Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This week, Esther and I went on for nearly two hours. We started things off talking about Secret Love – and, yes(!) we would love to read a Misty Knight/Iron Fist series written by Jeremy Whitley. Next, we spoke some more about representation in comics, plus reviewed Silk, Wolf, Welcome Back, and Giant Days. Also, we took some time to praise CW’s Arrow-verse, discussed the Archie reboot, and so much more! Annotations after the break
00:01:30 – All things Secret Love, then suddenly Blue Beetle and how it’s the most Marvel DC book ever, and nod to the Avengers being more like the Justice League these days. Also, what comic-book stories get to be remembered! Which brings us to Attack on Titan and how well it’s doing, and what its resting power might be by comparison to other franchises like Dragon Ball Z. Then back to Secret Love and how much we loved Jeremy Whitley & Gurihiru’s short.
00:22:05 – Segue into why we read team books, and what can make them a hard sell – including the fact that continuity tends to derail team dynamics too often for good storytelling. Shout-out to DC’s current direction and how it focuses less on strict continuity. Then back to the topic at hand, which is Secret Love, and how Squirrel Girl and Thor’s abs are the best. (Yes, we did not do a good job of staying on topic)
00:28:33 – Finally, discussion of how Secret Love lost its Kate Bishop/Ms. America Chavez story, and more on diversity in comics! Including Kelly Sue DeConnick’s recent “Make Them Uncomfortable” speech, how it made us both very emotional, and how easy it is to fall into the trap of misrepresentation:
00:33:22 – Which leads into the Sinister Silk, and how that is a bad direction for the comic, because it plays into all of the worst Asia stereotypes in comics. Also, this all happened before via Cassandra Cain. Then randomly a conversation about covers, and what makes them good or bad (also, James Jean). Plus, shout-out to to Jimmy Woo in Agents of Atlas, and Amadeus Cho.
00:47:20 – Brief conversation on how a woman has yet to write a Spider-Man title, and how that does impact how Peter has been portrayed, including most importantly his relationships with women.
00:51:35 – Why the scarcity of women/minorities in comics makes each of their appearances count more – plus Esther’s jelly bean metaphor! This culminates in a discussion of responsibility in storytelling and expression, and how this does not negate freedom of speech.
00:55:22 – Yet another shout-out to Jeremy Whitley & how we would both love a Misty Knight/Danny Rand series – also, retweet this:
Poll, retweet if you would read a Misty Knight or Misty Knight & Iron Fist series like what’s in Secret Love! pic.twitter.com/eUBiIRM7vY
— Jeremy Whitley SPXF9 (@jrome58) August 20, 2015
00:55:45 – Esther reviews Wolf, Welcome Back, and Giant Days. Also, why I need to read more by Ales Kot, but also why he hasn’t worked for me so far. More on covers and what makes them work, as well as how expectations play into storytelling. Then back to Silk, and representation of Asian characters in comics.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
01:19:05 – A bit of commentary on the upcoming X-Men film and Psylocke, as well as the bleakness of current superhero films. By contrast, The CW’s Flash really gets it! Also, Vixen – now streaming! Segue to the whitewashing in the upcoming Dr. Strange movie, and then how DC’s current Dr. Fate is actually really good as written by Paul Levitz & illustrated by Sonny Liew.
01:33:25 – Topics for next time: do superheroes need to have their parents killed to actually be heroes? Also, do superheroes need to acknowledge their privilege and class?
01:35:20 – Props to Mark Waid writing Archie, and really getting the tone of the book! Also, the problem with Adam Hughes writing/illustrating the Betty & Veronica title, especially since there aren’t any women writing the Archie relaunch titles.
01:45:02 – Finally, the Lady Death kickstarters, their incredible success, their problematic portrayal of women, how it’s not our cup of tea, and how ultimately they’re okay doing their thing as long as that does not become the only way to portray women. In short, where are my super objectifying comics starring men!?! Also, safe spaces and their importance.