Review: La Perdida

La Perdida
By Jessica Abel ($19.95; Pantheon Books)

Wow! I missed La Perdida in its serialized form, first hearing of it when the final issue hit the stands last year, but considering it took five years to finish, I'm guessing reading it collected in one impressive tome was for the best. Unlike decompressed superhero comics where "writing for the trade" often implies unnecessary padding, Jessica Abel crams heaping handfuls of story into each chapter of her gripping tale of self-discovery and self-deceit, but they are unquestionably parts of a larger whole; an excellent, completely engaging and essential whole that belongs on every discerning comics fans bookshelf.

Carla, Abel's titular "la perdida" -- lost girl -- is a half-Mexican twenty-something who moves to Mexico City on a whim, looking to get in touch with her Mexican roots by fully immersing herself in the culture, quickly rejecting her fellow American expatriates in favor of two natives who (with a peculiar mix of selfish sincerity) embrace her: Memo, a Communist pseudo-intellectual, and Oscar, his good-looking if somewhat simple-minded friend.


The first three chapters are Carla's story of trying to fit in and find her place in a culture that is completely foreign to her and not always welcoming, despite and in spite of her half-Mexican blood, and Abel does an excellent job of establishing a rather large cast of supporting characters so that in the fourth chapter, when things take a dramatic shift that in lesser hands would qualify as jumping the shark, she's able (no pun intended) to pull it off without derailing everything that's come before. Because she tells the story from Carla's perspective looking back on what happened, the reader is cued into details that Carla herself is missing at the time, so as events unfolded, I found myself cringing at some of her choices while always remaining engaged with her story. When it ended, somewhat abruptly, I found my head spinning a bit, chock full of images and anecdotes from Carla's experience as if she had shared them with me personally over coffee.


Abel's artwork, dense and subtly detailed, took about 15 pages for me to get used to before I was fully drawn into the story, as the back-and-forth prologue and discordant opening sequence forced my eyes to linger on each panel much longer than I'm used to doing. There's also the Spanish-English translation that crowds many of the panels in the first chapter which adds to its density -- and also helps non-Spanish readers, myself included, to further identify with Carla's situation -- but the extra effort is rewarded throughout the story, and it quickly becomes clear why it took five years to finish the story because there's not a single wasted panel in it. Like Blankets, the first long-form (non-superhero) graphic novel to really blow me away, and Black Hole, the most recent one to do so, La Perdida is everything great sequential art should be. (4.5 out of 5 Harvey awards)

[Review originally published by PopCultureShock, 4/17/06]

On the Web: Xavier's School For Gifted Dancers

In the spirit of truly fulfilling our promise to bring you comic randomonia, CBC presents the first installment of On The Web. OTW will bring you the best, and perhaps the worst, video clips the internet has to offer comic fans around the world.

Without further ado, in the tradition of that dancing baby that everyone saw when they first got onto the internet, CBC presents Xavier's School For Gifted Dancers!

LINK: Pull List Propaganda

My new review column, Pull List Propaganda, launches today over at PopCultureShock, wherein I review: Infinite Crisis #6, New Avengers: Illuminati, Moon Knight #1, The New Teen Titans #34, Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #23-24, Supermarket #1-2, La Perdida, Mouse Guard #1, Robotíka #1-2, Super Real #1-2, The Last Island, and The Hunger #1-2.

I think Jon's still working on adding the images, but it's already up and accessible, and since I'm on vacation and heading out to the Mets game tonight to see Pedro win his 200th game and the beginning of the end of the Atlanta Braves' death grip on the NL East, I'm posting the link a little early. Check it out and leave me some comments.

Go Mets!

PANEL: Teen Titans #34

Teen Titans #34
Art by Tony Daniel, Kevin Conrad, Art Thibert,
Richard & Tanya Horie
Written by Geoff Johns
April 2006, DC

PANEL: G.I. Joe Sigma 6 #4

G.I. Joe Sigma 6 #4
Art by Chris Lie, Ramanda Kamarga and Rob Ruffolo
Written by Andrew Dabb
March 2006, Devil's Due

COMMENT: Forest, Trees and Taki Soma

Things that are pissing me off right about now:

1) Tom Spurgeon's unnecessarily snarky and ill-informed commentary yesterday, which includes an ill-timed reference to old rumors about Friends of Lulu, and barely a cursory mention of the actual situation which precipitated the creation of the Empowerment Fund.

2) Heidi MacDonald's total lack of reference to Taki's coming forward, or the creation of the Empowerment Fund, and yet she posts about her "FIGHT!" with Spurgeon over his disparaging comment about Friends of Lulu. (UPDATE: Within minutes of this post, Heidi's comments on the situation went up.)

3) Elayne Riggs' hypocritical Reasons I'm Not Discussing Taki Soma post -- whom in January, when Taki was still unidentified, complained that "I've yet to see one single male comics blogger on my blogroll talk about this subject."

Riggs' post was the straw that broke the camel's back -- among her "reasons" being that she doesn't know Taki, and the same FoL issues Spurgeon referenced -- and I started to comment on her blog when I realized my anger wasn't just over her post, that it had simply crystallized things for me.

Issues with FoL aside, since when does knowing Taki have any bearing on discussing her situation? When she was unidentified, people had plenty to say, Riggs included, but now that she's come forward, she wants to pull back, choosing to stay on the sidelines to "wait-and-see", despite acknowledging the fact that "more light needs to be shone on these situations"?

Who's it going to take to shed that light before others are comfortable with turning on their own spotlights? Be the change you want to see!

Is Taki's taking the brave step of coming forward publicly not enough? She, and the other women who might see her action as the inspiration they need to come forward with their own stories, don't need "best wishes", they need clear, unequivocal support, both in word and deed.

You think the guy who did this isn't sweating out his precarious situation a little more with each blogger he sees talking about this, especially influential ones with influential audiences, like Spurgeon, MacDonald and Riggs? You think he's not relieved a bit by posts like Riggs' that shakes its head in shame while effectively saying she won't be doing anything about it? Or Spurgeon, who didn't even deign it worthy of a specific mention? Or several other bloggers who jumped on the story in the beginning but have so far remained silent since Taki stepped forward.

I can't help but think some of this has to do with knowing, or at least suspecting, the identity of the accused, and that thought disgusts me.

Days like this I recognize the comics industry and its assorted sycophants for the inbred, selfish, small-minded community it really is. And yeah, it may just be a microcosm of the larger world, but that doesn't make it right or something to shrug your shoulders over. In an industry built in large part on the shoulders of idealistic superheroes, it's ironic that many of its members are the equivalent of sniveling, petty criminals who cower in fear at the first sight of danger. (EDIT: I'm talking generally at this point, not about Spurgeon, MacDonald and Riggs.)

NOTE: I don't know Taki beyond my getting involved with the reporting of the story a month or two ago, as she was preparing to come forward and wanted to ensure that we did everything the right way. What I do know is the number of statements from other people she was able to pull together, including her witness and at least three others who've personally witnessed the accused engage in similarly offensive behavior towards women.

On the Shelves: 4/12/06

Support GOOD Comics! Try something new EVERY month.

My weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 4/12/06. The full shipping is list available at ComicList.

[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]

PICK OF THE WEEK


Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle TPB

BURLYMAN ENTERTAINMENT
Shaolin Cowboy Darrow Cvr #5 (resolicited), $3.50
Shaolin Cowboy Delgado Cvr #5, $3.50

While I'm not reading either of their titles, I like that Burlyman hasn't launched anything new since their well-received debuts. Especially considering the delays both have experienced, the focused, slow and steady approach is the way to go.

DC COMICS
Amazing Adventures Of The JLA, $3.99
American Virgin #2, $2.99
Batman Year One Hundred #3 (Of 4), $5.99
Firestorm The Nuclear Man #24, $2.50
Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol 1 TPB, $16.99

Christopher Priest has such a rabid following, I find myself wanting to like him more than I actually do. Sorta like Brian Wood. I'll give his JLA one-shot a..., er, shot. *** I wasn't really feeling Paul Pope's take on Batman at first, but once I judged it on its own merits, the first two issues were pretty entertaining. The cover price is steep, though, and it's something I'd definitely wait for the trade if not for my discount. *** Firestorm's first OYL issue was solid, but that only gets it back to flip-through status, and its 3rd shot at making my pull list. Three strike rule's in effect, though. *** Old school Teen Titans may be a little too cheesy for even my tastes, but it's the first superhero Showcase that's vaguely interested me, so I may give it a flip-through.

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
GI Joe Sigma 6 #5, $2.95

I'm sure none of you hip bloggers out there are reading this, and as a result, you totally missed my getting a shout-out in the last issue! (Note to self: post that as a PANEL this weekend.)

DREAM BUG PRODUCTIONS
Thunder Monkey #1, $2.95

How can you not give something called Thunder Monkey a chance? Maybe when a Google search reveals Dream Bug Productions doesn't have a damn web site? Or even a blog!?!? I mean, come on, work with me here!

EVIL TWIN COMICS
Action Philosophers Hate The French, $2.95

Many people have assumed I was French due to "Guy LeCharles", including one particularly idiotic co-worker back in 2003 who got caught up in the whole anti-French, "freedom fries" nonsense. If she weren't so stupid, and in the distant past, I'd buy her a copy of this.

MARVEL COMICS
Iron Man Demon In A Bottle TPB, $24.99
Son Of M #5 (Of 6), $2.99
Thunderbolts #101, $2.99

Now here's some nostalgia I can get into, an alcoholic Tony Stark. I barely remember the story arc, but I do recognize its place in the canon and I'm curious about how it holds up. *** Sticking with Son of M through the end but I'm going to be really pissed if Magneto gets his powers back. Which means, of course, that I AM going to be really pissed since we all know there is no way Magneto is staying de-powered. Professor X, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. *** I hope Nicieza doesn't lose steam now that his initial Thunderbolts storyline has more or less wrapped up. It's one of Marvel's most consistently entertaining ongoings.

MR COMICS
Revolution On The Planet Of The Apes #1 (Of 6) (AA), $3.98

I'm thinking maybe they resolicited the first issue to take advantage of the fancy PotA DVD set that was just released: Planet of the Apes - The Ultimate DVD Collection - With Ape Head Packaging. (Ape Head Packaging?!?!) If so, smart move, though it would have been nicer if the TPB was already out and could have appeared on Amazon as a "buy together" deal instead of King Kong, which is a pretty lazy pairing on their part. If I didn't already own all of the movies and the TV series separately, I'd totally snatch this new set up, though I have no idea where I'd find 1564 minutes to watch it all! (But WTF, "Ape Head Packaging"?!?!)

Magazines
Write Now #12, $6.95

Always a good read, TwoMorrows publishes some of the best comics magazines out there, covering stuff the comics internet doesn't already have nailed down.

LINK: Sexual Assault Follow-up

Ronée Garcia Bourgeois follows up on her story from a few months back about a sexual assault at a comics convention that led to some serious behind-the-scenes dustups that found us fighting off complaints of libel from one innocent bystander; the guilty successfully hiding behind a ill-conceived bigger (but in actuality, significantly smaller) picture; and the victim hitting roadblock after roadblock in her quest for legal recourse.

What A Girl Wants #24 - The Rest Of the Story!

Back in December, I first told you about an alleged sexual assault that occurred at a comic convention and expressed my own personal feelings on the subject as I tend to do. Since then I have learned to be a bit more politically correct and all that crap but I do not apologize for bringing the topic up, for saying what I think or for being a passionate person for women’s rights.

However, at the time, the victim was not ready to come public and wanted to handle the situation the right way and through the proper channels, which I applaud her for of course… I then promised not to publicly speak of it again until SHE was ready to tell it herself.

Well. She’s ready.

Let me introduce you to Taki Soma, an extremely talented artist and a brave woman.

When this story first came out, I was only peripherally aware of the details, trusting Ronée's grasp of the story and the facts around it, while remaining completely, and purposefully, unaware of whom the victim or accused were. When Taki was preparing to come forward, having exhausted all legal means available to her, I got more directly involved because of the aforementioned (and totally empty) threats of a libel lawsuit and how potentially big the story might be.

The end result, where Taki has now come forward but not yet named the accused was a tough compromise for her, and the necessity of it burned in my gut as, having read the supporting statements from several others attesting, firsthand, to the low moral character of the accused, I wanted to pay him a visit and beat the shit out of him myself. And I don't even know Taki personally. I do have a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a mother, though -- not to mention several close female friends who are, effectively, my sisters -- and the thought of any one of them dealing with what Taki went through kills me, both the assault itself and its emotionally draining aftermath as she fought to do the right thing and seek out help instead of remaining quiet, allowing him the opportunity to do what he did to someone else. Again.

The brand new Friends of Lulu Empowerment Fund is a great first step to helping Taki and other women deal with the aftermath of situations like this and I wholeheartedly support their efforts, but I also want to see the spineless men in the industry who stood on the sidelines when this story first came out -- the ones who knew about this guy and his reputation, and stayed silent because, for them, it wasn't that big a deal, or there was more to lose than gain -- I want to see them stand up now and publicly declare their support for Taki and for the Fund, and to let HIM know that he dodged a bullet this time, but that from here on out he's being watched, and the next time he disrespects a woman in any manner, he can kiss his career goodbye.

PANEL: Persepolis

Persepolis
By Marjane Satrapi
June 2004, Pantheon (reprint edition)