Diary of a Dominatrix by Molly Kiely

Diary of a Dominatrix by Molly Kiely was actually quite enjoyable. I didn't really know what to expect when I chose to read this selection for woman's comics. I felt like it would be more of a "how to" rather than an actual character telling me about her life. I found the comic was really well made, the illustrations are nothing crazy or out of this world but they really fit with the mood of the story. Which is a very relaxed and informal story. I didn't know anything about the dominatrix and slave lifestyle. I was very amazed that some people actually enjoy being mistreated with no real break in character. It seemed like these relationships focus on keeping the illusion of control consistent and being friendly or compassionate would destroy the fun. This just seems so unorthodox to me. I have always wanted to be treated nicely. But there are people out there that want the exact opposite, and they still find pleasure in it. I don't think that after reading this I will even consider that lifestyle. I’m not a man that wants anything shove up my butt Especially when they are carrots and other phallic veggies.

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli was a very refreshing work of art. There are far too many comics that stick to old conventional ways to design pages. I really enjoyed the sections where he would illustrate each character in their own style. (as pictured above) We can tell that the woman is much more open and free spirited. Represented by the overall loose use of lines and crosshatching. Where as the man on the right is stern and rigid in personality. We see that even his body is separated into sections and there are methodically straight lines everywhere with very little rendering clutter.  Mazzucchelli really has a way of capturing the characters' essence with each different style. The story itself was pretty interesting, but it wasn't something compelled me to keep reading. I read about half of the whole novel and I was interested in knowing what happened in the story, but there wasn't a need to finish it in one go. For me it is very hard for me to stop reading a good graphic novel and pick it up again later. There is this disconnect for me when I leave a story half finished.  I will probably go back and finish this novel but it's not my top priority.

Battle Angel Alita: Last Order by Yukito Kishiro

Dai Panic!!! Super Dynamic!! This manga is definitely full of energy. The main difference between western comics and manga, in my opinion, is how dynamic everything is in manga. I have read a lot of manga in my day, and some of them are really hard to keep up with. There is also this running theme to designing a manga. The panels only show what is necessary for the story to feel consistent. There are way more shots of a character with some lines radiating out to show some type of dramatic emotion or reaction. Nevertheless it works, because it adds to the reader's experience. Where in western comics a lot of action in portrayed almost statically.  In manga they break down a lot of shots but they all flow together in a sequence. Personally, I really enjoy manga. There just feels like there is so much more substance to the characters. Maybe it’s because of what Scott McCloud said in understanding cartoons. It is easier to connect with a more stylized character design. The majority of anime and manga have the same simplified approach to characters. I believe that's why younger audiences have such an affinity for anime and manga now.

RanXerox by Tanino Liberatore

RanXerox by Tanino Liberatore. Fuck me this novel was some messed up shit. Sorry for the language but that is just how this novel hit me. This thing was a none stop fever dream. I felt like I was over caffeinated while on a roller coaster, where everything was calm for about ten seconds and then what do you know Ranx just fucking smashed a dude’s face in after balling some floozy. Honestly the underground comics were tame compared to this. There were sections were I felt like the writer was fetishizing cruel human behavior. There’s one point were some lady is trying to ball Ranx and then she finds out he’s a robot so he fucking tapes her to a toilet and lets some dude pretty much rape her. She ends up liking it but just what the hell. If its one thing that completely ignites my rage is anything that has to do with rape. To an extent I figure that the writer was intentionally trying to make the reader feel uncomfortable. But there were very few calm moments in RanXerox. Even with the art style they chose to use. There are big bold black lines on everything. The colors are very vibrant but washed out almost, and the rendering of realistic anatomy was just jarring. I feel like this was a revisit to underground comics, but someone turned the volume up to 11 and broke the fucking nob off. If you want to make someone recoil at your story then I recommend doing it within the plot, and let the reader breath once in a while.

March Book One by John Lewis & Andew Aydin

 

March by John Lewis & Andrew Aydin was not my favorite read so far. This is not because of the actual story or the way its told. I just don't particularly like the style in which the artist rendered the panels. However I will acknowledge the design of the pages as a whole. The art style is just not for me. I completely love the design of most of the actual panel layouts, and the story is again something that must be told. Maus by Art Spiegelman is the other example, which I believe, needs to be taught to the masses multiple times. March does not portray as much of the incredibly violent scenes as Maus did. However the events that March covers are just as horrifying. There is a difference between knowing that there is racism in the world, and knowing exactly how it manifests. Anyone rational person can tell you that racism is out there but not many people can provide exact examples, and scenarios. March was much easier for me to read that Maus. Mainly because of the overall better design of the panels. Also, because the story was a bit easier to digest. Where Maus made me feel nauseous at some points March made me feel anger. The factor of passing the horrible treatment of events through a person's recounting makes it somehow easier to connect with the literature. Maus was very blunt in its delivery. These stories do remind me of how terrible masses could become. I absolutely hate when anyone is targeted because of something so nebulous as race. Race does not determine a person, or any group of people. Unless the entire race were clones of one really messed up person, but that is not possible. There are very few reads that can ignite my passionate hatred for terrible flaws in humanity and both of these novels hit the mark.

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Maus by Art Spiegelman was an incredibly interesting read. The main thing that stuck with me the entire time was just how incredibly lucky the grandfather was during the holocaust. Right up until the end of the story there were incredible hardships that are unimaginable in today's society. The grandfather somehow by the grace of god managed not only to survive but he managed not to have a mental breakdown. I figured you had to be a very resourceful, and determined person to have survived. I think this book does an incredible job of reminding the readers of the travesties that occurred in the world's history. I think people must be reminded of how terrible things can become when someone evil has too much power. That peace is fleeting and if we don't do everything in our power to keep the peace or at least try to mitigate the hate we could very much return to such horrific events. I also really liked how Art chose to take the route of dehumanizing the people in the story so the message would be easier to digest and take in. There are some truly horrifying acts depicted. The art for me was a big overwhelming at times because the structure of the novel was so tightly compacted. There were too many words for some panels and everything practically had the same value of tone. Still I forced myself to read all of it in one day to keep everything fresh and experience the read fully. I would recommend this title to anyone. This is in my opinion a mandatory read in today's troubling times.

Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke"

Alan Moore’s “The Killing Joke”

Assessment 

Q. What is your reaction to the text you just read?

Seeing as the majority of the text in this comic is from The Joker’s point of view my reaction is a neutral understanding reaction. This seems as if it’s meant to be a backstory of sorts, even though it appears to be after a long time after The Joker and Batman meet. This story sheds a lot of light on the happenings that shaped The Joker as a character and humanizes him in a way. Before I saw him as a delusional man that was altered by chemicals and nothing more. Now after knowing that this Joker suffered an unbearable loss it makes me think of how regular people cope with great trauma. It makes me look past the simple “Prince of Crime” archetype that The Joker is so well known for and instead discovering his broken humanity.

Q. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.

            As previously stated, I connected the most with the part of The Joker that became corrupted, or better stated the reasoning behind his delusions.  This story my as well be called “Joker with a side of Bats” because this story is clearly devoted to explaining The Joker’s madness. Everyone at some point in their lives loses someone that they hold dear; it might be a parent, a lover, or a close friend. It could even be your pet; the outcome is always the same, grief. I like how we are shown The Joker before the accident; it seems to me that he wasn’t well before the accident. He had an unbearable amount of stress by regular standards and when he reached his breaking point he snapped.  The chemicals in the water might have changed his appearance but I think that life took more out of him than any chemical bath could.

Q. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?

            I personally think that this story doesn’t need any changes. It’s a classic story arc for a still relevant franchise. There are too many remakes now and something brought back into the limelight with a classic feel would definitely be welcome. However, now in today’s entertainment consuming society a lot of newer and more modern designs and tones would have to be applied. Nothing to crazy, maybe just a modern setting and some dark lighting I those extra loony parts. I would much rather prefer staying to the film noire style of the flashbacks when diving into The Joker’s past. The transitions used in this story, in my opinion, remind me of television or a short film. Something along the lines of  “Laundry Day” which features The Punisher on a regular day. It would be short and sweet, a small lean chunk of story with no fat. Less is more in my opinion.