Batman's Girls

In reading the various Batman books recently, I've begun to notice a trend.  There seems to be an increase in the number of theme-costumed females making their first appearances.    Mind you, I'm not complaining.  I think it's fantastic.  It feels like a throwback to Batman villains of yesteryear, when Batman was a bit campy and fun, and the villains all had a particular, unique theme to their costumes, their mannerisms, and their methods.  The ones I've noticed (and liked) lately in the Batman books include:  Catgirl, Enigma, Peacock, and the Absence.  

Enigma

Catgirl

Catgirl and Enigma are like the Teen Titans: they're young proteges to older established characters.  In this case, Catwoman and the Riddler, respectively. I like that Catgirl is a more feminine version of Catwoman.  She's dressed like the pet that a socialite like Paris Hilton would carry around in a satchel, sporting a diamond encrusted collar and bright pink clothing.  Over the years, the Riddler has toned down his brightly clad costume, but not his daughter, Enigma.  She puts it out there, sporting a large, prominent question mark on her chest and bold striped pants.

Peacock

In addition to these two new teenagers to the Batman Family, two theme-costumed women have made their first appearances in the Batman books as well.  Like Bruce Wayne, Sasha Lo is a wealthy woman who also happens to have a different kind of nightlife.  She dons an Oracle-like mask, a vibrant costume, and goes by the name of Peacock.  Although we still don't know much about her, I'm looking forward to seeing her again from time to time.

The Absence

Last but not least, there's one of my new favorite villainesses: The Absence.  The woman has been shot in the head, leaving a gaping hole.  You know she's gotta be pissed.  Yet she's still a fully functioning (but short-tempered and unbalanced) person, now with heightened mental capacities. 

Goldie Hawn in
"Death Becomes Her"

She's extra pissed off because, as socialite Una Nemo, she used to date Bruce Wayne and she feels like she's been used and tossed aside.  (By the way, what's up with that name?  Una Nemo?)  She reminds me of Goldie Hawn's character from the classic 1990s movie Death Becomes Her.   

Kudos to the Batman writers for the introduction of these fun, new additions to the Batman Family.  I hope to see them around for many years to come, and I hope the tradition of introducing unique, themed characters continues.



And now, a parting glance from Batman. 

Hysterical.

Axing the Age of X

I just finished reading Marvel Comics' Age of X: Alpha one-shot that leads into the "next big event" for Marvel Comics' mutants and all I have to say is, "Huh?"  It's like another Ultimates or M2 title where Marvel Comics characters are the same or similar but living different lives in a parallel universe.  They're in some war-torn, end of the world-like existence.  I was so unimpressed, bored, and confused that I can't even pull together the words to express how unimpressed, bored, and confused I was.  Perhaps Marvel Comics says it best:

"Our goal with the six monthly chapters of Age of X...has been to throw the reader right in at the deep end; to present an incredible and inexplicable situation without really explaining it, and then to make the unraveling of that explanation proceed alongside the events of the series.  No exposition up front: you just have to roll with it while the extraordinary events that created the Age of X are graduated unveiled."

Um...no, thanks.  I'll pass.  This swimmer is getting out of the deep end and going to the the beach.  Thanks for saving me money, though, Marvel.

 

Rise and Fall of the New Mutants

First appearance of the New Mutants:
Marvel Graphic Novel #4 (1982)

 

 

 

When Marvel Comics' New Mutants debuted in 1982, I was elated.  These were young X-Men dealing with their mutant powers, but they were also prone to making mistakes and having problems that normal youth have.  They were Marvel's answer to DC Comics' 1980s mega-successful New Teen Titans.  The original team of Cannonball, Karma, Sunspot, Mirage, and Wolfsbane were fantastic.  Each character was distinct, came from a different background, and had individual challenges with which to work out.  They were the United Nations of young mutants.  With the addition of Magma (one of my all-time favorite New Mutants) in issue #8 and Cypher in #13, I was enjoying their adventures more and more.  

New Mutants #20, featuring cover art
by Bill Sienkiewicz

Then came issue #18.  The New Mutants stories took a turn toward the dark, mystical, and weird side.   Their adventures became something reminiscent of Grant Morrison's wacky Doom Patrol.  During this time period, Warlock appeared (issue #18), as did Legion (#25), and Magik/Darkchylde/Lightchylde (Illyana Rasputin) sent the team to Limbo, leaving its readers there, too.  Issue after issue of this "new" New Mutants series, I thought, "Huh?"  Simultaneously, Bill Sienkiewicz took over drawing the series, and it was literally the worst comic book "art" I have ever seen.  To this day, I think Warlock looks like he looks only because Sienkiewicz is such an awful artist and that's the only way he could draw him.  Subsequent artists just thought that's how he was supposed to look.  Needless to say, I discontinued reading New Mutants because they weren't as much fun anymore, I wasn't crazy about the newest characters and weird storylines, and don't even get me started again on the art.  Since when did mutants become responsible for taking on demons and creatures from the netherworld in every issue?  Blah! 

New Mutants #1 (2009)

Cut to 2009.  Marvel Comics comes out with a new New Mutants title (volume 3) featuring the original cast of characters.  Yea!  Imagine my excitement?  Naturally, I added the series to my pull list.  I was disappointed to find Magik on the team, but I was happy to see the rest of the original team there (minus Wolfsbane because she's in the brilliantly written by Peter David X-Factor title).  

The new stories were so-so, but I wasn't giving up on them just yet.  Then came the "Fall of the New Mutants" and "Rise of the New Mutants" back-to-back storylines.  Here we go into Limbo again and I find myself saying "Huh?" after every issue.  Seriously--can we just remove Magik and her cast of demons from this team book?  That goes double for any character created during Sienkiewicz' run on the original title.  

Can we just have some quality stories with the original team (plus Magma and Cypher)?  Wasn't that the whole point of the revival of this series?  What happened to the so-called dawning of Marvel's "Heroic Age?"  I'll give New Mutants a little longer to redeem itself, but if it doesn't shape up soon, it's being pulled from my pull list. 

The Dark Side of the Black Cat

Amazing Spider-Man #194: 
the Black Cat's first appearance (1979)

I've always felt that Spider-Man's Black Cat was a rip-off of Batman's Catwoman.  Arguably, Spider-Man and Batman are Marvel's and DC Comics' most popular superheroes, respectively, and sell the most comics for an individual character.  That's why there are nineteen Batman titles and The Amazing Spider-Man is published sixteen times per month.  I exaggerate, but you get my point.  Anywho, it only felt natural that Marvel give Spidey a flirtatious good girl/bad girl character, too.  Hence, the Black Cat.  While I didn't mind the Black Cat, I never thought of her as anything but a two-dimensional Catwoman clone.

I read the latest Black Cat mini-series and thought it was pretty crappy (see my review).  In doing a little background work for my review, that's when I discovered that Black Cat had another mini-series back in 2002/2005*, written by writer/director/actor Kevin Smith.  The official title of the six-issue limited series is Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do, but it's primarily a story about Black Cat with Spider-Man's name thrown in there for sales purposes. 

*Apparently, Mr. Smith couldn't finish the story in 2002.  Issues 1-3 were published in 2002 and issues 4-6 were published in 2005.  Lame?  Yes.  Luckily, I didn't purchase the series in 2002 and then again in 2005 because I would have been totally lost.  I recently bought the COMPLETE set off eBay and got to read it in its entirety in one sitting. 

Despite Smith's apparent lack of dedication to the story, I was undoubtedly impressed by the final product's gritty and mature subject matter:  drugs, rape, and incest.  Both were treated very well and were vital to the overall story.  Smith balanced these heavy subjects by injecting humor, pop culture references, and flirtations between the Black Cat and the then-married Spider-Man.  

The series gave me a new appreciation for Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat.  Smith created a three-dimensional version of her, something I had never seen before.  He offered a lot of background to her life, showing us why she is who she is today.  The background stories were as interesting, moving, and sobering as the unfortunately canceled Emma Frost series. 

Reading "The Evil That Men Do" makes me want a monthly Black Cat series.  If only it was done right and she was treated as a three-dimensional character, and not like she appeared in the recent poorly written and poorly illustrated 2010 Black Cat limited series, or even the lame wannabe Sex and the City 2009 Marvel Divas limited series.   It also makes me think that now that Peter Parker is single again (thanks to the stupid time-altering Spider-Man "Brand New Day" and "One More Day" storylines), perhaps he and Felicia should explore a serious relationship together.