Remember way back when we went to Comic-Con?
Yeah, me neither. In the midst of Richard Madden, Thrusting Theo, and other notable fan-bait, it can be easy to overlook the original reason for SDCC: comics! I’ve admired graphic novels from afar, but haven’t read too many of them, let alone a real comic book series. Wait, that’s not true–I devoured Buffy: Season Eight.
So, why launch this mission now? Two big shots of the comic book world, Mark Millar (Kick-Ass) and Todd McFarlane (Spawn), were in the news recently for defending their attitude toward female characters (hint: suuuuuper rapey) and suggesting that injustices in comics are simply reflecting the status quo.
It made me think of a great conversation I had at Comic Con with a writer who insisted there are writers and illustrators interested in provided alternative female characters…they just need support! So yes, I’m going to start reading independent comics with strong lady characters and talking about them here, just to spite those two assholes.
We’re kicking this off with a miniseries created by Mike Raicht, Zach Howard, and Austin Harrison: Wild Blue Yonder.
The series was recommended to me because I loudly advertised my love for badass female characters at a Comic Con party, and I have to say–leading lady Cola is quite the BAMF. She flies her own fighter plane, takes [a few too many?] risks, and fully commands attention. She’s navigating a chaotic world where Earth has long since fallen prey to radiation, leaving those who can afford it to take their homes airborne. As natural resources become increasingly scarce, the sky itself becomes a war zone.
I really liked that this world didn’t fit into a box: it’s not Steampunk, or space-futuristic, it just is what it is. There are elements of Westerns that remind me of Firefly (what doesn’t remind me of Firefly, really?), but I gave up trying to categorize this future because if the characters weren’t hung up on it, why should I be? The point is, they don’t drown you in details, and you’re better off for it. You end up accepting the fact that you’ll get new bits of world-building information from the characters over time, and it will be more interesting for having not been so obvious.
But most importantly: did I mention there’s a dog?! Cola’s got an equally fearsome canine copilot, whose story I sincerely hope develops further. I should probably also note that this guy shows up:
Is it #normal to have a crush on a fictional char–you know, I won’t even complete that sentence. You’re my people. There’s also a potential love triangle (with the reader, if not Cola): if clean cut nice guy isn’t your speed, you might like savage wolf man here:
Now where have I seen those choices before?
Wild Blue Yonder is off to an entertaining start–there’s a Big Bad, family drama, and plenty of explosions. When you’re done reading the first issue, re-read it to spend some more time with those illustrations. I haven’t decided if it makes sense to review each issue, so let me know if you want me to cover #2! I can do that with a more spoilerific post if there’s interest. Go grab #1 for a quick read, and let me know if you’re on board!
P.S. I’m probably the world’s worst actress, but I would kill to play Cola in…anything. Just sayin.
Full disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of the first issue, but a) it was good enough and b) I cannot read comics in a PDF, so I went to my local comic shop and just bought it. So glad I did!
Alll images copyright Noble Transmission.
Are you loving any comics lately? Have any I should get into? Hit me up in the comments.
