Dragon Hoops

by Gene Luen Yang

Dragon Hoops is a fantastic sports (but more than sports!) graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang. A teacher at the Catholic high school Bishop O’Dowd, Yang documents his time with the high school boys’ basketball team and their run for the state championship in the 2015 season. The narrative alternates with profiles of each player, as well as the head coach, building your investment in the teams with each chapter.

But this is way more than a sports book – a genre I wouldn’t usually pick up without a favorite storyteller like Yang as the author. His interviews with the (very diverse) varsity team also dives into themes of race, gender and immigration. Because basketball, and the human drama of sports, is universal regardless of where you come from, but being a minority player can impact everything from playing time to college scholarships to being heckled by the crowd. But for many of these teens, it gives them drive. I’m not sure the last time one book taught you about how basketball got to China, the Sikh religion, and Georgeann Wells – Yang covers a lot of ground, and it’s all important and necessary to celebrating the international landscape of basketball, along with its strengths and shortcomings here in America.

Dragon Hoops is an engrossing and complex look at how sports and American culture interact, while not losing the humanity of the high schoolers and coaches, and still being a sports story at heart.

Yang is the narrator and therefore a prominent character in his own book, and even has his own arc. Yang admits early on that he grew up hating sports, but starts to better understand its appeal while becoming personally invested in the team, and also struggles with how to balance his comic book career and his family. (He’s in talks to start writing DC’s Superman, and some of those scenes are *really* interesting for DC readers.)

Some might assume this is self serving, (and I see some have here on Goodreads) but I think it’s very vulnerable and authentic. Yang is inseparable from the narration, as the narrator, and I appreciate that he leaned into that vulnerability rather than closing himself off to it. (Otherwise I think it could have been more dry and elitist sounding.) This couldn’t be more clear towards the end of the book, when Yang wrestles with revealing an important truth, which he even admits in-page might impact the reader’s sympathy, as well as the “feel good” ending of the story. This was a vulnerable decision he shares with the reader, rather than a meta dialogue about the nature of nonfiction stories, and I really respect Yang for it. He also makes a big decision at the end of the year that will be meaningful for fans, and gives the story more meaning too. There are also a few pages of footnotes at the back where Yang is upfront about minor and major changes he made to events, along with his historical sources.

My biggest advice for readers is to – well, aside from definitely read this book – is to not look up the 2015 O’Dowd season results beforehand. Yang does a fantastic job keeping the basketball games exciting and the ending pages are especially thrilling. Like his other books, Yang is a master of simple yet effective style, great pacing, and not using too much dialogue or descriptors. There are some fantastic full page spreads and I appreciate how easy it is to navigate between panels, even if Yang uses a more creative layout. Lark Pien’s colors are consistent and well done too, especially during the dramatic “big lights” games.

Some other favorite things about the book:
– Yang uses a “STEP” motif as players, coaches and families made the choice to step outside their comfort zones and take a risk – it’s effective and not used too often.
– Some intentional artistic choices are just beautifully done. For example, in the chapter about women’s basketball, Yang leaves a blank page for Georgeann Wells’ dunk – the first dunk by a woman in college basketball history – until the footage is found decades later. (Because of course no one believed it happened otherwise. Ugh.)
– Speaking of which – okay Yangsta, it’s time for Oderah and women’s basketball to get their own book. Please? This was probably my favorite chapter along with Jeevin’s profile, which I found incredibly moving.
– I just realized the “STEP” pattern is also on the cover. Well done, sir.

House of M

by Brian Michael Bendis & Olivier Coipel
collects House of M #1-8

I’m embarrassed that I hadn’t read House of M until now, even though I’ve known the story for a long time. It was a huge crossover Marvel event, and even 15 years later, there are still ripples from its conclusion, both in its story and how DC and Marvel approach universe events. Growing up I read more DC comics and House of M was never really on my radar. But now things have switched – I’m almost completely reading Marvel now that I have a Marvel Unlimited subscription (not an ad) and no access to the library. These circumstances made it easier to pick up House of M, and I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer.

Lots of crossover events from DC and Marvel can be overly complicated and steeped in continuity, which is usually why I hesitate picking them up in the first place. But at its core, House of M is a compelling and well executed what-if story – one of the best I’ve ever read, right up there with Superman: Red Son. Some previous story lines will help you enjoy House of M more (Avengers Disassembled, New X-Men, Astonishing X-Men), but it also stands on its own.

In House of M, the Avengers and X-Men are faced with a difficult decision – what to do with an unstable Scarlet Witch, who already killed several heroes (from Avengers Disassembled) and is becoming too powerful for Xavier and Strange. Using all of her power, Wanda alters the world as a mutant utopia: mutants are the accepted majority, and her father Magneto rules Genosha. She wipes the Avengers’ and X-Men’s memories, giving each member their heart’s desire in this new world.

While the story is epic, creating an alternate reality and bringing together almost all the big players from the Marvel universe (Thor and Hulk are glaringly missing) Bendis instead focuses on real emotion and grief from Wanda’s actions. The story was most engaging when it focused on these emotional and ethical dilemmas while keeping the story moving at an exciting pace. These dilemmas keeps things human and anchored emotionally in a big story, and Bendis strikes just the right balance. By far the most emotional is Peter, who must lose his loved ones in order to set the world right; a dead hero is brought back to life and must also make a painful decision. Wanda, Pietro and Erik also have their own compelling reasons, but I won’t reveal due to spoilers.

Bendis nicely sets up an ongoing series of tensions and problems, including who’s going to first realize things are wrong (who does, and why, is very smart), how the rest of the heroes are woken up, who will struggle with losing this reality, where is Xavier, and how to defeat Wanda. This kept everything moving forward in a genuine way, filling eight issues but keeping a tight story. (There are dozens of other tie in issues that I chose to not read, but might go back to.)

However there are a few weaknesses in House of M. One has already been brought up by other reviewers – why didn’t Wanda bring back her husband Vision? (I would have been fascinated to see his choices once he learned the truth.) In fact, we barely see much of Wanda – if it wasn’t for Layla and Emma, the story would have been dominated by men, including those using Wanda to their own ends. Speaking of Layla, a new mutant with just the right kind of powers, running right into Luke Cage, felt pretty contrived. And while the “deepest wishes” of each hero was, for the most part, nicely done, there were some that surprised me. Splitting up couples, like Luke and Jessica, doesn’t make sense, while Emma and Scott didn’t seem that thrilled to be married once they woke up. I doubt Shang Chi and Luke wanted to be a mob bosses, and Tony as a business mogul felt like a horizontal move rather than a vertical one. So it was really a mixed bag: most heroes were just placated, and the only ones who really got what they wanted were Peter Parker, Wolverine, and the Maximoffs.

Olivier Coipel’s art was consistent, vibrant, and effectively portrayed a convincing alternate reality. I really liked the costume changes and how he adapted different art styles from different series (like the Astonishing X-Men) to co-exist in one universe. I mean this as a compliment: the art totally immersed me in the story, to the point that I wasn’t really pausing to admire the art. However I did find it odd that the covers didn’t match the universe – Magneto, Von Doom and others were in their original costumes. Was this a communication issue or meant to avoid spoilers?

Overall, this is one of the best executed what-if stories that was both epic and also made a huge impact on the Marvel universe. Even if you aren’t invested in the modern Marvel universe, it’s worth the read.

Mini Reviews 2 [Endless Quarantine edition]

Here’s all the stuff I’ve been reading during these last couple of weeks. What a stressful, draining and crazy time. Hope you are all taking care and staying safe.

All books read digitally on Marvel Unlimited and ComiXology.

Thor: God of Thunder, Volume 1: The God Butcher
Jason Aaron & Esad Ribic
Collects Thor: God of Thunder #1-5

Jason Aaron’s Thor run deserves the hype it’s received for many years, and I regret just getting to it now. Thor’s mission to stop Gorr the God Butcher from slaughtering the universe’s gods is epic, cosmic storytelling at its best. For MCU fans who haven’t read much Thor (like myself) but know and like the Chris Hemsworth version (who doesn’t?), it’s easy to jump in. Esad Ribic’s gorgeous artwork is also very accessible, and his atmospheric painted style does a splendid job with facial expressions, Thor over three time periods, the creepy villain and grotesque violence, and different worlds and aliens/gods.

We get a brief cameo from another Avenger, but otherwise this is all Thor all the time – if you were looking forward to seeing Siff, Loki, or the Warriors Three, you’ll be disappointed. Which I was, just a little bit – Thor(s) still carries the story but it would be a little bit more interesting with more of a supporting cast.

The first five issues is clearly not a standalone and is more of a pause before heading into more story. The ending wasn’t necessarily disappointing, but didn’t really have a firm conclusion, and gives the reader a moment to pause and decide whether or not they want to continue. I’m still not sold on the time travel aspect and I think the next volume will prove how effective that device will be – clearly Aaron has a bigger story to tell.

Fables vol 1: Legends in Exile
Bill Willingham, Lan Medina & Mark Buckingham
collects Fables #1-5

This is my third (at least!) time rereading the first Fables volume. Just like the previous reads, I really enjoy this adult retelling of children’s fables and fairytale characters, as they all must negotiate living in a tight-knit, secret community among the “mundies” aka human world, after their exile from their homelands.

We get to know the main players through a murder mystery, which was a smart way to frame the story, and there are several surprises as readers piece together how fable characters have been updated or turned on their heads. Even though there’s some awkward exposition at the beginning, I think it was necessary to start world building, and several couple elements, like glamours and the farm, become important later (from what I remember). Buckingham’s art is wonderful and I like the expressive characters as well as the gold frames around the flashback panels.

This reread, I really appreciated how Willingham reinvents Snow White as the protagonist. From what I understand, there isn’t much character in the original fable and the Grimm retelling. But here, she’s no nonsense and high powered, essentially running Fabletown on her own. She has no patience for her philandering ex, Prince Charming (I love how he’s the same prince across fairy tales), and shows some emotion when her estranged sister is presumably murdered. (Also: Snow and Bigsby are big Leia/Han energy.) That being said, I wanted to see more from the other female characters – though I won’t fault Willingham for the inevitably sexist source material. Still, there’s a lot of lower-lip pulling from many of them and I hope Beauty and Cinderella get the same treatment as Rose Red (though we don’t see much of her this volume) and Snow White. (I believe they do, but I don’t remember the 1-2 later volumes I’ve read.)

(also, Willingham and Buckingham. LOL.)

New X-Men, volume 1: E is for Extinction
Grant Morrison & Frank Quietly
collects New X-Men #114-117

This is at least my second reread and the more I think about E is for Extinction, and read others’ reviews, the more meh I am about it. The pacing is way off. Cassandra Nova is set up as a villain in the first issue and commits genocide in the second. Fast, high stakes pacing isn’t bad on its own- but then almost immediately, Genosha becomes a footnote as we race through even more plot that balloons exponentially. Genosha is mentioned, characters *say* they’ve barely had time to grieve, but any actual trauma isn’t there. Also, Beast keeps mentioning everyone has the flu, and they all seem fine? Kudos to Morrison for shaking things up, but it feels very hollow when life changing events aren’t anchored in any real character development. Instead, Morrison – true to other stuff of his I’ve read – seems to think “as many complicated things happening at once” equals “good storytelling.” It does not.

Frank Quietly….man, I don’t really know how I feel about his art either. I appreciate how stylized it is but sometimes characters just looked weird. Why is Scott’s chin half of his face? Why does Jean look Asian? Can we have one non-white person on the team? Nope? Fine. I do like Beast’s new look though.

To be honest, I’m only reading this because I want to go through the big modern Marvel events, and what happens in Morrison’s X-Men will be referenced for the next two decades. I just hope reading more is worth it. (Spoiler alert: it is not.)

New X-Men, volume 2: Imperial (DNF)
Grant Morrison, Frank Quietly, Ethan Van Sciver and Igor Kordey
collects New X-Men #118-126 – read through  #124

I’m not finishing this, because comics should be FUN, dammit. Instead, this is an exhausting, overly complicated (and often downright confusing) slog with absolutely awful art by Ethan Van Sciver and Igor Kordey – truly some of the worst I’ve seen. These two are all over the place to the point that characters (Wolverine especially) are sloppy and distorted. Morrison continues inflating the plot with no emotional anchor, just more and more things that happen. I love my X-Men but I don’t have time for this, even if it is important to X-Men canon; if I don’t understand a footnote in future X-Men stories, so be it. I’m off to watch some X-Men Animated Series to make my eyes stop burning.

Spider-Man: Blue
by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
collects Spider-Man: Blue #1-6

What a disappointment – if I wasn’t reading this for book club I wouldn’t have finished. Peter uses Uncle Ben’s old tape recorder to tell his forgotten love story with Gwen Stacy… but Gwen is barely in this. We learn nothing about her, and what does Peter know about her, exactly? She’s a blonde who “likes it fast” (motorcycles, folks…motorcycles), and takes an interest in him? That she dances at parties and can read Huck Finn? Yeesh. They only become a couple in the closing pages – we don’t even see their relationship at all. Of course Gwen’s death is tragic, but she’s not really a person in this book – like the fate of many women, she only exists as a device for Peter’s growth, not as her own person. (Remember Women in Refrigerators? Yep. Guess who’s on that list?)

Instead, the closing pages make the story far more about MJ and Peter’s relationship. MJ is more insufferable than Gwen (she tells Peter she “won the jackpot,” and asks if he “likes what he sees”), but she also has the meaningful experience with Peter, tagging along as Peter “takes photos” of Rhino. But other than that scene, MJ and Gwen mostly just try to seduce Peter with sultry eyes and an impossible amount of mascara, thanks to Tim Sale. And that’s paired by Peter’s excuse of stringing them both along – you know how boys get with those hormones! Even if they’re superheroes who can save the city multiple times over, they’re a slave to those hormones.

The rest of the book, which is most of it, is just the early days of Spider-Man – Green Goblin, Rhino, and Peter’s grief of losing out on his personal life. There’s nothing new, and it’s a huge missed opportunity to actually dig into Gwen Stacy as a person, so the reader can also mourn her loss like Peter does.

And I’m also not a fan of Sale’s work here, aside from the action scenes. Faces look wooden and awkward, there are some weird proportion issues (especially when Peter visits Harry and Norman in the hospital), and by god Sale doesn’t know how to draw women. He seems hellbent on making sure MJ and Gwen look as catty as possible – or, frail and decrepit like Aunt May. Harry also looks like he’s approaching his midlife crisis rather than his senior year of high school.

This has been your angry feminist rant about Spider-Man: Blue!

Mini Reviews 1 [COVID-19 Edition]

Week Four of Quarantine:

I know what you might be expecting: I’m reading SO many comics due to the COVID-19 quarantine I don’t even have time to review them all properly, hence the self congratulatory mega post!

But actually, it’s quite the opposite. I’ve been reading less than I used to – I’m just too stressed with work during the day, and by evening I’m too tired to read…especially if I want to read actively enough to review. And when I do muster the energy, it’s because I desperately need the escapism and to engage in something familiar. I don’t have the energy to write long, thoughtful reviews (usually, they’re for sure the first one), except I suppose for Lore Olympus, but I had a *lot* of feelings about it.

I probably don’t words good so…good…right now. A few sentences or a few paragraphs on Goodreads is pretty much all I have the strength for – it’s what I can do, so it’s the best I can do. I’m more than a bit hard on myself for this, so that’s basically been my mantra for the last few weeks. It’s what I can do, so it’s the best I can do.

On that note, I hope you – whoever might be reading this – are taking care of yourselves and staying healthy. We are all in survival mode right now – some more than others. But regardless, whatever you’re doing *is* the best you can. (This is also something I’m telling myself to feel better about a Marvel Unlimited subscription, and lots of take out.)

—

Black Widow vol 1: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Most Wanted
by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee and Matt Wilson
collects Black Widow #1-6

An enjoyable and accessible comic book introduction to Black Widow. This is perfect for MCU-Black Widow fans, though it’s far from the first Marvel book I’d recommend to a new reader.

Samnee and Wilson are an art team to be reckoned with – the simple lines, newspaper-y textures, and red-washed flashbacks are beautifully modern and nostalgic all at once. I loved the number of dialogue-less pages, as Waid (rightly) trusted the art team to move the story along visually. It’s also true to Natasha’s character, the opposite of quippy Peter Parker. This book is worth reading just for the art.

Waid’s story is so-so. This is a straight spy story that tangentially ties into Natasha’s past in Russia. Even with a few flashbacks, like the rest of the world, the reader isn’t let in much to Natasha’s world. One could argue this is part of her character, but it’s also a missed opportunity to become more invested in her. Sometimes Natasha’s hard shell felt like an excuse to forego more character development. While the “big reveal” of Natasha’s worst secret fits nicely into continuity, the story was kind of forgettable overall. There are also some real bad “show don’t tell” violations at the end, particularly with the Weeping Lion, that feel beneath Waid.

A good introductory run, but not *so* good that the second volume jumps to the top of my pile.

An Age of License
by Lucy Knisley

Beautiful, poignant travelogue of Lucy’s solo trip through Europe. I loved the balance of clean, black and white pages of her day-to-day travel with watercolor vignettes, sometimes standalone sketches and figures from her travels. I love how Lucy sees the world – observantly, optimistically, with humility – and how forthcoming she was with questions about her direction and purpose. A lovely and calming read.

 

Coda, vol 1
by Simon Spurrier and Matias Bergara
collects Coda #1-4

Did not finish – put down after the third issue, even with a big reveal I’m not interested enough to continue right now. Ironically, the setting is fascinating – a stereotypical fantasy world but it’s run out of magic. In the opening pages we meet a whining immortal dragon skeleton and a giant badass unicorn who only speaks in bleeped out swear words. I was. All. In.

But unfortunately it completely failed to grab me from there. I couldn’t connect at all with the protagonist, whose search for his missing wife makes up most of the narration (in letters he writes for her); it sounds emotional but without knowing her, felt saccharine and one dimensional. The other characters float in and out too quickly to make any kind of connection, and I never felt fully anchored in the world to become immersed in it, much less care about it.

Matias Bergara’s art (for which this series was an Eisner nominee last year) is bold and colorful, but also so light and wispy it’s hard to know what to look at. Everything felt both psychedelic and out of focus at the same time. The yellows and sticky blood reds made it hard to look at after a while, and didn’t feel like a world I wanted to live in.

I’m still giving Coda three stars because of the creative premise, the potential, and the fact that this just might not be the right time for me to read it, rather than the story itself being sub-par. Maybe I’ll finish this one later, but for now, I have too many other books on my list.

Friendly Neighboorhood Spider-Man #11
by Tom Taylor and Andrew Robinson

Read as a one-shot recommended by a friend – and totally worth it! This spotlight on Mary-Jane and her dedication, leadership, and grace under pressure, cuts beneath her often singular persona as the redheaded love interest. Honestly, it’s possibly the best MJ in a Spider-Man comic I’ve read. Also can’t go wrong with some meta Spidey puns and a great cameo. Taylor and Robinson do a lot in 23 pages – if you don’t want to invest in the whole series (which I definitely do now) this is still a great 20 minute read.

Lore Olympus

by Rachel Smythe
ongoing web comic at Webtoon
reviewed and updated at season one finale

Lore Olympus is a wonderful and addicting modern retelling of the Persephone myth that blends fantasy romance with gorgeous visual storytelling. Don’t be put off by its home, Webtoon, or that it’s a webcomic: it’s an excellent story, has a huge fan following, and I’m calling it now – Rachel Smythe will be a comic book star sooner rather than later.

In Lore Olympus, Persephone is a charming but naive grad student, while Hades is lord (more like CEO) of the underworld, whose lives begin to intersect when Persephone starts university at Olympus. (If you’re interested in Hades’ evolution in pop culture, look no further than Lindsay Ellis’ fantastic video essay.) The gods are immortal beings with powers who also live in a modern world – Persephone is the goddess of spring, sprouting branches and flowers at will, but she also takes selfies and posts them to her “Fatesbook” account. The mortal realm is in the classical Greece era; while the gods certainly have powers, it also leans into the idea (beloved in sci-fi/fantasy) that magic is largely more advanced technology.

Smythe gradually introduces the Greek pantheon and multiple story threads, such as Eros and Psyche; there are some cute spins and humorous moments that had me laughing out loud several times. Smythe lays the groundwork for lots of myth retellings with room to tweak and modernize the source material. She enriches each character she’s introduced so far – Hecate and Eros are especially adorable, and I want to see more of the Fates too.

On its surface, Persephone and Hades’ romance is true to the genre: Persephone is the young (sometimes, it feels, a bit too young) newcomer who charms everyone she meets, and at times this flirts with Mary Sue territory (even with her Big Secret looming in the background, and finally revealed in the season one finale). Hades is the older bad boy who considers himself too emotionally battered to deserve a healthy relationship. There’s a love triangle, and Persephone’s grad scholarship also means she’s a candidate to enter the society of “eternal maidenhood,” which, to be fair, is a thing among several Greek goddesses, but of course only provides more tension as Persephone and Hades create tension between each other. The story beats are familiar, but their chemistry is convincing and it’s easy to root for a happy ending. That tingly romance frission is here in spades.

Lore Olympus could have been a straightforward and saccharine love story, but Smythe also introduces darker and more complex issues: toxic relationships, mental and physical abuse, adultery, and sexual violence (there are trigger warnings before each chapter focusing on this content). These aspects are written well, take time to develop, and are clearly not included for sensationalism. And while not everything matches up with the original material, readers with a cursory knowledge of Greek mythology knows these themes already exist (Zeus is singular proof). Lore Olympus takes on challenging themes of consent, abortion, and going to therapy – and does so genuinely well.

Smythe’s art is a striking, textured watercolor style with bold colors and strong facial expressions. Each god is a different color that seems to embody their personality; pink Persephone and blue Hades complement each other and “pop” whenever they’re out of their natural environments. Backgrounds are simple but beautiful, and the dark, rainy, corporate Underworld is perhaps the location with the strongest atmosphere – Olympus could use some more attention. The lettering is clear and easy to read, sometimes changing depending on tone. (I should also mention that Smythe eventually adds some help from a team of art and color assistants.) There is also a striking, brilliant and haunting visual cue for a sexual violence trigger, whose form associates with the perpetrator, that repeats throughout the story.

One of my favorite things about webcomics is seeing the progression of artists’ quality of work, and the improvement is noticeable over 100 episodes. There were a couple early cringy panels, but things quickly improve – body proportions, hands, highlighting and color especially. Sometimes there are grammatical errors, or misplaced word bubbles, that would be more than enough to put down a published book – but I’m willing to be more forgiving here.

Unlike most comic books which read horizontally across a page, Lore Olympic is only vertical – readers scroll down through each episode. Smythe includes blank space and painted interludes between dialogue and scenes to match readers’ pacing, and scenes that would be full page spreads instead fills the screen, sometimes revealing more of itself as one scrolls down. And Smythe is also way too good at leaving each episode on a mini-cliffhanger. (The platform allows users to read all content for free, except the three latest episodes – those are purchasable via Webtoon coin currency, or just wait until they unlock each week.)

I’m already a sucker for mythology retellings, and I tore through Lore Olympus in a matter of days. Adjusting to one episode per week isn’t going to be easy – but I can’t wait to see where this goes. (Also, who else wants Athena to be queer? She better be queer.)

update – Smythe has recently finished season one of Lore Olympus, taking a well deserved break until August. My enjoyment of the series is exactly the same as it was when I first wrote the review, and the final chapters are fantastic. We see Persephone and Hades take a few steps forward in their relationship; new revelations come to light; and other grand spoilery things I won’t spoil! Again, the story beats are relatively true to the romance genre, but the dark elements, particularly abuse, are treated very well, and the characters are authentic and compelling. I hope Smythe has some good time off and looking forward to the next chapters.

You can read Lore Olympus online here, or download the Webtoon app for free. (The comic is free, and users can opt into purchasing more episodes without waiting a week.) If you’re interested in supporting Rachel Smythe you can also find her on Patreon.