Comic/Manga/Movie Recs, 5/27/10

[retsuko]

In Comics:

Spider-Man: Fairy Tales, Words by C.B. Cebulski (& Owens), Pictures by Tercio, Henrichon, Kobayashi, and Dragotta: Take the well-known characters of the Spiderman saga (Spidey/Peter, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacey, Aunt May, etc. etc.) and drop them into fairy tale settings, with different artists along the way. The results are fairly strong, but a few of the stories work better than others. The Little Red Riding Hood story at the beginning of the collection is the strongest for "girl power!" and then strongest for "couple power" as Mary Jane and Peter manage to fight off the evil wolf monster that's been plaguing their idyllic mountain town, while discovering that marriage doesn't necessarily mean that Mary Jane has to lose her own identity. Strongest overall is the second story, which revisits an African fable of Anansi, the Spider God, and his travels in search of power. The visuals in this installment are gorgeous and suit the tone of the story well. Perhaps the most ambitious story in the collection, "What You Wish For" re-imagines Cinderella in the style of "Prince Valiant" and for the most part, it's OK, but the Peter-Gwen-Mary Jane love triangle starts to come off a little too Archie-Veronica-Betty. Overall, this is a good trade paperback that might make a good gift for younger readers who are interested in comics but still love their Grimm's.

Pride of Baghdad, Words by Vaughan, Pictures by Henrichon: I got this book from friend E., who is cleaning put his comic book collection in preparation for a cross-country move. I was surprised that he would let a hardcover book go, but he shrugged and said he didn't care. And when I read the book upon my return home, I saw why. There are strong points in this narrative, notably the beautiful and violent artwork, and the color palette of the story, which is a somber, almost bloody shadow of oranges, browns, and yellows. But the story feels rushed, without regard for character development. And what character development there is features a completely gratuitous gang rape scene. I had read very good reviews of this when it came out a few years ago and was disappointed to finally get my hands on it, only to discover it wasn't as good as the critics claimed. If you can get a copy free from a friend, go for it. Otherwise, save your money.

In Manga:

Rinne, Vol. 3, Words and Pictures by Takahashi: This extremely silly volume introduces a character who dresses in a modified tuxedo all the time, builds on the romantic tension between Sakura and our dashing but perpetually broke hero, and features an episode where our hero Cross-Dresses For Great Justice. What more can I say? This is, officially, my new guilty pleasure: yeah, it's silly and almost entirely pointless, but it's so good naturedly fun that I cannot feel bad for enjoying it.

In Movies:

Just Wright: OK, I admit it: I'm a sucker for a certain kind of romantic comedy, and this was precisely that sort of comedy. Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist who falls for Common (playing a basketball player who secretly longs to be a jazz pianist) but is thwarted in pursuing the relationship by a close family gold-digger friend, played by Paula Patton. Will our heroes ever get together? Well, yes, after some conflict. Although this is familiar ground, it's tread well by the main cast. Queen Latifah, as ever, is fun to watch and makes me wish she were a friend I could invite over for beers and funny movie marathons. Two side notes about the production that are very interesting: the depiction of class is handled very, very delicately and every effort is made to show that even though Common is a highly successful and wealthy basketball player, he's still the same guy who went to a middle-class high school and is friends with the same people. The other aspect of the production was the genuine affection that the actors and the script had for Latifah's character's parents, who are well-meaning, but a little clueless in the ways of romance. At one dramatic juncture, in an effort to dissuade her from a certain course of action, they inadvertently represent the conflicting sides of her thoughts, in exactly the way that parents often do. So, yeah, this was an exceedingly pleasant film and I am happy to recommend it as comfort food for the soul.