"That thing that inspires people-" - On "AKA Jessica Jones", Empowered and Joss Whedon

(Bear with me here, as this is sort of a shaggy dog and I haven't blogged in a VERY long time.)

So, I recently heard that one of my favorite comic book series featuring one of my favorite "superheroines" (retired as she was) is hitting the small screen. Jessica Jones, ex-superheroine, Private Investigator, hard-drinking badass who is so much more awesome than she gives herself credit for getting a TV show? My mind was blown. I found it it was going to be called "AKA Jessica Jones" which is fine, as it can't be called "Alias" of course, due to there already being a show called that. I then heard who was making it - the gal who wrote "Twilight" and did some work with the "Birds of Prey" TV Series (and, marginally to her credit, the TV Show Dexter). And it was going to be on ABC rather than a cable network. As another blogger put it "no F-bombs for Jessica [...] is like Batman without his Batarangs". My enthusiasm kinda curdled after hearing all of that.

It's not that Jessica Jones has to be crude to be great. She just has to be herself - refreshingly human, swears and all. This is a character that responds to being saved from drowning by a Norse God with vomiting and swearing, not wonder and alliteration. I hold some slight hope that she'll make the transition intact. There have been great, troubled female characters who fight crime on TV - Sarah Shahi's Detective Dani Reese on "Life" comes to mind just a for example (if you liked the comic book series 52, I highly recommend that show). I just care so much about Jessica Jones' character that she's actually one of my favorite superheroines. She makes my Top 5, easy, both as the messy character she was and as the loving, confident and fierce heroine she has become. And all this thought of "Can they adapt her successfully to a mainstream TV show?" led me to other two other big thoughts.

Thought One: Why do I care so damn much if this show sucks?

Thought Two: What TV Show with a Superheroine would really work the best on Cable?

The answer to the first one was sort of obvious - Jessica Jones is not a cipher. She's portrayed as a human being, one I can empathize with because she not only makes mistakes, she makes mistakes KNOWING that they're mistakes. She drinks, she has self-worth issues, she does the right thing but rarely gives herself enough credit. I see a lot of myself in her and every triumph she painstakingly makes in the course of her series, the redemptive arc she travels, all of it feels celebratory in a personal way I don't get reading Superman or Batman*. She makes an impression and she gets over her worst fear on her own terms. That's important. And when I thought about who else I wanted to get a TV show, one of my other Top 3 Superheroines came to mind - Empowered. And a light went off in my head.

There was a poet who said "the only ones for me are the mad ones". For me, in many ways, the only ones are the struggling ones.**

Jessica Jones and Empowered might not seem to have a lot in common. Jessica Jones is an embittered PI who quits the Superhero gig after a nightmarish experience. Empowered - Elissa Megan Powers - is a superheroine whose often tetchy supersuit leaves her with a D-list reputation but is fanatically determined to rise above it and become an A-lister. One wears street clothes, the other is forced to wear what is essentially a meta-commentary on slutty superheroine outfits. One's full of bitterness that butts against her inner optimism and heroism, while the other's optimism and heroism fights against bitterness that would stop any sane person from trying to do good at all.

Both of them have one thing happen in their first volumes - men don't take them seriously. Their lives are unsavory and unhappy at the start. But later, the same people who dismiss them are much worse off for it.

Jessica Jones gets dismissed by two male cops, grilled by a vindictive police detective, attacked by a man who practically has "manhandle" in his name. Empowered gets trussed up, captured, dismissed as a worthless excuse for a superheroine and damn near believes the hype. At the end of their first arcs, however, Jessica's tracked down the men who thought they could use her to their own ends while Emp has effortlessly saved her new boyfriend from death. Neither win is a clean win done on their own . . . but on the same token neither one of them realizes just how much better, noble and good they are, how much more awesome than they give themselves credit for at the end of their stories. And with each story after that, these women become more self-aware, self-assured and do more good for themselves and others. Best of all? Love, a BFF girlfriend and slow, gradual increases of self-esteem help them along the way. There are obvious differences but I still love them both for putting the "Human" into "Superhuman".

I love characters who both show realistic flaws and grow as people. Women who are complex and have more power than they realize illustrate to people who aren't perfect that they don't have to be Wonder Woman to make the world and themselves better. I would kill for a Jessica Jones show on cable but I'll settle for a show with her on ABC if it's done right. If she's still flawed, human, gutsy, brave and full of bite and strength. But you know who else I'd love to see get the TV series treatment? Empowered. And I would want it to be done by Joss Whedon.

So, why him?

While I know the upcoming Avengers film is his current focus, I think Empowered would be the perfect vehicle for Joss Whedon - one way or the other. I disliked Dollhouse but was never sure if the distasteful premise would have been better if, as Whedon claimed, he got to use it to say things he wanted to say about women being seen and used as sex objects (he has been quoted as saying Fox backed away from the sex and demanded generic action, much to his chagrin). That's the thing about Joss Whedon, tho'. For every complex, contradictory and awesome Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg or River Tam, there's the punishment of damn near every character who seems to have sex or a happy adult relationship. All his fine speeches seem to butt up against a strange cruelty to his characters and an odd streak of tawdriness. Call them Companions, call them Dolls - I call it kinda fishy and off-putting. Even Buffy Season 8 has Dawn being punished for sex across several issues, has Buffy and Angel's frantic coupling result in demons pouring forth to wreak havoc and inflict death. While I have loved Firefly/Serenity, Angel, Astonishing X-Men and many other of his works I honestly want to see Joss Whedon's "Empowered" on a cable network . . . just so he'd have absolutely no excuses and nowhere to hide how he really feels about sex and the women who have it.

Much like Jessica Jones, Empowered is a character who has sex when she feels bad about herself but unlike Jessica, the sex is never demeaning or nihilistic (although one could argue they both use it as "comfort food"). Her boyfriend loves and respects the hell out of her. He was a bad guy, a minion and worse, but meeting Empowered on the job and seeing her genuine earnestness, her heart and determination turned him over to the side of good. Another of her best friends is Ninjette, former Ninja-for-hire also turned to the side of the angels after talking to her. Even a Demonic Galactic Overlord of Kirby-esque dimensions she captures in a belt-shaped device becomes a dear friend via Stockholm Syndrome and teary bonding over DVDs . . . of Buffy Season 5 (among other shows but, well, there you are).

Sure, there's problematic things about Empowered. Unlike Jessica Jones, Empowered is forced to endure being dismissed as sexualized ideal, a blonde in a skimpy superheroine outfit. She has to fight to be taken seriously every time she goes out to try and make the world better. Every woman who's been dismissed as just a face, an ass, a set of breasts, ect while striving to do a job better than her male coworkers can empathize with her. And for all of Joss Whedon's flaws, Buffy Summers was his angry response to the idea that the blonde who has sex and is fun and funny deserves to be murdered for it in the most gruesome way possible. Buffy Summers was a beautiful blonde girl who was also human, heartbreaking and complex. Buffy came from one man seeing the blonde girl who was just a sexy prop designed to be murdered and his getting angry, his saying "No more." Empowered came from Adam Warren being told to draw a prop, a supergirl tied up, bound and helpless, and demanding instead that people see a beautiful, heroic human being with a heart. Jessica Jones' worst nightmare, the thing that drove her away from embracing her power, was being reduced to a servant and prop for a controlling madman. Alias was the story of her coming back from that experience stronger than before, with a raw, angry voice that would not be denied. That was the story Brian Michael Bendis set out to tell with her and it was a necessary story that I felt was amazingly told.

There's a reason I love all of these characters, problems be damned. They're heroines who were created in order to stand up and refuse to be labeled as "just the sexy girl".

This is why I'd love to see Whedon write Empowered. Just to see what would happen. Could Whedon finally write a character who saves the day and still has sex as part of a happy couple? Could he do it without strange, unsavory undercurrents? Lord knows, I think it would be revealing as all hell to find out.

But back to the matter that started all these thoughts - will AKA Jessica Jones be an amazing tour de force or another bland Birds of Prey? I'm hopeful that she'll be every inch as vibrant, as damaged and as wonderful as we know she has been. I'm hopeful that we, as viewers, will be able to be taken on a similar journey where she learns just how powerful she can be and just how much strength she has inside. I don't even need to know she'll be swearing - I just need to trust that she'll still have her own voice - loud, brassy and refusing to be silenced. And every time she wins, we win by proxy.

Whether it's Buffy Summers, Elissa Megan Powers or Jessica Jones, I want to hear a woman stand up and say that it's okay to be human, that you can be imperfect and strong at the same time - even if we need a superheroine vehicle for her to do it.

I want to watch a heroine on that TV screen I can identify with again.


Footnotes:

*This is not to say that Batman or Superman are bad characters. I love them both. It's just that they are almost never allowed to be seen as vulnerable, as emotionally open to change.

Superman's the best of us and that's great - that's the way he should be. His relationship with Lois is wonderful and inspiring because it feels like they are equals. Even so, he's almost never portrayed as vulnerable in a way that feels honest or compelling - this nonsense with him walking around the USA, for instance, misses the forest for the trees. He doesn't have to walk amongst humanity - he is humanity. But that's another post entirely.

And as for Batman? I love him to death but decades later and Batman's only let a handful of people into his heart and almost never says "I love you" romantically.

These are things I want to see and to my irritation, outside of Cyclops and a handful of others, I can almost never find a superhero that makes me nod as I watch them open their hearts and figure out what really makes them tick. Just my opinion, of course. Feel free to disagree with me or, even better, list superheroes I may not know about in the comments.

**This isn't to say that I only love damaged characters, just that I find them the most compelling. Taken to the most extreme example, members of the Secret Six or Emma Frost are characters so profoundly broken, for instance, that I exult in every act they make on the side of the angels and love them to pieces. I see my messiness in their messiness and either learn lessons from their strides towards being whole or guiltily relish that I'm not quite as broken.

But on the other side of the coin, I absolutely adore characters that are fully committed to their ethics, themselves and their mission. These men and women who know who they are and make no apologies for it? I love them because they inspire me to be better. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batwoman, Steve Rogers - they are superheroes I love because I want to learn from their example. I want to be able to stand up tall and proud, knowing that who I am has value, that I should not apologize for who I am. And if you feel that I'm contradicting myself here, I'll just pretentiously quote another poet and say that "I contain multitudes". But don't we all?

I'mma blogging in the rain, news is falling and I feel the gain

Hola, my wonderful and incredibly patient readers!

Sorry for the long lack o' blogging. Please know I am not dead, merely trying to write fancy-pants artsy-fartsy stuff, a poorly drawn webcomic and even a possible one-shot comic book for a non-major anything. Fingers crossed, I might even have something to put on display for my upcoming local comic book convention.
And yes, I know I deeply, terribly suck about my failure re: 14 Couples I Am Too Lame To Update. Again, sorry, about that and I hope to write something at least marginally coherent soon.

While I woke up too late for buying Wednesday comics today and have no limerick/haiku reviews as a result, I did find great news to share. I'm so enthused that I'm shamelessly regurgitating content I found at the always excellent Robot 6! Kathryn "Hellcat" Immonen
and Sara "NYX" Pichelli are taking over Runaways from Moore & Ramos starting with issue #11!





About Runaways - I love the book more than is healthy. For those of you who've lived under rocks, the series details the lives of a group of teenagers who find out that their parents are supervillains of the highest order. They run around the rarely seen West Coast of the Marvel U, just trying to survive, help out where they can and generally make amends for their parent's misdeeds. It's a brilliant premise with lovable characters and a pet dinosaur named Old Lace. Yes, that's right - a dinosaur named Old Lace.



Vaughan and Alphona's original run was something unique, fun and vibrant in the Marvel Universe - a breath of fresh air where continuity took a backseat to characters who mattered. A book where anything could happen, people could die and the unexpected was always expected. The series more than deserves the big screen treatment it's going to get and it's a flat-out great book, period.



Now, the downsides. I hate to say it but Joss Whedon and Michael Ryan's delay-plagued run just about killed the book. I'm usually a pretty big Whedon fan, so I feel bad to throw stones at all - hell, I imagine that writing a good story about a cyborg, two aliens, a mutant, a sorceress and a dinosaur can't be that easy. Still, several years later, I thought Whedon had written a good run but not a great one, Molly punching the Punisher aside. Putting Terry Moore and Huberto Ramos on the book after Whedon gave me high hopes but, well . . .



Regretfully, I say "meh". They just haven't clicked for me. While I've been flat-out loving Echo (I'd recommend this book and The Sword to just about anyone), I'm sad to say that Moore and Ramos' work on Runaways has left me more than a little cold. Ramos does great teenagers - his work on the excellent books DV8 and Impulse proved that without a shadow of a doubt. That said, his emphatic style's a bit jarring on the characters in Runaways, who've always been portrayed in an uniquely subdued way. Moore's stories haven't been thrilling me much either, which surprises me. His Chase is just a hair too obnoxious and I'm quite literally stunned that he got rid of a certain character. "Kill your darlings" maybe? Still, rather upsetting to see a character with such potential removed and such an fascinating relationship nipped in the bud.

In any case, here's hoping that Immonen and Pichelli can recapture that uniquely off-kilter mix of tenderness, hilarity, drama, dinosaurs and mutants that Runaways has displayed so well. Considering that Kathryn Immonen wrote the beautifully insane Hellcat series - wherein Hellcat has to defend Alaska all by herself, meets a talking calendar and then things really get weird - well, let's just say that I think she's got it covered. ;) And Pichelli's art is pretty damn nifty to boot (said art blog is NSFW, by the way).


(For instance, I LOVE the little details in this panel of Dr. Cecilia Reyes, folks. Sweatband drawstrings!)

What do you all think?

And as a bit of penance for my long lack of blogging, I bring you . . .

BONUS VIDEO CONTENT:

A surprising revelation, Shameless self-promotion and A Reader Quiz!

So, I was watching the Special Features on the DVD of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog ('cause I'm a giant nerd like that) and there was a feature where the stars and writers chose what superpower they would like to have. Unsurprisingly, Joss Whedon's most desired superpower is that of an alumni of Professor Xavier's Westchester Academy. Surprisingly, however, it is not Kitty Pryde. Instead, Joss covets the ability of most humble of the New Mutants - Mr. Doug Ramsey, Cypher. His power was basically to be a living Babelfish and . . . well, that's all really.


Yeah, future one-half of Douglock, I'm as surprised as you are.

Now, as a writer I can understand the desire to understand and speak any language but also as a writer, I'd much rather be a telepath. Being able to read Japanese would be cool, sure, but being able to understand people on a deep, personal level? Know their stories? Way more satisfying. Plus, knowing the honest thoughts of people around me would be a plus, assuming the telepathy came with an off switch to keep me from having an aneurysm in large crowds.
(Also, Doug Ramsey died a ridiculous death by being shot by a bird man with glasses. Emma Frost and Professor X are still running around, even after Charlie took a bullet to the freakin' head. I'm just sayin', folks.)

Readers, you make the call - what one superpower would you most like to have?

So, here's a question

What are you going to be for Halloween?

I was considering creating a Dr. Horrible costume but really, I imagine that costume's gonna be more overexposed this year than tasteless Heath Ledger Joker homages. In the end, I have decided to try for James Bond. I already have both the tuxedo and martini glass, after all. Plus, hey, obscure Buffy joke (I actually was "Military Guy" last year, courtesy of my Paintballing Gear)!

Of course, if you're a lady, there seems to be an endless variety of different and tasteful costumes for you to wear!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The LookOut - Slacker or Menace?

Hello, loyal readers! I'm sure all five of you have missed me terribly. Especially you, TV's Summer Glau! Sorry, TV's Summer Glau. Just look how surprised she is that I'm updating again! Priceless. Well, you're very welcome, TV's Summer Glau and so are all of you!*

Seriously, I'm sorry for the long delay in posting. Things have just not been copacetic in the house of The LookOut as of late. Thankfully, I've got a new job and as soon as I get another one, things will be almost entirely back to normal. I may even have money for comics again in two months! Huzzah! The lack of Ellis' Astonishing X-Men, Helen Killer and Simone's Wonder Woman alone are killing me. Don't even talk to me about missing Booster Gold.

On much happier note, Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog? Genius. Watch it now before it stops being free online! You know what else is awesome? The Middleman. I guess nothing cheers me up quite like mad science.

Oh, and hey, there's some weird movie coming out this week about a dude who dresses up like a bat or something. Bizarre. Anybody going to see that? I think I might go, even if it means selling bodily fluids, 'cause hey - Maggie Gyllenhaal is in it. I know her much raved about acting skills are the reason everyone's so hyped about this film.** Right? I don't know. Clearly, I don't really follow these "comic book movies".


*TV's Summer Glau has never, and probably will never, read, condone or know of the existence of "Look Out! Here Comes A Comics Blog!". We here at The LookOut apologize for the deceit.

**Fun Trivia Fact - Maggie Gyllenhaal and I have the same birthday! No foolin'.

7 Comics I Would Recommend For My Imaginary Daughter

As I look around the Comics Blogosphere, I see a lot of fussing and fighting, my friends. Now, when I started this blog, I promised myself I'd light a candle in lieu of cursing the darkness . . . and I haven't been super-successful at that as of late. This is mostly because I've had writer's block and general foulness nipping at my brain for a while now. Sorry about that. But no more excuses! Time to let the sunshine in!

When I wrote about Empowered, I also snuck in a critique of modern superheroines and how shabbily they've been treated. Well and good, but I failed to tell folks which comics I would recommend to anyone who wanted a double-fisted shot of female empowerment. So, without further ado, here goes . . .

7 Comics I Would Recommend For My Imaginary Daughter!


(Yes, I imagine my fictional daughter would end up just like Layla Miller - funny, self-reliant, intellectual, vaguely sociopathic and stuck in a future she never made.
...
I don't imagine myself to be Lauren Graham, mind you - I just couldn't find a Veronica Mars graphic I could bear myself to mutilate with photoshop. But hey, I'm getting off topic . . .)

AGES 4-10

Yotsuba&!
by Azuma Kiyohiko



Yes, Yotsuba has green hair but a more realistic, touching and flat-out hilarious depiction of childhood you'll never find. Trust me, this is not the story of a plant controlling Sailor Scout who saves the Multiverse (Much as I enjoyed it growing up, Sailor Moon is not something I'd necessarily recommend to kids. Mostly because it might scare them and also, her boyfriend's in high school and she's in middle school. Plus, he calls her "Meatball Head" affectionately. That's a slappable offense where I come from). Anyways - Yotsuba rocks!



Yotsuba&! tells the story of a young girl from the country and the single father who raises her as they move from the country to the city. Yotsuba's a bit quirky and excitable and makes the lives everyone she comes across more interesting. - especially of the family mostly comprised of young women who live next door. Every story is about her discovering new about the world and getting excited over it - hence the &!. It's a great read for people of all ages and I'd heartily recommend it for kids. Yotsuba will even teach your kids that vengeance never works out and thus counteract all those negative Batman comics. That said, you might end up having to explain how global warming and cardboard robots really work afterwards, so be prepared. Here is a helpful diagram -



AGES 10-14


The Baby-Sitter's Club by Raina Telgemeier

Did you know there are Graphic Novel versions of The Baby-Sitter's Club? Well, now you know that!
. . .
Okay, so I've never read a single one of them. I admit it - 'tween lit is not an oeuvre I know well. But I have read Bone by Jeff Smith - and I'm not alone in thinking it's awesome for tweens.




Bone is beautiful. It's epic, it's got a Grandma in it that could kick your ass and it tempers violent fantasy with idyllic comedy. I like to think any smart tween worth their salt will fall in love with both the character design and the storyline. Bone will also teach your daughter that talking bugs and dragons are friendly, which is a valuable lesson that destroys stereotypes. And make sure to include the prequel of sorts, Rose, which has stunning art by Charless "Stardust" Vess.



AGES 14-18

When she isn't busy slamming the door in your face, dating someone you don't approve of and screaming "I HATE YOU!" before turning up her iPod at the dinner table, you might try to engage her in conversation about these fine Graphic Novels and Comics. I find Kung Fu action and evil boyfriends are good icebreakers.



Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8 by Joss Whedon & Friends
is a great comic to discuss with your daughter, assuming she's seen Seasons 1-7 already. Watching TV with your kid is just as fun as reading the same comics with your child. Of course, things might get more than a little awkward around Season 6 but the main theme here - the only theme Whedon tries to consistently get across in every season of Buffy - is empowerment.
That, and that having any sex other than lesbian sex will get you punished by mystical forces.
And even then, you're not really safe.
...
Okay, so maybe this isn't the ideal gateway comic book for young female readers, unless you want your daughter to die a virgin. Moving on!



Wonder Woman by Gail Simone, on the other hand? Ain't nothing wrong with that! Start off with this volume or with Rucka's work or hell, even the classic Perez run. You really can't go wrong with Wonder Woman.



Simone's Birds of Prey work is also pretty kick-ass, for people of all ages. You may have to have a talk about unrealistic body issues afterwards but I'm sure that's pretty self-explanatory for Ed Benes artwork.



Now that Birds of Prey is becoming solely about the adventures of two wacky teenage girls with powers, this is an even more apropos title to give your teenage daughter. Just make sure to explain Dinah's absence from the team by telling her that women sometimes make terrible choices when they get older and that she should never, EVER settle for less than the best (the best being a guy who won't cheat on her, for starters).
. . .
I'm sorry - that negativity I swore to combat is creeping in again, isn't it?

Well, nobody can help but grin when reading this next title. It's full of nothing but interesting, well-defined female teens who usually lead the team and kick a lot of ass doing it. Plus, it's in nifty digest manga form! What series do I speak of? Well, naturally, I'm talking about . . .



Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan, et al.

Does your teen already hate you? Show her how good she has it with these adventures of teens whose parents are supervillains. Yeah, no TV after ten doesn't sound so bad NOW, does it, young lady? The writing's whip-smart, the art is gorgeous (with realistically depicted teen girl bodies and no unforgiving spandex), and most importantly, it imparts several timeless lessons -

1. People die for no reason sometimes and it sucks.
2. It's okay to be yourself, whomever that turns out to be.
3. Accessories can totally make the outfit.
4. Learning whom to trust and how to support yourself are some of the best and hardest lessons you can ever learn.
5. Dinosaurs are awesome.



I've talked about the joy of this series before (in a limited fashion) and I hope that if you haven't checked it out by now, you'll get on the Awesome Train. It's a fine, well-crafted series for anybody and I look forward to seeing where Whedon and Moore take this.



I know I haven't exactly made any bold, innovative choices here but I do think they're pretty solid ones. Let me know what y'all think, and most of all, please share with the rest of the class . . .

Which comics would you recommend to a young lady who hasn't read any GNs before?

For Those Who Search

Lately, I've noticed three distinct groups of people who scour Teh Interweb popping up here at The LookOut. And, since I'm a kind, helpful soul, here's a little something to help out you wayward strangers.

1. Folks who want to know about "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog"

Yeah, I'm excited as you are. You might want to go here, which is the official fansite with a link to the possibly official site and everything. Failing that, check Whedonesque regularly. They're awesome and the only linkblog where Joss Whedon posts regularly.

And hey, do you not want to click a link at all to hear NPH sing? Here you go.



You're welcome, my fellow Whedon nerds and NPH fans.



2. People excited about "Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man"



Matt Fraction totally has a blog. I'm pretty sure he might update more regularly about Iron Man over there than I do here, but hey, you never know. I'll make sure to keep fresh Invincible Iron Man news coming, just in case Mr. Fraction might be incredibly shy and self-effacing.

3. . . . "Emma Frost Naked"? Really?



. . . I have no idea WHY this keeps coming up. Seriously! I've never blogged about Emma in any way other than adoration and/or respect for her character.

Still, since a frankly disturbing number of you want to see a fictional character naked, here she is . . .



Whoops. My bad. So terribly sorry. Guess you'll just have to figure out how to use Google Freaking Image Search. Or possibly go outdoors and *GASP* talk to real girls!

Honestly. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Emma's almost always half-naked anyways, for crissakes. But hey, thank you each and every one of you for encouraging me to get onto writing the Emma half of my Emma/Scott post. You know, about why she's awesome and such a fully-realized character and NOT JUST WANK MATERIAL FOR FANBOYS. *eye twitch*

. . .

Just to be clear - Emma Frost will not be naked in that post either.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog

Apparently, Joss Whedon is doing a musical about a Supervillain named Dr. Horrible, who spends most of his time trying to work up the courage to talk to a pretty girl at the laundromat, in betwixt getting beat up a lot by a hero named Captain Hammer.

Neil Patrick Harris is Dr. Horrible, Nathan Fillion is Captain Hammer and The Guild's/Buffy's Felica Day is Penny.

While this is going to be Internet only from what I understand, I foresee a LOT of fun being had. :D

And for those of you still searching, please refer to this link, as I live to serve.

BONUS VIDEO CONTENT:

Animated Nathan Fillion is Vigilante on the JLU Animated -

A brief note on a new title from Joss Whedon

Hey, have you guys seen this preview for a brand-new Marvel series from Joss Whedon called "Runaways"?



I'm always happy to see new work from Whedon but what's with this "#30" business? Some kind of surreal marketing tactic like Booster Gold #0? I think it's kinda crazy for him to start this "in media res" but I guess it worked out pretty well for his Angel Season 6 series. Still, from the preview pages, this looks pretty complex for new readers to just jump into. Who are all these Victorian moppets and time-traveling mutants? I do like the art, even if I have no idea who these characters are. I especially like the look of this "Nico" character - very original design!

Speaking of the characters - a Skrull? This better not be one of those stupid Secret Invasion crossovers. Plus, another lesbian couple - wow, what a surprise from Joss Whedon. I love your devotion to GLBA stuff, sir, but c'mon, isn't it high time you create a male couple in love? I mean, really.

Still, these "Runaways" seem pretty unique and fun as a whole. This "Molly" character in particular seems like a riot. At least people can't accuse him of riffing on Buffy again with these guys.

So, are any of you going to give this new title a try? I know I am!

Oh, to have been at this party

Sure, I'd already known that the wrap party for Y: The Last Man had such luminaries as Joss Whedon, BKV and Pia Guerra in attendance. What I didn't know was that there was also an OPEN BAR, Grant Morrison and a MONKEY you could TAKE PICTURES WITH. Take notes, people - that is a party.

Blast it all to Hades! If only I had the lack of financial sense to have gotten deeper into debt by buying a ticket! And another plane ticket to LA! /Silver Age monologue

Haiku Reviews for 1/16/08

To make up for my rambling reviews of last week, I now present Haiku Reviews! Let's get these out of the way before I buy yet more comics today, shall we?

SPOILERS Exist Here
None in great detail mind you
Because it's haiku

Marvel Comics Presents #5 - various - B

Blade nukes Korea
Rucka's Widow appears too
And there's dinosaurs!

Fell #9 - Warren Ellis & Ben Templesmith - B+

Evocative art
Belies a brief but tense tale
Put this out more please

New Warriors #8 - Kevin Grevioux & Jon Malin - C-

Look, it's Ms. Marvel
With poorly drawn Hitler youth
Subtlety? What's that?

CheckMate #22 - Greg Rucka & Eric Trautman & Chris Samnee - A

C'est bon assassin
This Mademoiselle Marie
Au revoir Miss Chace

Booster Gold #6 - Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz & Dan Jurgens - A

Look, TED'S back! HOORAY!
I don't care why or how long
Just let me bask please.

Angel: After The Fall #3 - Joss Whedon & Brian Lynch & Franco Urru - A+

I'm not ruining
The last page of this comic
HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

Y: The Last Party

Now, more than ever, do I wish I lived on the West Coast.

Joss Whedon is the keynote speaker at Brian K. Vaughn & Pia Guerra's wrap-up party for Y: The Last Man? And all proceeds go to the CBLDF? As they say here in the Americas - Fuck, yeah!

Man, I'm extremely tempted to use some vacation time and add to my credit card debt just to attend this.

What I Bought Last Week

I know that this is the day most people tend to put up their "What I'm buying tomorrow" notes. Since I'm a maverick who plays by his own rules, I will instead put up my reviews of last week's stuff!*


LAST WEEK IN REVIEW - Here's an Ellis, There's an Ellis, And Another Little Ellis, Fuzzy Ellis, Funny Ellis, Ellis Ellis, JOSS

SPOILERS! Avert Your Eyes!

Four Warren Ellis comics in one week with just one Joss Whedon chaser? God help me. I may as well just ingest massive amounts of peyote and then try to read Wired while orally pleasuring a Suicide Girl.
. . . which actually sounds like a pleasant weekend. But I digress.


Gravel #1 - Warren Ellis & Mike Wolfer & Raulo Caceres - B-
William Gravel is a combat magician. This means that he is essentially like John Constantine with Rambo's job description. In this opening issue, he comes back to England from a long hard mission of killing Taliban (much in the manner of a particularly homicidal Invisible Woman), only to find somebody's taken his job. He proceeds to investigate why and how, causing bloodshed and one-liners to ensue.

I've been familiar with the character because I've read his appearances in previous wacky romps: Strange Kiss, Stranger Kisses and Strange Killings - the first of which (if memory serves) had a man with an STD that caused geckos to exit his urethra. Yes, it's that kind of Ellis comic. This is the ongoing adventure of the man who kills people bloody to save the Earth, and specifically England, from dark ugly things that make geckos come out of your pee hole and eat people.

I didn't think much of the issue in comparison to earlier reads with Gravel. Comparatively, it's a trifle subdued. Maybe I'm just numbed to the sight of heads exploding and knifes through flesh from previous comics from British people. Still, while I didn't think the opener was as much of a huge grab as it could have been for new readers, I'm willing to give the series time to build up speed.

Ultimate Human #1 - Warren Ellis & Cary Nord - A

This is the good stuff. Mad Science crackling with a whiff of destruction on the wind.

Magnificent bastard Ultimate Tony Stark gets asked for help from the neurotic people-eating mess that is Ultimate Bruce Banner in controlling the Hulk with Tony's own blood. Tony says yes because he's a decent soul and also, he's bored. They decide to go to Tony's superbase in New Mexico because Warren Ellis loves the American Southwest it's so deserted and full of cool mad science gizmos to test the Hulk. Ultimate Peter Wisdom/Leader appears, much to my glee and amazement, making evil plans in England to get a hold of everybody's blood - which turn out to just be the cherry on the sundae as Hulk goes bonkers past Stark's safety levels and prepares to SMASH.

There's going to be a lot of hitting in issue 2. I am enthused, people. Of course, I was enthused about Ultimate Hulk Vs. Wolverine but hey, this is Ellis, not some fly-by-night TV writer. The man's probably written out the whole thing months ago, come down with yet another obscure English plague that made him spit up blood and then sent in a few dialog revisions while he recuperated by drinking scotch that's older than I am.

I'm going to be sad when he dies.

Doktor Sleepless #4 - Warren Ellis & Ivan Rodriguez - A

The art is lovely. I rarely say this but I wish this comic was bigger, just to catch every little detail of tattoos or mad science no bigger than an iPod. Ellis' dialog is grand too, giving us hints of that old Transmetropolitan "the future is beautifully fucked" operatic discourse. Of course, whereas Transmet was "the future is seedy and ugly but look, we can make something good of it", I get the reverse feeling from this one. More of "Somebody made our future seedy and ugly, let's stab people to feel better about it".

Which isn't a bad thing, mind you.

Thunderbolts #118 - Waren Ellis & Mike Deodato - A+

I rarely give out the A+ grade but I just noticed that they put an Emily Dickinson poem on the recap page. C'mon, dudes. I gotta give it up for Dickinson.

I love this comic. I don't know much about the background of these characters, other than Penance, Osbourne, Doc Samson and Venom, but Ellis has made it so you haven't really needed to. Given his disdain for thought bubbles, I wondered how he was going to tell a story about telepaths taking the team apart from the inside-out. The answer is a bunch of hallucinations that the reader sees as real as the characters. It's an effective, trippy strategy that makes me eager to see what happens in the brains of the more well-adjusted characters like Songbird, Radioactive Man and the sociopathic but rock-steady Moonstone.

Things I also loved include
- Penance getting further Good Will Hunting treatment from Doc Samson. It's nice to see Robbie being told that Stanford could have happened to anybody and Doc Samson not acting like a douche (see Hulk, Planet).
(Anybody ever notice how Marvel's the only company with all the good, helpful therapists? Doc Samson and Emma Frost aren't that many, I suppose, but with Harely Quinn, Scarecrow and Dr. Hugo Strange running around Gotham City alone . . . well, I'm just saying I'm not going to the DCU for therapy. Yes, I know about Doctor Faustus. And that Moonstone herself is a therapist. You know what? Shut up.)
- Venom eating people. I'm a sick, sad man.
- The anti-Thunderbolt posters being snuck into a page or two. It's nice to see all the "real world" reaction shots in each issue. Nothing will top "Stabbity Jones" sharing a panel with Stan Lee, however.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #10 - Joss Whedon & Cliff Richards - B

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I actually did.

This was the issue in which the winner of a contest got to have their face and name immortalized in a Joss Whedon story. I read the story of the winning entry and it melted my dark, cold heart, so I was looking forward to this issue pretty darn eagerly. This is why I feel like the Grinch kicking a puppy just saying I liked it but I didn't love it.

The crux of the story is that Willow and Buffy have to face a demon who lives inbetween realities and delights in showing them how dishonest they've been to one another. We learn what really happened to make Dawn huge, how Buffy's funding the feeding and clothing of a bajillion teenage girls and where Kennedy's been this whole time. Very exposition-y, if pretty to look at.

The major problem I had was that the story cuts don't add to the story so much as make an already confusing tale more confusing. When you've got multiple realities, foreshadowing and flashback revelations, cutting to Dawn & Xander seems almost superfluous.

Also, at one point, Buffy sees Willow schtupping a snake-like demoness and gets surprisingly judgmental. Whatever, you blonde necrophiliac hussy. :P
(One of the things I loved about watching Buffy when it was on air was how, after Buffy lost her virginity to a dead guy and Willow regularly schtupped a werewolf, what got the Christian Right-Wingers outraged was that Willow dared have lesbian sex with a pretty blonde girl. Ah, good times. Good times.)

I wish I'd started this blog earlier, so I could have kvetched about how the otherwise awesome Faith storyline seemed to ignore all the personal steps towards redemption that Faith had made in Angel and Buffy S7 . . . but maybe that's just me being persnickety. Meh.

*Note: My own rules have not been completely formulated yet. I've only had this blog for like a month, people. Get off my freakin' back already. Jesus.