The following is a selection of comics released this week (7/21/10)* that focus heavily on women in comics – whether that be characters, creators, or even readers.
The books are rated as BUY, TRADEWAIT, or SKIP.
*It should be noted that this list will focus on North American/English releases as that’s mostly what I have access to. Additionally, as I am in general unfamiliar with Manga, I will not be including Manga titles in my lists. For some great reviews and discussion of Manga titles I urge you to check out Danielle Leigh on CSBG.
Notably missing this week is True Blood #1, co-written by IDW editor Mariah Huehner and which I am very anxious to check out but which was either sold out or missing at my shop. Also missing was Welcome To Tranquility #1, and Tiny Titans #30. Bummer all around, but hopefully I can pick them up next week. It certainly occurs to me that these inconsistencies in my comic shops (I went to two today) could be perhaps solved by digital solutions in which I am the only one in charge of what’s available to me or not…well, beyond what the companies make available of course. It’s a powerful argument for digital to me. Also, I have books that I definitely prefer to have in print, but there are many books I’m interested in reading but not terribly interested in “having forever”, so if digital was available to me easily and same day (and I had a reader of course) and for a cheaper price, I suspect I would try more stuff and only buy the stuff I know I love in print but purchase a significant amount digitally. In some ways I prefer to have the collected trades for stuff I really love anyway, as that works better from a convenience standpoint of books sitting on book shelves as opposed to jammed in short boxes. Digital v. Print is a tough thing for me though as I don’t like the feeling that’s often put out there of it being “either/or”, but I confess that digital seems appealing to me in the same way that individual songs instantly accessible on itunes are. Time will tell.
BLACK WIDOW #4. Marjoirie Liu (writer). Daniel Acuna (art and cover). Marvel. 32-pages. $2.99
This is a really good book…so good that I’m dreading the creative team switch after issue #5. Acuna’s art is gorgeous and is a perfect fit for this suave noir-y spy story. I love it. Liu’s story is working well, definitely a bit mysterious and cryptic (Natasha IS trying to solve a puzzle of course) but she’s giving me enough story and reveals in each issue to keep the momentum. As usual with Black Widow stuff I find it a bit cryptic for my tastes sometimes, but that’s my only complaint. This is a great book. Certainly the star of Marvel’s “year of women” push as far as I’m concerned. BUY.
DV8 #4 (of 8). Brian Wood (writer). Rebekah Isaacs (art). Carrie Strachan (colors). Fiona Staples (cover).
We’re halfway through the series and it remains one of my favorite monthly books, if not THE favorite. I confess this issue was my least favorite of the series thus far, but I think that’s likely to do with the fact that it focused heavily on Matthew/Threshold who has always been the least accessible DV8 character to me. This issue does its best to help me (and others?) get inside his skin a bit, but it’s still tough for me with this character. Additionally there was some slightly clunky storytelling in Gem narrating things she couldn’t possibly have seen or known…it didn’t bother me in previous issues, but here it stuck out a bit. Still, easily the best comic I read this week, as usual. BUY.