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So this book deserves every word of hype it gets. Literally deserves all the awards. Beautiful art, beautiful story. Loads of nerdy references, eye-opening scenes and easy-reading identity politics. I'm definitely looking forward to volume 2, and for those writers out there, I heartily recommend this as an example as to how to respectfully incorporate Islam and Muslim characters into a story.
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN was a tough pill to swallow. On the one hand, I loved the art style and the constant allusions to and jokes about nineteenth century literature. The plot was watertight and the characters developed. The team had a great dynamic and acknowledged character diversity, with bonus points that Nemo and Quatermain acknowledged the weirdness of working together, colonizer and colonized.
On the other hand, the misogyny was very apparent and heavy with this one. Murray and literal schoolchildren are threatened, sexually assaulted, and raped. These assaults are used to advance the men's stories and urge them to heroics. Once the specific character assaults are finished, naked female bodies are draped artfully in the background, basically like atmospheric furniture. The racism and Orientalism are blatant, horrible, and vomit-inducing. I'm unsure if Moore wanted to roll around in these harmful elements in order to reveal the prejudices of nineteenth century literature, but I almost stopped reading several times.
So. I'd only recommend THE LEAGUE to readers who can be critical while enjoying, or have strong stomachs. Other than that, go see the movie. I don't say that often, but THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN warrants it.
On the other hand, the misogyny was very apparent and heavy with this one. Murray and literal schoolchildren are threatened, sexually assaulted, and raped. These assaults are used to advance the men's stories and urge them to heroics. Once the specific character assaults are finished, naked female bodies are draped artfully in the background, basically like atmospheric furniture. The racism and Orientalism are blatant, horrible, and vomit-inducing. I'm unsure if Moore wanted to roll around in these harmful elements in order to reveal the prejudices of nineteenth century literature, but I almost stopped reading several times.
So. I'd only recommend THE LEAGUE to readers who can be critical while enjoying, or have strong stomachs. Other than that, go see the movie. I don't say that often, but THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN warrants it.
LOVE HINA caught my eye because of the women on the cover (female friendships for the win!) and a vague niggling that it was an influential series. During my read, I thought the premise was interesting: we have the manga female harem trope paired with a manic pixie boy who blatantly doesn't have his life together. It's a mix full of conflict, and the author uses it well with lots of hijinks and crazy antics thrown in. Also: SO. MUCH. NAKEDNESS. And walking in on nakedness. Like...jeez. It seems like Akamatsu thinks readers won't pay attention unless there's breasts every ten pages. The girls' personalities and conflicts were nicely varied, so, since Akamatsu didn't shirk on character, I'll pick up the next one.
My friend Hillary already wrote a more cohesive feminist review of this book, here's a list of my favorite things about ESSENTIAL AVENGERS, Vol 3.
1. The Black Knight is not only in this book, but is literally princess-carried by T'Challa, the Black Panther and Prince of Wakanda
2. Hawkeye's endless nicknames and obviously big heart for his team. I much, much, much preferred Hawkeye's Pym nicknames (High Pockets, Man-Mountain etc).
3. Steve!!! Just constantly!!! Thinking about Bucky!!!! Like there is a whole issue where Steve has the team go back in time to observe Bucky's demise with him. Just to confirm...Bucky's death and I... *clutches heart*
4. Stan Lee and the creative team's narration
5. The one issue where there's approximately 58137208 references and quotes from Hamlet
6. T'Challa. Just... T'Challa. Constantly bringing it.
7. The fact that no one ever just stands like a normal person: they're either posing or doing ridiculous fighty, flippy stuff. There is no in-between.
Big things I didn't like:
1. Hawkeye calls T'Challa "Blackie" which COULD be construed as a reference to Black Panther, but it's icky.
2. Wasp, the Black Widow, and Scarlet Witch being so underused and constant references to weak=feminine
3. The Vision somehow counting towards diversity when he's obviously??? A white dude???? Literally every Avenger is a blonde or brunette white man except Black Panther and Wasp. I was kind of hoping for more diversity from a Stan Lee headed comic after reading THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA, where diversity is a big point.
BUT! I mostly liked it and would be interested in picking up more. In the meanwhile, Avengers Assemble!
Hillary's review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2de16953-be93-4281-a913-1473b408f554
1. The Black Knight is not only in this book, but is literally princess-carried by T'Challa, the Black Panther and Prince of Wakanda
2. Hawkeye's endless nicknames and obviously big heart for his team. I much, much, much preferred Hawkeye's Pym nicknames (High Pockets, Man-Mountain etc).
3. Steve!!! Just constantly!!! Thinking about Bucky!!!! Like there is a whole issue where Steve has the team go back in time to observe Bucky's demise with him. Just to confirm...Bucky's death and I... *clutches heart*
4. Stan Lee and the creative team's narration
5. The one issue where there's approximately 58137208 references and quotes from Hamlet
6. T'Challa. Just... T'Challa. Constantly bringing it.
7. The fact that no one ever just stands like a normal person: they're either posing or doing ridiculous fighty, flippy stuff. There is no in-between.
Big things I didn't like:
1. Hawkeye calls T'Challa "Blackie" which COULD be construed as a reference to Black Panther, but it's icky.
2. Wasp, the Black Widow, and Scarlet Witch being so underused and constant references to weak=feminine
3. The Vision somehow counting towards diversity when he's obviously??? A white dude???? Literally every Avenger is a blonde or brunette white man except Black Panther and Wasp. I was kind of hoping for more diversity from a Stan Lee headed comic after reading THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA, where diversity is a big point.
BUT! I mostly liked it and would be interested in picking up more. In the meanwhile, Avengers Assemble!
Hillary's review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2de16953-be93-4281-a913-1473b408f554
This was a book full of team ups, and I love team ups! Agent 13 and Cap team up! Union Jack, Spitfire, and Cap team up! AIM scientists continue to confuse me as to how no one in their entire organization has watched Star Trek! Bucky punches a robot and tells AIM to get wreckt! Thanks for another solid thriller, Brubaker!
I picked up this book at the local library because of two men: Neil Gaiman and John Constantine. They did not disappoint.
The main question posited by the book was that, given how magic works/cost, is it worth it? On the one hand, it's /magic/ and like come on, way cool. On the other hand, it's dangerous, deceptive, and costly. I thought the book was tipped a little negatively towards magic, but I loved thinking this is what Gaiman thought on the subject. I'm not as brief on the DC universe as the Marvel one, but the story brought me up to speed nicely AND there were cameos of my favorite Endless. Another review called the art style "smears of impressionism" and that is exactly right. Lovely, spotty, and magical.
My other thought strain was about the protag being a young white man. Gaiman really tries to be diverse in his other works, so I thought the protag choice odd since small white man doing magic is very cliche and if you don't believe me, Tim Hunter's Trenchcoat Brigade is entirely white men. Then I realized: only a young white man would think himself safe enough to go off on adventures with older white men in trenchcoats. If the Trenchcoat Brigade approached young girl Natalie, I would scream about stranger danger and run because I was aware at the age of 8 that I had to protect myself. Now, if the Trenchcoat Brigade came in the form of a bunch of Girl Scout camp moms, that'd be another story, but Gaiman used, or had to use, actual DC characters.
*happy sigh* Gaiman is quite the loveliest write. Every word is a spell in this one.
The main question posited by the book was that, given how magic works/cost, is it worth it? On the one hand, it's /magic/ and like come on, way cool. On the other hand, it's dangerous, deceptive, and costly. I thought the book was tipped a little negatively towards magic, but I loved thinking this is what Gaiman thought on the subject. I'm not as brief on the DC universe as the Marvel one, but the story brought me up to speed nicely AND there were cameos of my favorite Endless. Another review called the art style "smears of impressionism" and that is exactly right. Lovely, spotty, and magical.
My other thought strain was about the protag being a young white man. Gaiman really tries to be diverse in his other works, so I thought the protag choice odd since small white man doing magic is very cliche and if you don't believe me, Tim Hunter's Trenchcoat Brigade is entirely white men. Then I realized: only a young white man would think himself safe enough to go off on adventures with older white men in trenchcoats. If the Trenchcoat Brigade approached young girl Natalie, I would scream about stranger danger and run because I was aware at the age of 8 that I had to protect myself. Now, if the Trenchcoat Brigade came in the form of a bunch of Girl Scout camp moms, that'd be another story, but Gaiman used, or had to use, actual DC characters.
*happy sigh* Gaiman is quite the loveliest write. Every word is a spell in this one.
There are other reviews that say all there is to say about this book and they are right. While GIRL FRIENDS focused on the struggle to come to terms with a non-hetero sexuality and embarking on a closeted relationship, KISSES, SIGHS, AND CHERRY BLOSSOM PINK discusses coming out, sexually prejudiced friends, experimentation, normative relationship roles, and the lure of running away. All wrapped up with sailor uniforms and pretty bows in Morinaga's adorable artwork.
AND I FREAKING LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
Ahhhhhh, I don't know what Morinaga's life is like, but hot damn, authoress, I feel these struggles so much. I have been in almost all these places! I did the whole sneaking around thing and separate school pain! Anytime you write anything else I will buy it! These will be required reading for my kids! Wow wow wow. I love.
AND I FREAKING LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
Ahhhhhh, I don't know what Morinaga's life is like, but hot damn, authoress, I feel these struggles so much. I have been in almost all these places! I did the whole sneaking around thing and separate school pain! Anytime you write anything else I will buy it! These will be required reading for my kids! Wow wow wow. I love.
A super satisfying conclusion to a beautiful series. Natasha is just...so heartbreakingly herself, and that's all I wanted. I laughed and worried and ended up very, very happy.
If you like Black Widow at all, I cannot recommend this series enough. Consider it required Red Room reading.
If you like Black Widow at all, I cannot recommend this series enough. Consider it required Red Room reading.
Honestly, what is left to say about this series? It is the best superhero comic I've read in a long while, and it joins an exclusive mental grouping of "best-est ever." Clint Barton's face is a precious commodity. Kate, Black Widow, Mockingjay, and Spider-woman are goddesses who walk the earth. Barney and Clint are good bros. Pizza Dog. The Russian Tracksuit Mafia are ridiculous. Clint's deafness comes back in full force in this volume and it's handled beautifully.
This is a good book.
A shout-out of thanks to Two Cats Comic Book Store in San Fran for making me poor because they stock approximately all the best comics and they let me walk around dithering for two hours and holding Hawkguy like a baby until I bought it with a minute to spare before closing time.
This is a good book.
A shout-out of thanks to Two Cats Comic Book Store in San Fran for making me poor because they stock approximately all the best comics and they let me walk around dithering for two hours and holding Hawkguy like a baby until I bought it with a minute to spare before closing time.