"That’s just murder-math!" - Orange Is The New Black Roundtable Review #1

S04E01, "Work That Body for Me" With a major security breach and a lot of new inmates, Caputo has to call in the big guns. Things get a little too real for Crazy Eyes and Lolly. (Netflix)

S04E02, "Power Suit" The newcomers stir up ethnic and domestic conflicts, but Maria sees an opportunity. Judy's special treatment raises eyebrows. (Netflix)

Before we start digging into the episodes, a brief introduction for the readers:
Welcome to our first roundtable review of Orange is the new black! During the coming seven weeks we will be sharing our thoughts and feelings on the fourth season of the show, roundtable discussion style. Our hope is that we can extend the conversation into the comment section, but if you prefer quietly basking in the glorious light of our collective intellect that’s perfectly fine as well. Now let’s get to it.

Discussion

Tova: The first episode/s spend a lot of time on setting the scene and making us re-aquainted with all the characters. While it’s amazing to see them all again, I think the privatization issues are more intriguing than the more character-centered parts of the plot, and I find myself waiting for the show to dig deeper into that rather than wanting to know where the personal conflicts are going. So far overcrowding seems to be the only noticeable effect of MCC taking over Litchfield, and I suspect the full effect of that is being saved for later episodes - so the question is what’s going to keep things interesting until then. What do you guys think? Are the characters doing interesting enough things by themselves? What issues should be explored within the scope of Litchfield’s privatization?

Adrian: The privatization of American prisons is a real problem; it will be interesting to see how the writers address these real problems on the show, where prisons are driven by profits rather than rehabilitation. At some point, I’d like to see a take on the “Kids for Cash” Judge Mark Ciavarella story, where a victim of the racket, the corrupt judge, or even both are in Litchfield.

Otherwise, I’m excited to see the cast expansion, and the higher inmate population shaking things up: with equal parts social examination and inmate conflicts, there’s quite a lot to dig into this season.

Frida: I think the first episodes picked up and started interesting plot points for most of the characters, so I don’t think we will be bored until further and bigger plot twists. I feel like we won’t meet Sophia for another while - they’re keeping her story for later in the season, maybe to keep the viewers interested. As for the privatization I’m interested in how they’re going to focus the issues that come up. For now it seems like we will follow Caputo a lot.

Tova: I hadn't heard about the Kids for cash thing before, but it doesn’t surprise me that something like that happened. It seems like a natural side effect of allowing such facilities to be privately run… I like your idea - parallels to real-life situations are always interesting, especially if you’re engaging in social critique, which OITNB usually (thankfully) does!

Regarding the expanded cast: Which additions are you most excited about?
And do you think the focus on Caputo in these first episodes is a good storytelling decision?

Adrian: Ouija is playing nice for now, but she asked Flaca who la jefa is, underlining her ambition. I wonder what Hapakuka, Piper's new bunkmate, is in for. Judy King is a new force of gravity in Litchfield's universe; the scene where she communicates with Healy via innocuous code (‘white bunkmates only’) had a sobering truth to it.

I generally prefer more inmate story focus, but Caputo and the prison guards are important to the overall Litchfield story and relevant when considering their real-life equivalents: prison guard unions are a big factor in the problematic and continued growth of for-profit prisons.

Frida: I think the writers did an amazing job with introducing the new characters because almost all of them seem interesting to me. The new guard, Priscatella, seems pretty amusing and I wonder how his interactions with the inmates will evolve (will he soften his swat-team manner?). I agree with Adrian about Piper’s new bunkmate, she seems interesting and I feel like she has a lot of integrity; she knows how to play people.

I think the focus on Caputo is a good thing; we get to see events outside the prison and the company people, we get a wider perspective of the privatization process. I find Caputo hilarious and likable and terrible at the same time, which makes him a good character to use as some kind of center point.

Tova: That’s interesting, because I don’t feel very interested in any of the new characters! I’m worried about Ouija, but so far she’s a threat without a pronounced personality (which her cool name can’t make up for). I hope the show fleshes her out a bit more, even if she turns out to be a temporary character. Hapakuka seems to have more potential, but I wonder if the two qualities you mention (integrity and manipulation skills) aren’t too far apart to be reconciled in one character in a good way. I only know of one person in real life who has both of these sides, and that’s one complicated little gem…

Tell me more about guard unions and for-profit prisons! I’m also curious what you two think about the Maria flashbacks in episode 2.

Adrian: Like most labor unions, prison guard unions seek to protect the livelihood of its members, which leads to supporting “tough on crime” policies and candidates (which tends to disproportionately hurt people of color). More prisoners leads to higher profits and the increased health of the industry: human incarceration. Aleida says early in episode 1: “It’s sardine time, bitches. We a for-profit prison now. We ain’t people no more. We’re bulk items.” So while the stories of Ouija and Hapakuka are more interesting to me, there’s value to examining the prison guard world when seeking to end mass incarceration.

Frida: Hopefully they have some good material for the new characters in the coming episodes, maybe you will find some of them more interesting then! I forgot about Ouija, she seems pretty fierce, her backstory is probably pretty cool with the teardrop tattoos and everything. Yes, that’s true, I think Hapakuka is so hard to figure out right now, I look forward to seeing further in the season what she is all about.

The Maria flashbacks were okay, not a super strong story but I think it was well acted and still interesting. The theme of national identity and pride were interesting to me.

Tova: That’s interesting and depressing (about prison guards unions)! I’d like to see more about that too.

I do sometimes feel that these little bits we get of the characters’ backgrounds on OITNB are too short or “random”. It’s an interesting choice to show us part of a story, and then leave us without a proper ending, and it can work to the show’s advantage, but occasionally I’m left thinking “okay, so what was the point of that?”. Now, the national identity theme had a clear purpose in tying into present day events and interactions, but there were still a lot of parts that felt unnecessary.

Adrian: I found Maria’s story very interesting and personally relevant: I’m Mexican-American and I’m currently living in a primarily-Dominican neighborhood in New York. While I’m fortunate to have not lived in a time when that clash was more intensely felt, the Latinxs experience is extremely varied and identity is critically important when the non-Latin world seeks to lump us all together. The flashback gave us some much needed Maria backstory, and ultimately served to underscore how important it is that the Latina inmates agreed to cooperate; it not an easy alliance and it would be wrong to presume otherwise.

In any case, I’m thankful that we’re getting more backstory at all, regarding the other inmates, when early seasons were focused quite a lot on Piper. The most interesting part of Piper’s story for me has been Alex Vause, which by the way, is in a huge mess right now.

Tova: Definitely agree about branching out and focusing less on Piper (isn’t that what all the viewers want by now?)! In addition to making the show better, it gives more people an opportunity to see something of their own lives in the stories, like you kind of just demonstrated. It’s a show about prison inmates, and that might make them strange to most of the audience, but it’s also about a wide range of people with both differences and similarities outside of that, and therein lies the opportunity to make them all relatable in some way.

As for the huge mess... Oh, Alex. I usually think of her character as just a small step above Piper, but right now I’m really feeling for her, and I’m actually glad she’s back on the show. I think it will be interesting to see how she handles this, both practically and emotionally. But as always with the interesting storylines on this show, the anticipation is tempered by worry about what will happen to the characters.

Frida: I also agree about having Piper as a kind of supporting role and not as a main character. We know her well by now and from what I know she’s not really a fan favorite!

The murder was everything I love about OITNB; absurd, terrifying, funny and cringeworthy. I just hope Alex can catch her breath for a little while now before the next thing happens! I think the murder scene was a little bit of fresh air into her storyline, which I didn’t like much in season three. It’s going to be interesting to see the aftermath of what happened.

Tova: The (second) murder scene was sooo good and horrible. I understood why Alex did it, and I understood why she didn’t want to. There’s a lot to empathize with there, and it was well played too! Let’s hope it leads to a better storyline for her.

I think it’s time to wrap this up now. I just want to ask you a final quick question (depending on what we think about it, it may become a regular feature of our OITNB round-tables): Who do you think is the MVP of these two episodes? Who’s the most funny, awful, charge-taking, or whatever else is needed to make the show interesting? As for me, I’m going to go with Vause. Though that might be because we’ve been talking about her most recently, I also think she had the best scene, and she’s at the center of the most important drama currently happening on the show - both of which makes her important to the show.

Frida: The question is so hard with so many compelling characters and new situations in the prison! but I have to agree with you that it is Vause. Her story was carrying these two episodes with suspense and an emotional rollercoaster. But I also thought Flores had a strong presence in the first episodes, showing another side of herself.

Adrian: It might be too hard to call. Vause has the most tense storyline, but I appreciate Freida’s ‘git r done’ attitude about body disposal. Judy King’s arrival was perhaps the most disruptive single event, using her clout to make friends and earn special privileges at the expense of the other inmates. I think I’m gonna lean toward Big Boo: she always has the best lines and her horrible plan to rape Officer Coates combined with her desire to avenge Pennsatucky makes her a layered and interesting character.

Favourite quotes

Tova: "If you're gonna be racist, you gotta be accurate, or you just look dumb."

Adrian: “Well, think of it... as a mandala... of pussy.”

Frida: “That’s just murder-math!”

Adrian Martinez is a graphic designer, comic book letterer, hobbyist writer, and all-around geek living in New York City.

Tova Crossler Ernström is a bisexual Swede, feminist, socialist, INFJ, Hufflepuff, HSP and Taurus. She is fond of personality tests, labels and lists.

Frida Berntson is a Swedish cultural studies and art history student, art blogger and lover of all things geekdom; especially tv, movies and youtube.

HBO's Game of Thrones Complete S6 Recap For S5 Quitters

After the fifth season of HBO's Game of Thrones, many long-time fans quit watching due to unsettling and ongoing depictions of sexual violence. While unpleasant themes have always been a staple of the fantasy series, some fans decided they had seen enough to know that they had seen too much. I fully respect their choice.

Still, fans are fans, and being driven to stop watching is tricky: now that the HBO series has outpaced the books, George R.R. Martin revealed the ending of the book series and other key details to the show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. If you’re still planning on reading the books, you might be stuck dodging spoilers for an unknown amount of time.

I opted to watch Season 6 and to my surprise, I was not let down. There were lots of big reveals, long-speculated theories confirmed, and even a bit of fun fan service. While that does not undo the negatives of past seasons, I've compiled Season 6 character recaps for the ladies of the show, because why not, plus some extra for those who want to be in the know, without the show.

COMPLETE SEASON 6 SPOILERS AHEAD

Arya: is subjected to a series of tricks and combat tests, while blind. Her sight is returned to her once she passes muster and is tasked with a new assassination: an actress who is playing Cersei in an inaccurate but moving stage reenactment of the events of Season 4. After finding the actress to be kind, Arya changes her mind about this whole death cult thing, and ditches them. She is hunted by the Waif until Arya tricks her into fighting in the dark. With Jaqen’s unspoken blessing, Arya returns to Westeros (!!) and assassinates Walder Frey! (!!!)

Melisandre: is having a crisis of faith after the death of both Stannis and Jon Snow. In a private moment, she removes her enchanted necklace and we see her true form of an old woman. Later, Davos convinces Melisandre to ask the Red God to revive Jon Snow… and it works! Jon Snow lives. Later, Davos discovers the remains of the wooden carving he made for Princess Shireen and realizes Melisandre is responsible for burning her at the stake. Davos confronts her and despite her pleas, Jon Snow banishes Melisandre from the North. Bye girl.

Fat Walda: gives birth to a son while her ruthless, calculating husband Roose Bolton gets stupid and doesn’t anticipate Ramsay’s incoming murder plan. With Roose dead, Fat Walda and the baby get eaten up when Ramsay sics his dogs on them. RIP Fat Walda. :\

Osha: and Rickon Stark are captured and brought to Ramsay Bolton, who murders Osha soon after, and uses Rickon Stark to taunt Sansa and Jon Snow from afar.

Brienne: rescues Sansa and Theon from Ramsay’s men when Sansa escapes Winterfell. Sansa finally agrees to employ Brienne’s services as a protector, and Brienne leads Sansa to Castle Black. It’s love at first sight when Tormund lays eyes on Brienne, but Brienne is horribly embarrassed by it. Hold that thought, shippers, there’s no Brienne x Tormund this season. Brienne is tasked by Sansa to rally houses to the Stark cause (to retake Winterfell) under her and Jon Snow. She encounters Jaime, perhaps for the last time as friends, and he insists she keep the Lannister valyrian steel sword he gave her.

Sansa: escapes Winterfell with Theon and is rescued by Brienne. She works to rally houses to her cause but initially rejects Littlefinger’s offer of help from the Vale. After giving her to “monsters who murdered my family” TWICE, it’s not hard to see why. When push comes to shove, she calls in Littlefinger and the Vale, saving Jon, Tormund, and the rest of Jon’s forces (bannermen and wildlings alike) in the Battle of Bastards, defeating Ramsay Bolton (but sadly, still losing Rickon when Ramsay murders him on the battlefield). She ends her marriage to Ramsay by leaving him in the kennel with his starving dogs. Ramsay is eaten alive! See ya, loser. Finally, Sansa rallies behind Jon’s case for King in the North, which succeeds, but a final glance between her and Littlefinger leaves us wondering if she’s conflicted.

Yara: swears revenge when her father, the Ironborn King, is mysteriously assassinated. She comes this close to clinching the Salt Throne (her uncle Euron assassinated the king, Balon) before Euron wins over the crowd. She takes Theon (who just returned home), steals THE ENTIRE Ironborn Fleet AND Euron’s plan to set sail for Meereen and make a deal with Daenerys Targaryen. Boss move.

Daenerys: is captured and sent to Vaes Dothrak to the Dothraki widows retirement home. With the help of Jorah and Daario, she locks herself in a room with all the Dothraki Khals and sets the place on fire. Only she emerges, unburned, causing the entire Dothraki horde at Vaes Dothrak to take the knee and swear fealty to her. Using her dragons, the Dothraki, intel from Varys, and a little Tyrion swagger, she saves Meereen from a siege, eradicates the Sons of the Harpy once and for all, and claims their siege ships. When Yara arrives, she makes a pact with the Ironborn fleet and in the closing shot of the season, Dany is off to the races, sailing across the Narrow Sea to Westeros.

Meera: is told by the Children of the Forest that Bran will need her help to fulfill his destiny as the Three-eyed Raven. While Bran is communing with the weirwood, he is able to see into the past and spectates a young Ned and... Lyanna Stark at Winterfell. He learns Hodor’s real name, Walder. When Bran goes too far and wanders into a vision of the Night King, he draws the white walkers to their location and Meera is forced to drag Bran to safety while Hodor sacrifices himself to… hold the door. :’( Meera and Bran are saved by Coldhands a.k.a… Bran’s uncle, Benjen Stark, who has been kept alive by the magic of the Children! He escorts them safely to The Wall (which he cannot pass) and Meera helps Bran commune again with the weirwood tree where Bran learns… Jon Snow is really the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen! R+L=J confirmed.

Sand Snakes: murder Trystane, Doran, and Areo Hotah! I’m bummed about Areo. They speak with Lady Olenna of House Tyrell and offer an alliance, and not just with Dorne! Varys enters stage left, offering “fire and blood” of House Targaryen! But why would House Tyrell need a new ally, you ask? Well…

Cersei: mourns Myrcella. Cersei makes many attempts to regain her power and fails: getting on the small council (rejected), stopping the High Sparrow (stuffed), making friends with Olenna (denied), none of it takes. Until finally, Queen Margaery, who seems to be playing a long con with the High Sparrow to free her brother Loras, manages to convince her last remaining child, young King Tommen, to remove Cersei’s ONE CHANCE at beating her trial, by abolishing trial by combat (where The Mountain, now undead, would have acted as her champion).

With nothing left to lose, Cersei tasks Maester Qyburn to enact a scorched earth policy. Cersei stays home drinking wine (classic Cersei!) while Qyburn uses children (the ‘little birds’) to murder Maester Pycelle and set alight the massive cache of wildfire that lies beneath the Sept of Baelor… where ALL of Cersei’s enemies now wait. The High Sparrow, all the Sparrows, Kevan Lannister, Mace Tyrell, and even Queen Margaery are annihilated as the entire Sept and the surrounding area blows sky high. Devastated and unable to process this turn of events, young King Tommen throws himself from his window and dies.

While she did not anticipate Tommen’s actions, Cersei knows now that the prophecy set in motion years ago by Maggy the Frog is complete. Now, with nothing left to lose, Cersei finds herself crowned as the Queen of Westeros. Queen takes King. Check mate.

---

This was an amazing season for the ladies of Game of Thrones, but I'll say again, that it doesn't negate the failures of the past. I still support those fans that have broken up with Thrones forever, and for all fans, past and present, I hope the next (and likely final) season of the show maintains an upward trajectory. I hope they've been listening in the writing room, and I hope that one day, when George R.R. Martin delivers the book series' final drafts, the story will move forward and upward, rather than regress into the mistakes of the past.

Until then, all hail Queen Cersei! Long... may she reign?

Adrian Martinez is a graphic designer, comic book letterer, hobbyist writer, and all-around geek living in New York City.

We Have Opinions: TV Edition #5

House of Lies s05e10, “No Es Facil”



This show has had episodes built around a flashback/flash forward structure before, and even if I’m not sure it was necessary then either, at least it served its purpose of creating curiosity - and it worked stylistically. This time it’s confusing and takes us out of the story too many times, especially for a half-hour show and especially when it’s a season finale which is supposed to finish the season’s story arcs in a satisfying way. One exception is the very first flash-forward, with Jeanie and Marty lying on the beach, which is quite beautiful and made me expect a much more interesting episode than what followed. In fact, most of the flash-forwards kicking off the episode created some type of expectation (be it of quality or just drama) that didn’t lead anywhere. There’s a lot of time wasted on cheap laughs and the same old antagonistic banter we’ve seen every season, before getting to the good stuff: Jeanie and Marty and screw capitalism. I really enjoyed how Jeanie just slowly stops paying attention to Marty during the scene with the wedding party (bullshit volume turned down to zero), and the look on her face as she wanders further into the crowd. The idea of Cuba as a place where everyone is spontaneous and happy is a bit cliché, but the payoff in changed perspectives and actions of the main character’s is great. It also makes sense that the people Marty and Jeanie meet on Cuba are happier than them, because they haven’t all made careers out of selling their souls to the devil. The realization that Marty doesn’t want to fuck over Cuba is satisfying to watch, as well as the big fuck you to Skip and Monica but, as it has been throughout the show’s run, it’s the combination of Marty and Jeanie and a good helping of bottled up feelings that steals the show. I don’t even care that it’s a cheesy ending - I loved the proposal scene and I love that those two kids have finally worked it out. If the show had gone on, we would see them mess it all up again, but now we get to imagine them living happily ever after instead!
Tova Crossler Ernström

BrainDead s01e02, "Playing Politics: Living Life in the Shadow of the Budget Showdown - A Critique"


Tax Prom drinking game. Take a big gulp if: A Republican opens his mouth.

Holy shit, why hasn’t anyone thought of doing the “previously” on for a TV show as a song before? Not that this one is particularly amazing (and it doesn’t really work with the show’s tone) - it’s just such an obvious and perfect idea. As is the basic plot for the show: Alien bugs are eating politicians brains and turning them into mindless drones, but no one notices because they already kind of acted like mindless drones before. No, it’s not a complex or fresh analysis of American politics, but it’s perfect for a sci-fi/political drama/satire/comedy show. I would personally have preferred if the bug people were exclusive Republican, but the show seems to be going for a slightly more balanced view of politics. They’ve even got a love interest who’s a Republican! And yes, I’m having major trouble accepting this fact. The guys is charming (or at least smarmy), but it’s just… It’s just not okay. The show clearly acknowledges Trump’s existence and candidacy, and Ritter never expresses any disgust at this possible presidential candidate for his party. Still we’re supposed to be invested in his and Laurel’s romantic tension? Skeptical face, right here.

Tova Crossler Ernström

SNL Scraps: Jon Rudnitsky's Favorite Moments And A Cut Sketch!

(Content warning: The review of the cut sketch BRIEFLY mentions rape.) For the second time in a row, it’s your weekly double dose of Saturday Night Live goodness. Let’s get started.

 Firstly, we have another short video of a current cast member detailing his favorite moments of the season. In this case, it’s Jon Rudnitsky. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t seen all that much of him this season. Granted, I am bad with faces, so it’s hard to distinguish the cast members at various points in the show, but I don’t remember any memorable moments from him. It’s not meant as an insult, the blame is entirely on me. In any case, some of his favorite moments included a dancing scene on Weekend Update and having an absurd sketch where Miley Cyrus licks his face. I hope that Mr. Rudnitsky gets to stay on the show for a second season. Best wishes, sir!

Secondly, SNL released a cut sketch from the Ariane Grande episode. To be honest, I can see why it was cut. Apart from a great line from Leslie Jones and a few giggles brought on by the cast members slightly breaking character, it’s very dull. To make matters worse, it features a disturbing rape joke. If you really want to, then watch it. Otherwise, I would recommend skipping it.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.

Book Review: The Big Reveal, by Eve Francis

Genre : Romance, Trans fiction

The Open Window, another book by Eve Francis, was such a good read that I jumped on the occasion and requested an ARC for The Big Reveal when it was put up on Netgalley. And am I not regretting this a single second. Its subject took me entirely by surprise— The description of the book being somewhat obscure so as to better keep its cards hidden. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you why this book moved me so much without spoiling it a bit (a very small bit, don’t worry : it’s revealed in the first eight pages I believe) : Samus, one of the two main characters, is a trans woman. I’ve been on the lookout for lesbian trans fiction but since Netgalley only classifies it as LGBTQIA, I didn’t expect that I’d find what I was looking for in this book. One of the best points of The Open Window for me was that it featured a fat lead character, and it seems Eve Francis is still in the process of making their work more and more inclusive, with Jackie being a person of color.

Big changes are coming in Samus Mallory’s (if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, you’re right) life. She is now the sole teacher in her Fantasy Literature class, and as a firm believer in the idea that fantasy can change one’s life, she works towards helping her students dream big and create change. When she meets Jackie Vasquez, they quickly bond despite Samus’ fears that her being a trans woman will ruin everything. Jackie is a cosplayer who always cross-plays her characters, and while she’s not Samus’ student, their friendship and eventually their love will shed a new light on her life and open her eyes on her past as well as her future.

Both our characters are absolutely nerdy dears; Samus is the teacher anyone would probably enjoy having, while Jackie is a pretty cool math student slash cosplay seamstress. Their chemistry around board games and in general is great, and while I know very little about either board games or cosplay, I truly enjoyed getting glimpses of those worlds.

Through Jackie, we learn of Samus’ journey and the strong beliefs she formed while transitioning. Her understanding of fantasy, and the journey to self discovery it can initiate, is something whose importance I cannot stress enough. And I get why Samus believes the things she does. I get it because I was like her, a child wanting to be a girl, and not even knowing, not even beginning to grasp the idea that it was, in fact, possible. And while Jackie is not in Samus’ class, Samus’ drive will influence her to take a closer look at her conflicted history with femininity and masculinity, a conflict embodied by her smothering mother who has difficulty accepting that her daughter prefers masculine clothes to dresses.

While astonished that the book included a trans woman at first, I quickly realized that Eve Francis know their stuff. In retrospect it is no surprise: I learned while conversing with them that they are trans and a PHD student in trans literature— they thus have both first hand and academic knowledge of trans-identity. It is no wonder then that Samus is one of the trans character I’ve identified with the most in my whole life (though I admit to not reading books with trans characters very often). I dare say that most, if not all, trans people will see themselves in her character at time.

The awkwardness with which she tells Jackie that she’s trans, afraid that her identity will repulse her— It is something I’ve lived and will live again. Even her explanation of how she realized she was trans is the same as mine. Her first sex with Jackie, the discovery of their respective bodies and boundaries, all of these things contribute to making two genuine, authentic and deeply endearing characters. It isn’t often that I feel so emotionally involved in a book (I totally did not shed a happy tear at the end of the book, nope), and I really wish to see more of those two in the future.

There is one short sex scene towards the third quarter of the book, at the end of the tenth chapter. This is the second book I read from Eve Francis, and I strongly recommend anyone who is interested in trans people (and I do mean people, not politics) and who enjoys romance to read this one. It’s an indubitably solid romance and Eve Francis’s tight and comfortable writing serves it well.

The Big Reveal will be published on June 28th by Less Than Three Press, and can be ordered on the publisher's website.

Rachel Vigo is a would-be critical geographer from Paris (the one in France, not the one in Texas). She is an avid devourer of books and plays video-games far too much.

Cry Havoc #1-6 (Story Arc Review): A Lesbian Werewolf Goes to War... Well, Not Quite

Last week I talked about Simon Spurrier’s Boom! Studios-published miniseries, The Spire. But that’s not the only comic he’s created recently. Last month Boom! started publishing his new miniseries, Weavers, a gang story with some Cthulhu thrown into the mix. Meanwhile since the start of the year, Image Comics started publishing his ongoing series, Cry Havoc, which recently finished its first story arc. And its a comic with another lesbian protagonist.

London-based violinist Louise Canton is having a terrible time. She’s unable to keep a job with any band she plays with and unable to get any other job – which means their shared flat has to be paid for entirely by her zookeeper girlfriend. And now she’s been mugged by a werewolf (well, not really a werewolf, but I’m not going to spoil the entire comic) and has become one herself. She’s contacted by Inhand Org – a Blackwell-inspired company that offers to help her keep the beast at bay, and maybe even cure it. The price is her doing them a tiny favor – which involves her going to Afghanistan on a military mission to help track another mythical being gone rogue. And that’s when things go really bad.

What unfolds is one of the best ongoing modern day fantasy comics. The basic setup is an excuse to create an American Gods-style exploration of myth and its changing role as the humanity changes. What’s impressive is that a lot of the above exploration of stories can be ignored, and it’s mostly limited to a certain character at the end portion of the story arc. There’s a lot that will be noticed by people with more knowledge of mythology and modern day politics on the first – and even those details are expanded upon by Spurrier in a glossary at the end of each issue (which I presume will be collected in the trade paperback release). It helps understand the politics involving Afghanistan and learn of the incredibly varied mythical creatures that only appear for a panel at most.

Another clever feature of Cry Havoc is its storytelling structure. The story is clearly divided into three traditional parts: the beginning in London, the middle in Afghanistan and the end in the mysterious Red Place. All three of them appear in every issue, and Spurrier and the artists cut to them as it is needed for the story. And they make it in such a way that reading the scenes set later in the story don’t spoil any development of the previous parts. For instance, reading the Afghanistan portion in the first issue doesn’t mean we know the full story of London-based events.

To help make sense of the story, Spurrier got three different colorists to work on his part of the story. Filardi is in charge of the vibrant London-based beginning scenes. Wilson colors the much more rough middle of the story set in Afghanistan. And Loughridge is working on the final part in the Red Place. It also helps to showcase how much of the art depends on the often unsung colorists.

Amazingly written and fantastically rendered, Cry Havoc is a great new urban fantasy, especially for fans of American Gods. I can’t wait for the series return.

Cry Havoc is written by Simon Spurrier, drawn by Ryan Kelly and colored by Nick Filardi, Lee Loughridge and Matt Wilson. The first volume, Mything in Action, is set to be released on August 17.

Dominik Zine is a nerdy lad from northeastern Poland and is generally found in a comfy chair with a book in hand.

Uptown Girl in a Downtown World - Archie #9 Review

See the ultimate lifestyle clash as Veronica is forced to stay in the Andrews household if she wants to spend time with Archie!

Archie #9 is the comic version of a “bottle episode.” For the most part, it takes place in Archie’s house and the surrounding neighborhood. This is by no means a criticism. It shows how Mark Waid can tell a succinct story with a limited amount of space. We get to see the consequences of Veronica partially living with the Andrews family. Firstly, slightly played for laughs, we see how an incredibly rich teenage girl deals with a normal, lower-to-middle class house. She expects fanciness, being mystified by paper towels and a lack of soup spoons. The cover perfectly exemplifies this, with Veronica and several associates politely watching a fashion show. Archie, meanwhile, is falling asleep, head resting in his palm.

Secondly, we see what happens when she tries to bring over the Lodges’ butler, maid, chef, and gardener. At first, Mary Andrews enjoys the extra help, but soon becomes frustrated with everything being done for her. Even gardening, a seemingly relaxing task, becomes unnecessary when the gardeners craft ostentatious designs.

Fred, on the other hand, luxuriates in the riches that he’s gained access to, immediately falling in love with an outrageously large television.

Live that dream, Fred. Mooch on your son's girlfriend's stuff.

As for Archie, he’s dealing with an emotional crisis of his own. While spending some time with Veronica on the lawn, they overhear Mrs. Andrews complaining about how Veronica is making their life more difficult. Veronica runs off, and Archie has a heart-to-heart with Betty in the next chapter. This results in a sweet scene where they commiserate over the difficulties of trying to live with someone who’s obscenely rich. It’s a great scene that reminds the reader that Archie and Betty truly know each other. They joke and laugh like old friends, even gently mocking the Lodge’s exorbitant wealth. They almost kiss, but Archie runs off after receiving an emergency call from Veronica, leaving Betty crestfallen.

Veronica also gets some character depth. Much like a scene in an earlier issue where she inadvertently humiliates herself in the school cafeteria, she's out of her depth in the supermarket. She secretly took Mrs. Andrew's shopping list and tried to buy everything for her, but ended up completely lost, not knowing how to find anything and crying in an aisle. Archie and Veronica kiss, and the issue ends with everything going back to normal, for the most part. With the workers and gadgets back at the lodges, Veronica's trying her best to live like a regular person. The story closes out on Archie joyfully playing his guitar as the music travels over to Betty, who silently cries as she works on repairing a car. The next issue teases an uncivil war, no relation, I'm sure, to a certain blockbuster movie, so Riverdale won't stay calm for long.

Perfectly symbolic of this issue and the themes within.

So, if Chip Zdarsky is leaving Jughead and Howard The Duck, does that mean that he can write a Anatole spinoff comic?

Don't think that I missed this subtle Josie easter egg. I wonder if this was planned before the announcement of a new series.

Archie #9 is beautiful. From the realistic depictions of trying to adapt to new situations, to the solid one-joke scenes with Jughead and the gang, it's stellar. As always, I hope that you try out the series. This issue works pretty well as a jumping-on point.

Additionally, Veronica Fish's art is spectacular. Her work perfectly fits with the writing style. In order to emotionally connect with the reader, the writing and the art need to be in sync. Veronica Finch's art perfectly matches the writing, making already emotional scenes all the better. You can actually see the sadness on Mrs. Andrew's face and Betty's frustration with Archie. It is a level of quality that astounds me.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.