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Comics and Why I'm Now Into Them

I've resisted comics for a long time. Sure, I read Maus and Persepolis and Fun Home, but those are graphic novels, damnit, and do not count. Or they half-count. I don't know, the point is I tried comic books time and time again and ALWAYS found myself both bewildered and bored.

UNTIL.


When I was in NYC, I went to Forbidden Planet, which is a nerd shop right next to The Strand. Out of some obstinate feminist impulse, I decided every man in there assumed girls don't read comics and that I would prove them WRONG PERSONALLY MYSELF by walking around like I knew what the hell I was doing.


I wasn't reeeeally planning on getting something until I saw Princess Leia


Who doesn't love Leia Organa, princess of Alderaan (wait, if her parents are dead, is she queen? why do they keep calling her princess? someone check into this please) and an integral part of the rebellion against the Empire. 

She's kind of just generally awesome

This comic series takes place after Episode IV, aka A New Hope, aka the first Star Wars movie made. Leia finds out the Empire is planning on hunting down all the remaining Alderaanians and she decides to find them first. With the help of a lady pilot who's flying her around! I instantly assumed there was already slash fiction about them, but there is NOT. What. Internet, you have disappointed me. 

So I bought issues 1 &2 of that, then chatted with my delightful friend Meghan over dinner that evening about how with comics, you really just need a window to jump through. The comic world is huge and there's just an overwhelming amount of material and backstory, but if you find a writer, or an artist you like, that can get you started. She recommended Sex Criminals and Bitch Planet. So accordingly:

ELEKTRA IS SUCH A PRETTY COMIC

I also just got Lumberjanes in the mail yesterday and I. am. amused. 

Sex Criminals is about two people who, when they orgasm, time stops. But just for them. And they can wander around in it and commit crimes. I KNOW BUT IT'S REALLY GOOD OK.

Manifest Destiny is right in my wheelhouse, as it's Lewis and Clark going west, but their secret mission is to fight monsters. There's a comic for everyone, you guys.

YISSSS.

I only have like issue 8 of Elektra so I'm still not...totally positive...what it's about. There's a lady and she has knives or katanas or something? And also dances? But fights bad guys while wearing scarves? I don't know how it's good, except oh yeah -- Mike Del Mundo does the art for it and it's SO PRETTY and he's going to be at C2E2 next week and I am going to harass him.

Bitch Planet is something I'm going to keep reading, but I'm also on the fence about it. Sometimes things are tooooo reactionary? But overall, a comic about a planet of non-compliant women which also gets into their backstories probably makes me happy.

As with most things I like, I've kind of dived into this headfirst and am spreading myself TOO THIN too fast, but there's just so damn much stuff. I have the new Hawkeye series by Matt Fraction on hold at the library, as well as the first volume of The Walking Dead. And I kind of want to start Fables

Seems good.

Aside from the intimidating wealth of material, the two things that kept me from comic books for so long were cost + length. It's like $4 for something that takes not-very-long to read! My brain was so against this! And the only follow-up I can give to that is "Eh, it takes longer than you'd think." 

But ALSO, there's this wonderful feeling of camaraderie and being a part of something that happens when you go into a comic book shop SPECIFICALLY to get the newest issue of something. Since almost all new releases of things happen online nowadays, it feels nostalgic and refreshing to go into a brick & mortar store and ask for the new Princess Leia (to which they will answer "Oh, it's not out yet -- yeah, the back of the comic says today, but they mess up their schedule a lot," but it's ok, because both of you are frustrated and that's more camaraderie).

I am so excited! One of the last frontiers of Nerdery Entertainment has opened up to me and I'm super-into it. 

Please be telling me the comics you are/have been enjoying, THAT I MIGHT ADD THEM TO MY LIST.

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