Posted to my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

Also, posted here because there is no review page for this title.

Ever wonder about the private conversations that might occur amongst sled dogs, where confidence issues, rivalries, and philosophical musings abound and cause about as much strife and hilarity as they do among bored office workers in the human world? It’s what the creators of Mush! Sled Dogs With Issues were clearly wondering, and they try to answer with this episodic story.

Against the backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness and the isolated homestead where they rest, a team of six sled dogs relate to one another--and, occasionally, their human overlords--in a manner very familiar to human co-workers. There are the good friends, the scheming backbiters, the unrequited crushes, political alliances, philosophical ramblings, and zany personalities that keep things interesting. As their pack leader Dolly confronts and overcomes a waning interest and confidence in her position, the other dogs work out a smattering of their own issues with varying degrees of success.

While it’s not an altogether original concept, this anthropomorphized dogs-as-bored-coworkers scenario is well-executed. Each of the characters have their own distinct personalities and presentations, from Buddy’s over-eager friendliness to Venus’s sarcasm and occasional anger and Guy’s cleverly diabolical manipulations. There’s enough going on in the various scenarios presented in each chapter that it feels cohesive and keeps things going at a decent clip so that we can see how things play out among the dogs. Eichler employs a healthy dose of snark and just enough drama to draw the reader in at the right times.

I did have some difficulty keeping the identities of the dogs separate, but I imagine this comes more from my unfamiliarity with dog breeds and confusing the names than any fault of the writing. And they do become more distinct as the narrative progresses, so maybe you just need to give the story a little time. It’s quite amusing and worth it once you’ve got everyone sorted out.

I did enjoy Infurnari’s artwork in this story, even if the linework and character shapings made things look a bit sketchy and unfinished in places. Once I got familiar with the characters, it was easy to observe consistency in their looks and personalities, from Winston’s pure-bred snobbery to Dolly’s everygal ponderings and Fiddler’s detached-yet-humorous philosophical insanity. The art certainly does a good job of supporting the overall story, and is just strange enough in places to make you do a double-take.

Overall, I came away from this book with a chuckle or two at the wry humor. I think anyone who enjoys comically humanized animals--and let’s face it, who doesn’t, at least from time to time?--will get a kick out of this rather clever story. Dog lovers will appreciate the attention given to illustrating the different breeds, and anyone who enjoys stories about the Alaskan wilderness may want to give it a look. It also works as a well-paced, character-driven graphic novel for anyone who just wants to read more in this particular format. Highly recommended.

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

In a move that has been lauded by comics enthusiasts the Internet over, DC Entertainment has announced its We Can Be Heroes campaign to combat hunger in the Horn of Africa. Featuring the current lineup of the Justice League as its spokes-characters, the campaign benefits three Africa-based humanitarian organizations: Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps.

Its website offers more information on the campaign, and features two significant ways for interested Internet superheroes to contribute. There is, of course, directly donating to the cause, of which DC has pledged to match 100%. The other option is to purchase We Can Be Heroes branded merchandise (which, I have to say, looks pretty spiffy), the proceeds of which 50% will be matched by DC.

While I've always been a Marvel boy in terms of my overall enthusiasm for comic book publishers and their various stories and characters, I have to really give DC the thumbs-up for their philanthropic efforts here. I'm no expert, of course, but this is the first major humanitarian effort I can recall from a comic book company on this scale (though I'm willing to learn if there have been others--just let me know about them!). In using their brand, resources and other abilities to aid a portion of the world that seriously needs help, DC is in a sense working to live out the types of stories they tell in their comics.

It's putting its money where its mouth is, basically.

I'm sure there will be plenty of discussion about the impact this effort will ultimately have. Will it be enough? Should DC even be worrying about another part of the world? Just how altruistic are DC's motives behind this campaign? Will it affect comic book prices or quality?

My thoughts on the matter are fairly simple: whether it's a publicity stunt or not doesn't matter. This is an opportunity for comics fans of all stripes to unite in an effort to show the world that we are a generous, socially aware cross-section of the world's people. We shouldn't worry about whether or not this will ultimately save the innocents it aims to help, or whether or not we should be involved. As with so many things in life, the outcome matters far less than the effort.

We should donate, or at least buy some of the cool merchandise and support the cause. We should, in short, put our money where our mouths are.

And, perhaps, I'll give more DC titles a discerning look when I'm at the comic shops. Teen Titans has looked promising so far...

And, of course, Justice League.

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

Also, posted on the blog because there is no page for this title.

Just before launching into the narrative of Lewis & Clark, author Nick Bertozzi informs the reader that this tome is intended to convey the flavor of their journey, not necessarily all the particular details. I myself am not privy to the specifics laid out in scholarly works about their expedition to the Northwest, but I will admit to feeling that Bertozzi did a good job of living up to his word. I felt like I got a good sampling of the struggles and the overall tone of their journey.

The story starts out shortly before Meriweather Lewis is granted the go-ahead by President Jefferson to find a passage to the Pacific Ocean for the United States. It highlights the formation of his partnership with William Clark as they gather up men and supplies for the journey, the various obstacles they come up against on the expedition, and the eventual success of their exploration and some of the aftermath that occurs in the years following its conclusion. The reader is shown that the journey was a difficult one, compounded by supply shortages, personality conflicts, and a difficulty in understanding and interacting with the Native American tribes in the Northwest regions.

I’m guessing Bertozzi used a lot of anecdotes from the journey in his writing, as we see quite a bit of interplay between rank and file members of the expedition as well as the leaders and any Native American tribes they encounter. It makes for memorable moments, if not straight-up laugh-out-loud ones. One particular scene that comes to mind plays out between two men hunting for meat. One keeps getting flustered at the other’s inability to shut up, and derides him as a lousy hunter. When he’s saved from a bear by a shot from the same man he yelled at, he’s essentially never allowed to live it down. Moments like this show both the hardships and the humor that arose from being essentially cut off from the trappings of civilization.

There are more than a couple of forays into darker territory also included in this work, particularly Lewis’s occasionally foul and violent temperament. His temper gets the better of him at a critical time, signalling a likely breaking point for the character, who succumbed to madness and an apparent suicide, years after the expedition.

Art-wise, I was pretty impressed. Bertozzi employs a good deal of linework and shading in his sketches, which gives quite a bit of depth to his characters’ ability to express emotions and thoughts. I found his panel layouts to be confusing at times, as he alternated between one- and two-page layouts, but once you figured it out it was pretty simple to follow. He draws sprawling landscapes and intimate one-room scenes with equal detail, and keeps things looking appropriate to their time and place within the narrative.

Not being a particular enthusiast when it comes to history, I will say that this was an interesting and well written enough story to keep me reading at a pretty good clip. I’m guessing that history buffs will enjoy it, as will fans of graphic biographies. Anyone looking for a decent story in comic book form will undoubtedly find better fare elsewhere, but wouldn’t do badly to read this, either. Recommended.

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

Also, posted on the blog because there is no page for this title. Wtf, Comic Vine?! This is a fairly popular title!

Apparently, a week in the life of Atomic Robo is chock-full of insanity, contradictions, and science fiction hilarity. By the time readers finish this fourth volume of his exploits, extradimensional vampires, ghosts, super-mega robot guns and a giant mega crab have all been dealt with. Oh, and Dr. Dinosaur.

Atomic Rob and Other Strangeness starts off in 1999 with a job interview that becomes unhinged by the chaos of one of Tesladyne's labs breaking into another dimension and unleashing vampires throughout the complex. Once that situation's dealt with, Robo goes to Japan to ask a favor from one of their super-scientists--but not before assisting their Power Rangers knockoff team in taking down an super-angry giant crab monster. Then, Dr. Dinosaur appears in French Polynesia, and he and Robo debate whether or not Dino is a.) smart, and b.) a time traveler while they simultaneously try to kill one another. Finally, we come back to Tesladyne while Robo and his people try to solve the mystery of why a ghost-like image keeps appearing all over the complex. It's right about then that we find out that all of the events in this volume have happened in a single week.

The overall aim of these comics is clearly entertainment, and for my part, Atomic Robo delivers. While there are some stories I enjoyed more than others in this volume, they were all good, and they all demonstrate the creators' adeptness at packing a whole lot of sci-fi slapstick and just a smattering of science babble into their wacky tales. Atomic Robo combines an enjoyable blend of sarcasm, action, and flat-out over-the-top humor to make for a highly readable and amusing experience.

There are quite a few memorable moments in this volume, from Jenkins throwing down on some vampires with ridiculously brutal efficiency, to Robo's verbal sparring with Dr. Dino about his "origin story" and intellect as they try to kill each other, to his knock-down, drag-out verbal assault on Tesladyne's ghostly guest once he finds out who it is. There's also a pretty amusing shout-out to Japanese anime and sci-fi cartoons and programs in the Science Team Super Five, with a ridiculously perfect team of brilliant scientist soldiers, mecha-robos, and a giant, biomega-powered crab monster with a grudge to avenge. Brian Clevinger clearly has as much fun writing across all these various tropes and settings as Scott Wegener seems to enjoy drawing it.

Speaking of the art, Wegener continues to draw entertaining book illustrations in his trademark style while demonstrating versatility in handling different subjects and locations during the course of Robo's week. His vampires look gruesome and threatening, his Dr. Dinosaur looks lizardy and his skeleton ghost looks sinister and unsettling. It's a definite fit for the writing, and accounts visually for the entertainment value conveyed in the stories' writing.

Overall, I'm enjoying this comic. The writing isn't particularly deep, but it makes no pretensions about being so, and revels in the amount of slapstick entertainment it delivers. I still need to get my hands on the first two volumes, and can't wait to do so. If you're looking for good escapist fare that will make you laugh out loud, get yourself a copy of Atomic Robo. Highly recommended.

Originally posted in my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

Also, posted on the blog because there is no page for this title.

Imagine coming to your library to find out that someone is trying to ban your favorite series of books, because they think those books are corrupting, sinful, and inappropriate for young people to read. What would you do? Would you get angry? Would you try to stop them? If you're as much of a bookworm as Neil Barton is in Americus, chances are you'd want to defend your right to read what you want.

Neil Barton, a shy bookworm, is not excited about the prospect of beginning high school. He'd much rather be left alone by everyone in the fictitious town of Americus, Oklahoma, so he could just read. Instead, he and his friend Danny are frequently the targets of bullies. When Danny's mother catches her son reading Apathea Ravenchilde, a fantasy series involving witches and dragons, she storms into the public library where he got it and tears it up in front of the librarian, denouncing it as filth and vowing to get it banned from the library's shelves. For arguing with her, Danny is sent to military school, and suddenly Neil is left without his best friend.

To make matters worse, Danny's mother follows through on her threat to try to ban the Apathea Ravenchilde books. She forms a vocal group of concerned citizens intent on keeping "inappropriate" materials out of the library so they won't "corrupt" the town's youth readers. Enduring this in addition to the normal trials of high school--bullies, surly classmates and unsympathetic teachers--Neil must do the unthinkable and try to take a stand against the detractors of his favorite series.

I found this to be a thoroughly entertaining story. While the central conflict revolves around the issue of censorship in libraries, there is plenty of other material in the narrative that informs the characters involved. Neil is not just shy--he's nearly misanthropic in places, talking back to his mother and professing his hatred for the town he lives in as much as the bullies he has to put up with. There are scenes excerpted from the Apathea Ravenchilde series that serves as thematic analogs to the rest of the story. There are teens all over the place, talking and giggling and breaking up and going out and generally lending a realistic vibe to the high school scenes depicted in the story.

I thought the characterization of the main character was well handled. I feel like Neil was me, back when I was a teen: shy, not quite sure how to interact with others, sometimes resorting to petulance or hostility when nothing else came to mind. It's both entertaining and humbling to meet a character you identify with so completely, flattering or otherwise, and I think MK Reed deserves props for the work she put into the protagonist here. While I might have some slight reservations about how the detractors are portrayed (somewhat two-dimensionally), I do think she nailed the teen characters, particularly Neil, very well.

I enjoyed the art immensely in this story, and thought it was appropriate to its plot and themes. It's simple and cartoony for the main portion of the narrative, which makes sense when you consider that the narrative is essentially an introduction to the issue of censorship. Both the art and the writing make the issue more accessible, easy to understand, and interesting enough that you want to know more. The excerpts of Apathea Ravenchilde are done in a slightly more detailed, highly stylized fantasy motif, and work well in separating that story from the rest of the narrative while keeping it linked to the larger story. Kudos to Jonathan Hill for working so adeptly at the visuals in this book.

Overall, I'd say Americus is an engaging introduction to the issue of censorship as well as an entertaining story in its own right. Teens interested in what they can and can't read in libraries--and the politics involved--will enjoy this exploration of what can sometimes be a highly charged issue. People who love public libraries, escapist fantasy series (particularly Harry Potter), and political dramas will also enjoy Americus. Highly recommended.

Originally posted in my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

DC Comics got a fair bit of both positive and negative news coverage today, as they unveiled yet another new logo, and got ripped into by Fox News for having too much sex and violence in their comics. I'll go into each item, and add my take on them.

New Logo

Probably the more popular item of the two, DC has introduced another updated logo design, with some slight variations done to commemorate its various properties. They'd updated before, in 2005, with a blue and white design that I thought was pretty slick and relevant, so this most recent one is a little mystifying to me. Their justification is that it coincides with some of their more recent milestones, like last year's relaunch and same-day digital delivery of their titles. They also say it's more digital-friendly. Here's a few of their more well-known logos and the basic new one:

The new logo, as you can see, is basically a D, peeling away to reveal a C underneath. I suppose it's pretty, in its way, but I feel pretty underwhelmed, particularly when you compare it to the bold, blue and white star design from 2005. Despite the reasons they've given for the newest logo, I can't help wondering if they just got pissed at whoever designed the 2005 logo and just want to cut that person off from anymore royalties. It feels pretty corporate and uninspired, even with the variations, and I have a hard time imagining how this particular change is going to benefit them at this time.

If I've given you the impression that I care passionately about this item, rest assured that I really don't. Overall, even if I don't care for the new logo, I'm pretty unaffected by this development. I've never been the world's biggest DC fan except for a few titles, and their logo sure as hell isn't going to assure that I buy more comics from them. It's their playground, and they can do what they want. I just think this development's a little on the mystifying side.

Fox News DC Debacle

Bleeding Cool news broke this story, and followed up on it later in the day. Basically, the Fox News syndicate in Washington, D.C. (heheh) seemed to have a problem with the amount of sex and violence in today's superhero comics from DC, accusing them of essentially using the New 52 relaunch to pack their wares with too much of both. Here's the video that Bleeding Cool originally embedded on their site:

Relaunched Comics Using Sex and Violence To Sell: MyFoxDC.com

In response, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund published an article advising comic book retailers how to defend themselves against a hostile media attack. That we need to keep these kinds of defenses in place is a pretty sad comment about the state of American journalism these days, but it's unfortunately not surprising. News outlets often go for these kinds of unjustified "gotcha" pieces, unfairly portraying their subjects in a negative light using flawed logic and juvenile reasoning.

In a prime example, the reporter acquires a bunch of these targeted comics--which have a "16 and up" label on them, for crying out loud--and takes them to a freaking middle school, showing them to the kids there and asking them for reactions. Clearly, these kids are below the intended reading age--flaw number one--but that may not necessarily stop them from wanting to read or buy these kinds of comics. This gives way to flaw number two: any comic shop worth its salt will have distinct sections for children and adult buyers. Essentially, if they aren't peddling it as kiddie fare, and have other materials for younger readers, then why are you getting bent out of shape about this?

Personally, this kind of story makes my blood boil, at least at first. I see a lot of unfair attacks in the news these days, particularly when it comes to the issue of censorship and freedom of expression. In comics, as with most industries, the market dictates what is popular, and what will sustain the industry. If there's too much sex and violence in comics for you, guess what--you don't have to read them. Attacking comic shops for selling comic books to a particular market is like attacking the Harry Potter books for promoting witchcraft: the people doing the attacking probably haven't read them (and therefore don't have a proper context to judge them), and their fear, more often than not, makes them look like drooling idiots. Most kids with a basic understanding of life can figure out what's fiction and what's not. Sensationalizing something by attacking it is only going to make them aware of it, and likely more curious about it.

And it's that final thought that brings me back to my calm. Societal disapproval of a particular event or form of media often leads to it becoming more popular because of the sensationalization poured into it by the disapprovers. They're basically shooting themselves in the foot, particularly in this day and age.

So, if they want to make more comic book readers by trying to vilify comic books, stores, and publishers, go right ahead. We'll be here.

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

I'm always of two minds about New Year's resolutions. On the one hand, they're a good way to try to improved and better yourself personally as a new year dawns. On the other hand, they can serve as a stark reminder of how weak-willed we can be. According to some studies, only 23 percent of New Year's resolutions are actually kept by resolution makers. A whopping 35 percent of resolutions are broken by the end of January.

That's right. Not even a month in, and well over a third of the millions of resolutions made putter into the oblivion. Not very encouraging.

Most of the New Year's resolutions I've made in past years have dealt with specific issues: writing (I will commit to writing 500 words per day for the whole year, or 182,500 words for the year); exercise (I will develop an exercise routine for muscle tone, strength and endurance, and I will stick with it the whole year); and sleeping (I will get up earlier in the morning and make use of the extra time I have. I will get by with less sleep than I currently do.). I've failed at these resolutions in the past, and have basically given up on trying to whip myself into shape over them when the new year emerges.

I have found, however, that time and necessity often do for me what arbitrary resolutions have failed at. When I was diagnosed with high cholesterol a few months ago, I changed my eating and exercise habits, because my long-term health was on the line. When I realized I was nearing the limit precipice of my credit cards a few years ago, I committed to paying down all that debt as soon as I possibly could--and, I'm proud to say, I've hacked away the majority of that particular beast. This blog, of which I'm particularly proud, was not part of any resolution I'd planned for the end of the year, but rather the realization that if I ever wanted to be a writer, then I'd better get off my ass and do some serious, consistent writing, each and every day.

None of those changes required, or even were part of, any New Year's resolution. They were due to particular circumstances that had emerged in my life naturally, over time. I am therefore convinced that any meaningful changes I want to make to my life will not be the result of any commitments I make arbitrarily at the end of a year.

So, in light of that realization, why bother with them? Well, because if nothing else, I think I can use the New Year's resolution to commit to some of the less serious, more fun areas of my life. Since I've had a few things in this category that I've never tried to work on, I figure it's about time to do so. And here's the great part: both of the resolutions I've made for myself this year revolve around comic book related goals. Without further ado, my two resolutions for 2012 are as follows:

1. I will attend at least one comics convention that takes place outside of Houston. I'm already planning to attend Comicpalooza this year, which is the fastest-growing and most awesome con that Houston has hosted since its inception some 5 years ago. But it's easy to get to them if you're already living in the city where they're hosted. I want to go to another town and meet comics fans who've come to somewhere other than my current city, even if it's just a few hours away. At this point, likely candidates are Austin (Wizard World Austin) and Chicago, but things could change. We'll see how time, budget, and energy affect where I'll end up this year...
2. I will attempt to construct at least two different costumes for cosplay purposes. I've already got two that I could use at a moment's notice, a Jedi and a Tenth Doctor getup, both I need to become a comic book character. My two marks for this year are black-suit Spider-Man, and Nightwing. Both are characters I've identified with in the past, and still enjoy reading about in the present. You could also argue that I even look a bit like them. Can I pull them off? Probably, but again, I'll need to start looking for costume pieces and start putting them together while I've still got the time.

So, there you have it. My resolutions for this year are more fun, more comic book-oriented, and nothing for me to feel horribly about if I don't accomplish them (though why I wouldn't want to is currently beyond me). If anyone has any advice or can help me reach either one this year, please don't hesitate to speak up. In the mean time, I'll wish luck to anyone who's made New Year's resolutions and still stuck with them at this point. I hope you have as much success with them as I have fun with these resolutions of mine.

See you (hopefully) on the convention scene!

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago... also, posted here because there's no review section for this series.

Sometimes the old aphorism holds true: the perfect boyfriend is not born, but made. At least, that’s the premise of Made for Each Other.

The second book in the My Boyfriend Is a Monster series is another cutely drawn, style over substance story in the teen romance and adventure genre, with a touch of the supernatural added for extra appeal. It’s a fairly shrewd move, given the current market for paranormal literature, which is particularly dominant in Young Adult literature. But given the plot of this story, it’s easy to see the dangers of flooding the markets with too much of the same kind of product.

The story centers around Maria McBride, a sophomore at Seward High School, who is something of a shrinking violet, and her growing attraction to Tom Stone, a new student who turns out to a modern-day, teenage-looking Frankenstein’s monster. Despite this gruesome-sounding origin, Tom is a strapping, good-looking, articulate young man, who is polite and smart, and who seems rather taken with Maria. When it turns out his father is the original Frankenstein’s monster, who uses his funeral home business as a front to create others like them, complications of course ensue.

At first it seems Dr. Stone’s business and “family” are keeping Tom away from Maria at every possible opportunity. Then, some of the newly created family members start causing problems, for both the new couple and the community at large. Add to that some in-fighting between the family members, and soon situations develop requiring Maria to rescue Tom from his deranged clan, and vice versa at times.

While I’m not a particular fan of romances, I don’t really have anything against them either. This story, however, had a couple of problems with it. Whereas the first story in this series, I Love Him to Pieces, moved along at a fairly brisk clip, this one feels very slow and drags in quite a few places. The characters featured are too numerous for the relatively short length of the story, and do little at times other than clog the plot and take away from the story of the main characters. By the time we actually see the grand reveal of Dr. Franklin Stone / Frankenstein’s monster, you’re just hoping he’ll find a way to end the story quickly.

The artwork was okay, very similar in cartoony yet expressive style to I Love Him to Pieces. The use of black space in this story feels much more overwrought here, however, making the whole piece feel darker overall (pun only partially intended). It would work if the story were a little more interesting, but unfortunately seems to weight down the narrative even further.

It does a good enough job for what it is, but doesn’t have the same appeal as the first one did, for me. The characters are cute, the plot, while flawed, does involve the struggle to preserve the characters’ new romance. It should appeal to those looking to get a quick fix of paranormal teen romance, but will probably have limited appeal to most other readers. Recommended, with reservations.

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

Oh, no! Marvel doesn't consider their own X-Men to be human! What ever shall we do?

A recent story by Radiolab describes a court case that essentially details the fact that Marvel's official legal position on mutants is that they are not, in fact, considered human, despite the thematic content of their stories portrayed in their comics. The basic argument is that the action figures they import into the U.S. for sale should be considered "toys," which are taxed at a far lower rate than "dolls." The difference between toys and dolls in U.S. trade law is that toys is that dolls are considered representations of human beings, and toys are representations of non-humans, like monsters, robots, animals, and... well, you get the drift I'm sure.

And there have been all kinds of reactions in the comics world. Essentially, there was a collective bemoaning of the fact that Marvel is taking the official position that they don't consider their own creations human, with basic human rights. The line of thinking seems to be that, since Marvel publishes stories about the struggle of mutants to be accepted by the humans of that universe, that it shouldn't be taking the legal position of classifying their characters as non-human so that they can save a buck on import taxes for their toys.

I know I'm a little late to this particular party, mostly because I've tried to avoid the insanity/inanity of this entire non-debacle debacle. I'm also not going to pretend I'm anyone particularly important, but after absorbing enough of the fallout from this issue, I think I should express my own opinion on this issue.

Succinctly: haters, get over it.

There are plenty of reasons I feel this case has reached a logical, well-placed conclusion, and it seems that a lot of our industry stalwarts have overlooked a few basic facts and realities in bewailing it. It mostly comes down to my opinions about how mythologies are and should be treated, but there are a few logical statements in there that can not be ignored by a rational person. Basically, a few of the reasons I think people should leave well enough alone with this case are as follows:

• This is a customs and taxation case, not a civil rights case. Yes, the interconnectedness of U.S. law sets a precedent for broader application of this decision, but I highly doubt it's really going to stand if there were an actual civil case that came up regarding someone's status as a human being. The fact that this decision was reached in regards to the taxation of dolls toys--NOT living, breathing people--will have a minimal, if any, influence on whether or not a theoretical someone with a sudden, significant mutation is entitled to the basic freedoms and rights of a human being.
• The non-human label applies to all Marvel character, not just mutant characters. So while the X-Men and other mutant characters from the publisher may not be considered human, neither are a lot of characters who ostensibly are: the Avengers, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, are not human. But neither are the Punisher, who has NO superhuman powers, or Mary Jane Watson or Harry Osborn, Spider-Man's human friends. If they're Marvel creations, they're not human. So, it's not like Marvel is discriminating against its mutants here. It's an equal-opportunity humanity stripper (of toys).
• Charles Xavier’s dream was of peaceful co-existence between mutants AND humans. Ergo, mutants are intrinsically not human, according to one of the most relevant minds on the issue. Logic'd!
• Superheroes are like our modern mythology, or our gods, if you will. Are gods human? Of course they're not. I mean, if anything, this decision is in some ways an elevation of its characters, an acknowledgment that the creations within a modern mythology are intrinsically not, as mythological figures, human. Personally, I don't have any problem calling Emma Frost, MJ, or Spider-Woman goddesses ;-), and I basically see this as Marvel officially backing my stance. :-P
• These decisions are applied to intellectual property, NOT REAL PEOPLE. I feel most of my points already support this statement, but it bears its own bullet point. None of this is being applied to real people, and I can't help the feeling that were this to apply to real people, the stakes would be much higher and this would be a far more scrutinized issue in the comics world, not to mention the public eye. Marvel's decision to try to save some money on shipping taxes shouldn't be taken as a hypocrisy in regard to the themes of its stories for this reason alone.

So, there you have it. I'm not particularly bothered by any of this, and see it for (what I think) it is, which is essentially a business decision to keep the overhead as low as possible and save some money. If anything, I think it support the idea that it's an elevation of its characters as mythological figures, even if it's one that brings to light that these characters are intellectual property they own, and control for time eternal.

Finally, I think that the reaction to this has been very... well... reactionary, and not particularly well thought out.

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

If there's a guilty pleasure I have in comics, it's gotta be this story. It really doesn't offer up much more than its title states, but hey, at least it's honest. And it's one hell of a fun ride.

I haven't really read X-Force since the days when its membership roster included Cable, Shatterstar and Boom-Boom (among others), and even back then I couldn't escape the vaguely nagging thought that this was a team that was superfluous. Individually, some of them were cool, but collectively, they didn't even really feel like a team. So when an X-Force title was announced after years of apparent slumber, I wasn't so enthused. But if this is a representative sample of what the team is about today, then I can definitely see why this darker, grittier incarnation of the them is getting such rave reviews.

Sex + Violence starts with Wolverine finding out why Domino is suddenly in need of some serious healing from teammate Elixir, which leads to her explaining a job she worked with the Assassins Guild that ended up getting the ninjas of the Hand on their bad side. Throw in some previously unmentioned slave girls and a stash of hundreds of millions in cash, Domino decided to double-cross her employers, who of course are now trying to kill her. Wolverine takes her to square things away with the Guild, where they bicker, shed assassin blood, and rip each other's clothes off while they try to stay alive and remove the death sentence hanging over Domino's pretty little head.

One of the things that really grabs me about this story is the sheer amount of blood spilled from the get-go. I'm not used to seeing this much carnage in a Marvel title, but when it's done this well, I don't mind in the slightest. Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost may not have picked a particularly imaginative plot, but they executed it extremely well, bringing the two stars into the middle of a conflict involving two of Marvel's deadliest and, likely, bloodiest villain groups, and making full use of the setup. Using Wolverine's claws and Domino's guns to maximum effect, they make sure they give every bit as good as they get, and it's extremely satisfying to watch.

I also am intrigued by how Domino has changed over the years. She was on the original X-Force team, and as I recall seemed something of a mother figure. That's clearly gone out the window by this point, and now that she's free of Cable and the kids, she really shines as a greedy, manipulative, but way too cute and cocky femme fatale. It really works for her character, as does her "I'm on board with killing our enemies" attitude that, I assume, places her on this team.

I'm very much in love with the art in this story. Gabriele Dell'Otto's painted work makes every page look like a poster book with words. They bring all the blood, violence, and lust that permeates the narrative directly to the forefront in an immediate and urgent way that both shocks and titillates. It kept me reading, and I won't deny I re-read this story a few times to just admire some of the illustrations.

Very suggestive in its premise, and delivering as much as possible on it without tipping into adults-only territory, Sex + Violence is a fun romp through the X-verse, pairing two very entertaining characters who work well together, despite all the bickering. If you don't mind a bit of lust and blood in your comics diet, I strongly suggest you check it out. Highly recommended.