What a week here at Okazu! Not only did we get to read that breathtaking interview with Nakamura Ching-sensei, but today I have a guest review written by none other than David Welsh of Precocious Curmudgeon. I’m all a-quiver with excitement at today’s review.

Some weeks ago on Twitter, David mentioned that he had gotten the Detective Comics series with the new Batwoman (zOMG a lipstick lesbian who never has a steady relationship! That’s NEVER been done!) and I asked if he’d like to review it for us here at Okazu. This may well be the first mainstream American comic ever reviewed here. History in the making. Anyway, not to delay a moment longer, David, they are all yours…)

When I consider comics, the binary that comes most readily to mind is what drives the book. Is it plot, or is it character? I tend to favor character-driven stories, where the events spring from who the characters are, and they couldn’t happen in quite the same way to anyone else. The binary is too limiting, obviously, but it generally suits my interests and priorities.

So if nothing else, Detective Comics 854 and 855 (DC) served as well-executed reminders of another category: the art-driven comic. Written by Greg Rucka, the comics serve as a proper introduction to DC’s much-ballyhooed lesbian Batwoman revamp. I think the character debuted in one of DC’s big weekly crossover series, but I haven’t picked up a DC comic since they set Sue Dibny on fire and all the heroes started crying and snapping at each other because they were all amoral failures.

Still, I’ve enjoyed many comics written by Rucka, and it’s rare that you have a GLBTQ character helming one of DC or Marvel’s flagship titles. (They generally tend to die in Marvel and DC’s flagship titles, actually.) For added interest, there’s the art of J.H. Williams III, with colors by Dave Stewart and lettering by Todd Klein. My first encounter with Williams’ art was DC’s short-lived, much-loved Chase, about an agent for the DC universe’s super-human monitoring agency. It was a neat series with a well-developed woman protagonist (look, a unicorn!), and Williams contributed a great deal to its appeal. He’s pretty much the whole show with the first two issues of Batwoman’s Detective run.

This brings me back to the concept of the art-driven comic, where the writer provides just enough of a framework to give the illustrator reign to go wild, metaphorically speaking. A fine example is Paris (SLG), barely written by Andi Watson and magnificently drawn by Simon Gane. (For added Ozaku interest, it’s about young women in love… with each other!) If a cartoonist is more illustrator than writer, he or she can give him or herself license to slack on story and character and concentrate efforts on images. That’s what I tell myself when I read manga by Arina Tanemura.

That’s what Rucka has done here, or at least that’s what it feels like he’s done. I knew very little about the character prior to picking up either issue of Detective; the New York Times told me she was a lesbian (pardon me… a “lipstick lesbian”) socialite named Kate Kane who fights crime. That’s still pretty much all I know about her, with the added details that she has difficulty maintaining relationships and some kind of troubled past that’s unfolding in drug-induced flashback.

Since everyone in Batman’s orbit has trouble maintaining relationships and a traumatic childhood experience or two, there’s nothing really left to distinguish Batwoman except for the visual iconography Williams brings to the book. Her sexual orientation is entirely equivalent in terms of relationship failure; the fact that she’s a lesbian has no more to do with it than the fact that Batman is ostensibly straight. After a rough night of beating up lowlifes in alleys, they’re too tired to commit.

It’s a gorgeous book, and instead of clumsily trying to explain why, I’ll just point you to Jog’s review of Detective 854. Unfortunately, I found it a strangely empty book as well. Nothing damaging or unpleasant happens to compromise Batwoman’s future as a character, but nothing really meaty happens either. The character is secondary to her rendering.

I had many of the same problems with the back-up strip featuring DC’s other high-profile lesbian heroine, The Question. I went in knowing a lot more about her, or at least her alter-ego, Renee Montoya. Renee did a long tour of duty as a detective with the Gotham City Police Department and played a central role in the generally excellent Gotham Central (DC). She even got a well-liked arc, written by Rucka, where she was outed to her hyper-masculine co-workers. I always found her an interesting, assertive character.

Something has happened since I last saw her, as she’s adopted the nom de guerre and most of the costume of an interesting c-list DC sleuth who wore a featureless mask and was obsessed with conspiracy theories. The featureless mask is still in place, updated with a crop top for no particularly good reason. (Crop tops seem so impractical for people who anger gun-toting thugs.) Renee seems to have left Gotham behind to wade through one of those TV-series premises where she finds people to help through a web site. At least I think that’s what’s happening, as Rucka doesn’t spend any more time on Renee’s back story or motivation than he does with Kate.

It’s competent enough, but artist Cully Hammer is no J.H. Williams. The back-up strip is welcome in the sense that it makes the comic’s $3.99 price tag seem slightly less like highway robbery.

Thank you David for what may well be the most cogent look at Batwoman ever written. And thank you for being our newest Okazu Guest Reviewer!

Well, the first two event-filled weekends of my event-filled June are over and I thought I’d take a moment to review some stuff I have sitting here that doesn’t fit into neat categories and ramble on a bit about related things.

Let’s start with the concept of Doujinshi. As you can see, we defined this in the Okazu Glossary as: Small-press or self-published works. Doujinshi are sometimes parodies of existing anime, manga, novels, games and even popular celebrities, but are also often original works. In Japan, there is a well-accepted undermarket of these works which often violate copyright as it is understood in the west.

Here in the west, we also have doujinshi, which we often refer to as “Indie comics” or sometimes “Comix.” Indie, short for Independent, which is shorthand for saying “Marvel and DC aren’t hiring.” lol Kidding, kidding. Comix are often meant to be alternative, underground or otherwise not for kiddies.

The best Indie comics are incredible. Good or bad, they have something in common – the creators got together and *did* a thing. From beginning to end, they wrote, drew, laid out, printed and published the comic or book. If you have read Okazu for any length of time, you know that I adore people who take the reins into their own hands and just do stuff on their own like that. It’s what pushes the boundaries in any art form.

Today, I want to show you a few of these western doujinshi and share their stories with you.

Crême Brûlee is a doujinshi by a Dutch circle called Open-Minded. The volume contains both Yuri and BL in manga and text stories. The publication itself is extremely lovely, with color pages and a beautifully done dust jacket. The overall theme is that the book is a “menu” of works and that the romance contained therein is “dinner.” The stories are all in English. Art and writing is variable as it is in all anthologies, with links in the back for every creator, so you can look for more by them if you like. The overall effect is one of energy and enthusiasm and a genuine joie de vivre that makes you just want to smile. My thanks for this book goes to Lililicious‘ own Rosa Gigantea, Wendy. It was sent to me as a gift to celebrate Lililicious’ 5th anniversary and I really can’t thank her enough. I’ve been holding on to it to share with all of you. I hope you’ll visit the Open-Minded site and see if you can find some of their collections yourself because it was genuinely delightful.

Hookah Girl is a little off-topic for Okazu, as it is neither Yuri nor Lesbian in any way, but definitely falls under the category Neat Stuff, so I want to tell you about it. I met the artist, Marguerite Dabaie some years ago when I spoke to the Cartoonists Alliance at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. Amazingly, I have kept in touch with a number of the folks I met there – every last one of them so talented that it takes my breath away. Margo’s work has ranged widely over any number of topics – some years ago she did a absolutely stellar book about cross-dressers in Germany as the Nazis were coming to power. Hookah Girl is an autobiographical piece, delving into the positives and negatives of being a Palestinian Christian in America. It contains anecdotes of her life and deals with larger issues such as the double pressure of being a non-Moslem Arab, and an Arab in the US right now. Drop by Margo’s website for some page previews and link to buy this book. I picked this up at MoCCA and am very glad I did.

One of the side effects of that long-ago talk to those amazingly talented kids (who are kids no longer, but magnificently talented young women,) was that I kind of built up a relationship with some of the folks from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. One of these, Hilary Florido, was one of those folks and again, at MoCCA a few weeks ago, she recommended I buy this doujinshi anthology she and a bunch of folks had done. It has, she said, some stories I think you’ll like – it’s a “Girl’s Love Megane (Eyeglasses) Comic Anthology.” I do like it, Hilary. Thanks! lol The stories are fun, they are definitely Yuri and very heartfelt. I’m not sure where you could buy this, other than a show, but check out de facto editor Kim Hoang’s website and ask her. :-)

While at the Prism Comics booth I picked up a copy of Leia Weathington’s The Legend of Bold Riley: Serpent in the Belly with art by Jason Thompson. There is much to like about this series – a princess named Rilavashana SanParite, who is amusingly known as Bold Riley, who unabashedly loves women and rides through the countryside saving distressed damsels and slaying things. Pretty much all good in my book. The Prism Comics Shop has all four of the Bold Riley comics and of course, many, many other GLBTQ artists available as well, including…

…the Juicy Mother 2 anthology. (Also available on Amazon.) The first Juicy Mother anthology was by Jennifer Camper, this one was edited by Jennifer and includes work by her, Joan Hilty, Ariel Schrag, Alison Bechdel and many more. I spoke a bit with Jennifer at MoCCA and she was really excited about this book. It’s great, I totally loved it. Again, as with all but Hookah Girl it’s an anthology, so art and writing styles differ, but since I’m more usually reading Yuri, it’s fun for me to wade in a pool of western LGBTQ work every once in a while. And it should be something you do from time to time, as well, to remind yourself that lesbians do not die or get married once they graduate from high school. And, that sometimes the very fact that some of us lesbians are angry, bitter and cynical is exactly why we’re so damn funny. ;-)

While I’ve got you all, I want to say that, although I did not buy anything myself, there was a lot more than just parody and derivative work at AnimeNEXT this past weekend, as well. I look forward to the day when manga doujinshi circles here are doing the kind of work that Indie comic artists are doing. Also while I’m on the topic, thanks to Sean and extra super thanks to Kelli for all your hard work there.

The moral of today’s post: Do NOT wait for someone to discover you. Learn to control your work, from inception to completion. Learn to write, draw, raise money, publish and promote your own work or how to hire someone to do the pieces you can’t. It’s your work and no one else’s – it’s your job to make it happen.

Thanks to everyone mentioned in today’s post – you really make all of this so very exciting for me!

There are many things to like about Skim, by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki.

Right from the start, I was intrigued. The book is hardcover, larger than I expected, with a decidedly “classical” Japanese face on the cover, reminiscent of Heian art. A face with heavy cheeks, high, plucked eyebrows and a small, shapely mouth. And, when I opened the covers, this is indeed what our heroine looks like. A classic Japanese face. If she had ever smiled, I’m sure I’d have been surprised if her teeth weren’t blacked out. ^_^

The story is constructed as a series of diary entries, which gave it the feel of a pillow book, and just added to the classical ambiance.

The art is not manga-style. It’s not really American comics either. There’s a distinct style to it, informed by both Japanese and western art, but it’s completely it’s own thing. I liked it quite a bit.

Kim, known as “Skim,” is 16, a Wiccan-in-training, and Gothic, but not at all Goth. She’s a smart girl, perceptive and incredibly down to earth, surrounded by adults who think they understand what it’s like to be 16 (is there *anything* more galling?), friends who haven’t the vaguest clue what she’s really like or what is really important to her and peers who, well they aren’t her peers, anyway.

She’s romantic, realistic, full of hope and hopelessness, and everything else a real person is. She might also be gay, but it’s kind of hard for either her or us to know at this point.

Above all, Kim is someone that not only would I have over for lunch, I’d have her over again and again, until she got past 16 and was allowed to be human.

Then there’s the bitter humor of a person smarter than most of the folks around her. She’s taken to a Wiccan coven that also turns out to be a AA meeting. Both the wife and I thought that was hysterical. (Our Druid grove isn’t an AA group, but it is awfully like attending a meeting for Adult Children of Co-Dependents Anonymous, or something equally as sad.) Her response when her friend Lisa fills her in – after the fact – about it being an AA meeting, “You think you’d tell someone that beforehand.” She’s just sayin’.

When Kim falls for her teacher there’s nothing at all icky about it. The teacher isn’t really abusing her position, Kim isn’t making a bad choice. It’s an honest attraction that, in two more years, wouldn’t be that much of an issue at all. Kim isn’t quite sure what to think, while it’s quite obvious that the teacher’s feelings are serious enough that she ends up having to make hard decisions. I thought the whole love thing was handled beautifully. (I’d like to say more about it but I don’t want to spoil anything. Just – it was nice. And mature, the wife says.)

In fact, I thought the whole book was handled beautifully. I finished reading it and handed it to the wife – which I NEVER do, because she and I like completely different things. She read it and amazingly, she liked it as much as I did. (I know that that will meaning nothing to those of you who haven’t met her, but those of you who have, will understand how significant that is. ^_^)

To sum up, for character, for the story, for the art and for a realistic, but not at all angsty look at teenage angst, I really cannot recommend Skim enough.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 5
Service – 0

Overall – 9

Speaking of “top ten” candidates…..

Today’s review is a first for Okazu. Our Guest Reviewer, Jen, has made many dozens of comments here, but this is the first review she’s written for us. I’m thrilled beyond belief to introduce you all to such an original thinker, and funny, funny gal. Take it away Jen!

Forgive the stream-of-consciousness writing style of this review, as it wasn’t done in one sitting… despite the act of sitting itself being enjoyed thoroughly both times.Just finished Ariel Schrag’s DEFINITION, and the sequel POTENTIAL.

These are auto-biographical comics of Ariel’s experiences in school as an “omigod I lust after girls YAY ME!” lesbian. On the plus side; she wrote, drew and published at such a very young age. Attended comic cons to sell her wares, too. I am quite impressed.

Over the course of both volumes (earlier and latter works available) we marvel as Arial’s illustrative skill grows in parallel to her own character as she slowly (awkwardly, painfully, insert negative yet faintly nostalgic buzzword for teen experience HERE) wades her way through adolescence the way almost all of us did: Teens; you don’t live them, you merely survive them.

POTENTIAL is the perfect title for volume #2, as we are now quite familiar with Arial’s emotional highs and lows from the childish misadventures of DEFINITION, and now we hope for nothing but the best for her as she bravely does all she can to turn crushes into genuine sexual relationships with all the “you are my soul mate” type of sincerity that comes with such leaps of faith. And with that, the positives of these books begins to drain (“drain” now redefined in my vocabulary. That shows you the emotional attachment I now have to Arial by proxy.)

On the negative… well there’s a few, but it’s probably just me. Stepping back, volume #1 was mostly recurring tales of problematic family life, disturbing sweet-sixteen experiences and “let’s get drunk and see what really horrible things can happen to me and my girlfriends” type stories. These were her “Gee I must be bi” years, so she’s still actively seeking a boyfriend, all quite unnerving as Arial draws herself and those around her far smaller and vulnerable than a true sixteen year old would be depicted.

This mostly continues into POTENTIAL, where despite the “Yes I am in fact gay and it’s time to DO something about it” proclamation in the opening chapter, her strategy remains drinking heavily/doing drugs and then hoping something real good happens (guess the odds). It’s hard to empathize with someone who keeps doing that to herself (even though all her friends think this plan is a winner… and hey, “that’s what you do in school, right?”).

That brings me to my problem with most “comix”, that being they’re not fiction. Fictional Yuri stories *can* be created with in-depth characters and a story structure with a satisfying ending. With real life you get recurring awkward experiences with real people possessing frustrating/unexplainable behaviours that just leave you unsatisfied.

Add to the fact that the story is told quite openly with all sexual and emotional car wrecks recounted in detail, there’s a sharp sense of voyeurism I got from this. I didn’t get that with Alison Bechdel’s FUN HOME, but then that’s in NO way a fair comparison. Arial is chronicling her romantic/sexual encounters (not what you’d call happy nor enjoyable), coupled with her family life (ditto) in real-time with no real retrospective narrative. It’s not a comfortable read in any way.

My opinions on comix as a publishing sub-genre notwithstanding, I still wanna meet her and have her sign the books. That’d be awesome.

A quick visit to her website tells us that these and other works are currently being adapted into a movie, and that when not story writing for THE L WORD, she’s working on more self-publishing and is one year younger than me.

…excuse me while I wallow in a quick Marimite/chocolate combo before sleeping it off and enjoying another day of admin at a job I hate. -__-

Ratings:
Art – 8. Varies wildly in quality and style, but expressively loveable all the same.
Story – 7. Better to have loved and lost and had your heart shredded over and over and over and it keeps getting worse oh God than never to have loved at all.
Characters – 6. Filtered through Arial’s eyes, but all sufficiently messed up to be believably human.
Yuri – 9. She tried. She honestly did. Poor thing.
Service – 4. Girls having lotsa sex, all thoroughly devoid of any enjoyment whatsoever…could that possibly matter?

Overall – 7

Erica here: One of the reasons I wanted to publish this review, particularly, was Jen’s comments about the autobiographical nature of “comix.” It put me in mind of Takeuchi Sachiko’s Honey & Honey, and also Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home right away. I’m all for using Takeuchi’s phrase “comic essays” to categorize these works which are *clearly* meant to be read as non-fiction autobiography, rather than as a “graphic novel.” I encourage you all to help disseminate this genre label of “comic essay”. ^_^

Let’s all thank Jen for the fabulous review!