I think?) X-Men comic and eh, it was fine. It's a 5 or 6 issue arc and in all honestly, only an issue and a half actually has anything even tangentially related to the DOFP storyline. Perhaps it's dealt with further down the line, perhaps it isn't. It was a bit clunky in the writing (as all older comics tend to be) and the characters all seem to love their internal monologues, but it was fun seeing the proper line up of X-Men and also note all the ways the films series shot themselves in the foot by starting out how they did. So an interesting experiment, but I'm not sure if I'll be going back.

Wonder Woman: Blood (Volume 1)

Written by: Brian Azzarello; illustrated by: Cliff Chiang, Tony Akins

Published: 2012

My Thoughts: Wonder Woman is without a doubt my favourite superhero and it hurts me, it physically pains me, to think we still don't have a WW film. But for the time being I will make do with Azzarello's recent run of WW comics. And as much as it sucks that we don't have a WW film (cameo/intro in the upcoming Supes V Bats notwithstanding) these comics do help. They're brilliant. While I love superhero comics, I rarely have an emotional connection with the characters or the content. But this volume hit me right in the feels, man. WW is so fragile and troubled but she's also this incredibly strong and independent and fiery woman. And I love her so, so much.

Ms Marvel (issues #1-4)

Written by: G. Willow Wilson; Illustrated by: Adrian Alphona

Published: 2014

My Thoughts: Kamala Khan, what a perfect accompaniment to Wonder Woman you are. Kamala is 16, Pakistani-American, and struggling with the usual teenager problems (boys, misunderstanding parents, concern trolls) while also dealing with apparently being turned into a superhero after sneaking out to a party and getting caught in a mysterious fog. But guys, I'm dead serious, this comic is phenomenal. It deals with so many issues, from the issues of a young Muslim girl trying to fit in to the absurdity of superhero costumes (which totally don't include underwear btw) to taking on someone else's mantel to the true meaning of having superpowers. Kamala (along with her friends Bruno and Nakia) is an incredibly well written, well rounded character. She's an absolute must for superhero fans, but if you're after well written and illustrated comics, specifically ones with realistic portrayals of women - well, this one is a real winner.

Graphic Novel mini-reviews #20

Annihilation (Volume 1)

Written by: Keith Giffen, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning; Illustrated by: Mitch Breitweiser, Scott Kolins, Ariel Olivetti, Kev Walker

Published: 2007

My Thoughts: Annihilation was my follow up after reading Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy. Rather than deal with the entire group this focuses on Drax The Destroyer, the big green murderous man who has everyone shaking in their boots. I found this a little harder to get into because there were 2 or 3 characters who looked very similar to Drax, and without a solid understanding of the Drax character I didn't feel like I could always spot which was Drax and which was a villainous alien prison escapee. The plotting was a little unsteady, but I enjoyed the sassy young girl who gets involved and becomes both a comfort and a thorn in Drax's side. I don't know if I'll keep on with this particular comic though, maybe I'll see how I go with the film when it comes out and go from there.

Hawkeye: Little Hits (Volume #2)

Written by: Matt Fraction; Illustrated by: David Aja, Francesco Francavilla, Steve Lieber, Jesse Hamm.

Published: 2013

My Thoughts: I was a Hawkeye convert when I read the first volume but this was wasn't quite as brilliant as the first. The humour, sharp writing and gorgeous illustrations were still there but I found the story (which flips back and forward between different stories and timelines) to be a little confusing and hard to keep track of. It should probably be said that according to the Goodreads synopsis this confusion seems to be intended, but it pulled me out of the fun and I really had no idea what was going on, what was a flashback and what was made-up. Not a deal breaker though, I'm still looking forward to reading Fraction's take on this character. Also of particular interest was a breakdown post-comic about the colouring choices in Hawkeye - really fascinating look behind the comic.

Captain Marvel: In Pursuit of Flight (Volume #1)

Written by: Kelly Sue Deconnick; Illustrated by: Dexter Soy, Emma Rios

Published: 2013

My Thoughts: LADIES! This comic is for the ladies, by the ladies and about the ladies, and it's brilliant. Not only is it funny, smart and well written/drawn, but the interactions between the male and female characters are refreshingly realistic. It's a feminist superhero story without being overtly feminist in nature. It's a glimpse at what all comics should be like, where super women are held on par with super men. Captain Marvel is an interesting first volume, CM deals with taking over from two mentors, a time-travel plot (that everyone hates but just has to get through) and life-threatening illness of a close friend. it's a perfect mix of superhero and regular shmoe and I can't wait to read more of what Kelly Sue Deconnick serves up.

Graphic Novel Mini-Review #19

Hawkeye: My Life As a Weapon (Volume 1)

Written by: Matt Fraction; Illustrated by: David Aja, Javier Paludo, Alan Davis

Published: 2013

My Thoughts: Okay, confession time. I'm one of those assholes that scoffs at the Avengers and pokes fun at Hawkeye and Black Wids. But it's mostly a fun ribbing, since it's SO easy to do. Matt Fraction was at Brisbane's Writers Festival last September and he was so interesting that I decided I'd put aside my teasing and get to know Hawkeye a little better. I love this series. Hawkeye, a.k.a Clint, is not really your typical Avenger. He's basically Archer, which is awesome. It's funny and action packed and A LOT silly. I'm less interested in Kate - the Young Avenger incarnation of Hawkeye - but that's mostly because I don't really enjoy the Young Avengers (and the additional crossover issue of Young Avengers/Hawkeye really proved that). If you're looking for a new series to follow and you're a fan of sharp, sarcastic and brilliantly writing and illustrations, then Hawkeye is the one for you.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy (Volume 1)

Written by: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning; Illustrated by: Paul Pelletier

Published: 2008

My Thoughts: I don't know about everyone else, but my most anticipated blockbuster for 2014 is most definitely Guardians of the Galaxy. James Gunn, Chris Pratt, Blue Swede 'Hooked on a Feeling'? Yes, yes 1000x yes. So before the movie comes out I thought I'd check out some of the comics because even though I know a lot about the misfit gang, I haven't actually read many of their escapades. Legacy is recommended as the modern-era place to start because it introduces you to the characters and their formation into the world-saving-but-still-completely-inept team that you can't help but adore. And while all superhero comics have a level of WTF to them, GotG really ramps that up to 11. Their security chief is a soviet dog that was blasted into space and can communicate telepathically, their base is located in a severed celestial head floating around outside of space and time and for superheroes there are an awful lot of murderers amid their numbers. It's fun and tongue-in-cheek, but the action still packs a wallop and will explode your mind-grapes. Definitely one to check out before going to the cinema.

Fatale: Death Chases me (Volume 1)

Written by: Ed Brubaker; Illustrated by: Sean Phillips

Published: 2012

My Thoughts: And now for something completely different. Brubaker is perhaps best known for his work for Daredevil and Captain America (in the fact the current Cap A film is based on his graphic novel) and while his quality of work has always been high, this is something else all together. Set between the 1930s, 1950s and now Fatale is a modern noir tale, except without technically being a noir story. There is no gruff detective but there is a mystery, and that mystery surrounds the beautiful Jo, Fatale's fatale, capable of ensnaring men and wholly incapable of aging. There's an element of fantasy to the story and a huge heap of horror, but the balance between them has been perfected so carefully that it seems absolutely natural that Lovecraftian horror should co-exist alongside James Cainesque noir and it's almost shocking to think it hasn't been done more often. The way the story progresses makes me think this will eventually tip more towards Lovecraft than Cain in influence, but for now even people wary of horror-lite should find themselves utterly entangled in the gorgeous writing and even gorgeouser* art.

*totally a word, just trust me.

Monday Links

**I watched season 1 of House of Cards on a couple of the flights I took to/from America so I was pretty excited about Season 2 airing. Can we talk about how awesome/terrible Netflix's release-everything-at-once system is? Because yes, I am so happy not to have to wait a week between episodes but gooooodbye productivity! Is it even possible not to binge-watch when there's a brand new series available in its entirety?

**I know most of you are cursing the snow and feeling sad about the cold but it is SO HOT RIGHT NOW. I do not like 36 degree days with 10,000% humidity. No I do not. Especially when I'm working from home with no air-conditioning and no ceiling fans. I do not understand why so many people build houses in the freaking tropics and don't automatically install fans. It's like they're intentionally trying to stop me from getting a good night sleep for 3 months straight.

**This video is the absolute most adorable thing ever. His excited sigh when Supes starts gathering energy to fly made me awwww so hard my ovaries skipped a beat.





LINKS

*Publishers are taking a leaf out of Netflix's book and want you to binge-read series. (Via Jezebel)

*More quizzes! What It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia character are you? I'm Sweet Dee! (Via Buzzfeed)

*NOPE. It is unfair how talented these artists are. (Via Viral Nova)

*Caitlin Moran discussing feminism and her book How to be a Woman at The Royal Library in Denmark. It's over an hour of awesomeness. (Via Youtube)

*yeesh, talk about kicking it out of the park. A kickstarter by Lightspeed Magazine for an all-female issue called "Women Destroy Science Fiction" has absolutely dominated. Looks like we're finally recognising the need for more female writers in the genre fields. Huzzah! (Via i09)

*Sigh, another reason to be embarrassed by my government, we made a condescending graphic novel to ward of asylum seekers arriving by boat. (Via Buzzfeed)

*Ooooh, Martin Starr reads us the sexy letters written by James Joyce. Dude was filthy. (Via Jezebel)

*Aled Lewis is a man after my own heart. An illustrator by trade, he decided to depict some iconic TV/film slaps and punches and made them into 16-bit art pieces. (Via Gammasquad)

My Holiday Reads: A Bunch of Mini-Reviews (part 1)

Bringing my Kindle turned out to be one of the best decisions I made for this holiday. Other than the 16 hour flight over we had several 4+ hour bus or train rides, which were the perfect times to settle down with one of the books I'd downloaded and lose myself in their stories. I managed to finish 8 books and start 2 more, all of which I really enjoyed. I wanted to write proper reviews for them all, but I read them so quickly after each other and made so few notes I don't think I could really pull out a full-length review that'd do the books justice. So instead here are some smaller reviews about each of my holiday reads.

*Bossypants by Tina Fey* 

(audiobook)

I'd been meaning to read this book for ages but never got around to picking it up from the book store or library. I ended up buying an audio copy with some Audible credit and I am so glad I decided to go that route. I'm sure the actual-words-copy is awesome too, but how can you pass up a book being read by Tina Fey? You can't basically. Apart from the greatness of listening to Tina Fey read out her own life experiences and jokes, the audiobook also included a few moments when she broke script and spoke off the cuff as well as some audio-tracks from her time on SNL playing Sarah Palin. There are some bits about her childhood but the book is really about making a career as a female writer/actor in a very male dominated world and raising a child to be level-headed, secure and happy in such a world. It's a wonderfully girl-powery book without actually setting out to be that kind of book. It's really the little things, like remembering the time that Amy Poehler was telling a gross joke and when a male colleague said "ew stop, it's not cute" she told him to fuck right off. Or when she made the decision to use yellow instead of blonde so that her daughter never thinks that one hair colour is more special than another. I don't know if I'd recommend this to someone who isn't aware of or already in love with Tina Fey, but if you're even remotely aware of who she is you'll probably get a kick out of it.

*Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman*

I wasn't if I'd like this book. Don't get me wrong I love the show, but even though the first 50 pages or so are incredibly close to what was included in the first few episodes I wasn't sure if I had much interest in the memoirs of a middle-class white lady going to jail. After finishing I still feel pretty much the same way. It was an interesting book, the details about America's prison system (guuuuys, what the F) that Piper included were illuminating and it was interesting to see how much of the TV show's characters are actually true to life (or true to Piper's memory anyway). But, I don't know, I felt like the real story was sitting just off the page. The beauty of the TV series is that you see so many stories, and how similar the women are even though they've had very different lives up to that point. In this there's a momentary peek at the other women but it's only ever to do with how they relate to Piper or impact on Piper's stay in some way. I knew that the book would not be the TV show, but I think I'd probably have liked the book more if I'd read it first...or at least I wouldn't feel like I was missing out on so much. That said, if you've seen and loved the show you should definitely give it a read. I know I just spent an entire mini-review whinging but I am definitely glad I gave it a read.

Also this. There was a little bit of this.

*The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman*

I know not everyone here is a big fan of Neil Gaiman and although I loved a lot of the books you've all disliked, I think you'll like this one. Like Coraline and The Graveyard Book this one is (maybe not really) for children and has that wonderful modern fairytale feel. Most of the book actually takes place in a flashback as a middle aged man remembers an eventful period in his life at his childhood home. It's an absolutely gorgeous tale. It's such a profoundly moving story of childhood innocence and trust and the fear of monsters unleashed in our lives and the power of words and stories. It's basically right in Gaiman's wheelhouse and it made me feel so many damn feels that even now, nearly two months later, I am caught up in the melancholic feelings that the book evoked. It's probably more YA/Adult than children (there are a few scenes that would be a little graphic or complicated for little minds) but it retains the special magical feel that Gaiman seems to reserve for his younger novels.

*Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell*

Do I need to even bother with a review here? You all know it's going to be a bunch of squees and OMG LEVI's right? Anyway, in case anyone was wondering if Rowell released two smashing books and then fumbled the third - nope. She is on fire, I only hope she can keep writing as many wonderful stories full of the best relationships (platonic and romantic) in contemporary fiction.

 I really loved exploring the two vastly different twins and their experiences in college. While Wren is out conquering the campus one keg stand at a time, Cath is struggling to gather the courage to even step into her mess hall. And neither lifestyle is really demonised or victimised which was really refreshing. They both have their downs (and way way downs) but there are obvious benefits to each of the twins' approaches to life in college and life in general. And, a few small tweaks aside, it works for them. And that's kind of beautiful. Not that it isn't without conflict since that's basically what the book is about, but it was a really honest look at that awkward/terrifying/invigorating transition period between high school and university, childhood and adulthood.

*Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs*

This book was actually a bit of a mixed bag for me. I thought the story was intriguing and imaginative, but it was ( sometimes painfully) clear it was Riggs' first novel. Some of the writing and plot progression was stiff or a little weird, and there were definitely times when it felt like the pictures were guiding the story too much, rather than complimenting it. However, I think I went into this with pretty high expectations and that tainted what should have been a fun and mysterious read. When I put the awkwardness out of mind I really enjoyed the story and I'm interested to see where the next two (I believe it's meant to be a trilogy?) books head and how he develops the adventure for these peculiar children.

Film Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World

Released: 2013

Directed by: Alan Taylor

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman

Synopsis: Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.



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I was really lucky to be invited to an extra-early preview screening of Thor a week before it premiered here in Australia (which was a week or two before America). When Tom and I arrived at the cinema there was a group of cosplay girls dressed up as Loki - and a lone guy wearing an Iron Man glove - a hammer/strength game and a crowd of bubbling, excited fans.

Unlike the excited crowd, I was mostly motivated by the exclusivity of the screening and the promise of free chocolate and popcorn. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first Thor. In fact, given my preference for theatrics I think I was one of few people who really appreciated the campy humour Kenneth Brannagh brought to the film. And even more than that I really, really loved Loki and Tom Hiddleston's brilliant portrayal of that character. Plus, do I need to remind you of how handsome this dude is?

I'm gonna do it anyway because, *drool*

So I don't really know why I wasn't excited for the sequel. Maybe it's superhero fatigue. There are just so many of them and there are no signs of them waning what with Netflix's recent announcement for 4 new Marvel series. Maybe it's because it's Marvel and I tend to find Marvel a little...sterile? Maybe it was Natalie Portman. I mean she's fine, but she was the weakest link in the original film and *yawn* I find her really boring. Maybe it was all three of these things and a bunch of other smaller issues. I don't know, all I knew was that I didn't have high hopes for this film.

But I ended up really, really loving it. It's a well-balanced film that manages to weigh the LOLs with the KAPOWs to great success. Since Batman well and truly won the dark and gritty superhero awards, Marvel - in particular with the Avengers - has really pushed for the comical superheros. While I don't always enjoy this approach (I find it works infinitely better in the actual comics) in Thor it works so well, perhaps because they fully embrace how ridiculous the concept actually is. Thor gets to be the alien-god out of water again, winning laughs when he hangs Mjolnir up on the coat rack in Jane's apartment and then proving himself to be Avengers-worthy when he takes on a monster 4 times his size with a wink and a smile. It's campy and silly but it reigns it in just enough to make it work. The humour also manages to mask some of the larger plot holes or inconsistencies, while also balancing out the family drama occurring between Thor, Loki and their parents.

I guess I should tell you what it's all about right kids? Basically there are a bunch of dark elves helmed by an unrecognisable Chris Eccleston (Doctor Who) as Malekith. For reasons I didn't fully understand, he wanted to eliminate all reality and plunge the universe back into darkness. Would that mean the end of the dark elves too? I don't know, and hopefully one of you can help me make sense of that in the comments. In order to achieve this dastardly plan Malekith needs the Aether - a  shiny red goo looking sentient (maybe) substance - but before he can use it his plans are dashed by Odin's father and the warriors from Asgard. The elves got away leaving the Aether, however since the Aether can't be destroyed the Asgardians decide to hide it away and it's basically forgotten about for centuries. Cue current day. Jane Foster (Portman) is now in London doing her physics stuff and trips across a wormhole and ends up coming face to face with the Aether which melds with her. She returns to Earth, Thor finds her, realises something is wrong and takes her to his home to meet the folks and have some Asgardian medics take a look-see. But when Jane joined with the Aether Malekith and his dark elves were revived from their hibernation, and they come looking for the Aether so they can finally succeed in their plans to return everything to darkness.

The majority of the film takes place in Asgard and the 9 realms, which was a great choice. To see something as beautiful and as unique as Asgard being attacked by dark elves is a completely different experience to the prototypical New York/NY stand-in invasion and fight. Not only is it something you haven't seen 15 times in the past 5 years, but it manages to eliminate the "Superman killed everyone in Metropolis" issue everyone had with the recent Superman film. And while the final climactic fight takes place in London, it also doesn't, which sounds confusing but I can't explain it further without spoiling something. Let's just say that the new and often-changing setting made up for the less-than-phenomenal fight sequences.

Have I talked about enough that I can get to Loki now? While everyone acted well in this film (Rene Russo doing an exceptionally good job) Tom Hiddleston, once again, took the crown. His scenes in the prison cell were so wrought with emotion that they elevated the film to an entirely different level. His portrayal of Loki is so nuanced, so complicated that it will forever change the way Loki appears in the comics and is viewed by audiences. In this film Loki is finally having to deal with the ramification of his actions in the previous Thor and Avengers films and it takes its toll. There are a few brief glimpses behind his mask, but he's so fortified that it's hard to know if we ever actually get to see some genuine remorse or anger from him, or if everything is part of some grand scheme. I've loved Hiddleston in plenty of things, but damn if Loki isn't one of his greatest achievements.

All superhero films look best on the big screen and should be enjoyed in this way, preferably with a bucket of popcorn, and Thor: The Dark World is no exception. There are absolutely problems in this film in terms of plotting and dialogue, but the overall production is one that I can't imagine not enjoying. And of course be sure to stay during and after the credits for the stings. Keep your eyes peeled for a glimpse of the Guardians of the Galaxy film, which is probably the next Marvel film I'm actually excited for.

Also, if someone doesn't re-cut the trailer and/or film to fit this Chinese Thor promotion then I will riot.

Read the whole delightful story here

Monday Links

*It's my birthday in less than a month and I am EXCITED! It's funny how friends and family seem to get steadily less excited the older they get, I guess the increasing numbers is scary, but I love birthdays and I start to get excited at around the 6 week mark. And it's not even the presents thing, or at least, it's not just the presents thing that I love. It's a day for *me* and me alone (shhhh other x million people born on September 15) and I can do whatever I want, and I can do it with the people I love and care about and it's all just wonderful. Just felt like sharing this rather useless tidbit with you all before launching into the regular Links post.

*Here are a bunch of famous artistic works created in exile. Some are more self-imposed than others *cough cough* The Rolling Stones avoiding taxes *cough cough* but still. (Via Mental Floss)

*I found this Book Riot article on framing devices in WW2 books to be really interesting, and something I'd never really noticed before - or at least not consciously. (Via Book Riot)

*True Blood is the silliest show on TV, but I still love it. Here's a delightful little article about how Jason Stackhouse is actually the show's greatest creation. (Via Flavorwire)

*Bryan Cranston has been cast as Lex Luther in the next Superman movie!! I totally called this on Facebook a month ago! I'm really excited, especially since we already know he can do menacing bald guy. (Via News)

*Speaking of acting and superheroes. Here's Simon Pegg having a cheeky poke at the people who went crazy when he posted a picture of himself next to an Ant Man standee. (Via Uproxx)

*HP Lovecraft's birthday was last week - here's a nice little celebration of some of his creepiest book covers (Via Flavorwire)

Film Trailer: Superman, Man of Steel

I frequently get into fights with one of my friends over superheroes. He LOVES Superman and Captain America and basically all of those good and shiny superheroes that I consider BORING AS SHIT. In my opinion a superhero becomes interesting when they have some sort of internal conflict they need to come to terms with, a perfect example of this is Batman, who is hands down the most complicated and awesome superhero ever created. EVER. The good news is that this trailer (and the ones that came before it) seem to imply that some conflict has been added to Superman's character. He isn't simply a super dude who saves the day, he's an alien who was ostracised as a child for being different and now has to come to terms with both issues as an adult. Finally! A Superman I can get behind. I just hope they don't go too far into emo/hipster territory, i.e. last year's shitty Spiderman remake.

Zach Snyder is a director who makes gorgeous films that are usually pretty empty, but since he didn't write this one (THANK THE GODS) and handed the reins to David S. Goyer instead, I have some faith that the promise the trailers show will be realised. Plus Christopher Nolan as a producer can't hurt. Also, Henry Cavill is a babe. That is IMPORTANT.

Mini-graphic novel reviews #6

The Cape
Written by: Jason Ciarramella, illustrated by: Zach Howard (adapted from a Joe Hill short story)

Published: 2012

My Thoughts: What if the little boy who always refused to be separated from his security blanket cum superhero cape was reunited with it a decade down the track? Turns out it isn't the happy story you'd imagine! When Eric, a troubled (very, very troubled) young guy discovers his old cape's magical and can make him fly it has some bloody consequences. This is like the film Chronicle, only about 100X darker and far better actualised. Beautifully illustrated and a great story to boot, this is my kind of super "hero" story.

Grim Leaper (issues 1 and 2)
Written by: Kurtis J. Wiebe, illustrated by: Alusio Santos

Published: 2012

My Thoughts: This new series is kinda perfect. Lou, through some bizarre and supernatural occurrence, finds himself jumping into a person's body shortly before they die, and having to do this over and over. Amazingly, he manages to come across a gal, Ella, who is cursed with the same problem.  Both have no idea who they'll wake up as (a husband, serial killer, teacher, or bus driver perhaps?) or how they'll die, but their death is imminent and makes finding one another all the more difficult. The series, so far at least, is funny and quirky and unique and I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes. The love story brewing between Lou and Ella takes centre stage in these two issues, but I'm curious whether Wiebe will investigate the cause of their curse.

Wormwood, Gentleman Corpse (volume 1)
Written and illustrated by: Ben Templesmith

Published: 2007

My Thoughts: Ben Templesmith is the extremely talented artist behind 30 Days of Night and Fell, amongst many others. In Wormwood, Gentleman Corpse Ben takes on the role of illustrator AND author, and does a damn fine job at that. I don't know that I can adequately describe the insanity that is Wormwood, Gentleman Corpse, but suffice to say it involves a corpse possessing maggot, an immortal stripper, a robot that reminds me a little of Alan Moore and lots of things with tentacles. The writing is a little awkward at times, but the content, artwork and attitude of the story makes up for any minor dips in writing quality. Looking forward to the next few volumes!