Reviews: The Unwritten, Batgirl

Originally posted at Newsarama.com, October 2009

The Unwritten #6
Written by Mike Carey
Art by Peter Gross
Colors by Chris Chuckry & Jeanne McGee
Letters by Todd Klein
Cover by Yuko Shimizu
Review by Amanda McDonald

After the last issue strayed from the Tom Taylor story line, this issue gets us back on track. Entitled "Inside Man, Part One," this issue weaves together time periods and mediums. Staying true to this series' penchant for literary allusions, Carey integrates the oldest surviving major work of French literature The Song of Roland into the story of Tom Taylor's extradition to France to stand trial for the murders at Villa Diodati.

The "Inside Man" from the title essentially narrates the story, mysteriously having knowledge of everything Tom Taylor is experiencing and posting about it online. Even the Inside Man takes part in The Unwritten's pattern of literary allusions, posting reference to the classic Robert Browning Poem, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came. This in turn, of course makes this literature nerd think of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, and of course, its protagonist-- Roland, the last of the knightly order of gunslingers. There are however, a few aspects of the story the Inside Man does not seem to have knowledge of. Lizzie Hexam is hard at work, trying to figure out a way to get Tom out of this. Her source of information? Classic French tales, with paragraphs distinctly in English speaking directly to her. The prison governor's home life-- after admitting Tom Taylor to the prison, he goes home and reads his children their favorite book, part of the Tommy Taylor series. And lastly, when Tom wakes up in the middle of the night, his tattoo that seems to appear and disappear, searing into him and leading him to the prison chapel-- where he finds a rather surprising visitor.

Gross' art talent stands out, varying from illustrating the old French tale, to Tom Taylor's world, to the high tech setting of blogs, news articles, and online forums blowing up on the internet over this whole Villa Diodati situation. Each of his settings have a distinct art style, further enhanced by Chuckry and McGee's variations on coloring styles for each. This truly is a book I look forward to each month. I remember picking up the first issue while browsing at my LCS, and upon flipping through was confused. I thought the art direction was all over the place, and I set the book back down. But my curiousity was piqued. I went back a couple days later and bought issue one. The Unwritten is a carefully crafted work, full of complex plot and literary allusions enough to keep this recovering English major want to keep reading.


Batgirl #3 (Published by DC Comics, Review by Amanda McDonald)

Batgirl fans have been anxiously awaiting this issue-- finally, the debut of Stephanie Brown's own Batgirl costume. We don't get it right away by any means, we get plenty of Steph in the old Cassandra Cain suit fighting off hoodlums high on Thrill and having a very trippy showdown with Scarecrow. Over the course of that showdown, as Steph tries to fight off not only the Scarecrow, but also the effect of Thrill on herself, we get insight into her psyche and self doubts. But by the end, she triumphantly declares that she is indeed Batgirl, greatly pleasing Barbara who is watching from in the Bat-cave. Something happened to me while reading this issue that I'm not sure has happened before. I teared up. Yeah, I know-- what kind of wimp gets teary over an issue of Batgirl? But trust me-- read the scene in which Babs explains when Bruce and Dick made a promise to each other, and then makes the same promise to Stephanie and gives her the new Batgirl suit. You may not tear up (I admittedly do have a tendency to do that over silly things), but I hope it will instill the same sense of excitement at where this series has the potential to go that it instilled in me.

Reviews: Greek Street, Gotham City Sirens

Originally posted at Newsarama.com, October 2009

Greek Street #4 (Published by Vertigo Comics, Review by Amanda McDonald): Upon first reading the latest issue, I felt as though it fell a bit flat. There were not as many "holy #%*@%, did I just see that?" moments. . . . but then I sat and really thought about it more. Milligan's story of mythological characters set in modern times has been full of those moments in the first three issues. This issue concentrates more on advancing the storyline, which it does effectively. The stories of previous characters advance, and we are introduced to a new, mysterious character. Makes sense for a fourth issue. He's hooked a lot of us in with these first three, but at some point an author has to devote an issue to advancing the story. Even without the shock factor, I look forward to the next installment to see what trouble the main character, Eddie, finds himself in. Fans of the series that really want to see where the story is going will want to pick this book up.

Gotham City Sirens #4 (Published by DC, Review by Amanda McDonald): Close your eyes and imagine this: You are the Joker. Your 'Puddin' is seen out on the town with who everyone presumes to be Bruce Wayne. What do you do? Well, if you are the Joker being written by Paul Dini-- you tell your men to "find her, finish her, and above all, make it funny!" And so starts this issue. We haven't seen Joker and Harley together (nor facing off) in a very long while, and this issue brings them back with a bang. Throw in Hush also trying to kill Harley, Catwoman and Poison Ivy doing what they do best, and you've got an all-star cast page-turner. Dini's writing is great as always, but I have to say I'm really digging Guillem March's art style and panel construction (as well as Jose Villarrubia's vibrant colors) in this series, and this issue in particular. Fanboys need not look down their nose at this series as a 'girlie' book. Yes, our three main characters are some of Gotham's strongest (and strangest) women. However, this is a series for any and ALL fans of the Bat-universe and it's citizens.

Review: PowerGirl #5

Originally posted at Newsarama.com, September 2009

Power Girl #5
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art by Amanda Conner
Colors by Paul Mounts
Letters by John J. Hill
Published by DC Comics
Review by Amanda McDonald

Earlier this week, Troy Brownfield posted a great Change of Pace article on Power Girl. Irreverent? Fun? This most recent issue is proof positive.

This issue opens with Power Girl and a friend seeing something crash into a Brooklyn park, and running up to her roof of her home to change and go check it out. Stripping off her sweater, white leotard already in place underneath, she digs through her bag only to curse herself for leaving her boots and gloves at the office. Amusingly, she comments to herself on the hypocrisy of telling Terra to always be prepared, and maintain secrecy in the Terra series. Arriving at the park, she discovers an unfamiliar ship and is blasted by its guns, frying off most of her cape. Three exotic looking women exit the ship and face off (one of them with gun drawn) with the first responding police officer, informing him that he must clear the area, as the ship is about to self destruct. Meanwhile Power Girl, is ripping apart the ship to get inside. As a bolt flies off the ship, it surprises the gun wielding woman and her gun fires-- blowing the head off a bystander.

Within the ship, Power Girl meets Brody, handsome and willing to be of service. . . by answering her questions. Unfortunately, one of those answers includes the fact the ship is about to self destruct. PG does not make it out in time. Knocked out, but alive, she is at the bottom of a crater created as the ship destructs. But of course, being Power Girl-- she's up and around in no time and back at work as Karen Starr.

Here's where we see some of the fun and irreverence of this series. We go from a man losing his head and an alien ship exploding. . . to Karen and her assistant giving her cat a bath and chatting about the assistant's ex-husband, who interviewed at StarrWare recently. The three women from the ship are taking a cab around the city, and use a huge gem as payment. Then they enjoy some hot dogs. Is all this really necessary for the story? No. But is it amusing? I think so.

Flash to Coney Island, and we see another ship-- alluded to earlier in the issue as having been following the women's ship. Palmiotti and Gray throw in a little a little extra humor from a metal detector packing old curmudgeon, and the man of this ship is on his way to find the women using his tracking device. Where does the tracking device lead him? RIght outside Karen's office, of course! Cutting short an interview with a prospective new PR person, she finds her gloves and boots right where she left them, and and the issue as it began-- Power Girl rushing off to see how she can help.

I enjoy the way this series is going. Every issue leaves me wanting more, and anxiously awaiting the next issue. Gray and Palmiotti's subtle and not so subtle humor causes me to go back and re-read issues, or run over toward my roomates to make them read whatever it is that has me in giggle-fits on the sofa. Conner and Mounts art and colors mesh well, with this cover having a fresh new style from previous issues. I could go on and on about the continuity of Power Girl, and the way her character has been treated over time-- but our own Troy Brownfield covered that quite eloquently several days ago. If this is a series you've been scoffing at, read his article linked above, and then go buy an issue (or five!) of Power Girl. If you don't find yourself chuckling and enjoying it? Well, I'm sorry. You may want to trace your footsteps and see where you left your sense of humor.

My First Review: Batgirl #2

Originally posted at Newsarama.com, September 2009

Batgirl #2

Written by Bryan Q. Miller

Art by Lee Garbett, Trevor Scott, Sandra Hope

Colors by Guy Major

Letters by John J. Hill

Cover by Phil Noto

Review by Amanda McDonald

Let me preface this review with the fact that I am a librarian by day. Like most smart librarians, I've always wished I could be Barbara Gordon's Batgirl by night. Never having been able to get into the Cassandra Cain run of Batgirl, I thought I'd give this newest run a try. So far, so good. The last issue ended with Barbara surprising Stephanie Brown with a confrontation over waffles. The paneling and dialog structure are clear from the start-- while they converse, we are let in on Bab's inner thoughts in green text boxes, and Stephanie's in purple text boxes. It's a heavy feature in the book and the simple paneling keeps it from looking too cluttered or overwhelming.

The issue consistently flashes between scenes with Barbara, and scenes with Stephanie. As Babs communicates with the local morgue worker about a body testing positive for the drug "Thrill" (a hallucinogen that drives adrenaline to dangerously high levels), Stephanie attends the college Harvest Festival and encounters a classmate-- inebriated by Thrill spiked punch. As the girl collapses, everyone around scatters away in fear and guilt. Opening her school bag and pulling out the Batgirl suit, Stephanie soon hears Barbara's voice guiding her.

Needing more computing power, Barbara has contacted Alfred (in space chauffeuring the Outsiders) to gain access to the Batcave-- and more importantly, the Bat-computer. When Stephanie joins her, they have a confrontation, resulting in both realizing that Barbara has been trying to break Stephanie's will to take over the Batgirl mantle. The book ends by cutting to an unknown location to see a Thrill dealer being welcomed back by his boss. . . . Scarecrow.

Noto's cover shows a Batgirl pulling on yellow boots and wearing a yellow lined cape. However-- all through the issue, Stephanie continues to use the Cassandra Cain suit. Perhaps a tip of the hat to Barbara's former life as Batgirl and the passing of the torch? Nice touch, if that's the case.

The women characters' relationship transitions through the book from stand-offish, to hesitantly partnering, to a well crafted mentor/apprentice relationship. The strength of Miller's story is found in the development of the dynamic between Barbara as Oracle and Stephanie as Batgirl. The three artists' work blends seamlessly, with Major's colors tying everything together. Especially striking was the backdrop of a completely darkened Bat-cave, aside from the green glow of Oracle at work and silhouette of Batgirl watching.

Barbara will always be THE Batgirl in my heart. Cassandra couldn't cut it for me, and the first issue of this run left me only mildly intrigued by Stephanie. However, the ending editorial commentary put a fire under me to truly give this book a chance. There's a nice (if a bit fan-servicey) breakdown of why Steph was chosen over any of the rumored choices, along with a sneak peak at the next Batgirl look-- bit more purple, new belt, and. . . . leg pouches? If nothing else, I'll tune in to see what purpose those serve. Also for anyone still mourning the loss of Cassandra Cain, we learn she will be back on the pages of a DC book sometime in 2010.

If you're looking for crazy, non-stop pages of fast paced action, this isn't the issue for you. But if you're looking for a strong story about how Batgirl and Oracle will fit into this next phase of the Bat-universe, you don't want to miss this book.

Growth

I'm 32 years old and in the midst of a growth spurt. Not physically-- I'm an even five feet tall and not sure I've ever experienced a physical growth spurt. But emotionally and spiritually I've grown leaps and bounds over the last year. I had an anniversary of sorts today, and saw so much pride in my parents' eyes. I'm well educated, have a stable job, have excelled and won awards-- but the pride I saw in them today meant more to me than any of that.

Just wanted to put this out there. I will now bury this post with a bunch more posts of funny stuff I've found online, and stuff I've written.

Edited to add: Oops, maybe not. I have an image uploading question that will need to wait for the Landroid to get home. Which will be around 3 am. When I will be asleep. Updates over the weekend, ahoy!

hi! it's me, and my mission!

i have had this blog for. . . ugh, well-- forever. since i started this email account. until this point, other blogs served me well. but now? i feel the need to have a place to dump all my other thoughts, as well as fun links i find online. i have a habit of coming home from work, and checking my facebook, newsarama, twitter, live journal, myspace, suicide girls, and other accounts. while i do so, i amass a collection of links opened in other windows and cluttering my dashboard (hello, i'm a mac! are you a pc?)

so yes, this will be my dumping ground. if you find it entertaining, yay for you? if not, no worries-- it's a digital bin for me to dump things i want to remember into. because lord knows, my brain can not contain all of these things!

3.9.10

in college, i had dreams of being a writer, a jounalist, living in a high rise apartment, and working in a giant office building. but those dreams seemed too big, so i realistically got bachelor's degrees in english, education, and library science. but i still write "stuff." i've worked in libraries since graduation, except for a short stint where i worked in a library as well as teaching 8th grade language arts. but that was an exceptional situation-- we had no textbooks, and i only had twelve students. we did a lot of creative writing, literary analysis, and very little grammar instruction since they really didn't seem to need it.

anyway, i set aside my dreams of being a journalist until recently. i realized that i had so much more to share than just my elementary school-aged patrons were willing to hear. so thanks to a great friend/love i have a position writing for newsarama.com. this is a web site i've been reading for years. it was fun to realize that people i've been interacting with online have been writing articles i've admired, but never put two and two together to realize that these were the same people reviewing books and toys that i was reading about.

as i sit and prepare for my first comic convention as an actual journalist, i present to you one of my reviews. i tend to review books i know i will love, but being analytical as i am-- i enjoy looking at a book once in awhile that i really don't know how i will react to. this week's review is one of those.

eye pencils: when i'm not being all intellectual, i really like reading about make-up. whether it be nail polishes, eye liners, or mascaras, i like to think this is the artistic side of me coming to fruition. can i pull out a canvas and make beautiful works each day? absolutely not. can i scout the web for pretty colors that will enhance my features? sure! so i plan to compile my finds here. so here ya go, awesome set of eyeliners!

what is a disability after all? i like comic books. i like make up. am i *that* shallow? no. i have many issues i hold close to my heart. disabilities, autism, environmentalism, feminism. these are just a few. i have friends who fortunately have more time than i do to scour the internet for relevant articles, and thanks to them i have links to share with any readers here. whether you think you agree or not, give these links a try, no one ever died from expanding their minds or viewpoints. if you agree, great. if not, great-- i hope i've provided you with evidence that supports your viewpoint, and if not-- well, you may want to re-evaluate your viewpoint.