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Comic/TV Recs, 5/31/11
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 11:55 amIn Comics:
This isn't really a comic, per se... I really need to bust out an Original English Language tag. But it's a little hard to classify this work in the first place, so I'm sticking with the generic 'comics' and 'books' label.
Anyway, Will the Super Villains Be on the Final?, Volume 1, words by Naomi Novik, pictures by Yishan Li: This was... not what I expected. Obviously, writers aren't limited to one particular genre or setting, and I didn't expect Novik to write dragons-and-tall-ships sagas forever. But this genre, YA OEL manga, with a modern-day, comic book superhero story, isn't where I ever thought she would end up, and the results are somewhat uneven. On one hand, the heroine has a very cool superpower (atomic manipulation) and is paired up with a funny, kind empath best friend on their first day of studies at Liberty Vocational, a school for aspiring teenage superheroes. There are also some very complicated questions about the ethics of superherodom, which are introduced in a natural and interesting fashion (along the lines of a class where aspiring heroines/heroes must debate the eternal "needs of the many vs. needs of the few" issue.) But the book itself... it's an oddly spineless read. It should be interesting, funny, and engaging, but it doesn't feel that way. I get the distinct impression that this was a manga written by committee, with Novik on the masthead. All the trappings of the shoujo manga genre are there: the ridiculously clumsy heroine, the conflicted love interest, and aloof classmates who're snobby for plot-driven reasons only... And when they're put together like this, the genre as a whole comes across as hollow and foolish. I cannot believe that the heroine is as clumsy as she's shown to be, or has no other ambition besides wanting to go out with the cute guy (who she's only met the day before). The villain's plan seems unnecessarily convoluted, while the other adults in the story are, for the most part, unsympathetic and authoritarian for reasons that are, as yet, unclear. I don't know what to make of this; it's lightweight and silly, and it should have been a good distraction, but I couldn't help feeling like I was wasting my time. And I don't associate that kind of guilt with any of Novik's other works. It as if she came up with a plot, got distracted, and let the editors and artist do whatever they wanted. Although some manga benefit from collaboration, this one didn't, not by a long shot. (I'd be happy to share this copy with anyone else who wants it, just to see if I'm really being too snobby.)
On TV:
Ugly Betty, Seasons 1-3: I like that this show always defies my expectations in the best way; just when I think I've nailed where the plot is going, it surprises me with a twist (dramatic or small). And I love that the characters grow and change, not just the main character. I do not, however, like being right about the main character's latest love interest, who turned out to actually be a real jackass. Anyway, fluffy fun, and a very likable way to spend my time feeding the baby.
This isn't really a comic, per se... I really need to bust out an Original English Language tag. But it's a little hard to classify this work in the first place, so I'm sticking with the generic 'comics' and 'books' label.
Anyway, Will the Super Villains Be on the Final?, Volume 1, words by Naomi Novik, pictures by Yishan Li: This was... not what I expected. Obviously, writers aren't limited to one particular genre or setting, and I didn't expect Novik to write dragons-and-tall-ships sagas forever. But this genre, YA OEL manga, with a modern-day, comic book superhero story, isn't where I ever thought she would end up, and the results are somewhat uneven. On one hand, the heroine has a very cool superpower (atomic manipulation) and is paired up with a funny, kind empath best friend on their first day of studies at Liberty Vocational, a school for aspiring teenage superheroes. There are also some very complicated questions about the ethics of superherodom, which are introduced in a natural and interesting fashion (along the lines of a class where aspiring heroines/heroes must debate the eternal "needs of the many vs. needs of the few" issue.) But the book itself... it's an oddly spineless read. It should be interesting, funny, and engaging, but it doesn't feel that way. I get the distinct impression that this was a manga written by committee, with Novik on the masthead. All the trappings of the shoujo manga genre are there: the ridiculously clumsy heroine, the conflicted love interest, and aloof classmates who're snobby for plot-driven reasons only... And when they're put together like this, the genre as a whole comes across as hollow and foolish. I cannot believe that the heroine is as clumsy as she's shown to be, or has no other ambition besides wanting to go out with the cute guy (who she's only met the day before). The villain's plan seems unnecessarily convoluted, while the other adults in the story are, for the most part, unsympathetic and authoritarian for reasons that are, as yet, unclear. I don't know what to make of this; it's lightweight and silly, and it should have been a good distraction, but I couldn't help feeling like I was wasting my time. And I don't associate that kind of guilt with any of Novik's other works. It as if she came up with a plot, got distracted, and let the editors and artist do whatever they wanted. Although some manga benefit from collaboration, this one didn't, not by a long shot. (I'd be happy to share this copy with anyone else who wants it, just to see if I'm really being too snobby.)
On TV:
Ugly Betty, Seasons 1-3: I like that this show always defies my expectations in the best way; just when I think I've nailed where the plot is going, it surprises me with a twist (dramatic or small). And I love that the characters grow and change, not just the main character. I do not, however, like being right about the main character's latest love interest, who turned out to actually be a real jackass. Anyway, fluffy fun, and a very likable way to spend my time feeding the baby.
