Q&A #181: What comic book crossover duo should fight crime together?

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Anika

In Q & A, a weekly feature of Fantastic Fangirls, we ask our staff to tackle a simple question — then open the floor to comments.

What comic book crossover duo should fight crime together?

ANIKA

I have this imagining, based on a Heroclix game I once played, wherein Damian Wayne is raised by Natasha Romanova. And they, of course, fight crime together. They do all the things “heroes” can’t.

two images: Damian Wayne with a firefly and Natasha Romanova reading a file

You have to admit our world would be safer.

GABBY

I came up with a sugar&spice combo.

On the sugar side, we have Willow Rosenberg:

a panel of Willow casting magic

And on the spice side, we have Jessica Jones:

a panel of Jessica Jones being bad ass in a leather jacket

I guess it could technically turn out to be a spice&spice combo, depending on the day. Dark!Willow, anyone?

I believe that with Jess’ foul mouth, private dick skills and honesty, coupled with Willow’s witchy powers, compassion and geekery, crime could not stand a chance in whatever city they decide to make their own.

I would pay good money to read this.

SAM

Oliver Queen and Clint Barton. I know, I know. But by now you probably know I love me some Arrow Family. And I’m thinking very specifically of a pre-reboot Ollie, the dysfunctional father figure, and a Hawkguy Clint, the a self-deprecating anti-hero.

Dinah and Ollie talk to Mia about protection

Look at Ollie’s face. Priceless.

Anyway, I think it would be great for Clint to get a glimpse of a possible future in the older, probably not much wiser Ollie. I imagine it would start with the usual “who are you” type encounter, where they each try to one up the other one with archery skills while one of the women in their lives sits on the sidelines and snarks about men and their [arrow] shafts. Or, preferably, more than one woman, because a Dinah, Mia, Kate team up would be a great book all on its own.

Where was I? So after they begrudgingly agree that maybe (maybe) they’re evenly matched, they start swapping war stories and comparing trick arrows (more snark). Then something bad happens and they save the day. Back at the Queen family compound, Clint brings the beer, Ollie makes some chilli, Clint gives Lian a purple onesie, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Until the next issue, anyway.

SARA

I don’t know where this popped up in my head and I’m not sure it would be safe to explore that particular region of my brain, but I kinda love the results this time around.

Which two kickass spuerheros would I LOVE seeing working together? Big Barda and Captain America.

a panel of Captain America punching Hitler

In my very convoluted head, Hitler and a dragon are interchangeable. Yeah, my mind? Scary place.

Anyways, the reasons behind wanting to see this duo team up are pretty simple: 1) They are awesome. 2) They are really awesome. 3) They are really, really awe–you get the idea.

For me, the best parts of Cap’s personality in the MCU movie universe is how respectful and full of admiration he is of women. Particularly strong women. I mean, come on! Look at Peggy Carter! Look at Natasha!

stills from the film Captain America featuring Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter

a promotional image of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff

And does this macho man balk in the face of strong ~~ball-busting~~ women?

a still of Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter

a still of Captain America and Black Widow

Of course not!

Steve finds value in every soldier because its the drive and determination that makes you a great hero, not gender or ability (not that any of the ladies in comics are anything less than extraordinary).

So you can bet that he would appreciate Barda for who she is: a warrior.

a panel of Barda being chill

And a kickass one at that. Together, they would get stuff done, well and honorably.

So what about you? What comic book crossover duo should fight crime together?

Q&A #180: What is your catch phrase?

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Anika

In Q & A, a weekly feature of Fantastic Fangirls, we ask our staff to tackle a simple question — then open the floor to comments.

What is your catch phrase?

ALI

I was totally going to say, “tiny, but fierce.” And then I realized that’s more of a caption than a catch phrase. It’s not like I yell “TINY BUT FIERCE!!!” as I’m about to smite my enemies, or walk into a bar. Actually, maybe I should do that.

ANIKA

Oki doki loki!
OH, or: Never give up, never surrender!
OH, OH, or: Positive outcomes only.

My family has a game, that’s not a game so much as Something We Do, where we speak in quotes. Not back and forth until someone trips up, that would actually be a game, but in everyday average conversation. So my catch phrases are all stolen. And so are my captions, like Never forget who you are, or Strong at the broken places.

SAM

My catch phrase is probably “Like you do.” Because I say it all the time. I even annoy myself with how much I say it. I do ridiculous things, then say “Like you do!”

So what about you? What is your catch phrase?

Halfway there: Fringe midseason thoughts

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Anika

This post contains spoilers for Fringe season 5.

by Gabby

With last Friday’s episode, “Five-Twenty-Ten”, we have officially breached the halfway point of Fringe’s ultimate season. The story was getting along fine; the team had to retrieve tapes that Walter had hidden which contain parts of a plan to get rid of the Observers. At first, I thought this was the start of a season that would play out as a treasure hunt. In a way, this is accurate; each episode since has been dedicated to retrieving the parts of this plan. However, it’s not the primary focus, really. Number one, the tapes are ambered in the lab at arm’s reach, and number two…

Etta Bishop died.

a screencap from Fringe, Etta dying while Peter and Olivia watch

So sudden, so unexpected was her death that I feel like it acted as a catalyst for character transformations.

Let me explain: every single character has changed, basically overnight (except for one, but I’ll get back to that).

an image of Joshua Jackson dressed as an Observer

This picture is a still from a video that was shown at SDCC in 2011 (before season 4). Foreshadowing, much?

I think Peter, the loving father and husband, has suffered the most dramatic changes. Not only did he pull away as he did when Etta was kidnapped, but he got a flash while torturing an Observer that implanting Observer tech in his brain would give him an edge over the invaders. With this edge, he can more forcefully and intelligently execute the only thing he has on his mind: revenge. At first, the changes enacted by the implant were minimal. He became a Peter on steroids. Now, with the latest episode, he has the demeanor, the speech pattern and the impending baldness of the very people he is trying to beat. Not only that, but he is making the same mistakes his own father, Walter, made when Peter died. Peter’s motto, “be a better man than your father”, is ringing especially hollow. It is particularly ironic that Peter told his father that he wouldn’t “let him” turn back into the man Walter used to be, when Peter’s very physiology was changing. He’s gone further than he’s ever been, alienating Olivia in the process.

an image of Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham looking sad

Poor Olivia; she is also changing, but in the opposite direction. She told herself that for once, she would be open and honest about her feelings so that she and Peter can grow stronger together, not apart, as once they did when Etta was kidnapped. I saw this in the way she called Peter while she was watching a tape of baby Etta; the “old” Olivia wouldn’t have let herself appear so vulnerable. The look of disgust and panic she had when Peter told her he had implanted the tech confirmed her fears that all of her efforts were in vain. She probably regrets taking Walter’s advice that he gave her in “An Origin Story”; that the pain of Etta’s death is part of her legacy, and that she and Peter need to live it together.

an image of John Noble as Walter Bishop in the lab

Speaking of Walter, he is running around terrified that he is reverting to the “old” Walter. I definitely saw hints of this in John Noble’s brilliant acting; flashes of Walternate peeking through the facade. Now that the pieces of his brain are reinstalled, the one-track mind, god-complexed man that he used to be is slowly taking over. He was sure Peter’s love would keep him tethered, but not only is Peter not himself, Nina confirmed last episode that love, as strong as it is, isn’t enough.

What is enough? I’m thinking it has something to do with Astrid Farnsworth, the only character of the core-four who hasn’t changed. She is still the ever-loving mother figure to Walter, the confidant to Olivia, the sister to Peter. She is still, regrettably, relegated to a supporting role in most episodes. However… I am envisioning that this will change. What gives me that impression? The kiss on the cheek she gave Walter at the end of the episode. That kiss… It reminded me that Astrid is the anchor of the Fringe family. She is the lighthouse, the moral compass, the tether. That is why I think that she will be the one to keep everything from falling apart. She is the one that will bring back the characters as they are following roads that lead away from their core selves. I think all of this, but truly, I hope it comes to pass. Because it is what the character deserves, and it is, for me, the logical conclusion for Astrid, who has always been so important but overshadowed.

I’m rooting for you Astrid; the Fringe family needs you. Because love, on its own, is strong. But love and family are stronger.

an image of the four main characters in the lab

Pretty, Pretty, Please

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Anika

by Anika

I was never bullied in high school. I wasn’t popular but I wasn’t unpopular either. I was in all the advanced classes but I wasn’t one of the smartest kids. I went to the Junior Prom with a girl, and in a hand me down dress, and no one cared. I quoted episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation in my English papers and no one cared. I had a letter published in an X-Men comic about how inspiring I found Rogue and Gambit’s abstinence. I saw Les Miserables twelve times and I owned the Broadway, London, Concept (in French!), and Complete Symphonic albums. I went to conventions. I was in Wil Wheaton’s official fan club. I made up a ballet based on John Williams’s Star Wars scores, wrote down my entire concept, and carried it around with me in a shoebox. I wore my hair like Sailor Moon.

I was a nerd. And because I was high school age, I was an idiot. I was an idiot nerd girl.

And no one cared.

a photo of Anika cosplaying as Maddy beside a panel of Maddy from Avengers Academy

This is me cosplaying the character Maddy Berry aka Veil of Avengers Academy. Her first appearance, Issue 1. Maddy is a socially awkward teen girl with superpowers and a tragic destiny. She’s a lot like Sailor Saturn who I mention loving-and-cosplaying here. Here is her superheroing outfit:

a panel of Maddy in her Veil outfit, black ribbons surrounding her body

I love it. This is very much something I would make up. It’s a control thing: those ribbons are, literally, holding her together. I use clothes the same way.

But that first appearance was special.

Sold.

So that’s what I cosplayed. But here’s why I bring it up. I am thirty-six years old. This is a picture of me pretending to be a character twenty years younger than I am. A high school student. Conventional wisdom asks “How dare I?”

a photograph of Anika cosplaying Maddy

Last year at a convention panel about cosplay, one of the panelists said that Slave Girl Leia was problematic because it was exclusionary; she had never seen a Leia-of-Color and therefore, they don’t exist.

a photograph of a young woman of color cosplaying Princess Leia

I found her at the next convention I went to. I wasn’t looking for her, she was just there, walking around, enjoying the con exactly as I was. “How dare she?”

Esmeralda Disney:

a screepcap from the Disney film Hunchback of Notre Dame

Esmeralda Cosplay:

a photograph of a plus size young woman cosplaying Esmeralda

“How dare she!”

Incredibly accurate and adorable Rikku costume:

a photograph of a young woman cosplaying Rikku, in an accurately skimpy costume

“How. Dare. She.”

It’s actually pretty simple. We don’t consider it daring. I mean, I don’t speak for every woman or every cosplayer, but the ones I have spoken with (I know, what a crazy idea to actually TALK to cosplayers instead of basing my opinion on what they wear), we consider it expression. We consider it engaging with fandom. We consider it fun.

And hey, the cosplayers who do consider it daring are ALSO RIGHT. That’s the amazing thing about fandom or fashion or cosplay or compassion: it’s not a right or wrong, yes or no, black or white, boy or girl, this or that equation. It’s fifty billion shades of gray.

I am going to see Breaking Dawn: Part 2 this weekend, dressed as Bella Swan. My iPad wallpaper is the Stark Industries logo. I love Pink. I’m an idiot nerd girl.

an image of pink stars with the text: So what, I'm still a rockstar.

“Fake Geek” is a myth and a fantasy and an example of bullying. Stop it.

Q&A #179: What is a comic you are currently enjoying?

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Anika

In Q & A, a weekly feature of Fantastic Fangirls, we ask our staff to tackle a simple question — then open the floor to comments.

Recurring Q&A: What is a comic you are currently enjoying?

ALI

What comic am I NOT currently enjoying is probably a better question, because I’m pretty much in love with everything I’ve been reading lately. Always on top of my to-read pile are: Daredevil, The Flash, Fury Max, Hawkeye, Journey into Mystery, Mind the Gap, Rachel Rising, Saga, The Sixth Gun, Uncanny X-Force, Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine and the X-Men, and Wonder Woman. I know, that’s a lot of titles. But seriously, they are all really fantastic and you should check them out if you’re not already reading them.

I was planning on gushing about Hawkeye because it’s just the coolest damn comic ever, but Sam gives it some well-deserved love below. So instead I’m going to gush about Wonder Woman.

The thing with Wonder Woman is, not only is it SO FREAKING GOOD (because it totally is), but it’s also the first time the title has been this good since I’ve been reading comics. So as I Wonder Woman fangirl, this is like the best thing ever for me. I do a happy dance every time I read it.

a panel from Wonder Woman featuring Diana swinging her lasso

Aside from that, this comic is SO FREAKING GOOD (see above). And not just for a Wonder Woman comic. For all comics. While he is sort of telling an origin story for Diana, Brian Azzarello is doing this amazing, effed up crime family drama with the Greek gods. And the designs Cliff Chiang has done for the entire pantheon, on top of the his stellar sequential art in the book, is just completely out of this world. I can’t even… he’s just so freaking fantastic. Matt Wilson’s colors are always jaw-droppingly gorgeous. And Tony Atkins is brilliant when he’s “filling in” on pencils. The book is beautiful, is what I’m saying. On top of that it’s just SO FREAKING GOOD!!!

a panel from Wonder Woman featuring Diana at a bar

CAROLINE

I’m basically the anti-Ali right now.

It’s not that I’m not enjoying any comics, but I’m at one of those stages in the enthusiasm cycle when let them pile up on the table for a week or so. When I finally get to them, I’m more likely to react with, “That’s kind of neat,” and file it away, rather than run to Twitter crying, “Oh my God, everybody, check this out!” I’m digging X-Factor and Hawkeye and Captain Marvel and Batwoman, among others, but I haven’t done much shouting from the rooftops lately.

Let me grab a rooftop, then, to mention the Vertigo book Fairest, a spinoff of Fables. I have an on-and-off relationship with the Fables franchise. I didn’t pick up Fairest when it first came out, so I only have a vague idea of what the premise of the series is suppost to be (something about princesses?) However, I discovered that the current arc is being written by Lauren Beukes, the author of Zoo City, a novel I very much enjoyed.

Beukes’s arc stars Rapunzel, and sends her on a mission to Japan. The story touches on common elements that connect European folktales to their Eastern counterparts. Beukes gives Rapunzel a compelling mission, while artist Inaki Miranda’s vibrant layouts and Eve De La Cruz’s brilliant colors create a unique fusion of modern and mythological worlds.

Whether or not you’re a regular Fables reader, this story stands nicely and memorably on its own. I’m not sure if I’ll stick with Fairest when Beukes’s run is over, but it’s nice to discover something genuinely new to me, and remember what it feels like to say, “Hey, you’ve got to read this.”

SAM

I’m actually enjoying quite a few titles out of DC right now, including Justice League and Earth 2. This is kind of a surprise for me, as I’ve never really been a fan of team books in the past. But the biggest surprise for me is Hawkeye. I really love Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye. Like. In a passionate, I would recommend this book to my non-comic reading friends sort of way.

The thing is… I’ve never liked Hawkeye. I’m a Green Arrow fan; I like my archers emerald. I’ve always found Clint’s attitude pretty off-putting, and I groaned when he was added as a character to The Avengers movie. Like. Literally groaned. (I remained unimpressed, but I don’t really get the Jeremy Renner thing.)

But I kept hearing good things about Hawkeye, so I finally gave in and got it and OH MAN IT’S GREAT. The art makes it seem like a 70s pulp/exploitation/grindhouse film and it works so well with the story Fraction is telling, and the particular Hawkeye he’s writing. And that Hawkeye is a self-deprecating, grizzled veteran of superheroing, who’s totally aware that he’s an ass.

a panel from Hawkeye featuring Clint being awkward

I’m anxiously awaiting future Hawkguy issues, and that’s something I never thought I’d say.

So what about you? Recurring Q&A: What is a comic you are currently enjoying?

From the Editor: Done for now, DC

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Sigrid

Dear DC Comics,

I love your characters. I love Barbara Gordon, I love Kate Kane, I love Diana Prince. I love Cassandra Cain, I love Stephanie Brown, I love Dinah Lance. I love Harley Quinn, I love Selina Kyle, I love Pamela Isley.

I really love your characters.

When I saw the College Humor ad, Greatest Villains of Nerd Culture, “The Imposter,” in your comics, I sighed. I sighed, but I let it go. I am used to knowing, from remarks at comic conventions, from interviews, and from the comics you make, that my readership is not your main concern. I am a queer woman, nearly forty years old. I am not your core demographic. I’ve continued to read DC comic books because I purely love these characters.

Yesterday I saw another of the Greatest Villains comics run as an ad. This one was “The Youth.”

Now, DC, I am giving you all the benefit of the doubt that I can. It’s possible that you intend these ads to be a wry commentary on yourself as the sort of fool who might actually hold the views espoused in the comics. Perhaps you are trying to say that you obviously think calling women and children the greatest threats to nerd culture is ridiculous. I really, really hope you are. Perhaps you are running all six of these comics, including The Alpha Nerd, and I haven’t seen them. Perhaps you intend to do so and haven’t yet.

I’m having some trouble with that interpretation. Without seeing you publish the Alpha Nerd companion to The Imposter and The Youth, what I’ve seen is that first you tell women they are a threat to everything you love, and then you say the same thing about children. DC, this makes me sad. You just called your future readers supervillains who ruin all you hold dear.

I can actually handle you telling me I am a supervillain destroying comics. I am used to that. But you just said that to my kids, DC. You just told my kids — my kids who purely love Justice League, who think Booster Gold is hilarious, who love The Flash, my daughter who is incredibly happy that The Question is a Latina just like her — that you hate and fear them.

Do you actually think that my kids love for The Flash ruins all of your things? Are my kids wrecking all of your most beloved nerd properties? Why are you afraid of them?

If you are truly not afraid of my kids, then you have allowed your advertising to gravely mis-step. The ads you have chosen to permit are profoundly misrepresenting your intentions. The humor you have chosen does not strike up the chain of power. Your College Humor ads are not sticking it to the man, not speaking loud against tyranny, not slyly deflating the rich and mighty. The ads you are running target the disenfranchised, the weak, the edges of your chosen geek sphere. You are targeting women and children, mocking and vilifying them. This is not humor, to strike at those with less power than you. This is bullying.

DC Comics, you’ve made me sad this week. But I don’t think I’ll be sad for long. This week, the Republican party in the United States reaped the rewards of vilifying special interest groups, marginal communities, people of color, not-heterosexuals, people who like science, women, immigrants, the margins and the marginal. The funny thing is, when you add all those marginal groups up, they end up the majority.

Ask the GOP how that’s working out for them.

DC, I won’t be buying your comics for a while. I won’t say I’m done, because I truly hope that you recover from this error in judgment. I want you to do better. I want you to learn and grow and change. I want you to stop thinking my kids are your death knell. I hope that you’ll reconsider your recent promotional materials and advertising, and come up with something based not on fear and anger, but joy and hope. I would love to see ads celebrating how diverse your readers are, how broad your reach is, how comics and nerdery are mainstream. How the culture wars have been won by Batman and video games. How this is a party to which you proudly invite everyone.

I look forward to seeing you again.

With respect and sincere hope for the future,

Sigrid Ellis

Q&A #178: Who is your favorite child in comics?

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Anika

In Q & A, a weekly feature of Fantastic Fangirls, we ask our staff to tackle a simple question — then open the floor to comments.

Who is your favorite child in comics?

ALI

One of my favorite characters in comics lately is Hope Summers. She’s just so incredibly bad-ass and stubborn and complicated. She’s more than held her own in conversations with Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, Wolverine, and even Captain America.

a panel featuring a conversation between Hope and Scott Summers

Technically, she’s a teenager, but I think if you ever actually called Hope a child, she’s punch you. Or shoot you with a very big gun. So I’m going to go with another one of my favorite characters in recent comics, Kid Loki.

a panel featuring Kid Loki drinking at a soda shop

Kid Loki is just awesome. Even though the powers he has at his disposal are steep in trickery and deception, all he wants to do is the right thing. He wants to protect Asgardia and help out his big brother Thor. Usually he ends up creating a giant political mess in the process, but all’s well that ends well, eh?

Also, he just breaks your heart.

ANIKA

Damian Wayne hits all my buttons. Seriously screwed up but strangely deeply loyal family. Deep seated inferiority complex that exhibits itself as arrogance and an exaggerated sense of entitlement. Desperate determination to prove himself. He was made up to be my favorite.

a panel featuring Bruce and Damian Wayne, both bandaged

Plus he’s ADORABLE.

JESSICA

This is going old school, but Rini from Sailor Moon has always been one of my favorite children in comics. As a kid reading the manga, I think it was the first time my mind was blown by something completely weird happening in a comic–Sailor Moon has a child? But she’s in high school…? Definitely my first exposure to the quirky world of Japanese, uh, everything.

a panel featuring Chibiusa leaping and smiling

Beyond that, there’s just the fact that she is really cool–she can totally handle herself in fights even though she is a little girl, her from the future weird-ness means that she gets all kinds of cool story lines, and her hair is PINK. I mean, come on. Too cool.

SAM

My favorite child in comics is Lian Harper.

a panel of Lian Harper, dressed like her father Roy

Tell me that kid isn’t adorable. I really loved a lot about what she represented in comics, as a multiracial child of a hero with a dark past and a villain who loves her daughter despite everything. And Lian herself was smart and precious. She fit right in with the Arrow family, and among the Titans. Her relationship with her father was really sweet, and one of the bright spots in Roy’s storyline.

So naturally they killed her off to make Roy go insane, all of which was pointless because they rebooted him and turned him into… what he is now.

But we’ll always have our memories and our back issues. Long live Lian.

So what about you? Who is your favorite child in comics?

Skipping to Conclusions: Star Wars Episode VII

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Anika

In geekdom, we see a lot of teasers. Sometimes it’s just an image or the name of a creator, other times it’s a trailer or a simple tag line. Whatever it is, it’s meant to get a reaction from you and start a discussion. Inspired by the anticipation and buzz caused by these teasers, we at Fantastic Fangirls present Skipping to Conclusions in which we speculate about the comics, movies, TV shows, or whatever we’re excited about but hasn’t come out yet.

Last week the internet broke in half–it was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror. Disney announced they were buying Lucasfilm for over $4 billion in cash and stock, and further, that in 2015 audiences would see the next chapter in the much-loved and revered Star Wars saga.

So this week, Ali and Anika are Skipping along together to Conclusions about Disney’s Star Wars: Episode VII.

What do you think about Stars Wars movies being made without George Lucas? Are you excited or nervous about Disney taking control?

ANIKA

First, I have to give the same disclaimer I did when Disney bought Marvel: I love Disney, I’ve always loved Disney, and if they took over the whole world, I’d be pretty okay with it. That out of the way, I am SO EXCITED. Star Wars is an important part of my childhood and my life. If my daughter had been born a son there is a very strong likelihood that she would be named “Anakin” because I have been in love with Darth Vader since I was seven years old. So this (as with Marvel before) is a marriage of two of my favorite things and I couldn’t be happier.

As for George Lucas, I’ve always considered him a visionary, a great storyteller, and a horrible director. And in terms of the prequels at least, a mediocre producer. He has wonderful ideas, but his execution is lacking. A lot. Let me explain my vision of George by misquoting Han Solo:

“Good with remotes is one thing. Good with the living? That’s something else.”

So, it’s my opinion that relegating Lucas to an advisory position is The Best Thing to happen to Star Wars since he decided not to direct The Empire Strikes Back.

ALI

While most everyone is in agreement that the original Star Wars trilogy is the most awesome thing in several galaxies, the Prequels are somewhat polarizing. And I think that’s down to Lucas. Like, Anika said, I think he’s got these brilliant ideas for the epic story he’s been telling for like 40 years, but I’m glad to see this change hands. I think the franchise desperately needed a fresh set of eyes to really be able to tell this story to a new generation.

So what do I think about Disney being that fresh set of eyes? I’m mostly OK with this. I like Disney. I think, as an organization, they’re committed to telling stories that everyone can enjoy. And they’re good at it. Yes, they’ve had a few mis-steps. Sometimes I think they try to pander to too broad an audience. And I’m more than a little frightened by how they’ll handle the marketing for the new Star Wars films after the fiasco that was John Carter (not of Mars). But the bottom line is I think Star Wars is in very capable hands.

Also, now Leia is a Disney Princess!

What writers, directors, and/or producers would you like to see working on this new trilogy?

ANIKA

Kathleen Kennedy is staying on and taking over at Lucasfilm and she will run it as a division of the Walt Disney Studios. Kennedy is one of Steven Spielberg’s main collaborators and has an impressive filmography as producer, particularly as a woman. So that’s good.

For director, I’d nominate Alfonso Cuaron because Prisoner of Azkaban changed the course of the Harry Potter films, and I credit him with taking that franchise from okay films based on great books to great films. And with turning Emma Watson, and especially Daniel Radcliffe, into actors. He has proven he can create a beautiful film for children (A Little Princess), adults (Children of Men), or both (Harry Potter), but he is not so famous or accomplished that he will be given free reign. Free reign is a BAD thing (see: George Lucas, Peter Jackson, Chris Nolan). Cuaron would be a surprising choice to direct Star Wars and I think that would be a benefit.

I also think J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek was the perfect blend of nostalgia and new life and I wouldn’t mind seeing him do the same with Star Wars. I do not want Joss Whedon or Peter Jackson anywhere near this project.

ALI

Kathleen Kennedy is really a prolific producer with an amazing resume. I think, since she’s worked so closely with Spielberg and Lucas before, she’ll be able to keep the new Star Wars grounded in the original world created by Lucas. But I think she needs to bring in a team very different to really make this project something special and not just the same old thing.

It could be because Saga has been sort of compared to Star Wars (and is so insanely, unbelievably fantastic that it’s not even fair) but I would LOVE to see a script by for Episode VII by Brian K. Vaughan. One of his biggest strengths is taking these big, fantastical concepts and grounding them with personal stories. His dialogue is snappy and witty, but still feels natural and honest. His characters are relatable and endearing, no matter what insane events they’re being out through.

That for me is what Star Wars is really about. The epic journey of a farm boy trying to make sense of who he is and how to find his place in a grand, sweeping universe.

For the director, I think Disney already has the perfect candidate: Brad Bird. I know that the majority of Bird’s work is in animation. But can you honestly tell me, the creative mind behind movies like The Incredibles, Up and Iron Giant wouldn’t be fantastic at introducing Star Wars to a new audience?! Like Vaughan, his movies tell smaller, personal stories on a epic and fantastical scale. They’re also so very full of heart. Something I believe the new chapter of this classic franchise so desperately needs.

Bird’s movies are also full of action and adventure. He knows, the way Spielberg and Lucas knew in the beginning of their careers, how to capture that fun and wonderful pulp sensibility and create something for everyone to enjoy. And he does it so effortlessly that it never feels forced.

What about the plot? Where do you think the continuing story should pick up? What characters should appear?

ANIKA

Jaina Solo is identical to the character I made up in my head when I was twelve and my main goal in life was to be in the Star Wars sequels. The twin daughter of Han and Leia who grows up to be a kick ass pilot. To be fair, I resembled Carrie Fisher enough for this to be plausible — and still do, older Leia open casting call I am THERE. Anyway, I don’t need the new films to be about the next generation of Skywalker kids but I would love it. I’ve read maybe 50% of the Extended Universe books and comics (I’m not over the death of Anakin Solo).

But I know Lucas has his own next trilogy outlined and I want to see that even if there are no Skywalker kids, EU-ish or otherwise. But that said…Han and Leia HAVE to have kids/twins, though, right? I would be lying if I said I’d be completely okay with no Little Solos at all.

ALI

Remember that “epic journey of a farm boy trying to make sense of who he is and how to find his place in a grand, sweeping universe” thing I just said? I meant that for both the Original Movies and the Prequels. And I think the same goes for this new trilogy… well, mostly. I think it would add a nice symmetry to the Star Wars saga as a whole, and I think it’s a formula that really works with audiences. But instead of the farm boy, I’d like it to be Jaina Solo (and her twin brother and the other Skywalker and Solo kids). I’d start the movies off with Jaina in her late teens/early twenties, struggling with the legacy of being Leia’s daughter and Luke’s niece. It can be a compelling story and something I’d love to watch.

AND! You can get Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford to cameo as older Luke, Leia and Han. Which would be awesome.

So how about you guys? What are you predictions for Star Wars: Episode VII?

Q&A 177: Halloween!

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Sigrid

In Q & A, a weekly feature of Fantastic Fangirls, we ask our staff to tackle a simple question — then open the floor to comments.

It’s Halloween! Which comics character do you want to celebrate with?

ANIKA

Snoopy.

CAROLINE

Ghost Rider. Any version.

It’s not that I’m a huge fan of any of the Ghost Rider franchises, but at the same time, I feel like anybody who can’t enjoy a blazing skull-headed figure on a giant flying motorcycle doesn’t really love comics.

JESSICA

Maybe this is a bit of cop out, but I would totally want to spend time with Doctor Who, especially the version from the comics, since he is more often free from really over-indulgent plot arcs. We could literally go anywhere in time or space, and the TARDIS is full of costumes from every planet and century. Plus, I can’t help but think that the Doctor has a penchant for candy….Yum!

MARIE

Halloween night (or any night for that matter) would never be boring with Harley Quinn. Something tells me that she A) really knows how to party and B) always parties in style.

So what about you? It’s Halloween! Which comics character do you want to celebrate with?

Whedonverse comics roundup: Buffy: Season 9

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Anika

by Gabby

When we left Buffy at the end of season 8, she was returning to her roots, staking a lowly vampire in an alley.

Joss Whedon himself confirmed the feeling I had gotten while reading the last issue of the season, “Last Gleaming, Part Five”. He wrote, in his epilogue: “If you’ve read this issue, you’ve got a sense of where we’re heading for Season 9. Back, a bit, to the everyday trials that made Buffy more than a superhero. That made her us.” (the whole thing is really worth a read; you can do so here).

I have to be honest, I had no qualms with Buffy: season 8. Yes, it was kooky and crazy. Yes, Dawn became a giant, Buffy went to the future, the scooby gang travelled the world and Angel was the Big Bad (not to mention an… *ahem*, active partner in the insane invincible-sex). However, I personally jumped in to the comics right after I finished the series finale, “Chosen”. I was just happy that the universe I’d fallen in love with wasn’t obliterated. It lives on, albeit in comic form.

I must add, though, that I was elated that Mr. Whedon himself felt a return to Buffy’s human complexities was in order. So I am happy to say that season 9 for me has been a big hit (if only for the wonderful opening cover by Steve Morris which I find breathtaking).

cover of Buffy Season 9

I will review in broad strokes the arcs of season 9, and explore a little bit more one issue in particular. I will conclude with my hopes for the culmination of this season.

FREEFALL, parts 1 to 4

In the first arc, we get a glimpse of Buffy circa season 1; the fun loving young woman who just wants to be normal.

I loved the opening party scene (which will be a factor in a significant plot twist later on) where we are privy to the camaraderie between the scoobies. Willow spends this arc warning Buffy that destroying the seed of wonder will have consequences (which is most evident in the form of Zompires – feral vampires sired after the obliteration of the seed). Xander and Dawn are trying desperately to live a normal life, and I appreciated the authenticity of their relationship (for instance, Xander having to sleep on the couch because he forgot Dawn’s birthday).

Spike, in the meantime, is also warning Buffy; there are rumors that a Big Bad is after her. At first, it is implied that Eldre Koh, a demon who was wrongly imprisoned by magic, was after Buffy. It turns out that he just wanted to thank her, following his release after the destruction of the seed.

The real threat to Buffy, however, is a siphon demon named Severin. I really enjoyed his backstory: how his girlfriend wanted to turn herself into a vampire and he agreed to follow suit. However, things backfired when she turned full-on zompire and tried to kill him. This unleashed his siphon abilities and he killed her, sapping the vampire energy out of her and into himself. He then goes on a rampage, killing vampires to exact revenge. This felt real, and heartbreaking, and is a great nod to the “vampire reality TV” phenomenon that Harmony unleashed last season. In the end, Severin is exposed as a pawn. Simone, a gun-loving power hungry ex-member of the Slayer Organization, hired him to kill Buffy. It is unclear at this time what her motives are, but since the current world order prefers vampires to slayers, it is easy to imagine that Simone isn’t liking that one bit. The arc ends with my favorite TV friendship ever, Willow and Buffy, sharing a great moment.

SLAYER, INTERRUPTED

This issue, George Jeanty took a break from pencilling and Karl Moline replaced him. I love his style; slightly cartoonish, but really precise. Here, Buffy’s having weird “slayer” dreams and feeling sick. When I first read the issue, I loved it for the moments between Willow and Buffy. They have a sleepover so that Willow can monitor Buffy’s dreams. What the First Slayer is trying to tell Buffy is that she needs to undo what she did (destroy the seed), and the slayer scythe is a clue to the undoing. But the scythe isn’t for Buffy, it’s for Willow, and the latter enters Buffy’s dream to grab it and leave. When Buffy wakes up, Willow’s gone and has left a note.

However, upon a re-read, I paid more attention to the fairy Buffy refers to as “Tink”. She keeps telling Buffy she “isn’t the slayer” and that she’s “not a girl anymore”. I guess I just glossed it over the first time, but these clues are very important for the coming arc.

Finally, there is also shock value in this issue: the last panel is a positive pregnancy test.

ON YOUR OWN, parts 1 and 2

This arc got a lot of ink in the news.

What’s so great about a return to Buffy’s roots is that we get to see human relationships in very real situations. Buffy believes she got pregnant when she blacked out from alcohol at her party (from “Freefall”, part 1). What does Buffy do when she finds out she’s pregnant? She weighs her options, as the situation warrants. She arranges a date with Robin, the son of a slayer, to see what he has to say about the whole thing, and he gives her a ringing endorsement for future mother of the year.

But then she invites Spike over, and tells him she’s getting an abortion. The following dialogue is very poignant, so much so that I’m reproducing it here:

Buffy: I’m going to have an abortion.
Spike: You’re pregnant?
Buffy: Robin told me how Nikki tried to run away from slaying after he was born. And I thought I could do what she couldn’t. I thought I had everything that Nikki didn’t. Dawn, Xander, Willow… You… I was ready to ask you to run away with me. But then I realized… I’m barely able to hold onto a job. I live with roommates who are about to kick me out. And I can’t even hold my alcohol well enough to remember who got me pregnant. I can handle the slayer stuff. I can do what Nikki couldn’t. But everything else? I’m not ready. At least not now. It’s not the slaying. It’s me. Will you come with me when I do this?
Spike: Yeah.

We’ll come back to this.

In part 2, Buffy lets it slip that if she were to run away with the baby, she wouldn’t have brought Spike, because that would be the antithesis of having a “normal” life. This is the catalyst Spike needs to detach himself from Buffy. He’s still in love with her, and can’t “be the dark place [she] runs to when things aren’t working”. So after the whole ordeal is over, he’s leaving San Francisco (and starring in his own miniseries).

But THEN! A zompire rips out Buffy’s arm and we learn that she’s a robot (read: “not a girl anymore”).

Ok. So I think this could make a lot of people angry. So far, the abortion story had been handled quite brilliantly. The circumstances surrounding the pregnancy were murky at best; Buffy was, for all she knew, raped that night (like the pin stuck on my lunch box says, “drunk means no”!). She weighed the pros and cons, and decided that she, as a person, was not ready to have a child, and took the decision to end the pregnancy. It could be qualified as a cop out to have her be a robot and bypass the troubles of going through the abortion. It could be a way to appease the pro-lifers. It could, but it’s not. I don’t want to tarnish this incredibly forward way of tackling social issues in comic book form. To pick up a comic and be confronted with the reality a significant amount of young women have to face every day? That’s incredible. I can understand the disappointment that we don’t get to see the process Buffy would have had to go through, but this is an action comic after all. The plot needs to move forward. And Buffy did make a choice. And I think that is the important thing to take away from this arc.

APART OF ME, part 1 to 3

This arc felt a little disjointed, and I had a hard time following most of it. What I did understand was that Andrew was the mastermind behind making Buffy a robot. He roofied her at the party and pulled a Dollhouse: he swapped her consciousness inside a robot and stuffed her real body with a yuppie persona living in suburbia.

I felt like this was a really elaborate way of making Buffy come to terms with the whole “having a normal life” thing. She was envious of the yuppie Buffy, living a quaint life sipping Californian merlot. But after having a conversation with that version of herself, she realized she needs to earn this life. Andrew was just trying to fast track her there.

It was the point of departure for Spike, who reaffirmed that he can’t be her puppy dog anymore. He will explore his new found independence in a 5 part miniseries, which I will review at a later date. Oh, and Simone had something to do with this arc, too: she kidnapped Yuppie-Buffy and tried to make her join her rebel-slayer side. Then she ran away when things got punchy? I don’t know what to make of that girl.

GUARDED, parts 1 to 3

This arc introduces Kennedy as the boss of Deepscan, an organization made of ex-slayers (who still have their power) who act as bodyguards for the rich and famous. Kennedy hires Buffy, and she accepts, willing to try something other than slaying for a change. She can’t shake who she is, though. While trying to protect a client, she attacks the bellhop demon instead of the maid, acting on her slayer instincts instead of Kennedy’s orders (in a bid that reminds me of [HUNGER GAMES SPOILER] Katniss’ military test in Mockingjay).

I loved how this arc seemed to take a page out of Angel’s book; not all demons are evil, and Buffy has to deal with Wolfram&Hart (the evil interdimensional law firm) and its senior partners. They are in a hell dimension and can contact all the realms with the help of Tincan, a social networking site. The only way to sever the connection is to destroy the servers, and Buffy has to talk Theo, the C.E.O., into destroying his life’s work. Through his ordeal, Buffy confronts the fact that she had to destroy the seed. She finally accepts that she had to do it, but she also learns a lesson along the way. She can’t forget to protect the little guy, as Kennedy so brutally reminds her (speaking about Giles being a casualty of the seed’s destruction). In the end, Kennedy offers her a very high paying job at Deepscan, something that would help Buffy achieve the normal life she’s been striving for. But she refuses:

Buffy: I can’t do it.
Kennedy: Is it because of what I said about Giles? ‘Cause I was out of line. You made a tough call, and we need someone who can make decisions like that.
Buffy: But you were right. I keep trying to save the world, when sometimes I should just save a single person. It was different when I was younger. Something changed. But I don’t think it’s a bad thing. And if I took this job, I’d be doing it for just one person: me.
Kennedy: After all you’ve been through, don’t you think you deserve that? To finally have the kind of life you want.
Buffy: Maybe. But that’s just not who I am. I’m the slayer.

As for the future of Buffy: Season 9, I’ve read the first part of “Billy the Vampire Slayer” and I’m very excited to see how the dynamic between a gay boy self-made slayer and Buffy will go down. I think it’s a very positive and empowering way to move forward, and will give Buffy the motivation she needs to keep on fighting the good fight. I’m also looking forward to the Willow miniseries, especially after having seen her in Angel&Faith (which I will also review at a later date). I love the wonderful moments we’ve gotten between the characters so far, and I’m hoping they will continue.

Here’s the thing I hope to (1) get more information about and (2) see resolved.

Something’s up with Xander. There was a really great moment, in the “Apart of me” arc, between himself and detective Dowling. Xander reminisced about killing Jesse (“The Harvest”, season 1), and while on a zompire hunt, he felt the opposite of nostalgia, remembering the feeling of being frightened for your life. But the panel above is too violent to just be about bad memories. It happened after he asked Dawn to bring him his eyepatch and she took 5 seconds too long. I think there’s something more there, and I will keep my eye on him.

This brings us up to date! I would like to hear from you, now; how are you feeling about Buffy: Season 9? Did I miss anything? Any great Scoobies moment I should’ve mentioned?