Novel.

 Been writing a novel for a while, if you'd like to check it out: 

Such terrible hatred, in Spanish and English. 

*

My lesbian experience with loneliness

- My lesbian experience with loneliness. Nagata Kabi. Twenty-eight-years-old Nagata. College drop-out. Subsisting on temporary jobs while trying to break into professional manga publishing. Wrestling with a profoundly-set depression. Only barely starting to come out of the closet. About to lose her virginity to a call-girl. And completely unknown to her, about to take the world by storm…

Phenomenal autobiographical comic. And, without intending to be so, part of a recent wave of gay manga that break away from the conventional, often troublesome established genres (Yaoi and Yuuri, Boy’s Love…) to present instead frank, candid, sincere portrayals of queer life in Japan. In this case, the comic is so frank it does not shy away from the ugliest parts of depression —actually, for casual readers, I should mention a certain TRIGGER WARNING —for depiction of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. 

But this is not a story that wallows in misery. Rather, it’s a tale of finding hope through breaking the barriers that others have imposed on us for so long we’ve come to think they are normal. As she embraces her true personality, Nagata comes face-to-face with several universal truths. The profound lack of sex education that gay people face everywhere in the world to this very date, for example —and this, without trying at all to be universal. She presents her own experiences as-is, and in this way hits on universal themes that resonate with readers from all walks of life. 

Very much recommended. 

*

Two boys kissing

- Two boys kissing. David Levithan. Craig and Harry were boyfriends; then they became best friends, which one of them believes is better and the other does not. Right now they are getting ready for an amazing project: Kissing for thirty-two hours, twelve minutes and ten seconds in their schoolyard, to set a new world record. Tariq is setting up the video feed for their kiss —he knows this idea started when he himself was gay-bashed not that long ago. Peter and Neil are watching the kiss in live stream, even as they deal with their own relationship problems. Avery and Ryan have only just met and hear about the kiss on the radio, even as they struggle with how much of themselves they should reveal. Cooper is not aware of the kiss; he’s too busy flirting endlessly online, unaware of the major crisis heading his way. And watching over all these ‘baby gays’ is the collective consciousness of their elders —the gay generation that was almost entirely lost to AIDS…

A remarkable and sweet YA novel; once again, it’s the kind of book I wish I myself had read as a teenager. The choral narrator is a very effective touch. The characters are a touch schematic (though I did like one of them casually being revealed to be Trans), and the narration now and then gets inappropriately moralizing (such as when it tries to posit that platonic affection is always better than a purely sexual relationship or that progress is always a direct line —i.e., that all times past were at least al little worse and therefore all times to come will automatically be better). In these moments the author seems a bit too overly aware that he’s writing for teenagers. But the book overcomes these flaws when it focuses more on the characters’ sentimental journeys. And at the best moments, the narration is almost poetic in its descriptions. 

Overall, quite recommended. 

*

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe

- Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. Benjamin Alire Sáenz. 

In the summer of 1987, Aristotle Mendoza, aka Ari, is dealing with his tense family situation and the perspective of another lonely, bitter summer. But in the first day he meets free-spirited Dante Quintana. And so begins an intense friendship that across a year will take both boys on a journey of self-discovery. Of sorting out their complex feelings about their Mexican-American heritage, about their parents, the society they live in —and their blooming love for each other. 

Terrific YA gay romance set in 80’s El Paso, Texas. Peopled with unforgettable characters and told in a deceivingly sparse prose that perfectly captures the thought processes of teenagers then and now, this is the kind of book that we adult readers wish we could have read when we were ourselves teenagers. And that contemporary kids, one hopes, will get plenty out of. 

Quite recommended. 

*

The curse of the umbrella

- Little Nothings, vol. 1: The curse of the umbrella. Lewis Trondheim. 

Trondhem, alias Laurent Chabosy, first published the autobiographical vignettes that were later released as “Little Nothings” on his comics blog. Primarily immediate observations about his everyday life —family and pet anecdotes, travel journals, his own status as one of France’s most prestigious cartoonists, and chronicles of his everyday rituals and little insecurities. 

Of course, journal entries have the potential to become interesting through their layered revelations of the person making them, of their place in society or their artistic impulses… but they also have the potential of coming across as banal trivia. 

Unfortunately, this volume of Little Nothings more often veers to the second. His travel musings are always made with the eye of the casual, almost bored tourist, with little interest for the local history or culture (particularly jarring when he spends a long vacation in the African island of Réunion, one of many French colonies —and all he can seem to think about is fears of Chikunguya, portraits of the landscape and his boredom. Nothing of colonization). Whenever autobiographies make a choice to avoid talking about politics, they wind up revealing far more about the author’s sympathies than they may have intended. Sometimes the exact opposite can happen, such as with Guy Delisle’s oft disappointing “Pyongyang”, in which his attempt to make a chronicle results in generally hollow observations. 

Now, beyond the lack of social sight, are the comic vignettes at least funny, or entertaining? Sometimes, in the same way as maybe hearing candid anecdotes from a distant uncle at family gatherings. There is not much in the way of intimate revelations. 

The art is pretty good, however. Trondheim has a good eye for backgrounds and landscapes, often rendered in a seemingly simplistic yet precise style. 

So… not really recommended, but at least it’s pretty to look at. 

*

Ghosts

- Ghosts. Raina Telgemeier. Cat, short for Catrina, is moving with her family up to chilly, foggy North California —because of Cat’s little sister, Maya, who lives with cystic fibrosis. But Bahía de la Luna is no ordinary coastal town. The dearly departed are never quite so distant here —less so as Día de los Muertos approaches. Maya is fascinated by the ghosts, but Cat less so —after all, aren’t they a reminder of death? Yet in one unforgettable night, the sisters will face their fears and find a strength for hope neither knew she had. 

Telgemeir, who had previously won critical and readership acclaim with autobiographical (Smile; Sisters) and YA slice-of-life (Drama) comics, now tries her hand a more fantasy (or “Magical Realism”, if you prefer) tale. Ghost is, at the heart, a tale about human connections. Be they family, neighbors, friends or even across the barrier between the living and the dead, it is those connections that shape our views on life. Like in ‘Drama’ the story offers a glimpse into a world so fully realized one wishes to remain in it long after the story is concluded. 

A charming all-ages comic overall. 

*

The tale of one bad rat

- The tale of one bad rad. Bryan Talbot. Helen is a teenage runaway. Fleeing her sexually abusive father and her uncaring mother, she finds solace in memories of Beatrix Potter. It is these memories that give her the strength to survive the cold cities and the road, until she finally finds her desired land, then slowly gains the strength to confront her abusers. 

A moving comic book tale about the healing power of art and stories, and about the mechanisms of abuse. According to Talbot’s notes, this comic started as a tribute to both Potter and to the English Lake District. But as he researched abuse, which was part of his protagonist’s backstory, the theme became far too important to trivialize. Thanks to this, however, the tale of a survivor became the heart of this comic. So much impact it had that, unusually for a comic book, all of the characters are directly based on real people (that is, used as models by the artist) and all of the locations are real (aside from some requisite ‘touching up’ for dramatic purposes). 

Very much recommended. 

*

Hard Time, vol. 1

- Hard Time: 50 to life. Steve Gerber, Brian Hurtt, et. al. 15-year-old Ethan Harrow and his friend Brandon Snood have organized a scare campaign against the attempted rapist jocks of their school. Unfortunately, Brandon is not content with scaring —he shoots and severely injures a few classmates (making sure to leave the ringleader paralyzed for life). Ethan attempts to stop Brandon, and when he fails he unlocks a super-power he never knew he had… and tears Brandon’s heart right out of his chest. 

End result: Ethan is going to jail for fifty years. 

His wise-ass remarks will not save him —in fact, he manages to make several enemies in the first two days alone. 

His new powers, however, just might give him an edge…

First volume of a troubled series that went through at least two different imprints (DC Focus and DC Bullet, both divisions of DC Comics that are now defunct), and which took a sci-fi turn late in the story. This first volume, unfortunately, fails to impress. Filled with stereotypical characters (check out that cover blurb that describes the comic as ‘Oz meets My So-Called Life’ —that’s the big problem here, critic!) and a somewhat underwhelming premise, it’s at least mildly entertaining because of the fast pace. 

Gerber had other, more interesting titles in his oeuvre —I’d recommend checking out “Nevada”  (a fantasy story with a much better and just as snarky protagonist), also done for DC, for starters. 

Oh, well. 

*

Alone Forever

- Alone Forever: The singles collection. Liz Prince. Compilation of Prince’s autobiographical webcomic detailing her experiences with bad boyfriends, online dating and extended loneliness. 

A candid portrayal drawn directly from life, sometimes capturing the kind of anecdotes we all experience sometimes that are hard to justify in terms of telling other than “this seemed like it was worth pointing out”. It is that ‘relatable!’ brand of storytelling combined with Prince’s deceptively simple art style that keeps the comic entertaining. 

There are no particular reflections about any of the situations presented; even personal affiliations of Prince (the punk rock scene, her taste for bearded men, and indeed her position as a somewhat famous web-comic author) are all taken for granted. 

Nevertheless, quite a few readers have and will still find the overall comic, as said before —relatable! 

(I personally preferred “Diario de un solo”, by Catalina Bu, which I felt did a more profound examination of a similar premise —comics about being single drawn from real life. But Bu went deeper into her examination, such as analyzing how this kind of cycle can risk people straying into radicalization. But, I digress). 

Overall, entertaining. 

*

Shortcomings

- Shortcomings. Adrian Tomine. Ben Tanaka has problems with stuff. With a lot, A LOT of stuff, if you ask him. If you ask his friends, if you ask the women in his life, really it’s just one problem: Deeply internalized racism. Ben runs a small movie theater in Berkeley, spending the days with his politically active girlfriend, Miko, and his lesbian friend Alice. But when first Miko then Alice realize they crave so much more from life than just the post-college experience, Ben’s world begins to crumble. He’s about to learn just how ugly the inner self can be. 

A remarkable graphic novel examining Asian-American communities through the eyes of a deeply negative protagonist. To be sure, Ben is not a sympathetic character. Like his theater, there’s cracks everywhere, hinting at a fundamental problem that risks collapsing the whole thing. Yet it’s his critical eye that also allows him to lay bare the ennui that consumes much of our life. The little lies we all tell ourselves, too. 

There is no redemption for Ben… but there is for the people in his life, who after a fashion use Ben as a mirror to examine their own shortcomings. 

And yet this is not a cynical comic, nor one with delusions of being “real” —like Ben himself, it is a reflection of our lowest moments. 

Perhaps not for all tastes, and yet so much more recommended for that very reason. 

*

Rat Queens, vol. 3

- Demons. Kurtis J. Wiebe, Tess Fowler, et. al. The third volume finds our adventure posse heading to Hanna’s alma mater (Mage U!!) to find out what happened to her father. But in the way, quite a few long-hidden secrets come to the light. Some impacting, some humorous… but some, so dangerous they risk tearing the Rat Queens' bonds apart…

Having gone through several memorable battle sequences, this volume goes for a more intimate approach, focusing not just on what makes these characters tick, but on what drives them and, ultimately, what might actually break them. Fowler’s gorgeous art helps make the relatively quiet moments resonate —as well as to keep the action as vivid as ever. 

Also included is a special issue detailing the origins of Braga, a fierce orc warrior who also happens to be trans. Itself a remarkable yarn, boosted along by the sympathetic protagonist. 

Thus concludes my reading of Rat Queens, as no further volumes are available to me at present. I went into this series knowing nothing except that it was a fantasy story featuring an all-female cast and that it had attracted some controversy. 

The controversy in question has to do with one of the co-creators and main artist for the first two volumes being kicked off the book due to legal issues (he was arrested for spousal assault). Since then, the book has been plagued by regular problems with assorted artists and changing formats (from regular comic to webcomic, to a partial reboot). 

And yet, the story and especially the cast all have an undeniable charm that makes it quite worth a read and then some. 

It’s also made me interested in the entire “Shadowline” section of Image Comics —so many interesting offerings! 

In general, this was quite an interesting surprise, and I definitely hope I can eventually continue reading more of it. 

***

Rat Queens, vol. 2

- The far-reaching tentacles of N’Rygoth. Kurtis J. Wiebe, et. al. Hours after the end of the first volume, the survivors of the assorted adventure groups find themselves under a whole new threat —cosmic horrors unleashed by a man with a  personal vendetta! 

Another quick-paced action yarn that builds on the previous volume, this time gradually showing us how each of the Rat Queens came to be, as well as elaborating on what makes them unique even among their peers. 

This volume sees a change in artists due a rather messy real-life issue. Regardless, quality is kept throughout. 

Another recommended installment. 

*

Rat Queens, vol. 1

- Sass & Sorcery. Kurtis J. Wiebe, et. al. In a fantasy world not too different from… Dungeons & Dragons… there is a party composed of four booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens for hire. The Rat Queens! Hannah the rockabilly elf mage, Violet the hipster dwarven fighter, Dee the atheist human cleric (yeah) and Betty the hippy smidgen thief. Together they are in the business of killing all the god’s creatures for profit! Too bad a hired assassin’s targeting every adventure party for death after far too many property damages. Oh, yeah, and there’s an army of orcs on the warpath. All in all, a pretty standard week for the Rat Queens! 

An action-paced, often hilarious fantasy romp that is… well, not that different from most ‘swords and sandals’ yarns, except for: A. the often sarcastic humor and, more importantly, B, the fact that the cast is primarily women. 

Highly entertaining, overall recommended. 

*

Archie Comics (IV of IV)

- Betty and Veronica: Vixens, vol. 1. Jamie Lee Rotante, Eva Cabrera, et. al. Betty and Veronica accompany their respective dates, Archie and Reggie, on a motorcycle cruise. But when Archie gets in hot water with the motorcycle gang known as the Southside Serpents —he flees in fear. It becomes obvious to the girls that neither of their guys is going to be much help against an actual gang. But… what if they formed their own girl gang? Together with several seemingly unlikely choices, they form the Vixens, a squad brought together to defend Riverdale and to stand for battered women everywhere. Will they be ready when the ante is upped and things get deadly?

Of the modern updates on classical Archie comics (the Horror line, Riverdale, the entire ‘The married life’ saga), this is quite possibly the most surprising. At fist glance the premise would sound not just over the top but puzzling. Besides Betty and Veronica, one could wonder about their choices for the gang: Toni Lopez, Midge Klump, Ethel Muggs, Evelyn Evernever (with the latter addition of Cheryl Blossom) and with Bubbles McBounce as mentor. But as it turns out this selection is done very much on purpose. 

As Lee Rotante explains in her introduction to this collected volume: “This story is not just about motorcycles. It’s not just about a subversion of classic characters. Hell, it’s not even about Betty and Veronica —there’s a larger story that spins out of it, one that extends past the comic page itself. It’s about women who have waited their turn for decades finally getting the chance to take charge”. 

Indeed! The story takes characters who for years and years have been presented purely as arm candy (Midge, Cheryl, arguably Betty and Veronica themselves) or as a punchline (Ethel, Evelyn, Bubbles, Toni to a lesser degree) and gives them not just a chance to shine, but to become tough characters on their own. 

In fine comic book tradition, the story takes several pop-culture concepts as an exoskeleton (the comic invites comparison to classic pulp movies like “Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill!” —and indeed one of the variant covers directly invokes the film’s poster) while hiding a more complex meditation inside. 

Rotante’s smart scrip, coupled with gorgeous art makes this comic an essential recommendation. 

***

And this concludes my Archie reading / re-reading project for now. This was quite a surprise all in all, both the classical and the modern. There is a reason these characters are an essential part of Americana (somewhat like, say, Donald Duck comics, certain specific superheroes, book series like Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, and so on and on) —always recognizable yet subtly mutating over the eras. I do hope one day I can get my hands on other entries that interest me so. 

For my next reading project: Rat Queens, by Kurtis Wiebe and others! I don’t know anything about this series, except that it’s a fantasy comic book starring an all-female cast and that it’s apparently controversial, for reasons both in and out of the comic itself. 

*

Archie Comics (III of IV)

- Archie Crossover Collection. A 2017 collection featuring five crossovers… well, rather, five comics of that long-standing tradition of having popular comic / cartoon characters meeting famous real-life artists and other celebrities. In this case The Ramones, Lady Gaga, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Strathan and George Takei. Let’s see one by one: 

1. Rock ’n’ Roll Riverdale. Alex Segura, Matthew Rosenberg, & Giséle Lagacé. After a disastrous public presentation, The Archies (Archie, Veronica, Betty, Reggie and Jughead) feel so discouraged they disband right on stage. Taking a cue from Fred, Archie’s father, Sabrina uses her magic to send the band back in time to 1976, where they must win a battle of the bands judged by The Ramones —or risk being stuck in the past forever! 

A surprisingly fun yarn with a slightly meaner edge than you would except of classic Archie comics (well, not taking into account the entire Horror imprint and / or the Riverdale spin-offs), and tongue-in-cheek references to classic Ramones songs (Blitzkrieg Pop, Pet Sematary, Commando, 53rd & 3rd, and many more) —and even to “Jingle Jangle” from the real-life The Archies. 

But even more outstanding than Segura and Rosengerg’s scrip is Lagacé gorgeous art, which perfectly homages the classic Archie look while giving it a distinct modern redesign. 

2. Gaga for Baba. Dan Parent & Jeff Schultz. After a less-than-enthusiastic Betty is dragged to a Lady Gaga concert by Veronica, she takes an inspiration from her kitsch style, crafting her own ‘Lady Baba’ persona to perform incognito at underground clubs (!), seeking to ditch her goody-two-shoes tambourine persona from The Archies. 

One strange thing about this comic is that while Gaga herself is an actual character in the story, all of her songs are presented in what tv tropes likes to call “Bland Name Products” —easily recognizable parodies such as ‘Poker Head’, ‘Peperonni’ and ‘Romama’ (for Poker Face, Paparazzi and Bad Romance). Too high a fee for the lyrics rights, perhaps? 

By itself it’s an entertaining yarn that one feels could have gone much further regarding not just Bety’s arc, but Veronica figuring out the mystery —and encouraging her friend to continue the double life! 

3. Geek Face-off. Ian Flynn & Dan Parent. Dilton enters a coding race with none other than the creator of Facebook itself, while Archie, feeling left-out of the Geek trend, hires Reggie and Jughead to improve his smarts. Neither quite gets what he wanted. 

The most formulaic of the five tales collected here, with a sub-plot that goes nowhere and a main plot that, while entertaining, feels somewhat haphazardly thrown together. Although, Moose’s quip “Can’t say I understand why you’d make a whole book about faces, but everyone’s gotta have a hobby, right?” is kind of amusing. 

Basic Archie comics fodder —not bad, perfectly serviceable, but forgettable. 

4. The Sack-rifice. Angelo DeCesare & Dan Parent. Moose quits the football team when he comes close to breaking the local sacks record (…), fearing that it would anger his hero. Said hero, Football legend Strahan comes to Riverdale (according to this comic, his Alma Mater) to woo Moose back to the team. 

Similar to the previous entry, this one is saved from tepidness by including a slight comedic edge regarding sports celebrities —such as the talk show ‘The know-it-alls’, whose host describes it as: “The show where we prove that we know everything about sports and you know nothing!”. That, and the fact that until the very last panel, Moose remains convinced that Strahan is just his imaginary friend. 

An okay humorous yarn, basically. 

5. By George! Dan Parent. Kevin Keller presents a touching essay on George Takei, an inspiration to him for being both an Asian-American actor who overcame impossible odds and for being an out and married gay celebrity. So touching is the essay that Takei himself is convinced by his (real-life) husband Brad to visit Keller himself. Meanwhile Kevin hooks up with his old flame Brian at a comic-con. 

Perhaps the most representative story of 21st. century Archie comics in this collection, essentially a mix of the classical art style and general feel-good atmosphere with topics previously ignored — homosexuality, prejudice and historical changes. While the ending can feel a bit too rah-rah, it is still a nice celebration of social progress. Kevin’s final monologue sums up the sentiment perfectly: “We’re living in better times. We can be who we are. And even though there’s always more work to be done, let’s be thankful for the ground-breakers who pave the way!”

In summary, a collection that is better than you  might expect from the subject matter. 

Next and last: ‘Betty and Veronica: Vixens’, quite possibly the most underrated of modern Archie comics. 

*

Archie Comics (II of IV)

- Archie´s favorite high school comics. A recompilation *of* compilations, gathering assorted Archie stories set in high school, from the 50’s to the 2010’s (the 40’s are absent in this one for some reason). Most are the kind of perfectly serviceable but easily forgotten fluff pieces you’d expect from classic Archie, though now and then you’ll get an interesting glimpse of how certain ideologies will subtly shift over time. 

The highlights include: 

- The specialist. George Gladir, Dan DeCarlo Jr., et. al. (Year unknown). A rare anti-fat-shaming story in which the victim who gets back at his tormentors is a middle-aged man —in this case, long-standing character Coach Kleats, showing how a fat person may still be athletically gifted. 

- The uninvited. Frank Doyle, Stan Goldberg, et. al. (1982). A mystery yarn with a curious twist in which Archie and Chuck play detectives to figure out who has been breaking into school at night and living in the facilities. 

- Magic Mayhem. Tom DeFalco, Bill Galvan, et. al. (2013). Jughead spins his day at school into a bedtime fantasy yarn for his sister Jellybean —what makes this story stand out is that it successfully gains ambiguousness by ending. It becomes clear that besides the fantasy elements (magic), Jughead is inventing a skewered version of the story, to the point of subtly mocking his classmates and presenting himself as the hero of a story that apparently went badly in ‘real life’ (the entire school is at his throat by the ending). In other words, an all-ages story that is designed to make the readers consider the events from several possible points of view. 

- Sound Off. Frank Doyle, Dan DeCarlo, et. al. (1967). An example of a classic comic book tradition: Telling a story with no dialogue (in this case with only the occasional sound effect). The result is both clever and humorous. 

On the whole it’s a fairly entertaining mix. 

Next: Archie Crossover Collection (which I will admit I included mostly for being the only compilation including Kevin Keller I could find). 

*

Reading Project: Archie comics (I of IV)

A random sampling of three Archie comics anthologies and one of the modern series. 

First: 

Archie 75th Anniversary Celebration, #4. 

A collection reprinting classic Betty and Veronica stories from assorted decades, from the 1940’s to the 2010’s (!)

The collection itself is as you might expect: A mix of forgettable stories paired with some actually pretty interesting ones. You can see not just elements that would later be used in the most recent versions (the semi-serious Teen Soap heralded by Mark Waid and the Horror imprint —but also even more interesting experiments from assorted decades), but also how these comics became time capsules for quite a few trends in US fashion and in comics in general. 

All stories come with commentaries from assorted writers, editors, artists and whatnot —the most interesting ones noting subtle details in the art and the evolution (sometimes de-evolution) of themes. 

Some stories that stand out: 

- Where the action is. By Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski, et. al. 2008. One of many stories re-creating the characters as X genre —in this case, as glamorous spies. What is notorios about this story is that it’s one of the fist to use obscure character Evelyn Evernever (from the Little Archie comics) as a villain. 

- Dare to be bare. By Frank Doyle and Dan DeCarlo. 1982. One of the earliest stories starring the Blossom twins, Cheryl and Jason. I’d always wondered why Cheryl was for a time deemed too sexual a character for an all-ages comics. Then in this story we see her arrested for trying to go topless in a public beach and —yeah, now I get it. 

- Vamp it up. By Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski, et. al. 2012. Imagine my surprise at discovering that Vampironica was not a character created for the current Horror storyline, but made her debut in this story —complete with the origin of Betty the Vampire slayer. Respectively, open homages to Vampirella and Buffy. 

- Taking care of business. By Paul Kupperberg, Jeff Schultz, et. al. 2012. The single best story in this collection. Betty and Veronica get stranded in the woods at winter and must use their wits to survive. The twist is that Betty, by this point usually the reliable, level-headed one, get a concussion early on and spends most of the story unconscious, so it falls on Veronica (normally the spoiled rich princess) to keep both of them alive —a very clever scrip that managed to hit just the right amount of drama without going overboard. 

- Of men and mermaids. By Bill Vigoda and Al McLean. 1945. One of the earliest Archie stories, which shows how the character Betty in particular has changed over the years —this one was quite capable of knocking out men with a good sock to the jaw. Described as “feisty” in and out of the comic, I’d say she was that very early kind of female character in comic books that had to be tough just to survive. 

- For one brief moment. By C. J. Henderson, Doug Crane, et. al. 1996. A romance between Betty and Reggie —what is interesting here isn’t the up-ending of the usual romantic triangle of these comics, but the rare emotionally sincere handling of teen romance. How often do you see this kind of characters breaking off simply because they both realize that it’s becoming a serious thing and neither of them is ready for something that intense just yet? 

There is an overwhelming amount of male writers, artists and editors in display here (the sole story written by a woman is “Pick me up”, by Kathleen Webb, 2000. Fittingly, it’s a tale about the girls dealing with constant harassment from entitled men) —which says more about the problem with the general comic book industry than with this particular publishing line, really. 

*

TV diary.

Just some brief thought on shows I've finished, or seasons of them. 

- Riverdale (season 3). This show gets increasingly bonkers each season (some would say 'Darker' ahem), and I love it! I can see why a lot of people gave up on it, which is fair. Also, believe it or not, it's making me interested in re-visiting the comics. Both the original all-ages fare, the Horror stuff of most recent years --but especially the (relatively) little-known experiments. 'Betty and Veronica: Vixens', 'The married life', 'Life with Kevin'... Do I find this show good? Ehhh.... let's say 'Entertaining', and honestly that is exactly what I want from this show. So yeah. 

- Cloak & Dagger (season 1) / Black Lightning (season 1). Pretty good, but with these I decided that for now I am done with live-action superhero shows. I dunno, more and more I feel this specific genre works better in animation (or as a comic book). Frankly, even finishing these two often felt like a chore. 

- Carole & Tuesday, season 2. And here is my favorite. A slice-of-life (with a heavy helping of Sci-fi) anime that gets bravely political in its second season. This one I legit recommend, for so many reasons. 

Broken Things

- Broken Things. Lauren Oliver. The town of Twin Lakes, Vermont, is famous for one thing. Five years ago, thirteen-year-old Summer Marks was killed by her best friends, Mia and Brynn. Everybody talks about The Monsters of Brickhouse Lane. All driven mad by their shared obsession with the cult fantasy novel "The way into Lovelorn". Except... that is not true. Mia and Brynn did not kill Summer. Not that it matters... even if they were never convicted, both their lives have been ruined --people spit at them on the streets and their families fell to pieces. But then Mia finds an old project the three girls had been working on before Summer's murder --a fanfic sequel to their favorite book. And in it, evidence that there was a fourth, anonymous contributor. Somebody who might actually be responsible for Summer's death --somebody who might kill again, to remain in the shadows...

I'd first read Oliver's debut novel, "Before I fall", after watching the movie adaptation. Loved the movie, and loved the book even more. Loved the convincing portrayal of teenage girls and their complex relationships with each other. Then I read "Panic" --a terrific premise (an extremely dangerous game held by the teenagers of a small town as a rite of passage after high school), but that was undone by an underwhelming ending. This book, I had decided, would make or break it for me. Am I still interested in Oliver's books, or was 'Before' basically the only good one? 

The answer was: Make it. I loved this one, both as a YA book and as a thriller / mystery on its own, regardless of the target audience. 

Once again, the characters make it --complex teenagers (and adults) with believable flaws and virtues, with often raw, awkward relationships to each other. A plot that, while standard mystery fodder, plays fair with the audience, with clues provided where needed, and a conclusion that ties up most loose ends while purposefully leaving a few dangling as teasers. 

But what truly makes this book shine is the understanding of how Fiction itself can shape our personality, both when young and later in life. Oliver does a terrific job capturing the eager, often overly autobiographic writing style of young fanfic authors. And even more, she captures the unique fascination that early favorite stories can have on everyone. The way they can come to represent both our brightest hopes an our worst fears. 

Overall, recommended. 

The fan (1995)

- The fan. Peter Abrahams. Bobby Rayburn, baseball superstar. Just starting the season at a new team. A baseball god. Too bad he’s about to hit a slump. Gil Renard, ardent fan. Merrily reminiscing the glories of the past. Too bad he’s about to be faced with the harsh realities of his life. Star and fan, the cycle of celebrity life —too bad it’s about to become a kiss of death. 

When I got “The fan”, the 70’s thriller by Bob Randall, in a used bookstore, this one was right next to it —and on a whim I decided to get both. Two books with the same title and premise, but decades apart. In one the celebrity being stalked is an actress, in the other a sportsman. Coincidence, or rather, it’s a theme that persists because boy, bad fandom behavior has been around for so much longer than we think. It’s the specifics that vary. Perhaps it would make a good comparison exercise, I thought, reading these two thrillers back to back. See what if anything changes from 70’s to 90’s mass market thrillers. 

Oh, of note: Both books were adapted to a movie. The 70’s one was a flop upon release, but has since gained cult status. The 90’s one was pretty terrible by all reports. But I have seen neither movie, so I really can’t confirm or deny their respective quality. 

What I can say is this: Abrahams' thriller is in so many ways on par with Randall’s and in so many ways far less effective. 

Let’s start with the ‘less’: Where Randall’s use of the epistolary format helped keep his tale moving at a brisk pace and to cram in a ton of subtle character development in only a few choice paragraphs, Abrahams takes his sweet time. Not sure if this counts as a spoiler, but: The two main characters do not really cross paths until we’re past the 300-page mark. Before that it’s just the briefest of interactions. As a thriller, it would be easy to dismiss this book as having far too much buildup for far too little pay-off and just not enough suspense.

And yet. 

And yet —it is still quite a surprise, and the patience necessary to navigate this book does pay off. Truth be told the book is much more of a character study with chilling suggestions than a suspense novel per se. But what a character study! Bobby and Gil are both horribly detached people, just one far more sunk into delusion than the other. Admittedly this risks making the novel entirely unsympathetic —it is saved by the late arrival of a third protagonist. Jewel, a middle-aged reporter, and a fairly unusual heroine for this kind of story (I hear the movie basically cut this character’s heroic deeds, which might explain why it bombed). 

It’s a story with a very high bodycount, but the narrative eye is not interested in the carnage —it’s interested in the psychological violence. In Gil’s thorough clinging to his dreams, his insistence of blaming everybody in his life for his own failures except himself, his borderline homoerotic fascination with Rayburn. He doesn’t just get physically close to his baseball star on a few occasions, he makes sure to be close enough to smell him. He remembers his glory days so vividly that when we learn exactly how old he was at the time, it’s a genuine kick in the gut. He is the nightmare that the myth of the ‘American Dream’ produces —a boiling cauldron of white male entitlement that every so often explodes in the most humiliating ways. Then there is Rayburn, the celebrity consumed by superstitions, considered too old for his profession at thirty-one. The super-player who dearly wishes that his equally talented son will never, ever, become a baseball player like himself. He has seen the reality behind the glamorous mask of sports celebrity and it is horrific. Yet Rayburn himself can be quite unlikeable as well —not very bright, far less compassionate and sensitive than he thinks he is —and baffled when his encounter with Jewel makes him see a fundamental flaw: She is a woman; he is in so many ways still a boy. 

Jewel (nee Janine) has less page time, yet her character resonates even more today. A woman in a ‘boy’s profession’, not only is she permanently second-guessed by her young male co-workers and editors —her relatives so wish she’d trade her awards for a husband, and the police see no reason her research into a dangerous fan should be taken seriously. Why, she’s just a… a… cheerleader with a frump, they think! But Jewel has little time for nonsense like that. She has a story to find and by god, she’ll follow it where she must —even all the way to a dangerous confrontation at night in a cemetery…

This is not a perfect novel, but it is more than worth a look —far better than one might expect, really.