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This week I'm taking a look at sites dealing with comic books, mostly because I trip over the damn things at every turn. One of these days the readers of those comic books will get them organized and boxed, but today isn't that day.
On the other hand, there aren't many reviews of books which aren't recommended -- in fact, most of the reviews supplied seem to have been based on which titles they could make available through their Amazon bookstore. I'd really like to see these folks take on some of the regular monthly titles and evaluate their female-friendly standings over the last year or so. Some, like Birds of Prey, would probably do pretty well. It would be a pleasure to see some of the others get put through the ringer -- let's face it, the outfits some of those superheroines get poured into aren't exactly the feminist's wardrobe of choice, and the pencil-sketched bodies they've been graced with reinforce standards that real women simply can't match.
But wait -- there's more! Those villains lucky enough to have been featured in the various Marvel animated series have their own sound files, too. Plus, you'll get the stats on first appearances, deaths, and their inevitable resurrections. (In the Marvel universe, death is a transitory state, as just about every character in it can tell you.) Unfortunately, the site is dedicated only to the Marvel side of comics, so those of you looking for information on the Joker are plumb out of luck. It turns out, however, that there are certain other villains in the world of comic books. A visit to Genesis Comics' Swipe of the Week exposes these evildoers for what they are -- art thieves. Each week, SOTW features a panel from a comic book, and then compares it to a panel from an earlier comic book or other source of art. Usually the similarities are striking and quite humorous. These guys don't want to jump to conclusions, however -- they provide space for you to vote. Is it a swipe? Is it an homage? Is it coincidence? The writers usually take the time to update once the voting has made popular opinion clear, editorializing a bit in the case of extreme swipes, and castigating artists who become repeat offenders. Good fun, and worth dropping in every week. The best writer still working in comics is Alan Moore, but his projects are so varied and erratically published that a website is needed just to keep up. To the rescue comes the aptly-titled Alan Moore Fan Site, which features news and previews of Moore's upcoming work. As if that weren't enough, the site also features a well-written Frequently Asked Questions file and a comprehensive bibliography of Moore's work. Stephen Camper, the Atlanta artist who runs the site, has done readers everywhere a huge favor by keeping it updated.
Next week I'll probably eschew a theme and throw some random sites at you.
Next update: 11/23/98 |
When super-heroes started showing up, criminals got smart and began searching for their own super-powers. Some super-villains didn't start their lives of crime until they gained their super-powers, and some so-called "villains" are just misunderstood. How to sort them all out? By visiting 
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