#RIP planned Batgirl variant

[maddhatterreviews]

So I’ve been watching the new Cartoon Network show, DC Superhero girls

If you don’t know, this show is a kinda sorta reboot of a series of webtoons posted on YouTube to promote a line of dolls similar to Monster High and Ever After High. (All three lines were made by Mattel by the way.) I wasn’t exactly a fan of this series, but I did watch a few episode and felt it was okay for the target demographic. Nothing special, but I was sure young girls who liked the dolls would have fun watching. And for a glorified toy commercial, that’s the most you should expect. I’m not about to claim Power Rangers was great television. 

But the series on Cartoon Network is leaps and bounds better. Not surprising, considering Lauren fucking Faust is the show runner. The main selling point compared to the original is the drastically different art style. The original art style was so damn boring and bland, and the character’s personalities are all just various shades of “Nice Girl” with one or two personal quarks. 

The characters all have different body types and face shapes, personal styles, and personalities. Even if those personalities are just variants of the six main character from Lauren Faust’s last series, My Little Pony. 

I mean Bumblebee and Fluttershy even have the same eyes, Jesus Christ.

Either way, on the whole the series is just a better show compared to the webseries. But there is one aspect of the original that is better than the series so far. 

The latest episode of the CN series introduced the classic Wonder Woman villain, Cheetah. Cheetah was a staple character from in the original series, but it wasn’t for a good while until the story of how she got her Cheetah powers was shown. In the new series, who Cheetah is, where she got her powers, and what her relationship with Diana is like is all in the her first episode, and it’s pretty good. 

Barbie Minerva (I’m guessing they don’t call her Barbara in this so the kiddies don’t confuse her with Batgirl; fucking stupid) is the usual  alpha bitch character you see in most high school stories. But then you have Diana who, being Wonder Woman, is awesome at pretty much everything she tries and effortlessly upstages Barbie at every turn. Barbie takes a mystical artifact that her parents have and uses it to transform into the Cheetah to terrorize Diana and her friends. Diana and Cheetah fight, Diana emerges victorious, and Barbie manages to change back to her normal human form out of sight, so Diana doesn’t know she and the Cheetah monster that just tried to rip her throat out are the same person. 

This is all fine and good for the show itself, but the original series actually changed Cheetah’s origin into something new and different for all of the best reasons. In the webseries, Barbara and Diana actually met years before the series began when Barbara’s mother was invited to Themyscira to excavate and examine ancient Amazonian artifacts. One being the Lasso of Truth, and the other being a cursed knife. 

What make this change interesting is that it highlights the impact parents have on their children. Hippolyta is patient, understanding, and encouraging, even when Diana disobeys her, she’s willing to hear her out on why she did what she did and decides to deal with Diana based on that. In this case, giving Diana the Lasso of Truth, which she used to save Barbara’s life from a monster. 

Barbara’s mother, on the other hand, is dismissive, inattentive, and doesn’t listen to her daughter.With the way Barbara’s mom treats her compared to how Hippolyta treats Diana, especially with Barbara’s mom praising Diana while admonishing Barbara (The monster that tried to kill her was kinda her fault in the first place) Barbara steals the cursed knife and cuts herself with it which, of course, turns her into Cheetah. 

This new backstory for Wonder Woman and Cheetah drastically changes their dynamic, not the same way making Diana and Barbara friends before she becomes Cheetah like in Rebirth does, but it presents new opportunities for interactions between the characters. And the original series does fuck all with it. 

It’s such wasted potential. And honestly I prefer going with a safe predicable story that lives up to it’s full potential, over a new original idea that doesn’t go anywhere. And who knows, maybe the CN show will bring this backstory in. I mean, the artifact Barbie used to become Cheetah had to come from somewhere.

Wow, this turned out a lot longer than I originally planned. But even a kids show like this deserves genuine consideration in it’s storytelling. Scaled down, admittedly, I mean you can’t exactly compare an eleven minute toy commercial to, say the DCEU Wonder Woman movie or even the CW Supergirl show. (Although if I’m being honest I like DC Superhero Girls more that Supergirl) I don’t think you should just dismiss the story in a children’s show as unworthy of analysis just because it’s a children’s show. I usually hear this in defense of shows like Teen Titans Go whenever someone tries to say how bad it is. Just as a bad children’s show should be criticized appropriately, a good show should also be praised. And Cartoon Networks’ DC Superhero Girls is a good show so far. I just wanted to point out when a mediocre show does something good, even if it squanders it. 

[englishmansdcc]

In our weekly recap of news from BOOM! Studios we bring you a look at the upcoming 3rd issue of FIREFLY, a preview of the first issue of the new BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER series, on a first look at a new series based on characters from ADVENTURE TIME, and more.

The week kicked off with a preview of the 3rd issue of FIREFLY. The issue from writer Greg Pak and artist Dan McDaid along with story consultant Joss Whedon will focus on the leader of the Unificators, Boss Moon as she plots revenge on Mal and Zoe.

Look for the issue on January 16th with a main cover from Lee Garbett as well as variant covers from Garbett, Joe Quinones, and Marguerite Sauvage.

The news continued on Monday with the announcement that New York Times bestselling author Gaby Dunn will team up with artist Claire Roe for the graphic novel BURY THE LEDE. The story is based on Dunn’s experiences as a reporter for The Boston Globe, and will be released next October.

On Thursday a preview of the upcoming first issue of the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER series was released.

The series from writer Jordie Bellaire and artist Dan Mora, along with Joss Whedon as story consultant are the team behind the new series that will will re-imagine the TV series from the very beginning. The first issue will be released on January 23rd, 2019 with a few different cover versons including the main cover from Matthew Taylor, variant covers by Kevin Wada, Royal Dunlap, Becca Carey, and Jen Bartel. 

But that’s not all in terms of variant covers, there will also be two interactive covers from Miguel Mercado that will “reveal your inner Slayer or inner Demon“, and two rare variants from Kaiti Infante one that will feature Willow with the other featuring Vampire Willow.

Also on Thursday a preview of the upcoming ADVENTURE TIME: MARCY & SIMON #1 was released. The new six part series from writer Olivia Olson (who actually voiced Marceline on the show) and artist Slimm Fabert will debut in January. The series will pick up where the show ended with Marceline and the Ice King continuing their relationship.

The first issue of the mini-series from BOOM! Studios’ KABOOM! imprint will feature a main cover with art from Brittney Williams and with variant covers by Lisa Dubois, Sofie Drozdova, and Ashley Morales.

On Friday, BOOM! announced that through their Archaia imprint they will release a graphic novel from French cartoonist and illustrator, Margaux Motin.  PLATE TECTONICS: AN ILLUSTRATED MEMOIR is a  story about “detailing a modern approach to life, romance, and motherhood after divorce“. 

The 256 page hardcover has an MSRP of $24.99 USD, and will be released on June 26, 2019 at comic book stores wil traditional book stores getting it on July 2, 2019  Full press releases are below. All artwork courtesy of BOOM! Studios.

BOOM! Studios Unveils The First Look at FIREFLY #3

“Excellent craft and a compelling story come together to create a comic book that Browncoats are likely to be very, very pleased with” – ComicBook.com “[Greg Pak] has a particular skill with group dynamics and sympathetic but flawed warriors, which makes him the ideal fit for this title’s band of well-intentioned misfits” – Paste Magazine

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 10, 2018) – BOOM! Studios today unveiled a first look at FIREFLY #3, arriving in comic book shops on January 16th. New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (Star Wars, Ronin Island) and artist Dan McDaid (Judge Dredd), along with series creator & story consultant  Joss Whedon (the visionary writer/director behind Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Marvel’s The Avengers and more) continue the iconic worldwide pop culture phenomenon’s sold-out return to comic books in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products.

As the crew learns the shocking truth about the actions of their leaders in the Unification War, they find themselves splintered and more vulnerable than ever to the Unificators . . . and an enemy they never expected. Now, discover the untold origin of their leader Boss Moon as she puts her plan into effect to extract revenge on the two people who ruined her life – Mal and Zoe.

FIREFLY #3 features a main cover by Lee Garbett (Skyward), along with variant covers by Garbett, Joe Quinones (America) and Marguerite Sauvage (Archie).

“We’ve always known that Mal and Zoe had to make tough decisions during the Unification war, but Boss Moon is the living embodiment of the consequences. As we learn more about her connection to the captain and his first officer, we’ll also see that sometimes the lines between heroes and villains is even thinner than we ever imagined,” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Firefly has always explored the nuances of the people we choose as family and how we forgive the past without forgetting it. This is the issue where we’ll see just how strong the bond between the crew really is – and discover more about the past that has defined Mal and Zoe.”

Created by Whedon and set 500 years in the future in the wake of a universal civil war,FIREFLY centers on the crew of Serenity, a small transport spaceship that doesn’t have a planet to call home. Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds, a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the totalitarian governed Alliance, will undertake any job — legal or not — to stay afloat and keep his crew fed. Thrust together by necessity but staying together out of loyalty, these disparate men and women are seeking adventure and the good life, but face constant challenges on the new frontier, such as avoiding capture by the Alliance, and evading the dangers you find on the fringes of the universe.

FIREFLY #3 is available January 16th exclusively in comic shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

Available now, Firefly: Legacy Edition Book One collects previously released Serenity comics for the first time under one cover in a new value-priced format as Mal & the crew ride again in these official sequels to the critically acclaimed Firefly television series and Serenity film.

FIREFLY is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to a world-class group of licensed comic book series and ambitious original series, including Joss Whedon’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Planet of the Apes, Abbott, Mech Cadet Yu, Grass Kings, and Klaus.

For continuing news on FIREFLY and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

New York Times Best-Selling Author Gaby Dunn & Claire Roe BURY THE LEDE at BOOM! Studios

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 10, 2018) – BOOM! Studios today announced BURY THE LEDE, a new original graphic novel from New York Times bestselling author Gaby Dunn (I Hate Everyone But You) and artist Claire Roe (Batgirl and The Birds of Prey), which arrives in stores October 2019. Inspired by Dunn’s own experiences at The Boston Globe as a reporter, BURY THE LEDE is a timely story about how we find answers in an increasingly complex world and the hidden threats surrounding those truths.

Twenty-one-year-old Madison T. Jackson is already the star of the Emerson College student newspaper when she nabs a coveted night internship at Boston’s premiere newspaper, The Boston Lede. The job’s simple: do whatever the senior reporters tell you to do, from fetching coffee to getting a quote from a grieving parent. It’s grueling work, so when the murder of a prominent Boston businessman comes up on the police scanner, Madison races to the scene of the grisly crime. There, Madison meets the woman who will change her life forever: prominent socialite Dahlia Kennedy, who is covered in gore and being arrested for the murder of her family. The newspapers put everyone they can in front of her with no results until, with nothing to lose, Madison gets a chance – and unexpectedly barrels headfirst into danger she never anticipated.

Dunn has distinguished herself as a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, YouTuber, actress, and comedian. She and her comedy partner, Allison Raskin, created the successful YouTube channel Just Between Us along with the novel “I Hate Everyone But You,” published under Wednesday Books’ inaugural list, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, with a sequel to be published in 2019.

She has written for The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, The Boston Globe, and Vulture, as well as a finance column for Marie Claire. Dunn served as a writer on ”Big Mouth” (Netflix) and in 2016, co-created and starred in a pilot for MTV, later developing original half-hour pilots for 20th Century Fox, YouTube Red, and FX, as well as joining the cast of “Take My Wife” (Starz) in the role of Brie. She is also the host and creator of the podcast, Bad With Money With Gaby Dunn, which has been featured as one of the “Best New Podcasts of 2016” by The New York Times and Vulture. The show is now in its 3rd season and a book based on the podcast will be published by Simon & Schuster on January 1st, 2019.  BURY THE LEDE is Dunn’s graphic fiction debut release.

“I’m obsessed with ‘ripped from the headlines’ crime shows and am so honored and stoked to be jumping into this genre, especially in a medium like graphic novels which allowed me to collaborate with incredible talent like my editor Dafna Pleban and artist Claire Roe,” said writer Gaby Dunn. “I love working alongside women to make cool stuff about flawed, complex female characters like our book’s heroine (and the women she surrounds herself with). Especially in a genre like crime that is so heavily male, it’s been cool to make such a queer, colorful, realistic-to-my-own-experiences depiction of being a crime reporter.”

Claire Roe is an acclaimed artist from the east of Scotland and studied animation at Duncan of Jordonstone College of Art, graduating in 2013. She has distinguished herself with dynamic work on some of the biggest properties in comics, including Wonder Womanand Batgirl and The Birds of Prey from DC Comics; Halo: Rise of Atriox from Dark Horse;The Wicked + The Divine from Image Comics; and Welcome Back from BOOM! Studios.

“On the surface this is a crime story, but in its heart it is the story of some very flawed women,” said artist Claire Roe. “We rarely get to enjoy these type of women in media, especially if they’re poc and queer, so getting to dive into this world and draw this story was right up my alley. I think true crime lovers will connect instantly with Madison, and will enjoy uncovering the motivations of the beautiful and enigmatic Dahlia.”

BURY THE LEDE is the first release in an exciting slate of adult original graphic novels from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to a world-class group of licensed comic book series and ambitious original series, including Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Buffy The Vampire Slayer; Abbott from Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Mech Cadet Yu from Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa; Grass Kings from Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins; and Klausfrom Grant Morrison and Dan Mora.

“BURY THE LEDE masterfully blends the thrilling relationships of Killing Eve with the sharp insights of Devil Wears Prada for an affecting reflection on the world around us,” said Dafna Pleban, Senior Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Gaby and Claire bring a different perspective the world of crime fiction, drawing from their own experiences to examine what it really means to be an investigative journalist in a world where it’s getting harder to trust the headlines.”

Print copies of BURY THE LEDE will be available for sale in October 2019 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), bookstores or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on BURY THE LEDE and more from BOOM!, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

BOOM! Studios Unveils A New Look at BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1 

An Exclusive Look at the Hotly Anticipated Pop Culture ReVAMP in 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 13, 2018) – BOOM! Studios today unveiled a first look at BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1, the highly anticipated start of the all new BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER monthly comic book series that will debut on January 23rd, 2019, in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products. Eisner Award-nominated writer Jordie Bellaire (Redlands) and Russ Manning Award-winning artist Dan Mora (Klaus, Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers), along with series creator and story consultant Joss Whedon (the visionary writer/director behind Firefly, Marvel’s The Avengers, and more), reimagine the groundbreaking pop culture phenomenon from the very beginning in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1. This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil. But the Slayer’s world looks a lot more like the one outside your window, as this new series brings her into a new era with new challenges, new friends…and a few enemies you might already recognize. The more things change, the more they stay the same, as the Gang – Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordelia and more – faces brand new Big Bads, and a threat lurking beneath the perfectly manicured exterior of Sunnydale High, confirming what every teenager has always known: high school truly is hell. WELCOME BACK TO THE HELLMOUTH, FOR THE FIRST TIME! BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1 features a main cover by acclaimed Mondo illustrator Matthew Taylor, along with variant covers by superstar Kevin Wada (She-Hulk), Royal Dunlap (Spitball), Becca Carey (Bitch Planet), and Jen Bartel (Blackbird). Fans can join the fight between Good and Evil by choosing between two special interactive variant covers from acclaimed artist Miguel Mercado (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers). Hold each one up to your face to reveal your inner Slayer or inner Demon! Will you stand with the Chosen One (#TeamSlayer) or will you side with the Vampires (#TeamVamp)? You can also track down two rare variant covers from artist Kaiti Infante that depict fan favorite Willow Rosenberg on both sides of the battle, one as Buffy’s best friend and the other…as Vampire Willow?! Buffy The Vampire Slayer premiered on the WB Network on March 10th, 1997. The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series, which ran for seven seasons from 1997-2003, starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as “Buffy Summers.” Chosen to battle vampires, demons and other forces of darkness, Buffy was aided by her Watcher, Rupert Giles, and a circle of friends known as the “Scooby Gang.” BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to a world-class group of licensed comic book series and ambitious original series, including Joss Whedon’s Firefly, Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Planet of the Apes, Abbott, Mech Cadet Yu, Grass Kings, and Klaus. Print copies of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1 will be available for sale on January 23rd, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app. For continuing news on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER comic books, graphic novels and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow@boomstudios on Twitter. And follow Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Your First Look at ADVENTURE TIME: MARCY & SIMON #1 by Olivia Olson and Slimm Fabert 

Discover The Future of Your Favorite Vampire Queen & Former Ice King in January 2019 

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 13, 2018) – BOOM! Studios and Cartoon Network today revealed a captivating first look at ADVENTURE TIME™: MARCY & SIMON #1 (of 6), the start of an all-new limited series in January 2019. Writer Olivia Olson (voice of Marceline on Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time™) and artist Slimm Fabert (Adventure Time™ comic series) unveil the exciting official comic book continuation of the Emmy® Award-winning Cartoon Network animated series by revealing what’s next for the reformed Ice King and Vampire Queen Marceline in comic book form. Marcy and Simon’s friendship has endured over 900 years and through bouts of insanity and amnesia. After the events of Adventure Time™ Season 10, we get to see the Vampire Queen and former Ice King rediscover themselves and their ever-evolving relationship as they tour the Land of Ooo in order to make amends for Simon’s past misdeeds. But the transition from evil Ice King to gentle Simon isn’t without its consequences, and Marcy will have to face her greatest fear once again: losing Simon. A modern day fable, the Emmy® Award–winning animated series Adventure Time™ has become a global success since its premiere in 2010, attracting adult and kid viewers in their millions over the course of 10 seasons. It follows unlikely heroes Finn and Jake, buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter its colorful inhabitants. The best of friends, our heroes always find themselves in the middle of heart-pounding escapades. Finn, a silly kid with an awesome hat and Jake, a brassy dog with a big kind heart, depend on each other through thick and thin. Adventure Time™ is created by Pendleton Ward and produced at Cartoon Network Studios. BOOM! Studios has been publishing the New York Times bestselling Adventure Time™comic books and graphic novels through their KaBOOM! imprint for middle grade readers since 2012 and been honored with Eisner, Harvey, and Diamond Gem Awards for the series. ADVENTURE TIME™: MARCY & SIMON #1 is Olson’s third writing contribution to the expanded literary world of the eponymous franchise, previously collaborating with her father Martin Olson (the voice of Hunson Abadeer) on The Adventure Time™ Encyclopedia. The two also co-authored Adventure Time™: The Enchiridion & Marcy’s Super Secret Scrapbook, written from a first person perspective through Marceline’s diary entries about when she and Simon first met. Both Adventure Time™ books, published in partnership between Abrams and Cartoon Network, are available now everywhere books are sold. ADVENTURE TIME™: MARCY & SIMON #1 features a main cover by Brittney Williams (Goldie Vance), along with variant covers by Lisa Dubois (Rugrats), Sofie Drozdova (Regular Show) and Ashley Morales. ADVENTURE TIME™: MARCY & SIMON is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to comics for middle grade and younger readers including licensed series such as Over The Garden Wall, Regular Show, Steven Universe, Peanuts, and Garfield, along with original series like Mega Princess by Kelly Thompson and  Brianne Drouhard, Bodie Troll by Jay Fosgitt, Ruinworld by Derek Laufman, and The Deep by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer. Print copies of ADVENTURE TIME™: MARCY & SIMON #1 will be available on January 16th, 2019 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the one nearest you), or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app. For continuing news on ADVENTURE TIME™: MARCY & SIMON and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

Your First Look at PLATE TECTONICS: An Illustrated Memoir

French Illustrator Margaux Motin navigates shifting ground with humor, charm, and wit in June 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 14, 2018) – BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at PLATE TECTONICS: AN ILLUSTRATED MEMOIR, an original graphic novel that depicts a modern approach to life, romance, and motherhood after divorce from the popular French cartoonist and illustrator, Margaux Motin (But I Really Wanted to Be an Anthropologist), arriving in stores June 2019. At age thirty-five, Margaux’s life is full of upheaval and unexpected twists and turns. She’s divorced, raising a child on her own, and trying to get back on her feet in today’s fast-paced world. Thankfully, she’s got her family, friends, and daughter to tell her exactly what they think at every turn. And when romance eventually returns it takes on the most unexpected shape . . . in that of her best friend! Could her life possibly get more complicated?! “Margaux’s unapologetic portrayal of herself as a single parent suddenly set adrift in the modern world is at once charming, hilarious, and brutally honest,” said Sierra Hahn, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “PLATE TECTONICS is Margaux’s love letter to relearning the lines of who you are and how those lines get redrawn after life-shaking events but inevitably for the better.” PLATE TECTONICS is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ ambitious Archaia imprint, home to graphic novels such as Mouse Guard by David Petersen; Rust by Royden Lepp;Bolivar by Sean Rubin; Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna and Ramón Pérez; About Betty’s Boob by Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau; Waves by Ingrid Chabbert and Carole Maurel; and licensed series like Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation. Print copies of PLATE TECTONICS: AN ILLUSTRATED MEMOIR will be available for sale on June 26, 2019 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), and July 2, 2019 at bookstores or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app. For continuing news on PLATE TECTONICS and more previews from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to  www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.   BOOM! Studios – NEWS WEEK (December 10th, 2018) @boomstudios #BoomStudios In our weekly recap of news from BOOM! Studios we bring you a look at the upcoming 3rd issue of