So I hear people read Marvel Comics. Why?

Nah, just kidding. I get it. There's some cool stuff there. Their movies are definitely better (sigh).

Anyway, I have exactly three titles in Marvel that I'm interested in: Exiles, New Mutants, and Captain America. We already know my thoughts on the resurrection of Steve Rogers, which has made my interest in Cap sort of waiver a bit (or a lot).

And then Marvel canceled Exiles. Blah! Yeah yeah, low ratings. I get it. I'm a Pushing Daisies fan, too.

I really liked the first run of Exiles, up until they killed Sunfire. 'Cause, you know. Lesbians generally have to die, go crazy, get pregnant, or some combination of those three. After that, I was out. What a wasted chance to write interesting stories about an Asian lesbian. How many Asian lesbians have you seen, um, anywhere? Unless you watch the Lesbian Required Movies and have seen Saving Face, I'm guess the answer is "Sandra Oh in Under the Tuscan Sun, but that was an accident because I just went to see a romantic comedy and there was a lesbian in it and she was Asian." No, really, think about it. There's going to be one on Stargate: Universe, but I haven't really been into that fandom since James Spader was involved. Also she'll probably just wander around and be asexual. At least Sunfire totally got it on with Mary Jane. Where was I? Lesbians always make me digress. Anyway, I liked the idea of a motley crew of mutants "sliding" around the multiverse and putting things right that once went wrong, hoping each leap would be their final leap home.

Ahem. I think I got my sci-fi tangled up.

And the new Exiles (not to be confused with the New Exiles, I guess, which I didn't read) seemed to have promise. Scarlet Witch and Polaris on a team together! A more bad ass and subtextually gay Beast! The token-black comic relief (not to be confused with the token morphing comic relief)! The mystery around why Blink is still there and what she's not telling us. Hopefully that'll get wrapped up in the double issue we're promised for 9/6, because I'm curious.

So now I'm down to New Mutants and a passing sort of interest in Cap, mostly because I care about what happens to Bucky. I guess one less Marvel book I'm buying is money for one more DC book I've been waffling on (probably Wonder Woman or Secret Six, though I really need to catch up on the latter and was thinking about just waiting for the trade and, oh Adventure Comics starts soon, doesn't it?).

Or maybe I should get into Spider-Woman. Haha.

Edit: I just found out that Paul Cornell, one of my favorite writers from Doctor Who and someone I've chatted with/heard speak at the Gallifrey One convention, is writing the Black Widow miniseries due in November. Fine, Marvel. You win this round!

Wednesday Wednesday

Going to the comic, for me, is not a weekly thing. There aren't really enough titles that I actually collect (as opposed to vaguely following via blogs and other internet sources) and as much as I enjoy my comic shop, the closest one isn't in the most convenient location ever (in the sense that I have to pay for parking, which I hate, and deal with people in Brookline, which I hate even more).

I don't think I've been in a comic shop on a Wednesday in years. But today I went, because I happened to be working from home today, and had a free chunk just before noon. I went to go buy Flash Rebirth #2, and ended up with a lot more than that. But I was catching up!

(This is what I tell myself.)

So, here's what I picked up today:
Exiles 1,2,3 - I didn't even know there'd been an Exiles relaunch (I still like typing it eXiles, but I also am a fan of the movie eXistenZ, which I recommend to anyone that enjoys science fiction, gaming, and/or The Matrix). I initially read the Exiles for the lesbian Sunfire (who, as with most lesbians in fiction, died - but at least she didn't get pregnant or go psychotic!), fell off after that, and then was done. Or so I thought. But a friend mentioned it to me this morning when I told her I was going to the shop, so I looked... and saw a majority-female team with alternate versions of both Polaris and the Scarlet Witch. Sold!

Final Crisis Revelations 4,5 - Yeah yeah, I'm behind. I'm sort of annoyed that NEC didn't have the last two issues of the main Final Crisis title, but hey. I'll take my Montoya any way I can get her.

Power Girl 1 - Power Girl's back, ad the cover is... well, she's still got those same attributes I remember her having. My thing with Power Girl is that 1) she's Supergirl, so I'm down and 2) more often than not, despite having a gigantic, Marvel-sized chest, the rest of her isn't usually drawn is ridiculously skinny (hey there, Kara Zor-El, Emma Frost, etc. etc.). And I like the chance to get into a series on the ground floor.

(Look! She has thighs!)

Superman 688 (World Without Superman 27) - I bought this for two reasons. One: the art (I'm easy, and I really like this style). Two: Caleb Mozzocco wrote about the art in his own weekly haul round up last week, and it inspired me to give it a look. Sometimes art can make me pick up a title I wouldn't normally pick up (though I love Superman, keeping up gives me a headache). Some of my favorite art, actually, was from Flash: Fastest Man Alive, particularly #3 (was that Demeo?) and Frank Quietly's style, especially in that All Star Superman run. (On a quasi-related note, I love anything Peter Chung does in animation. Anything. Even weird Animatrix shorts that make no sense.)

New Mutants 1 - Thought I'd give it a try. I've never been super into the various mutant teams (besides Generation X and the Exiles) but, hey. Ground floor opportunity again.

Blackest Night 0 - Yeah, free comic book day, woo. Unfortunately now I'm interested in how this "event" that will change the DCU unfolds, so I'm going to have to keep on top of that. Fortunately there's a check list in the back. Way to advertise, DC. Also, the idea of a Violet Love Corps (the Star Sapphires) made up of only females is both hilarious and offensive to me. I know they're not new, but they're new to me.



I'm excited to see this stuff play out. I've actually already read this, and it was a nice way to jump back into JLA/DCU stuff without having had to read the death of Batman or the Martian Manhunter or Aquaman (seriously, guys, wtc, Dweller in the Depths).

Flash Rebirth 2 - the whole reason I went to the store. Wally West was my first first Flash, Bart Allen is m favorite Speedster, but I still find the event exciting. And I like Geoff Johns.

Oh, I also picked up the TP of Identity Crisis. Because, that's why.

I've got some reading to do.