Warrior Woman Wednesdays #20 by Kate Krimson

Power Girl #20 (“Beasts of Burden”)-DC Comics-$2.99

4 stars out of 5


Summary:


Lawyers are meeting with Simon Peters. He is representing Karen Starr (aka Power Girl) of Starrware, since she is unable to make it to the meeting. The lawyers are angry that Karen is missing another meeting, but Simon tells them that she couldn’t make it because “something of great importance needed attending to and it couldn’t be rescheduled.” The company is in trouble because it’s missing a lot of money, which Starr is claiming was embezzled by an employee, named Donna Anderson, who was found dead. The lawyers need Starr on record saying this or all of Starrware’s assets are going to be seized by the bank for their defaulted loans.


Karen’s more important engagement is fighting a giant white four-armed monkey-like monster named Caspian. After fighting Caspian, more monsters arrive to fight Karen. These monsters, including Caspian, are the G.E.L.F.s (Genetically Engineered Life Forms) of Professor Anthony Ivo of New Cadmus, a genetic research facility. Karen fights off the monsters and then flies into and through the wall of New Cadmus. New Cadmus is a thorn in Power Girl’s side. They have created her villain, C.R.A.S.H, and made a clone of her called Divine.


Inside New Cadmus, Karen gets her friend, Nicco, access to the company’s computer files. She also finds a kennel filled with New Cadmus’ monster creations. She comes upon a clone of Krypto, Superman’s dog, after he attacks her with heat vision. However, Clone-Krypto seems to recognize Power Girl and starts licking her face. Nicco has Batman store all the stolen intel in his files, while Clone-Krypto and Power Girl fight off more monsters. Max Lord shoots Clone-Krypto and paralyzes Power Girl using his mind. He “convinces” her to go after the Justice League International, who he says is harboring the man who killed one of her teammates.


Writer (Judd Winick): The key to a great storyline, especially in a comic book, is suspense. Winick has this key in the ignition and is driving on the highway of “What Happens Next.” The reader wants to know what is going to happen to Starrware. Is the company going to lose everything or somehow prevail? The reader also wants to know if Power Girl really is going to fight the JLI or if she will snap out of the spell that Max Lord put on her.


Illustrator (Sami Basri): Combat is typically where a comic book artist’s talent comes to light the most. Action is what people want to see in comics. Pow! Wham! Bam! Thank you Ma’am! Basri does deliver this with Power Girl’s battles with Ivo’s bizarre monsters. However, the battle scenes are not where Basri’s best work can be seen. Caspian is Basri’s best creation. His emotions appear the most real, mainly anger and pain. He is also a great depiction of what the human mind can imagine. As Nicco puts it, he is “an albino King Kong with four arms.” Now that’s an image that will stick your mind.

Warrior Woman Wednesdays #19 by Kate Krimson

Spider-Girl #1 (“Family Values”)-Marvel-$3.99

3.5 out 5 stars

Summary:

In New York City, Anya Corazon/Spider-Girl is chasing the thief known as Screwball, who likes to record her burglaries and post them online. Spider-Girl makes Twitter updates about her whereabouts. Spider-Girl punches Screwball out and gives her over to the cops.

Anya goes to school and texts Gil, her dad, during her time in the halls of learning. When she gets home, her dad is still arranging things in their new home. Susan Richards/Invisible Woman comes over to keep Anya company, while Gil goes out to find some information for an article he is writing. Anya tries to get some advice from Susan on how to make friends, while taking a stroll in the city. During their walk, they knock out two purse snatchers. Susan gets a call that the Fantastic Four are needed and the Thing picks her up.

Anya stops two men who are trying to carjack a woman out of her automobile. She also stops another car thief, a jewel thief, a cell phone thief, and a cat thief. She tries calling her dad a couple of times, but he doesn’t answer. Turns out the Red Hulk was the cause of the Fantastic Four and Gil’s problem. The Red Hulk knocked over a piece of the building, which landed on Gil. While Anya tries to save her father, the Fantastic Four try to control the Red Hulk.


Writer (Paul Tobin): The cover of this comic declares “Warning! The only things standing between you and the most synapse-shattering super hero debut of the decade are your hands and this cover!” It didn’t deliver. The storyline is interesting, but definitely not “synapse-shattering” especially since it left the most action packed conflict to a mere glimpse at the end.

Illustrator (Clayton Henry): Henry does a wonderful job of capturing Spider-Girl in flight and in combat. He also depicts the fury within the Red Hulk quite well.

Spider-Girl #1 - comiXology

Warrior Woman Wednesdays #18 by Kate Krimson

Nancy in Hell #4-Image Comics-$2.99

5 out of 5 stars

At the beginning of the final installment of this mini comic series, Charon denies Lucifer’s request to take him and Nancy across the river Acheron to the gates of Hell. (Clarifier: Lucifer and Nancy are the protagonists of this tale). Lucifer convinces Charon to take them across the river by telling him that he can free himself from his “eternal burden” and that “what is written can be rewritten.” Mr. Macabre, the villain, walks on top of the rivers treacherous waters, like an evil, creepy Jesus, in order to follow them. The river begins attacking the boat. Nancy falls into the waters, where the souls try to capture her, but Lucifer rescues her.

They arrive at the Gates of Hell. Charon decides to keep doing his job as the Ferryman because it is “his destiny” and “his choice.” As they try to open the Gates, the lost souls of Hell attack them. Nancy as usual uses a chainsaw to defend herself. Lucifer tries to talk the souls out of attacking them and when that doesn’t work, he turns them into dust with a single blast of his power. The ground beneath them begins to shake and break. A monster rises from the ground. The monster is “everything that men believe” of Lucifer. Lucifer tells Nancy to go open the Gates. Mr. Macabre shows up and helps Nancy start to open the Gates. He tries to convince Nancy to leave Lucifer behind, but she calls him over and they both walk out of the Gates of Hell to other side, which destroys the monster.

After Nancy and Lucifer go to the other side, it becomes apparent that Mr. Macabre is the one who murdered Nancy. He killed Nancy because she was the only soul who could change Hell. Lucifer and Nancy arrive on Earth, near San Diego. They encounter one tiny problem: they forgot to close the Gates behind them. Now Hell is on Earth.

Writer (El Torres): El Torres has written probably one of, if not, the best comic book series of this year. His series creates a Hell that is a living thing that feeds off of Lucifer’s sorrow and off of the human imagination. It forces the readers to think (Oh No!) about their beliefs. Is Hell a real place or just a human concept? If it’s just a creation of the human mind, then what kind of monster is humanity?

Art (Juan Jose Ryp, Malaka Studio, and Antonio Vasquez): Throughout the series, these artists have managed to capture one of the most graphic depictions of Hell. The often horrific images remind us why there is the phrase “It will scare the Hell out of you.” That is exactly what their artistry does.

P.S. If you missed this series, you can pick up the graphic novel on January 19th.

Nancy In Hell TP - comiXology

Can All Feminists Get Along? By Kate Krimson

I think that often in America we forget that a feminist is a person who believes that women and men should have equal rights. Many liberals and conservatives are feminists. Many men and women are feminists. Yet the media tries to make it look like that to be a feminist you must be a liberal woman. Why does the media create such a big divide between what they consider true feminists and what an actual feminist is? There is only one reason for the big divide and that’s the abortion issue. It is the main issue on which feminists disagree. As if one issue could possibly define a whole group of people who are fed up with inequality. While there is one issue that feminists disagree on, there are so many on which they agree: the end to child prostitution both in the U.S. and abroad, the end to the sexual assault that continues to go unpunished in the U.S. military, and more.

Many feminists can agree that when women run for office the media makes them bigger targets for harsh and often sexist criticism than their male counterparts.



In the last few minutes of this clip, Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin show how they agree on this issue, even though they belong to different parties. Also, Palin shows admiration and gratitude for what Ferraro has done in her political career which has paved the road for the women that have followed her into the political sphere.

Both liberal and conservative media agree that the so-called “honor killings” that have been taking place in the Middle East and elsewhere are backward and monstrous. Both Ms. Magazine’s Blog and the National Review discussed the attempted “honor killing” of Harry Potter movie star, Afshan Azad, by her father and brother for her dating a Hindu man. Anushay Hossain in her Ms. Blog called the event is part “an unfortunate but very real and rising trend amongst the British-Muslim community.” (http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/07/03/harry-potter-star-may-have-been-in-attempted-honor-killing/)Phyllis Chesler in her National Review article called “honor killings” a problem that is “vast and growing.” (http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/232735/honor-killings-rise-phyllis-chesler).

When it comes to feminism, politics, and life in general I think it is time that we stop dividing ourselves and start unifying ourselves. An issue has more power when more people are behind it, but with dividing lines between us we will never be strong enough to overturn vicious ways of past and present for the future.

Woman Warrior Wednesdays #17 by Kate Krimson

Women of Marvel #1-Marvel-$3.99

2 out of 5 stars


Summary:


Story #1: “Medusa in Thrones” (Written by G. Willow Wilson and Illustrated by Peter Nguyen)


Crystal and Karnak are playing a chess-like game called Bak Taga. Crystal does not like playing it. When Karnak starts to make fun of her for disliking the game, Maximus comes into say that he doesn’t like it either. Medusa tells everyone to be quiet before Dr. Nial hears them because they are supposed to be studying. Maximus challenges everyone to run into the throne room and to sit on the first throne without being caught by an adult. Medusa goes into throne room. Two adults, Crystal’s mom and dad, are in there. Medusa lets them know that the kids are playing a game. When the others get there, Crystal’s parents start yelling at them. During the commotion, Medusa sits on the throne and wins the game.


Story #2: “Black Magic Women” (Written by Marc Bernardin and Illustrated by Romina Moranelli)


Black Cat and Satana are trying to steal the same treasure, a cameo that belonged to the last witch burned at the stake during the Salem Witch Trials. (Historically inaccurate by the way. 19 people were hanged during the Salem Trials and one man was pressed to death. No one was burned at the stake). They start fighting and Black Cat escapes on a modern, rocket-powered witch’s broom. Black Cat brings the cameo to Joaquin, the man who paid her to steal it. Joaquin wanted it because he’s a demon and it would make him stronger to wear that cameo. After hearing that, Black Cat decides not to give him the cameo. Satana shows up and together they kick Joaquin butt. Satana sends him back to hell. Black Cat and Satana decide to be friends.


Story #3: “Love and Illusion” (Written by John Layman and Illustrated by Davide Gianfelice)


Larry works at a hotel because Amora is a regular. She uses men for their money and throws them out when their broke. When she speaks to Larry, she calls him “Worm.” Jason Wyngarde shows up at the hotel and asks to rent the most expensive room. Amora is not happy about this man’s arrival. Apparently he can bewitch people just like Amora can and make duplicates of people. Larry punches out the fake Amora that Wyngarde conjured up. Amora makes Wyngarde “disappear.” After this, Amora stops going to that hotel and Larry finds out that Amora is an Asgardian sorceress. Larry is somewhat angry that is love for her was nothing but a spell, but he also likes the fact that “for the briefest moment in time a goddess knew his name.”


Review: Unlike the Girl Comics series that Marvel put out earlier this year, Women of Marvel appears to want to give a negative view of women. Medusa is smart, but uses her intelligence to beat the others in a game and get the others in trouble for playing the same game. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t betrayed Crystal, who’s the innocent child in all of this.


Satana and Black Cat wear outfits that were designed to pull a Janet Jackson/”wardrobe malfunction,” while they fight each other and the demon-man Joaquin.


Amora doesn’t need any explaining when it comes to how she’s a negative female image. She uses men for their money. She reels people in by putting spells on them. She’s like the Paris Hilton of Asgard.

Woman Warrior Wednesdays #16 by Kate Krimson

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home-Batgirl –DC Comics - $2.99



Summary: Stephanie Brown aka Batgirl is defending Waynetech Research and Development from an intruder who shoots a “frickin’ laser beam” from his head (How often can you plug a Dr. Evil line). Barbara Gordon aka the Oracle, who gives Batgirl advice while she fights, thinks the bad guy may be Amazo, but for the meantime they decide to just call him, Casper, since he can make himself invisible like a ghost. Casper manages to get away.


Oracle thinks about calling in the Birds of Prey to take care of this and tells Batgirl to stay out of it for the time being. Of course, Batgirl is not the type that listens to any sort of advice. She does some investigating of her own while Proxy/Wendy Harris gives her the down low. While searching for clues, she gets surrounded by a gang of guys. She kicks their butts and then flees the scene. Via some more investigating, Batgirl finds out that Casper is Bruce Wayne, who is testing Batgirl’s skills. A Ms. Vicki Vale tells Oracle that knows who Batman is. After a heated discussion on the superhero gang, Vale walks away and Oracle takes out what looks like an iPhone and it says on the screen “Data clone complete.” Stephanie tells Bruce that she’s not giving up being Batgirl just because he’s back in the picture.


Bruce tells Alfred that both Stephanie and Wendy need looking after because they are both daughters of criminals. Alfred says Bruce didn’t need to test Stephanie to know that the Bat way of life is within her. Bruce says it was more like giving her the second chance that she deserved.


What I liked: Stephanie gets an A+ in Superhero 101 from Batman.


What I Hated: Not finding out who Ms. Vale is.


The Current Song in My Head – Well it’s more like three and there all from One-Eyed Doll’s album Break


“Murder Ballad”






“New Orleans”





“Redneck Love Song”

Rock N' Rol Hall of Fame 2011 Nominations by Kate Krimson

I hate the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. My two big reasons are they are constantly inducting non-rock-n’-roll icons and that they seem to keep passing over great women in rock.



Here are this year’s nominees:


Alice Cooper
Beastie Boys
Bon Jovi
Chic
Neil Diamond
Donovan
Dr. John
J. Geils Band
LL Cool J
Darlene Love
Laura Nyro
Donna Summer
Joe Tex
Tom Waits
Chuck Willis


4 out of 15 of these nominees are either solo female artists or bands that have female members and not a single one of them is a woman of rock. Even with numbers like these, I still find it shocking every year that Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Heart, and The Runaways are not on the nominees list. Why are they not on the list? The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame probably doesn’t want to induct any real rockin’ women. They tend to induct women pop stars/divas, like Madonna, the girls from Abba, and Aretha Franklin. Mariah Carey will be in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame way before Wendy O ever is. A powerful and aggressive female scares the supposed rock experts, who claim to be defenders of rock n’ roll and who vote for the nominees. Even the people who represent the form of music that says “Screw you. I am going to be true to myself whether you like it or not,” are trying to keep women in that little box known as the feminine mystique.

Another problem is that Hall of Fame rarely inducts actual rock n’ roll artists. 3 out of the 15 above nominees classify as some sort of rock. If the Hall of Fame wants to keep Rock N’ Roll in their name, they may want to stick to inducting rock n’ roll artists. There are plenty of worthy nominees. There are the rockin’ women I listed above. Kiss has been nominated, but not inducted. In four years Nine Inch Nails and Nirvana will be eligible.

 Here are the Hall of Fame’s qualifications for nomination: an artist’s first record must be 25 years old and the artist must have made a significant impact in rock n’ roll. What do you think? Do you think they are skipping over some artists on purpose or not? Why do you think they are driving away from the genre they claim to represent? Just like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of Tootsie Pop, the world may never know.