this is the weather the cuckoo likes
Hey hey hey
That’s me, marching into spring. I’m ready for it. Let’s go.
Notable Breakfast
Dog Thing
Mixed Media
One of my favourite comics this past year has been Christina Strain and Amilcar Pinna’s Generation X. Generation X is about the misfits of the misfits, the mutant kids who can’t find a place even among the outcasts of the Marvel Universe, the X-Men. Generation X was a team that appeared in the 90s, and while you don’t have to have read that story (I never have!), some of the characters from that run feature prominently in this one–Jubilee, for example, who is the leader of the newer team.
Jubilee is joined by Jono, or Chamber, another holdover from the original team, to serve as the only real grown-ups in this book. The rest of the team are teenagers, some existing characters and some new, who are handling feeling like outcasts about as well as you’d expect teenagers to. My favourite of the bunch is Lin Li, or Nature Girl.
But probably best of all, Generation X gives us multiple romances, all of them sweet, and more than one in some way difficult. There’s Jubilee and Jono, tricky because she’s a vampire and he, well, has a roaring flame in the place of the lower half of his face. Still sweet!
And then there’s Nathaniel (Hindsight) and Benji (Morph), who have the notable speedbump of Nathaniel’s ability, which shows him a person’s entire history when he touches them. It’s not quite Rogue levels of if-I-kiss-you-you’ll-die, but it does lead to some Pushing Daisies-esque creative use of fabric.
I care so much about these kids, and it broke my heart when Marvel cancelled the book earlier this year. Because I’ll miss it, and because it was one only a small number of cape comics written by a woman of color, as well as prominently featuring queer characters. What that means for you, however, is that the entire delightful series is collected in two paperbacks (you can find them digitally here). Sometimes trade sales can resurrect a series, so hope is not completely lost!
I’m still deep in romance novel territory here. I read G.L. Carriger’s Sumage Solution and its prequel short, both modern queer paranormal romances. I enjoyed them, but found the fact that they apparently exist at a much later time in Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate universe (which she writes as Gail) the most interesting thing about them. I read Wilde in Love by Eloisa James, which was a fun Georgian romance, but did the thing that a lot of historicals do where it spent some time setting up its sequels and I want to read them, now. I read the Paper Magician Trilogy by Charlie N. Holmberg, which was a fantasy first and romance second. The first book was by far the strongest, but I liked all three. The mechanics of the magic in the universe were really interesting!
A Disney movie bracket that made its way around twitter put me on a Disney listening spree last week, and I’ve been having a good time with that, when I wasn’t listening to Hayley Kiyoko’s new album (which is good). I’ve also gone down a rabbit hole of podcasts in which women talk about books, and I cannot regret it. Current faves are Teen Creeps, which is all about teen pulp fiction (and is funny as hell), and Be The Serpent, in which three fantasy writers discuss everything from themes of fealty to robot sex. I love them.
I saw Love, Simon, which was a funny, heartfelt–at times heartwrenching–delight. I loved it. I watched The Princess and the Pilot, which was a fairly straightforward story that featured what was at times wildly great animation–particularly anything to do with flying.
Fics I Shouted About
The Crow Shining in the Night Sky by Miaou Jones // Haikyuu!!, Ukai/Takeda. The night before a tournament, the coaches have a conversation under the stars.
Weighed and Measured by Kittendiamore // Captive Prince, Damen/Laurent, fantasy AU. Damen and Laurent find themselves in a cave that grants you whatever your heart desires. This was a really interesting way of telling an alternate universe story!
untitled by Fahye // Yuri!!! On Ice, Yuri/Otabek, sci-fi AU. Fahye was taking requests for timestamp ficlets–events following existing stories of hers. Naturally, I requested more Gravity, and was rewarded with a lovely little epistolery fic set 10 years in the future.
untitled by lavenderek // In Other Lands, Elliot/Luke. Someone hands Elliot a baby. I love everything about this little fic, from Elliot’s terror to Luke’s delight.
Anxiety Pyjamas
Lastly
A parting treat from artist Paul Reinwand, whose sweets series I am wholly enamored with:
Ta!