Comics post
Thor fight! This was always coming, and I think it's good to have it early. Old Thor (now going by Odinson) and new Thor had to confront each other, and it wouldn't have been good to tease it out too long.
I felt really sorry for Odinson in his anger and grief. But he did accept Thor, because he knew it was right. I'm going to be happy when he shows up again (I'm assuming he will), because I trust this creative to not let him overshadow Thor.
I continue to really like Thor, even if we still don't know who she is. People who have been reading Thor a lot longer than I have suspect she's a SHIELD agent called Roz who was in the previous series. I assume this is plausible.
Before this, I could have told you a few things that I really like in a cover. Nice art, of course, but also good use of space, a sense of movement, or an interesting visual hook. But now I see I was a fool. Original SIN has the best cover ever designed, because it contains two things: 1) a dude fighting a bear, and 2) Peggy Carter punching Howard Stark in what must be an intentional callback to that famous image of Captain America punching Hitler. The best cover ever has been found. We can all go home.
But I guess the actual content of book matters too, especially since it also features bear fighting and punching by Peggy. The cover does not lie! Howard geeking out over technology was fun, as was Peggy and Tania bonding.
I just picked up the Peggy Carter: Agent of SHIELD comic compilation, and I'm not sure where Operation SIN is supposed to fit in Peggy's history. But considering the official bio that came with that comic makes it clear that Peggy's history is a horrible waste, I'm all for some retcons.
I think, "I think you're a bird." Is one of the best panels this comic has ever had. It's Kamala's expression that makes it.
God, this comic is so good. It's fun, sweet, and funny, but it's also so smart and thoughtful. This arc has had some incredible things to say about Millennials and heroism. And the issue was filled with wisdom and such wonderful teamwork.
Also, I particularly enjoyed Alphona's art this issue. That panel of Kamala crawling around inside the machine was great.
OH MY GOD, I LOVE SQUIRREL GIRL SO MUCH. It's a thing of joy and delight. Galactus is coming to Earth, but nobody realizes it, because he's cloaking his ship. But he forget to make it work on squirrels! Which was a super dumb move on his part, obviously, 'cause now Doreen and Tippy-Toe are going to the gosh-darned moon.
I love every single thing about Squirrel Girl, including the fact that her costume includes a little squirrel ear headband.
I was going to drop this. I liked it okay, but I didn't love it. But then I heard two things. First was that Angela was going to be getting a costume change. Yes, I am so easy that a different costume can tempt me. But I really hate battle bikinis, and I was intrigued by the change. (The new costume is still pretty cleavage-tastic, but at least Angela isn't wearing a belt as a skirt.) But the second was a much bigger deal, and that was that Sera was going to be revealed as trans. And indeed she was. Sera is definitely my favorite part of the book, even before I knew she was trans. (Though that helps.) I think my biggest issue with this book is Angela herself. I don't exactly dislike her, but I don't really connect to her. I think actually Sera helps there too. Not only does she talk about Angela a lot more than Angela talks about herself, but the first time we see Angela express an emotion other than contempt or anger is when Sera died. (And I assume that exactly how Sera was brought back to life is going to come up later.)
The art's a little weird in places. Some interesting panel arrangements, but sometimes the characters don't look quite right. (It's worst with Loki.)
So, I'll give it at least one more issue. This comic has stuff I want to support, not only a trans character, but despite my issues with Angela, I rather like that the emotionally distant warrior is a woman. Plus, I really want to see if Angela and Sera will hook up. (Pleeeaaase.)
Yeah, Bitch Planet! This issue is really set up. We learn more about Kamau, more about the world she lives in, and we learn what's driving our plot. But the thing about Bitch Planet is that it's more than just the story. The story is great, but what really makes Bitch Planet what it is, in my opinion, is everything else. This month's back matter essay was an excellent essay on intersectional feminism. And the back cover was as full of biting satire as ever, but also contained a tribute to Leelah Alcorn. This book is still the best.
I wasn't big on this issue's first half, in which Josie goes undercover in a Playboy type club and has to wear a skimpy outfit. But the fight scene was good. Also, our plot is taking shape, as Josie's employer is none too happy about the way her family life is affecting her work. I remain disappointed that this is only going to be a five issue series.
The last issue of the miniseries. It featured teamwork from Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny, and Irving; an evil tree/clockwork monster, and Abbie with an ax, so I say good show all around.
Oh my god, what's DC doing here? See, while I do not intend to get into DC comics (I simply don't have the time or the money to dive into another of the big two), I love Wonder Woman, because who doesn't love Wonder Woman? Then I discovered that the Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman are all one shots set outside DC's main continuity, which is perfect for me.
The first story is an awesome one in which Oracle recruits Wonder Woman to fight Gotham's villains while Batman's out of commission. It's a nice musing on who Diana is and who she chooses not to be. Plus, she deputizes Catwoman and Harley Quinn and makes them honorary Amazons. It's great.
The second story has Diana fighting Circe, but that's not really the point of the story. The real point of the story is a little boy being made fun of because Wonder Woman is his favorite superhero, and "boys should like boy stuff." Diana shows up, gives the boy a piece of her magic lasso, and tell him that being true to yourself is never wrong. It's a sweet story, and effective.
I also picked up the Peggy Carter: Agent of SHIELD compilation, but that's a whole bunch of comics bundled together, so I'm going to give it its own post.
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