There are some Bigfoot problems that hit harder than others — and for certain legendary figures, male pattern baldness anxiety isn’t just about looks… it’s about legacy. Today’s comic imagines what happens when one very famous cryptid starts wondering if his myth might not survive a receding hairline.
What I’m Watching: Invincible, JJK, and the Great Animation Trade-Off
I’ve been watching Invincible with my sons, and I’ve got… thoughts.
First off: the story? Very, very good. Genuinely compelling stuff — even though the violence and gore is way past my personal comfort range. I'm not super comfortable with one character shooting another. The stuff that happens on a median-level episode of Invincible is a real challenge for me.
As someone who does NSFW comics, I'm constantly amazed at how perfectly acceptable Invincible is... yet an animated series based on Phil Foglio's XXXenophile would have people losing their ever-loving minds.
Further, it's a little disappointing to go from watching Jujutsu Kaisen (which we're also following at the moment) to watching Invincible.
JJK features jaw-dropping visuals and animation that constantly raises the bar episode after episode. It's phenomenal.
On the other side of the spectrum, Invincible clearly put all of its budget into getting celebrity voice talent. Some of them are very good.
I just wish a few of those Amazon dollars had been spent on the animation. Some of the scenes are pretty clearly PNGs that get enlarged to show an object moving through space, and it's a goddamned embarrassment.
But the story itself is very, very good.
The Week in Villainy: Taking stock of super-villains
Mary Marvel: I stood second to no one —
no one — in my enthusiasm for Mary Marvel’s walk on the wild side. As you remember, I was
one of the first to applaud the black-leather-clad Marvel sis.
But now, in
Final Crisis #3, we see where the path of evil has led Mary. Straight to an anime hairdresser and Frederick’s of Hollywood. (
Click on the image to the right for a two-panel excerpt.)
The sexploitation of Mary Marvel was one thing. For months, we were treated to any possible excuse for drawing her so we could peep up her black, leather skirt. But that was still in line with comic superhero norms, for better or worse.
But this? Shaved head? Pink piggy tails? A lightning-bolt-cutout to accentuate her increased cleavage?
OK… I’ll admit, I’m a
little jealous that I didn’t think of that last one for Lightning Lady.
But still… what made Mary Marvel intriguing as a villain was a good girl thrust into a bad girl’s role. It had such conflict — such possibility.
This. This trampy nemesis has none of that depth. None of that dimension. She’s completely flat.
With or without the lightning-bolt cut-out.
Her VQ rating drops to a 1.
