Xposted at ComicsPlusBlog
I have a few major entertainment purchases in mind for the Fall, the first of which being a Fry Daddy. And anyone who knows me knows I’m not kidding. I have a vision of deep-fried brownie appetizers and chicken fried chicken entrees. Dessert would kill a lesser man from just looking at it. I plan to lick a raw hot dog to stay svelte and have an unethical doctor transfuse me with blood from five-year olds. And not the morbidly obese Xbox-bound five-year olds either. The active kind with ruddy cheeks and a zest for life. My guy knows a guy in Pleasantville.
But more in keeping with the spirit of this site, I’m desperately looking forward to Volume One of the Bloom County Complete Library from IDW. Is there anyone who grew up in the 80’s or who has a sense of the importance of this strip who isn’t ordering it? Hell, pre-order it at Amazon.com and get 34% off (I did!) just to give it a try if you’ve never heard if it before.
Berekley Breathed’s Bloom County was the strip that defined the 80’s (God help me, those were my high school years) for me and formed my sense of humor and my politics (mostly a sense of being able to mock politics). Though the strip started off with a heavy conservative slant – an early one shows Milo and his grandfather hunting the endangered American Liberal with a lure of “Socialized medicine! Socialized medicine!” – it became more moderate over time, even going so far, some may say, as to embrace a liberal agenda (or at least a position that allowed for more editorial-type cartooning of both sides of the Aisle) showing respect for Jesse Jackson as a presidential contender, though one Mr. Jones says that it was not then time for a black President (oh, foresight!). Of course, I didn’t know that. All I knew was that the cast of Bloom County had impeccable comic timing and totally quotable lines. Even today when mocking pretentious, name-dropping boobs, I often fall back on, “Oh, and give Imelda a squeeze for me.” Dated, but it brings a smile to my face.
Though many today probably don’t remember (indeed, or even care about) Imelda Marcos, it moments like that which make the Complete Bloom County even more important. While strips like Cathy highlighted and lamented the woes of singleshood and expanding waistlines, and For Better or for Worse documented the growth of a family, Bloom County may be the most comprehensive record of event of the 1980’s outside of Doonesbury. It’s more than a comic strip – it’s an historical document of feminism, sexism, political correctness, the downfall of parenting and personal responsibility, the ADA, election years, the rise of televangelism, popery, and the financial excesses spawned while the MTV generation was grooving to “The Safety Dance”. And this is all to say nothing of the impact Bloom County had on popular culture. This is me and my friend Mike at Niagara Falls circa 1989. Notice (if you can; we were using a Disc Camera) his holding Opus and my wearing a Billy and the Boingers t-shirt. Try not to notice whatever is going on with my face and the distressingly short shorts.
IDW plans to publish five volumes of strips starting this October with a new volume released every six months. Don’t take my word for it, but there’s going to be a lot of joy and love put into this project. You should really be there for it.
This probably isn’t the time to mention my Ally McBeal Complete Season One pre-order….
The folks over at CPB are taking a week off to get ourselves ready to advance from beta to… is it “alpha”? “The Omega Opening” (and doesn’t that sound tawdry?)? I have no idea. What happens after “beta”? Whatever it’s called, we’re heading there and I get to come back here to Orthocomics, do my reviews, and figure out what’s to become of the blog while CPB takes off.
Batman and Robin #3: Like a steak and potato dinner, this was satisfying. Very satisfying. Like, eating said steak and potato dinner, sleeping for a few days to wake up and discover you’ve lost 7 pounds not from a wasting disease satisfying. Leave it to GMo to come up with an airborne addiction and sound effects like “HAUUU NAUUUUU!” Frightening. A-
Batman: Widening Gyre #1: If I’m going to point Fingers of Blame ™ at anyone for this… let’s call it “a second chance gone awry”, it’ll be Mike Marts and Dan Didio for failing to do their jobs as editors. I know that Kevin Smith is pretty famous for his spaghetti-and-aspic-on-the-wall-let’s-see-what-sticks-and-gels approach to writing; I also know that mileage varies from work to work (compare Dogma to Chasing Amy). Yet for some reason, Marts and Didio seem to have not known this, or at least didn’t let it bother them in the editing process. I’ll admit that I bought this issue for the cover art (levels and levels above the interior art) and the title (“Widening Gyre”, how cool of a title is that?), so anything beyond this should be gravy, right? Sure, but lumpy, orange-flavored beef gravy? Maybe not so much. The mish-mash of multiple guest stars, incongruent backstories, and out-of-character speeches (Batman: “Sonnuva.. the kid pulled a ME.”; Etrigan: “No way…”) and nonchalant conflict resolution read more as “we need to fill pages” than “we’re telling a complex story”. D
Detective Comics #856: I still can’t put into exact words why I like this series as much as I do. The story has the hallucinogenic effect of Alice in Wonderland, a dream populated by bleary-eyed sleepers and hunters. I do know that I have to pick up the Crime Bible: Five Lessons in Blood to get a better handle on what this Religion of Crime is all about. B+
Madame Xanadu #14: There’s wisdom that says “No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!” but I’ve been expecting it to turn its attention to Madame X and her lady-love Marisol for some time now. I applaud these women for being bold enough to stay in Spain while, ya know, people are being killed to the left and right around them for offenses far less serious than acting out scenes from “Hot Babes in Loose Skirts.” However, not arming themselves or being more cautious or living somewhere deeper in the woods was just utter foolishness on their parts. Seriously, when the Christianists have their way with America and I become illegal for just being, I’m going to be fortified enough to take at least a dozen with me when they show up at my door. Yeah, “and your little god too!” Having said that, I like this issue, except for Kaluta’s strange rendition of the female form on the cover. I make fun of Greg Land for his impossible breasts and ineptitude in connecting head bones to neck bones and on down the line, but Kaluta has surpassed the master with his frightening Holocaust Special Madame X. B
Wonder Woman #36: I think Diana takes on too much responsibility that isn’t hers. Yeah, yeah, she’s got the whole wide world on her shoulders and has had for some time now, but taking Pele’s accusations of being complicit in Zeus’ murder of Zane, and “set[ting her] father alone against the wrath of [her] entire pantheon” is supporting an unduly free interpretation of the events. I’m sure she’s feels guilty about Zane’s death and all, but making a pledge to Pele when she’s just crawled out from under her Amazonian vows seems like she’s not thinking clearly at all. And awwh poor Tom! How is Diana going to explain her “I never loved you” away? I’m sensing a new direction for Diana, but it seems like Gail Simone is also only sensing it. B
New Mutants #4: Ah well, that was a disappointing read. Yeah, my girl Illyana got some scary one-liners off, but all in all, I think I’ve read this story before; ya know, “Legion screws everything up before the Muties pull it together.” I’m not digging the trophic characterizations (especially, God help us, with the dialogue) when by this time the Muties should be more individuated.
Dark Avengers #8: Angt! More angst! Less fighting for the sake of fighting and more angst! Jeez, what happened to the promise of the first issue? C
It was a very sparse week for comics; I got the first issue of the new Doom Patrol series (ugh), and didn’t give Buffy the Vampire Slayer more than a glance as I thought, “I’ve been burned by you before!” Click in the report card below to see my (and others’) reviews this this week’s comics:
