Lizard
Beautiful art piece, but I fear the art carries much of the book. The story is good, but felt drawn out for the sake of just being drawn out at times and I skimmed some of the dialogue at times. This isn't one you can read like a normal graphic novel, you have to be paying attention because even then it can be insanely hard to path your eyes for the next text bubble/space.
Not beating the playlist in a book stereotype.
I am getting convinced most novellas are an excuse to make money on a half pint idea that you don't have to actually flesh out. This one furthers my point. The characters? Didn't care. The plot? Like bumper cars, the way it bumbles the reader into a plot point head on. The ending? Nonsensical. Horror? Nope. Mushrooms? I guess. Rats? Inconsequential. Had some potential but completely fumbled it within 20 pages.
How is an author so pretentious that they acknowledge they have written a load of nothing burger book, but proceed to try and pass it off as the most philosophical book you will ever read? Literally just go watch two horror movie YouTube critiques, read 'It came from the closet', watch literally any robot themed movie, and find an edgy Quotev poetry collection from 12 years ago by a Creepy pasta obsessed teen; if you do all that then you've read this book. There's nothing productive about this book and it's a waste of materials.
It was fine. Like a b rated cheesy sci-fi movie you put on when you're in the hospital and you think hey it's actually kinda good but when you rewatch it at home (since you zoned out with the beeps of the machines and the volume was stuck at 4), it's not as good as you remember. I didn't particularly care about Ophelia nor did I care about the rest of the characters. A lot of the events and interactions felt shallow; I fear the actual horror and interest started to pick up as soon as it died off. It was hard to pick up and understand, I don't think I fully picked up on what was going on but overall it was a decent read. My biggest gripe actually has to do with the romance, it wasn't needed and felt incredibly forced with no actual chemistry building to illicit a purpose for it being a point.
Callum: proof good pussy can in fact change you from raging racist Republican to a social justice warrior in less than 15 hours.
Cate: that one girl who's 'liberal' and a 'feminist' but dates a racist horndog who doesn't hate her (just her people) within 15 hours of knowing him and loves to say "you guys just don't know him like I do, he's really kind and loving he wouldn't say those things" (and when he does say those things she looks him in the eye to say "babe this isn't you, change for me 😟" and now he just says it when she's not around).
Also directly to the author: do you know that just because you didn't see the genre 'romantasy' until after 2020 because your only source of content is from TikTok, does not mean romantasy hasn't been around for nearly two decades. Like I'm probably at least a decade or two younger than you and I remember getting into romantasy tagged media in middle school. This book fully reads as being written by someone who has never interacted with the genre outside of the TikTok best sellers section in Barnes and Noble.
Chapter Count: Volume 1 of 2
Problematic BL Stereotypes Checklist
Are all love interests clearly adults (18+)?
Yes
Are they gay purely for plot (‘typically straight’, ‘different from the rest’, ‘only gay for the lead(s)’)?
Technically no, but I'm going to say yes.
Are all love interests enthusiastically consenting?
No!
Are all love interests able to effectively communicate?
No!
Are there any NSFW scenes? Are they as realistic as possible?
Yes, Nope!
Does someone get SA'd? Is it romanticized/brushed off/for comedy?
Yes and yes! A MMC is raped and understands it as being raped, yet it's played off as steamy and enemies to lovers.
Is the anatomy unrealistic (barring style)?
Somewhat.
Is there homophobia? Transphobia?
Yes, slight homophobia.
Is there a seme/uke dynamic?
Yes
Is there misogyny?
I don't remember, but I want to say yes.
Is there racism?
No
Is there substance use?
I don't think so
Is there a love triangle/unethical polyamory?
Kind of, but not really. There's an unresolved past ex (?), but the main MMCs aren't together.
Do one or more love interests have a tragic backstory?
Not really, but the MMC plays it up as such (he was second best).
Do one or more love interests have bad parents/guardians?
Not that I read
Do one or more love interests break-up?
No
Do one or more love interests die in the end?
No
Do one or more love interests abuse the other(s) in any way?
Yes. On both ends, but it's hard to blame the other guy considering he was raped.
Does one or more love interests cheat on the other(s)?
No
Is there a good, established plot?
No
Notes: BOOOO ROMANTICIZED RAPE
I wrote a whole review and accidentally pressed the back button so long story short: story is hard to follow in the beginning (hence the -one star), it gets better as you read (design choices make it hard to read though hang in there), but the art alone is worthy of at least a detailed skim as the mangaka is clearly creative and talented. If you like Junji Ito but wish for more creatures created with detailed lore in mind, a short heartfelt story, and where the gore is not done purely for shock value like most gorey horror, this is it.
Contains spoilers
Chapter Count: Chapter 80 of 80
Problematic BL Stereotypes Checklist
Are all love interests clearly adults (18+)?
For 90% of the Webtoon, yes. For the last 10%? No. In their reincarnated life, Beom is 17 when he meets Ahn Geumhu, Ahn Geumhu is older and they have NSFW scenes on Beom's 18th birthday.
Are they gay purely for plot (‘typically straight’, ‘different from the rest’, ‘only gay for the lead(s)’)?
No
Are all love interests enthusiastically consenting?
Yes? Kind of? There is a few dubious consent scenes and there is a scene where Beom is demanded by Ahn Geumhu to try and seduce an uncomfortable Son Jaeyoung. There is also power play dynamics as Beom is a commoner and Ahn Geumhu is a nobleman; this dynamic is addressed and I read it as a fantasy dynamic plot where it's not problematic, because it is just that, a fantasy plot point.
Are all love interests able to effectively communicate?
It's not perfect, but I do feel it's one of the better examples of idiots who have to maintain a certain image (lol).
Are there any NSFW scenes? Are they as realistic as possible?
Yes, and overall yes! There are a few scenes that are closer to porn colored glasses, but for the most part they prep and use some kind of lube.
Does someone get SA'd? Is it romanticized/brushed off/for comedy?
No, but it gets close as mentioned before about Son Jaeyoung. It is used a character flaw and dynamic, which I feel was handled decently. Not great, not terrible.
Is the anatomy unrealistic (barring style)?
Uhh yes? I'd say in the style it's realistic, but holy cow he has some honkers.
Is there homophobia? Transphobia?
Homophobia yes, but it is period accurate just toned down quite a bit. It does also touch on anti-gay marriage laws in the last part, but it's not overall tragic (beyond being you know, anti-gay laws).
Is there a seme/uke dynamic?
Yes, but it's swapped outside of the bedroom.
Is there misogyny?
I don't recall any, but as per usual, it would not pass the Bechdel test.
Is there racism?
Uhhh not outwardly. HOWEVER, Beom (the commoner MMC) is darker skinned and he is seen as brutish/lesser than. I would say it would fall under racism in regards to the author's character design/traits, but it's not an issue discussed in TTT.
Is there substance use?
Yes, alcohol and there is NSFW scenes when they are intoxicated (consensual).
Is there a love triangle/unethical polyamory?
No, but there is a jealously plot point over an ex.
Do one or more love interests have a tragic backstory?
Yes, main MMCs do before and after reincarnation.
Do one or more love interests have bad parents/guardians?
Yes, one of the main MMCs.
Do one or more love interests break-up?
No, but they try to a few times only to make up 2 minutes later (lol).
Do one or more love interests die in the end?
Yes and it's tragic BUT they get reincarnated :)
Do one or more love interests abuse the other(s) in any way?
So I'm going to vote no for once for the main story, but yes for the last 10%. The main story is a power dynamic, but there's not really an issue with it in my opinion, I guess dick really does make you fall in love. I do find an issue with the fact Ahn Geumhu essentially pimped out Beom in the beginning, but Beom didn't really have an issue with this until he really started to connect with Ahn Geumhu. When Beom brings it up, Ahn Geumhu stops it, so it's in a weird grey area for me. The second life? Beom is 17 and recruited by an adult Ahn Geumhu who is an Mafia leader, yeah that's grooming and I do see that as abuse.
Does one or more love interests cheat on the other(s)?
No. There's a few points that touch on the subject, but it's not actually what's happening.
Is there a good, established plot?
Yes, but it is mainly PWP which I went in knowing so. I thought it was good.
Notes: I was going to rate it at 4 stars for the microaggression of Beom that I mentioned before and the occasional weird scene (the pimping out and Son Jaeyoung scene). I was actually really attached to the characters! And then the second life came. And the author made the go to choice of making one of them a child. I lost all hope. Men in bra and panties? Yum. Beom just turned 18 and Ahn Geumhu is an adult? EW, no thanks. I was really rooting for this to be at least recommendable with a warning about Beom, but the second part made this not something I'd recommend unless you ignore the age thing (with the understanding it's open to criticism still for that wack choice) or you have nothing else to read.
Contains spoilers
Chapter Count: Chapter 73 of ?? (I believe the main story is complete)
Problematic BL Stereotypes Checklist
Are all love interests clearly adults (18+)?
Yes
Are they gay purely for plot (‘typically straight’, ‘different from the rest’, ‘only gay for the lead(s)’)?
No
Are all love interests enthusiastically consenting?
No, there are many rape scenes, allusions, and flashbacks to them.
Are all love interests able to effectively communicate?
No, all of them are terrible at communication.
Are there any NSFW scenes? Are they as realistic as possible?
Yes, absolutely not.
Does someone get SA'd? Is it romanticized/brushed off/for comedy?
Yes. It's not romanticized per say, but it reads as rape fetish.
Is the anatomy unrealistic (barring style)?
Yes, Kloff's dick got bigger every panel it was in I swear.
Is there homophobia? Transphobia?
No, but there is A/B/O phobia, alphaXalpha is discriminated against
Is there a seme/uke dynamic?
Yes
Is there misogyny?
Not in the typical sense. Omegas that are pregnant are called mothers, therefore it could be read as misogyny? I didn't pick up on any afab misogyny, but this Webtoon would not pass the Bechdel test. Women are only there to support the MMCs.
Is there racism?
No, but there's not a single POC in the Webtoon (that I recall).
Is there substance use?
Yes, alcohol
Is there a love triangle/unethical polyamory?
Yes, there's a love triangle and it's a main plot point.
Do one or more love interests have a tragic backstory?
Yes, main MMCs do before and after reincarnation.
Do one or more love interests have bad parents/guardians?
Yes
Do one or more love interests break-up?
Yes, all of the MMCs have break ups.
Do one or more love interests die in the end?
Yes, technically all of them at some point as it's a reincarnation plot, but all of the MMCs die tragically.
Do one or more love interests abuse the other(s) in any way?
Yes, it's a plot point.
Does one or more love interests cheat on the other(s)?
Yes, several times.
Is there a good, established plot?
No.
Notes:
I hated this rape fetish story, there's not even a doubt for psychological horror, it's excessive sexual violence for no reason. The rape scenes between Aeroc and Kloff try to be taboo-ly attractive, but it's disgusting. Raphiel's rape scenes are played off as tragic only for Kloff to have a 'reason' to torture Aeroc and for Aeroc to have a victim story (he knew what would happen, he's pointed out to be a genius several times over, the author was just trying to give him poor baby uwu uke vibes). Raphiel deserved better, he was the only good character in this entire story and I fully mean it. I have no sympathy for Aeroc or Kloff, they are both terrible people and deserve their own kind of hell. The author, artist, and anyone who enjoys this 'story' should be judged, sorry not sorry.
Chapter Count: Volume 1 of 2 (Volume 2 will be released in 2026)
Problematic BL Stereotypes Checklist
Are all love interests clearly adults (18+)?
Yes
Are they gay purely for plot (‘typically straight’, ‘different from the rest’, ‘only gay for the lead(s)’)?
No
Are all love interests enthusiastically consenting?
Yes, including in the actual NSFW scenes with *verbal* asking and confirmation!!
Are all love interests able to effectively communicate?
No, there is a plot point where both MMC have a moment of angst that revolves around miscommunication.
Are there any NSFW scenes? Are they as realistic as possible?
Yes, mostly but there's no scene of prep or use of lube.
Does someone get SA'd? Is it romanticized/brushed off/for comedy?
No
Is the anatomy unrealistic (barring style)?
Somewhat, there's some hand proportion oddities found in a lot of yaoi
Is there homophobia? Transphobia?
No
Is there a seme/uke dynamic?
Yes
Is there misogyny?
Not really, but it could be construed as such in some ways
Is there racism?
No
Is there substance use?
I don't think so
Is there a love triangle/unethical polyamory?
Kind of, there's an attempt at a double date but it's because one of the MMC hasn't come out yet
Do one or more love interests have a tragic backstory?
Not really, there's talks of how one of the MMC being lost in life/down for a bit, but it's not huge tragedy
Do one or more love interests have bad parents/guardians?
No
Do one or more love interests break-up?
Kind of, they aren't 'together' but during their miscommunication arc, they have a short falling out
Do one or more love interests die in the end?
No
Do one or more love interests abuse the other(s) in any way?
No
Does one or more love interests cheat on the other(s)?
Not really, but there's the double date plot point but I don't super count that towards cheating since the MMC wasn't into it
Is there a good, established plot?
Yes!
Notes: I read this volume for my b-day and it was a gift because of how good it was. Not the best yaoi ever in the world, it's a little cliche-y, but I'm ready for the next volume!
Contains spoilers
Book 1 of 2
Problematic BL Stereotypes Checklist
Are all love interests clearly adults (18+)?
Yes
Are they gay purely for plot (‘typically straight’, ‘different from the rest’, ‘only gay for the lead(s)’)?
No
Are all love interests enthusiastically consenting?
Yes
Are all love interests able to effectively communicate?
No
Are there any NSFW scenes?
Yes
Are they as realistic as possible?
No, lube and condom is mentioned..that's it (there's no prep)
Does someone get SA'd?
No
Is it romanticized/brushed off/for comedy?
N/A
Is the anatomy unrealistic (barring style)?
No
Is there homophobia? Transphobia?
No, No
Is there a seme/uke dynamic?
Yes
Is there misogyny?
Yes, there's women in the book. That's it. They are there for the men.
Is there racism?
I would argue yes, one of MMC is ambiguously Mexican in the way he discusses his culture but skin tone was never mentioned (from memory) yet one of the like five women mentioned is described as Black but it's used as a describer, with not any link to actual culture. It feels very performative but I can't fully speak on that.
Is there substance use?
Alcohol
Is there a love triangle/unethical polyamory?
No, but there is an arranged marriage attempt (no feelings between them).
Do one or more love interests have a tragic backstory?
Yes, both
Do one or more love interests have bad parents/guardians?
Yes
Do one or more love interests break-up?
No? They are separated and on rocky terms, but it's not a full on intended break-up.
Do one or more love interests die in the end?
No
Do one or more love interests abuse the other(s) in any way?
I'm going to say no, but Coal (MMC) can be seen as at least immature if not borderline toxic.
Does one or more love interests cheat on the other(s)?
No, unless you count an arranged marriage attempt.
Is there a good, established plot?
No
Notes:
I'd rather legally change my name to a homophobic slur than rate this book higher than a half star. I'm not going to say this is a millennial fetish attempt at gay twink fanfiction, but if it reads like it...I mean it speaks for itself.
Contains spoilers
I really wanted to like this book in the first 100 pages or so. But. What do you mean Yasmine and Zafira have more chemistry than anyone else? AND what do you mean Altair and Nasir have more chemistry than anyone else? The reveal that Altair and Nasir were brothers gagged me..no like actually gagged me. The flirting? The back and forth comments? The slow burn over the entire book? I'm going to be as kind as possible, 100 pages from meeting to the first lustful though (say it with me) IS NOT A SLOW BURN ENEMIES TO LOVERS. If you have a second book already planned, there's literally no excuse. This book is the pinnacle of characters having things happen to them for the sake of plot. Why does Zafira just throw her hands up and be like well guess I have to go on this mission? Why does she not like Deen, but pines after the fact she doesn't like him; furthermore, why does she like Nasir? Genuine question, why doesn't Nasir not just kill himself? He says it himself, he doesn't truly have a reason to keep killing. He feels forced into this killing situation, what makes this random guy's kid different than enabling child slavery? Why does everyone have an issue with Benyamin and most of it reads as a little racist? What chemistry does Altair and Kifah have (none)? What does the Lion want? Why are we trying to have a redemption arc for Nasir or Altair, they are both terrible people? I have a thousand questions and it has to do with the author dragging the characters through what they want the characters to go through and a pre-established plot. Also did you know you can see what she's thinking on her face? And he's such a sad little man he's forced to be dark and broody. Ok. We got it. You made a to-do list, hit every point, and said ooo the booktok girlies are going to LOVE this.
Lastly, holy cow, I'm begging every author to open a dictionary. There's thousands of words in English (and Arabic). STOP DESCRIBING CHARACTERS AS OLIVE SKINNED OMG PLEASE I'M DONE WITH IT. You can describe the clothing and food with beautiful language, but you still use OLIVE?! ugh..
I think if it was just the story part of the story, I would find this much better especially when it takes up so much of the book. The story part was beautiful, there are connections, care, detail, and creepiness. It (the story section) did get a little confusing in the climax fight scene, I had a difficult time following who and what was happening, partly due to Langan introducing many characters at once that we don't get many variable details for many of them. We, as the readers, don't get a sense of connection to Abe or Dan besides 'dead wife, very sad' making what happens to them sad only for the sake of empathy. Their ending was incredibly predictable which further pushes my opinion that it should have just been the story section alone; we saw it happen once and the second time still doesn't change anything. I also just realized Langan also wrote Corpsemouth, which I did not enjoy; it's possible I just don't like Langan's storytelling.
Who should read this: anyone who is obsessed or want to be obsessed with running a fantsy ship and don't particularly care about the characters running it.
Pros:
- Diversity! The ship leader is a shipwife regardless of gender, a woman takes charge, queer relationships are encouraged, main character is dark skinned (I imagined him black, but it does not explicitly say he is black) and disabled people are included (albeit in a way that does feel like the author sees disabled people in a non disabled light).
- A really cool premise. Bone ships, an independent decisive woman, dragons and mythical beasts, and character growth opportunities!
Cons:
- This is my fifth time over several years trying to read this book. I thought it was just me being unfamiliar with the genre; after reading other reviews, no this book is just painfully boring and the characters are uninteresting. I can't pinpoint what it is exactly, but there's not a single character I cared about nor a single page that made me feel emotional toward a character (save for the gulliame actually). I was just along for the ride with no interest in what happened next. I skimmed from halfway through so at the very least, I could say I finished the book.
- The author elaborates in detail the intricacies of manning the ship, the social order of the crew, and the woes of Joron, but what about the religion? What about the traditions? What about the worlds around them? What is Joron's motivation? What is Meas? The crew is tiny, why don't they know more about each other? Why is there only two brief main scenes of the crew socializing outside of work or battle? What is their dynamics? None of that is talked about save for a few throwaway lines here and there at most. I don't care about the detail of firing bolts on a ship, I want to care about the characters doing everything. If I wanted to read about manning ships, I wouldn't pick up a fantasy book that promises dragons and comradery.
Contains spoilers
Chapter Count: Book One of One
Problematic BL Stereotypes Checklist
Are all love interests clearly adults (18+)?
Yes
Are they gay purely for plot (‘typically straight’, ‘different from the rest’, ‘only gay for the lead(s)’)?
No
Are all love interests enthusiastically consenting?
Yes, but there is class difference
Are all love interests able to effectively communicate?
No
Are there any NSFW scenes? Are they as realistic as possible?
Mentions and allusions, but nothing graphic
Does someone get SA'd? Is it romanticized/brushed off/for comedy?
No
Is the anatomy unrealistic (barring style)?
N/A
Is there homophobia? Transphobia?
Yes, historically accurate and no transphobia
Is there a seme/uke dynamic?
No
Is there misogyny?
Yes, historically accurate but no violence
Is there racism?
No
Is there substance use?
Alcohol mentions
Is there a love triangle/unethical polyamory?
Very vaguely yes
Do one or more love interests have a tragic backstory?
Kind of, again it's a historical accurate depiction of gay men in the 1900s so I would say yes when held to the same standards as modern times but not necessarily for the characters' times
Do one or more love interests have bad parents/guardians?
No
Do one or more love interests break-up?
Yes
Do one or more love interests die in the end?
No
Do one or more love interests abuse the other(s) in any way?
Yes, emotionally
Does one or more love interests cheat on the other(s)?
Yes
Is there a good, established plot?
Yes
Notes: I thought I missed details, but upon looking up chapter guides, I had in fact understood what was going on. It's a hard read in the sense of you need to pay attention to what you're reading. It's refreshing to read a coming of age story about repressed gay men that get a happy ending, enough said. I hope Forster knows gay marriage is legal and celebrated in England wherever he may be <3
The adoration was mutual on one occasion, both yearning for they knew not what, but the result was the same.
Clive, you’re a silly little fool, and since you’ve brought it up I think you’re beautiful, the only beautiful person I’ve ever seen. I love your voice and everything to do with you, down to your clothes or the room you are sitting in. I adore you.
I've been like this ever since I can remember without knowing why. What is it? Am I diseased? If I am, I can't put up with the loneliness any more...Anything you tell me, I'll do..
It comes to this then: there always have been people like me and there always be, and generally they have been persecuted.
I was yours once till death if you'd cared to keep me, but I'm someone else's now-I can't hang about whining for ever- and he's mine in a way that shocks you, but why don't you stop being shocked, and attend to your own happiness?
A happy ending was imperative. I shouldn't have bothered to write otherwise. I was determined that in fiction anyway two men should fall in love and remain in it for the ever and ever that fiction allows, and in this sense, Maurice and Alec still roam the greenwood.
You might like Borne if: you wanted an adult focused sci-fi version of The House in the Cerulean Sea, specifically if you liked Chauncey (he gives me the same vibes as Bourne, just more bloodthirsty), if you enjoyed Frankenstein but wondered what would happen if the creature had a struggling mother, if you enjoyed Nier Automata and its aesthetics.
I don't have much to say on Borne. I really did enjoy it, but it fell off in the last 70 or so pages for me. It was very predictable,Vandermeer might as well had spelled it out, making the world building so well built up in the beginning fall flat. Borne also felt like Vandermeer tried to tackle too many concepts in 300 pages. There's a lot of appearingly random characters and events that never felt addressed completely such as the astronauts or the Magician.
I actually liked the style of writing though, it felt like journal entries made into a loose biography which felt fitting to the world's aesthetics. I also loved the titles introducing the next 'chapters'; they helped clearly pace the story and hooked me into reading just one more section more each time I picked the book up. I will definitely pick the other books in this series though, I'm very curious on the continuation of Borne's story along with hopefully more answers into plots untied in Borne.
One star for the art and half star for the very vague concept. I think I might be missing context because if not..? Yikes. This was an incredibly confusing and nonsensical story if there's no other context. I'll ere on the side of maybe I'm not reading deep enough or picking up context clues, so I won't fully judge it, but there is a lot of potentially needless sexual assualt. I don't know this looked really pretty but the lack of comprehensible plot made me just skim it and appreciate the art.
Overall, I would recommended this to newer comic readers who want to see representation in their comics, fast paced stories that tie into a main plot, and if they are looking for a simple, easy to follow, feel good collection.
The good:
- Great rep for marginalized people overall! I loved the person using crutches to hit Clayface (I would do this with my crutches if it was socially accepted) and seeing the variety of people shown. I LOVED the way White Rabbit was portrayed in this series, the design choice to show her power without erasing her ethnic Indian features was very, very well done!
- I've only watched the first season or so of the Harley Quinn Animated Series and I didn't know this was the second in this series, but I didn't feel lost at any point. I have some background knowledge of the Bat world, however I didn't need to rely on it in order to enjoy the story and dynamics. I'd be hesitant in recommending this series without the warning that the characterization of everyone is much more 'modernized'. If you enjoy the way the characters are handled in this series, then you may have a hard time enjoying the full line of comics of the same characters.
The not so good:
- The plot is spoon fed to the reader. Yes, it's great for people who want a simple read or who may be intimidated by the complexity of comic plots. If you're looking for any more kind of depth than just absorbing what's in front of you, this isn't it. The best way I can describe the plot portrayal is imagine a plot aimed towards middle schoolers that includes adult content. If you're still confused, imagine Hazbin Hotel plot explanations but has less edge, a fraction of curse words, tiny bit more 'spicy', and accurate representation. It's not really a bad thing, however I wish the plot wasn't so in your face and predictable.
- Have you watch the Animated Series of Harley Quinn on HBO max? If not, you should watch the new season 3 of Animated Series of Harley Quinn on HBO max. Also have you read the first edition of Harley Quinn Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour? If not, you should also read the first edition of Harley Quinn Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour. I'm being serious when I ask this: was there a required amount of times the author had to advertise the show and first edition? We got it the first five times you told us, you don't need to tell us another twenty times. This makes me not want to pick up the first edition or show, it feels like paid ads (this is a comic book, not YouTube).
- I love representation of marginalized groups, please don't get me wrong, especially as someone who belongs to a few. I love the fact this was written and illustrated by a team of mostly marginalized people who have lived experience. But at some point, when does representation become a checklist for performance? Making (nearly) every character, side character, and NPC have some form of queerness and/or disability errs on the side of unrealistic and borders into performative. I think if there was less advertisement, aforementioned previously, I would be more willing to overlook it, however when you add it into context, it starts to look intentional rather than just a state of being. Some of the quotes also rubbed me the wrong way and read too 'social media correct' such as the scenes between Firefly and Austin (example below), the random mentioning of Miia being a transwoman, or Tawny and Vixen discussing disability and dating.
Firefly: "You have *no* clue how to take care of yourself!"
Austin: "I'm disabled, not an infant that needs taking care of. Plus, I'm your *older* brother and it's *past* time you start respecting me."
- Being disabled had nothing really to do with their story line. While Firefly and Austin's dynamic can be a good place to delve into, it's a blip of an event about 4 pages long (mainly of fight scenes) and felt more like the author included it for a kudo point with no actual merit. Same goes for the Tawny Talks portion about Vixen dating Elle (a disabled person) and Miia's identity, the former is a feel good throwaway quote about ableism and Miia being trans was just used to explain how the resources weren't going to her (and a random joke about a villain being an ally later on). All of these examples felt like they were thrown in to remind the audience that these characters are marginalized and it became a primary, or in some cases, their only, distinguishing feature. The biggest faults of these 'blips' may be due to the fast paced plot and perhaps may be some of my own if they are discussed further in the show (if so, why not just label it as a companion collection than as a standalone collection?).
Why is this so highly recommended..? I mean yeah I guess it's a good start to the Batman series (as someone who reads whatever comic looks cool, regardless of order), but it's very dated in the things said and discussed. It's pretty hard to follow the timeline and who's talking unless you're paying close attention. Not my favorite Bat comic, I'd only recommend Y1 to a die hard otherwise, just read a summary and you're good.