Maybe I'm Just In A Mean, Petty Mood

Maybe I’m just in a mean, petty mood, but with all the disappointment in Rebirth it does my heart good that the artist at the little anime convention who boycotted Keith Giffen and JL3001 over an assumption, who was excited for the new Blue Beetle book will in sticking with her social justice principles have to now boycott Blue Beetle because Giffen’s on it baby!!! Almost makes me want to pick it up in support if not for it being ersatz New52 versions of Jaime and Ted.

Since no one has taken my challenge to come up with actual evidence that Keith Giffen is transphobic, I went back and reread the Giffen interviews myself. He states that the Guy in a girl body plot was not meant to be a trans story. I believe him. Re-reading the comics themselves I’ve concluded that Guy before the reveal was portrayed as a man who doesn’t understand what is to be a woman and is misguided with well-intentions to jump on the strong woman, feminist bandwagon. Wouldn’t you if you woke up one day and lost your male privilege and your body is smaller and weaker? Yes estrogen weakens your muscles and ability to lift. I hang out with trans-women who attest to this. When I transition my strength will increase with testosterone. This is why transpeople are banned from the Olympics. Hormone replacement therapy is legally considered the equivalent of taking steroids, fair or not. So Guy not understanding all the bodily and hormonal changes going on with him will naturally act moody, claim sisterhood then realize he said something he has no business saying as a man and try to pass it off as the hormones. No that’s not how hormones work, but he’s set in his ways enough to think that he ought to identify with his physical body even if he knows he has no right because he’s Guy inside and is still a chauvinist and people expect him to be like that. There. That’s the psychology of a stupid body switch plot. I get it. Some don’t because they want to read whats on paper literally without context and wonder why it doesn’t line up to their trans experience, which is valid, I get uncomfortable with plenty of things that were not meant to be geared towards my experiences and I can explain why it bothers me. It’s not the trans journalists and fans that I have an ax to grind with. It’s the allies with their pretend trans friends. No I’m not saying all allies rallying against this story don’t have trans friends, but sometimes I wonder. Sometimes I wonder if certain allies are jumping on the behalf of trans bloggers and activists they read and then try to speak for trans people like me or my associates in the community because they just assume I’m ignorant of my own rights or feelings without ever realizing they’re like Guy Gardner or maybe Keith Giffen and are ignorant of their own intentions and feelings on the situation. I mean I can’t tell people how they should feel about a story, but it offends me when someone assumes Giffen’s intentions because they met him once and he was a jerk so a jerk must be hateful to all outsiders because... because this story is problematic to her social justice sensitivity. Talking about grasping at straws to build a strawman out of Keith.

I had to lose my little niche book outside the new52 so tptb can cater to haters who can’t stand or have any business reading genetic overwrite plots because they insist it has to be an accurate, sensitive trans plot and it better be done with 20th century science because the 30th century fictional science used is too creepy and improbable to relate to. It’s comics guys. Are sci-fi/fantasy writers barred from exploring body switching and genetic overwrite if it’s between a man and woman from here on out until trans-representation is perfected? Or do we ban all portrayals and explorations because it can be problematic with any kind of body shaming or racelifting? If you’re overwritten with the genetics of someone whose basically the same race, gender, height, weight, etc. you’d still complain because it’s personality raping and that’s triggering and insulting to real rape. Alright I agree, but banning story elements is a slippery slope and for twenty shitty portrayals of this theoretical topic their yields a thought provoking one. Just saying. Cloning is offensive to individuality, cell regeneration is offensive to disabled people, so is cyborg stories, so is robots offensive to humankind. Where do we draw the line in what we can and cannot speculate and how we tell it? Okay I’m getting away from the topic.

One things for certain though, whether presumptuous, artist alley girl doesn’t support her favorite character because of Giffen or breaks her pact and picks it up, it’s a victory. A petty, spiteful one. The book will succeed or crash and burn without her support or it will prove her a hypocrite if she picks it up after all.

Thoughts On Justice League 3001 #8 And Other Comics

I had been late in picking up my pull list for last month, JL3001, the final issue of This Damned Band, Invader Zim for my brother and now The Legend Of Wonder Woman. My mother died last Saturday after a sudden month long deterioration from her cancer. It having come back with a vengeance spreading to her liver. Before that I had attended a memorial service to a departed friend that Thursday and a Record Collector's show the Sunday before that where I bought 15 dollars worth of records and a DVD. That's about as much as I spent on this week's comics. I got to watch my money more carefully. With all that's been going on there wasn't a much room for me to care about my weeklies until I was ready for a distraction other than Star Wars: OT fanfic.

To the review:

Justice League 3001 #8

I'm still of mixed opinions on the direction, but as always just the sheer ride alleviates my worries. Scott Kolins has given the book a different look that I much prefer even if it isn't as packed of details as Howard Porter. His art is sketchy, but bright and cartoony. I like.

I'm glad to see Supergirl rally the troops after almost a whole issue of moping. I love her messy short hair, it suits her. Remember when she had short curly hair for all the fifties and sixties until long straight hair was in and suddenly Power Girl looked revolutionary with a bob? Yeah I wasn't alive at the time, but I'm used to seeing Plastino Supergirl with the short cut in various reprints. It's not a doppelganger tribute if she had it first. Just saying.

Flash has PTSD and Wonder Woman's is frustrated by the retreat. So is Tina who takes her armor out to battle scullions, robots that regenerate. Not a wise move on her part if they're to keep undercover. I'm relieved Tina's obnoxious behavior is called out by Supergirl and Wondy who make time to call each other out as well. That Tina gets as much criticism as the others makes her slightly bearable, she may learn yet.

Fire and Ice address the issue of being outsiders amongst the group while looking around the ruins of Paradise Island, the League's hideout. Guy reminds them they share a past and assures them he has their back. Awww. I don't want his mind to be erased by Shiryalla Tome, but I don't see the story going any other way. Perhaps the dysfunctional team does need a traditional motherly type with sound advice and a level head, but is not afraid to slap a hysterical woman once in awhile.

The last part of the issue sets up Lady Stryx a pre-52 character introduced in 52 or at least a version of her as she doesn't resemble her quite. She's working with a version of the Legion of the Superheroes if Imra Ardeen didn't tip us off. I'm a bit uncomfortable with this plot. I'm by far not a fanatic of that side of the DC Universe, but heroes are heroes whether they're living in a crappy dystopia or not, and I don't trust Giffen's reinventions of these characters. Maybe Dematteis will reign him in, but as Stryx's lackeys or allies I don't have hope. Unless they're part of some cabal to overthrow her, or Stryx is meant to be a benevolent despot in which we're back into deconstruction territory and I won't be too happy. If a deconstruction is on the horizon where the protagonists are in the wrong and the antagonist is ruling the citizens for their own good then I'll probably hold out and then quit in frustration because I want to give the writer's a chance to wow me with a twist I tend to get bored of in Fantasy fiction. I get it vigilante rebellion is bad. The establishment and secret police is good. How many times do modern cape comics have to stress this? And under a guise of flipped traditional white hats vs. black hats skewed and subverted. I get it already.

Terrence Magnus's fate is revealed where he was cruelly lobotomized (just give him a mercy kill, sheesh) before he is zapped by Stryx and is reborn. Whatever that entails, Stryx wants to use him against his sister and the League bringing one backburner plot back to the forefront.

This Damned Band #6

This is a mini-series I probably want to reread in order in one sitting because after a month I can't remember everybody's name each time. Satan makes his appearance and reveals his plan and punishment. The rest of the band getting screwed over manage to make a counter deal and sacrifice the member who sold them out, or at least I think that's what happened. It's sort of hard to keep track of what's going on. When I get around to reading it all as a whole I may do a proper review of the series. There's many interesting observations I'd like to talk about throughout the issues, but I'll leave that for later.

The Legend of Wonder Woman

The book has a lot going for it because it's not connected to the crap in the main universe. We see the history of the Amazons. Why the Gods turned away from man's world, which probably correlates with the gradual disbelief of them by modern man. We see Diana's childhood on Paradise Island and her frustrations with her lot in life as a do nothing Princess while she senses something off about the Island. It turns out she isn't the only one, but her mother's in denial.

I have a few quibbles about this one. Why grant the top official Amazons immortality to rule over the mortals of the tribe? Seems misguided. In theory a long lived ruler would collect all the experience, but in reality experience corrupts and corrodes idealism and justice, or maybe I'm bitter about politics. My other quibble is that Hyppolyta doesn't fashion Diana out clay herself, Diana just forms from the clay beach of the Island or something and Hyppolyta's hope. I guess this is to make the old tale less about playing god or whatever offends people about classic Wonder Woman these days. It's certainly a step up to the many offenses done to Wonder Woman since the reboot and knowing that it could be a lot worse.

That's it as I've not caught up with Invader Zim and we still haven't found an issue of number 3 though we have the rest from day one.

Some Thoughts On Justice League 3001 #7

I wonder if this cover was drawn in advance before they decided to kill all the males off? I swore I saw this with a different solicitation many months ago before they announced it was going all female. Was Wonder Woman initially set to die?

Batman is predictably killed off to make way for another arrogant descendent with prodigal tech skills. Yawn...

Hal and Barry are killed off as well. That probably means Hal's sinister ties to Takron-Galtos's justice system and Barry's mental state as alluded to some issues ago are a no go.

Beetle and Booster are missing, which means they have time to come back as the occasional male allies non-teammates if Giffen/Dematteis can ever stop to find a plot for them.

Cadmus confirmed destroyed along with all its DNA banks. Does that mean Firestorm and Terry Magnus are dead once and for all like the rest of the DNA files or was it destroyed before the Scullion battle back before Guy was created on the cheap?

Speaking of Guy, good thing they acknowledged the slap to Ice's face is out of character. That moment does scream of an outraged, emotional mother type that Guy was overwritten on to. I predict that character will completely over write Guy by the end of the arch. It doesn't make sense to keep his conscious around as the token male voice in an all girl team as much as Giffen and Dematteis like to write him.

Something tells me that the Injustice League plot will either die or fester into something rushed and anticlimatic much as Zeus and his New Gods was aborted before it was even written in, which means Darkseid will also be dropped. Good.

Diana and Teri are becoming closer friends, which will give Fire and Ice competition or contrast.

Art by Chris Batista was too stretchy for my tastes. Colleen Doran last issue was better. Scott Kolins in the next issues will do. I like his sparse, bright, cartoony approach though it will contrast with the crowded, dirty future created by Howard Porter. I'm not that big of fan of Porter, but he was superior on this title than he ever was on JLA in the 90's. For all his ugly characters, they had expressive quality and his layouts were creative. I hope someday Kevin Maguire's first issue art sees the light of day above all, but that's all in the past.

Justice League 3001 #6 Preview & Interview

A preview for Justice League 3001, the only DC title I read in floppy any more with a following interview from co-writer Keith Giffen.

Preview & Interview Here

Some thoughts from the interview:

I love this title, even when I don't always agree with the choices they make, which I'll get to later. It is one of the few books out there where I can compare it to old comics I've read in my younger days (and reprints) without it being an out of context comparison of a dead continuity. Here's a universe where The Silver Age-Bronze Age and Post-Crisis can exist at the whim of the writers. Fingers crossed that The Golden Age makes its way in even if it can only be done through the Big Five, Superman, Batman, Aquaman (missing), Green Arrow (missing) and Wonder Woman. I'd love for some indication that this Universe had their own JSA, Freedom Fighters, Fawcett City and anything else from that publication era if the writers should choose instead of giving into to the nonsense of embargoing those vast characters onto separate Earths exclusively.

I'm glad to finally read a Supergirl that seems like Supergirl. The determined, do what it takes type who has an honor code but is still has her patience tested amongst thick people. I feel like those traits got passed onto Power Girl who had her own traits and issues that didn't always mesh with those. Off topic they then had to make every subsequent Supergirl a whiny, angst-ridden, jerk with identity issues to make her the anti-Power Girl which is dumb because Peej absorbed a lot of original Supergirl's traits. This of course wouldn't be the first time a legacy stole the traits of their inspiration with the various Robins and Batgirls borrowing each others personalities, costumes and backstory. The Wonder Woman cast of course got the worst of it with Donna siphoning all of Diana's compassion and romance among a lot of other things while the new 52 abomination calling itself Donna steals Diana's origin and craps on it while DINO (Diana In Name Only) stole Cassie's already derivative and boring origin.

I'm glad the Guy thing is getting addressed and that he is only default female (to go with the all-themed team) because of his host taking over gradually and not because of him. I say this as a trans-male, if a body switch cliche had to happen at least they're going down this route to explain Guy's out of character traits rather than blaming hormones which I thought was a commentary on Guy's stupidity more than the writer's assumed lack of research.

As a disclaimer I was reading this book back when it was Justice League 3000 before the Guy debacle. It both annoyed and amused me that the one book I read became a hotbed for trans issues being one myself. I was reading a book for characters I liked not scrutinize the impossible setting. Of course the idea of overwriting your DNA down to gender sounds fascinating to me as someone put off by the long term expense of hormones and getting the surgery to fix something that can't be truly be fixed so long as I have this body. I can't say I care to have any trans-representation if the writer's thoughts weren't in it to be honest. I'm also not going to count out explorations of gender just because it doesn't line up with the scientific reality of transitioning. The book's setting is in an alternate 3001 where fantastical science such as mind to body swapping (as what happened to Lois and Ariel) or ghost genetics (which has no basis in reality) happen regularly. To then introduce a trans-character who has to go through the real life process would seem jarring or hand waved as a class issue which brings a whole other issue. It begs the question which is the more convenient route for the trans person? Which is legal? Which is more expensive in the long run? In the short run? Which puts you more at a health risk? A person more close the subject at hand could write a psychological story around this premise. Maybe that will be me someday even if the hard science snobs were to dismiss the pulpy premise. Fantastical super-science is just a window dressing and a means to explore things we'll never figure out in 986 years hence.

Also what a shame they can't make a Wonder Woman romance happen because she's just too badass and one of the guys for it to work. Seriously she's one of the better written Wondie's in comics currently. They not only give her moments to shine and be inspirational, they also steer into the skid when it comes to her sexuality and violent antics without making it gratuitous or disgusting or do it half-assed to make her demure and virginal at the same time to make her safe. In regards to possible romances, I'd have liked to see her with Hal Jordan or Barry Allen and be the Big Barda to their Mr. Miracle, but alas nobody can really make badass women romances unless said badass woman is an established wife or mother like Mera. Why else has Black Canary failed to click romantically with anyone not Oracle post-crisis? Back in the Silver Age her and Ollie worked, but enough retcons and modern times work against that now.

I hate to be that guy but:

Oh great new Batgirl, the bratty teenager is also another superhero bloodline legacy, two character types I can't stand. I knew they had to introduce blood legacies eventually but of course it had to be Bruce Wayne's who sires some of the worst superheroes. This means of course everyone else will eat Tina up like they did two other heroes I won't dishonorably mention who've worn out their welcome. Hopefully Tina's just a nuisance (though her teenage status prevents her from getting punched in the face Guy Gardner style sigh...) and not a pet character that will make me drop this book fast.

If this Harley Quinn is another bloodline legacy, I call shenanigans. Why does it have to be a blood dynasty thing? Why is it hard to think an unrelated person would idol worship someone else to the extent of roleplaying that person or to reinterpret the motif into your own? If it sounds crazy then that would be another reason to take a villain identity. However, if she's supposed to be sane then it worked for Ted Kord too and Hal and Barry depending on the continuity.