In last week's Materioptikon post, I was critical of adult themes embedded in the cartoony style of Dini and Timm's Harley and Ivy series. Because of its sensationalised, cheesecake approach, it's not a graphic novel collection that I would feel comfortable about seeing in our school library and that dismays me.
https://materioptikon.wordpress.com/2016/04/16/a-plant-in-the-audience/
So today, I thought I'd post about some underrated Marvel titles that might redress the balance, in the vein of G. Willow Wilson's wonderful Ms. Marvel.
Like Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat ( which portrays LGBT characters in a very honest but age-appropriate way- and without the frisson of H&I), Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a current, ongoing series that hasn't been collected yet. However, unlike PWAH, it's one that seems clearly directed at a young audience.
Luna Lafeyette is a 9-year-old prodigy who fears becoming an Inhuman and hopes to use a Kree Omni-Wave projector to cure herself. But she accidentally opens a time portal bringing Kirby's Devil Dinosaur and the Killer-Folk to Yancy Street. Amadeus Cho, the Totally Awesome Hulk is a guest star. While in the modern, compressed style of storytelling- the first four issues feel very slow-moving- Montclare, Reeder and Bustos deliver a comic that's vividly coloured and charming.
I suppose, in a way, ultra-perky Doreen Green is Marvel's answer to Plastic Man. A wacky satire of Silver Age sidekicks, Squirrel Girl was a bizarre addition to Brian Bendis's gritty, urban, grindcore New Avengers about five years ago.
The collected Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is certainly zany and Galactus' stoner dialogue is quite amusing: " A dude's gotta eat. Peace." "Thanos...what a tool". But perhaps Ryan North and Erica Henderson try a little too hard to be quirky. There are minuscule ironic footnotes at the bottom of the page in the first issue- I was barely able to decipher them.
The first TPB reprints the Ditko debut of Squirrel Girl from 1991. Ditko's open-mouthed Iron Man looks stunned throughout, perhaps deliberately and it overstays its welcome for a gag strip. But the angst-free and irrepressibly upbeat Doreen is a refreshing alternative to the increasingly pompous celluloid superhero.
Groot, spinning out of the Guardians of The Galaxy movie with its pre-FF Marvel monster star, is the most satisfying of the three series reviewed today. Very funny but less self-aware than Squirrel Girl, creators Loveness and Kesinger reveal here the origins of the Groot/Rocket team. Friendship is a key concern of the series.
There are cameos from The Silver Surfer and his companion, Dawn Greenwood; the return of Numinus ( an obscure entity from Power Pack!); affectionate parodies of Jor-El, Lara and ROM ; a gaggle of hopeless Skrull invaders and delightful visual gags referencing both the death of Ferro Lad and the legendary Wolverine/Hellfire Club clash of 1980. Recommended!
Spider-Gwen Most Wanted is probably Marvel's answer to the Batgirl of Burnside: ostentatiously contemporary but joyous and buoyant. Sweet and pretty Gwen, the best thing about the Andrew Garfield Spidey movies after the lead himself, becomes empowered as Spider-Woman in this "Elseworlds"-y series,
One of the fascinations of parallel world stories is seeing the paths not taken by familiar characters. Here, Peter Parker became the Lizard and his death motivates Gwen but with virtually no tweaks, the Vulture becomes a ghoulish and monstrous antagonist. However, the real villain is Matt Murdock, frighteningly portrayed as the Kingpin's devious lawyer. We also glimpse Ben Parker, Frank (Punisher) Castle and Hobie (Prowler) Brown. Peter Porker: Spider-Ham appears also in a Jiminy Cricket -or is that Bat-Mite?- role.
Neon colours pop throughout but Gwen does swear like a trooper so I wouldn't class this series as all-ages like the others. Balancing new responsibilities and consequences, would-be rock star and policeman's daughter Gwen is a identification figure for teens, however.
Coming soon: Bullets and Bracelets
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Out of all the comics you reviewed here, Dougie, the only one that even vaguely appeals to me is the Groot one. Am I getting old? On the subject of certain themes being incorporated in today's comics (something on which we disagree - 'though not about swearing or 'sex' scenes), I just wish writers would concern themselves with entertaining readers instead of trying to influence them by peddling their own pet agendas.
ReplyDeleteI'd say Groot was the least self-consciously quirky and most likeable. I find Patsy Walker/Hellcat a bit cute and camp for my taste and Squirrel Girl was too wacky. Spider-Gwen is both more "Marvel" IMO.
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