Emiko Superstar

Emiko Superstar is written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Steve Rolston. It is the latest of the Minx line that I have read, and while it is not my least favorite of the line, I probably won't be buying it (I borrowed it from the library). The art grew on me. I didn't care for it at first, but I got past that quickly, and ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Everyone has different tastes, so I am not suggesting the art is bad. I never thought it was bad, but some styles apeal more than others to me, and some grow on me over time, and some are just like brick walls in the way of my enjoying a comic (I feel this way about the art of one of the current big two rising superstar artists right now... but that is for another post).

The writing is ok, but I don't like the story. I'm not sure what I want from it, but it doesn't deliver in a way I think it should, and some of it borders on unlikable (without a hook that makes you feel that being unlikable is half the point.) I think the issue might not seem so pronounced to me if there weren't so many things going on in the book. What is this about? Is it about the geek coming into her own as an artist? Learning to feel comfortable in her own skin? Is it about the sense of breaking in to new and magical world? Is it about relationships and... betrayals? Is it about rebellion? Is it about how friendships change? Is it some anolog of Andy Warhol's heyday in the sixties? The answer is kind of and not really to all of those, and probably more.

I think all of this could have been accomplished. I think some of it was, but in way less detail than I would liked to have seen it. I guess I didn't find the characters to be sympathetic. I guess I found the view of art and performance and 'rebellion' that was presented in the 'Janes' books to be more compelling than the look at me punk aesthetic with beer that is central to the whole scene that is shown in this book.

Emiko is a geek and isn't satisfied with that. Emi sees one of those people who seems to exist outside of reality running through a mall tossing flyers around. That is what she wants to be. A look at me punk artist. She makes a goal out of performing at a 'punk art' club where half the performers use food in their acts and the others seem to be shocking or mysterious. To gain her entrance there, she develops an act based on a very personal diary she is sneaking into at the home of the people she is babysitting for. Her act seems to consist solely of her reading or speaking the entries as written. The nice young suburban mom with the droolly baby and the asshole husband is a secret lesbian!! and the edgy and deep act that Emiko has really is just her wearing a retro dress of her cool Grandmother, and reading this lady's private thoughts .

I just can't get into it. There are a lot of great potential points in this book that if given more attention would really flesh things out in a way that I think would strengthen it, we don't really get those, so it is like a slice of life, moment in time thing rather than a fully realized story in my opinion. I don't think it is awful. It may not even be bad at all, but I don't love it. I understand that I am a nearly 40 year old guy, and it could be argued that I am not the demographic a line of books marketed to teen girls is looking for... But I think this reads like something trying to appeal to that demographic, but missing the boat on a truth about marketing to people that want to read this format, which is... write good stories that don't pander.

Good As Lily

I went to the library today and returned the giant pile of books I had out, and left with a new giant pile of books. I picked up some really good stuff, including this book.

Good As Lily is another Minx title. It's written by Derek Kim with art by Jesse Hamm. At first I was a little put off by the art. That was my first reaction, and I am not sure exactly what about it was off-putting to me, but the feeling didn't last very long. I can't say it is my favorite style, but especially when it comes to certain characters in the story, it's perfect. I went to Jesse Hamm's web site to see if i could find other examples of his art, and his site shows a variety of pieces in a variety of styles, and all very well done.  This helps, as I believe it was a conscious style choice to draw it the way it was. The bottom line here is that although at first I wasn't sure i would like it based on the art, once I started reading it grew on me immediately and worked well.

The story is a little bit reminiscent of the Disney movie 'The Kid' where Bruce Willis finds himself taking care of himself as a little boy.  Grace, the main character, is a Korean-American girl who lost her older sister Lily when she was 8 and Grace was 6.  On Grace's 18th birthday she ends up running into three other versions of herself from different points in her life.  She finds herself housing herself as a younger child, as a twenty-nine year old, and as a very old lady. Each of them needs somethng resolved, and each of them stays with her until they are able to see resolution of their specfic issues.

This all plays out in what I assume is her senior year of High-School where she is surrounded by a cast of characters and a school play that may not get to happen unless drastic action is taken. This is a well done story. It made me cry... Don't you dare judge me! I had something in my eye, I swear... Ok, It made me cry fair and square, but I am a sort of sap and easy to tear up.  I recommend this title, and will probably buy a copy of it (and PLAIN Janes) next time I have cash in my pocket.

Janes in Love

Today was a miserable comic book day for me, so I decided to make my own happiness. In addition to Previews, and the first issue of the new Vixen Mini, I decided to pick up Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg. I recently talked about the Plain Janes in another post. Unlike that volume, which I borrowed from the library, I actually paid for this one with my own money and get to keep it without having to pay fines.

It was a quick read, but a good one, and certainly worth the 10 bucks I paid for it. These are good comics. Not 'Good comics for girls' or 'good comics if you are a young adult', but good comics that are also apropriate for a young adult audience and that look at the world from a young female perspective. I guess every few posts I have to say that I love Jim Rugg. He's a great artist and seems like a nice guy from the two shows I have encountered him at. I consider anyone who can stand in front of me while I am babbling on and be nice about it to be a nice guy.

We get the same characters from the first book moved forward just a bit in time to around early March. There are some tensions regarding boys, or the lack of boys, some stress about the continuing activities of P.L.A.I.N. and a bit of a sad parallel plot piece about Main Jane's Mom not leaving the house after an old friend of hers is killed in an anthrax attack. Jane hears back from the man in Poland whose life she saved, and whose sketch book she had held onto in the last book. He is a poet, and he is a friend to her from a distance. He also provides her with an idea that she uses to further the scope of P.L.A.I.N.'s mission.

During this book, feelings are hurt, Jane's are arrested, people stand up for the cause and relationships blossom while others are re-defined or re-affirmed. It's good stuff, I recommend that you buy it. It's too late for us to save Minx, but it's not too late to enjoy a good read.

Minx - Twofer 2... Two-ferther

This is another Minx post from me, but not yet THAT Minx post from me. That post will come soon, but not yet. This is the post where I talk about the two Minx books I just borrowed from the library and read. These were both even better than the other two I read.

The Plain Janes - Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg. I am a big Jim Rugg fan, and have wanted to read this since it came out.  I was not familiar with Cecil Castellucci prior to this, but will check out her other stuff based on the strength of this one. I am a big fan of Teen Movies. I can't help it, it's my secret shame, or would be if I was actually ashamed of it. 10 things I hate about you, Can't hardly wait, etc. etc. etc. I generally like them. I thought this book read like what a good teen movie should be, and a bit more.

This story has pretty great depth without seeming deep or coming across heavy handed. It's about friendship and finding your place and free expression and art and the desire to be a part of something bigger and the need to be true to yourself, and the sense of helplessness we can feel in post '9-11' America. The fun part to me is how The main character Jane (MainJane) arrives at her new school and snubs the pretty and popular table to sit with the 'rejects' that she sees as her tribe. She isn't immediately embraced by them either, and at no point in the story does she betray them or act in a way that is untrue to her self.

The Re-Gifters - Mike Carey, Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel

I love the art in this book, and the story even moreso. This story is a bit simpler than Plain Janes, but that doesn't make it shallow. It's a pretty standard sort of story with some unexpected bits and some nice twists in it. It is a believable and understandable story. That's not to say that it is fully realistic, but it's... real.

The nice thing about this story is that the main character is a Korean girl, and while we get a good feeling for that in her narration and references to culture and such, the cast of this story is wildly diverse, and none of it feels forced or fake. It is a story about a kid in LA, post-Rodney King riots, but still feeling the repercussions of that event to some degree. Those things just flow naturally around the story, and again, as the story is well written, it only adds to the total piece, making it feel like it is a real place and time with real people in it.

Both of these books are excellent and I recommend them to anyone who likes things that are nice and anyone who likes well written and well drawn comics. I made my 14 year old daughter at least try to read these books, as well as the two I had previously talked about, and she mostly read them, and liked them. I say mostly, because I think she skimmed parts of them. We talked about the books and the imprint going under as well as her tastes in comics and fiction and what mattered and didn't to her.  Some of that, however, will have to wait until I post THAT post about Minx.

MINX - a two-fer

I read my first two minx titles tonight. You know me, I like everything. I have been wanting to read these things since the imprint started, but I haven't ever found myself without something else I wanted more. My most recent trip to the library yielded two books from the line, Blabbermouth and Clubbing.

Clubbing is the story of a London goth who makes a fake ID and gets picked up by the police, and subsequently sent to live with her grandparents way out in the country. The story is weird, but not without some nice elements. I am generally in love with Josh Howards art. This book is no real exception, and it pretty much looks decent start to finish, but doesn't knock my socks off.

The story is ok,  but seems a bit hurried.  It also has a plot twist that sort of makes me long for the movie Hot Fuzz. Sadly, I don't think it does quite enough of any of the things it touches on, and our female lead isn't particularly endearing, while not really edgy enough or strong enough to pull off the main character role.  Over all, I think it's just ok.

Blabbermouth is another story set in England (with a vacation to the US in the middle of it). The story is credited to Mike Carey and his daughter Louise. I am a fan of his work on Lucifer, and I have not read the Re-Gifters, his other book for minx. It is fantastically illustrated by Aaron Alexovich.

We get characters with flaws, but none of whom are irredeemable(well not our main cast at least). It's a little bit like an after school special, but not annoyingly so. It is actually a bit like parts of several after school specials rolled into one, but not quite. Ultimately, girl empowerment and standing up for yourself and your friends are showcased and things end up much better than how they started.

The thing I don't love about these books is the Vanity Fair quote that they both carry which proclaims 'You don't have to be a comic book geek to dig... MINX' I just hate that sort of thing.