Comic Book Herald

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Marvel Comics

Trans Representation in Marvel Voices: Pride

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Well, this was certainly a surprise. It’s not often a writer asks for something specific only to be given it shortly thereafter, and I find myself in that very position today. In May, in the lead-up to PRIDE, I co-wrote an article on Trans representation at Marvel comics. We discussed the introduction of Jessie Drake, a character widely regarded as Marvel’s first Trans character. The book (Marvel Comics Presents #150-151) was fairly lopsided, with parts seeming to be sympathetic and kind to her, while others were iffy to say the least. This can partially be expected given the comic was published in the 90s, however this particular character never appeared again following that two-issue arc.

I mused on what a modern story examining her today would look like. Fast forward a month, and Marvel actually did it! Let’s look into this to see what I thought, and, while we’re at it, touch on the other stories featuring Trans characters in the issue. [Read more…] about Trans Representation in Marvel Voices: Pride

The Best Marvel Comics of 2021 (So Far!)

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After the pandemic-impacted 2020, Marvel’s 2021 is slowly but surely back on track, with a wide variety of excellent comics. All in all, it’s a good time to be a Marvel fan, and I’m listing out my favorite picks for those looking to dive in.

It’s an interesting year for Marvel, three years after the launch of the “Fresh Start” era, as some of the line’s biggest titles (Black Panther, Immortal Hulk, Venom, & on a technicality, Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men) wind down throughout the year. Even with that turnover, “Fresh Start” is heartily sustained through the Krakoa era of X-Men, an exciting new Marvel Space Age, and a healthy variety of quality throughout the broader universe. Honestly, even some of the big time runs I’m least enthused by (Jason Aaron’s Avengers and Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man) are remarkably consistent, and offer plenty of intriguing moments. It’s a truly good time to be a fan of Marvel Comics. [Read more…] about The Best Marvel Comics of 2021 (So Far!)

A Guide to Trans Representation In Marvel Comics

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Dave Buesing: Earlier this year, my podcast co-host Zack Deane requested a Koi Boi reading order on behalf of a Comic Book Herald patron, and if that didn’t make sense, wondered if a guide to trans representation in Marvel could be an alternate. Since a CBH guide to Koi Boi would ultimately just say “read Unbeatable Squirrel Girl,” we have instead sought out a complete guide to transgender characters in the Marvel Universe, with detailed conversations about the quality of Marvel’s representation for each.

I want to be eminently clear that this is not a victory lap celebrating Marvel. Finding examples of Trans representation are few and far between in the tens of thousands of comics the publisher’s released.  Likewise, there are examples of what could be considered “transgender” representation that are so reprehensible and offensive that I couldn’t bring myself to even mention them in this guide. [Read more…] about A Guide to Trans Representation In Marvel Comics

The Infinity Crusade Omnibus Review!

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Infinity Crusade #1, written by Jim Starlin, art by Ron Lim, Al Milgrom, and Ian Laughlin, lettering by Jack Morelli

Infinity Crusade is the third installment of the Infinity series, which means that comic fans of the early ’90s had already had their wallets tried by two similarly themed events in short succession. Though it’s difficult to know how this series would have read if one were returning to the comic shop every week only to see all their favorite titles had been sucked into the event, in omnibus form, we’re allowed to read Infinity Crusade all the way through, uninterrupted, as a 1200-ish page complete story.

As someone who had only read the crossover in bits and pieces beforehand, I found that the story greatly benefits from the collection by saving its reader from having to run quite literally all across the Marvel Universe to find random, loosely-connected issues. What we’re left with is a crossover that delivers on all its promises by giving fans the high-impact moments they want, with no shortage of compelling character beats among its sprawling cast. [Read more…] about The Infinity Crusade Omnibus Review!

Strange Academy Vol 1: First Class review!

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I’ve always felt underwhelmed by the magical landscapes of Marvel and DC. I grew up reading a lot of prose with deep and varied magical lore, and the Big 2’s versions of magic always felt weirdly half-baked and overly complex. DC has at least had some ambitious endeavors to explore the space – Books of Magic, Shadowpact, and Justice League Dark are all fairly modern attempts to flesh out this side of the universe. Marvel, on the other hand, has only really had James Robinson’s really rough Scarlet Witch and the Doctor Strange side of things in recent years. They’ve been in desperate need for something to shake that corner of their universe up for a long time. [Read more…] about Strange Academy Vol 1: First Class review!