Chances are, if you’ve read anything in a newspaper about comic books recently, it’s said something like that. Yes, I’m a girl writing about comics, and I promise this won’t be the kind of column where I say obvious things like “Girls read comics too!” and “Did you know they make comics for kids nowadays?” Instead, I’m going to write about things that I like that I hope you’ll like too, peppered with comics-related news, local and otherwise.
 
So you may be wondering what qualifies me to write about comic books (especially with the recent Kevin Smith interview where he claims girls working with or being into comics isn’t the reality.. I’ve actually been into comics since I was a nerdy/slightly goth teen (it was the 90s), reading The Crow (not great) and Sandman (highly recommended). My comic book fandom persisted and grew, and eventually led me into a summer job at Duke’s library working on the Edwin and Terry Murray Comic Book Collection (where I got to see firsthand hilarious things like that 1970s issue of Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane where Lois turns black for a day–well worth Googling) and a couple of years working at a local comic book store (I’d always wanted to be a Comic Book Store Girl!). I tend to read more indie stuff, but love Batman/Batgirl/Batwoman and Kitty Pryde, so try and keep up with the Bat-universe and the X-men.

One currently-running series that I’d love to see more people get into is Unwritten. Unwritten is a Vertigo book (a branch of DC Comics aimed at older audiences) that is often described as “Harry Potter for Grownups” – which isn’t inaccurate, but doesn’t really capture the series’ awesomeness. Our protagonist is one Tom Taylor, whose missing father has written a Harry Potter-esque series featuring a Tommy Taylor. Tom makes a living going to conventions and signing books as Tommy, but what if he really IS Tommy? This series is full of great adventure and magic, and packed chock-full of literary references—one of the later volumes revolves around Moby Dick, and Rudyard Kipling appears in one chapter of volume one. It really is a worthy successor to Potter, now that those fans have grown up, and no less engrossing than those books are. I’d say Unwritten is fine for anyone in high school and older—there is very occasional sex, and much less occasional violence. Parents, you know your kids best, so use your judgment on this one.

I’d also like to do an occasional feature where I recommend stuff for you, the reader, or offer suggestions for your friends/family, so send me an email at wordnerd@gmail.com with relevant details!

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Local news! If you have a kid between the ages of, say, 6 and 12, or you’re someone who likes to watch awesome animated shows, you have probably see or heard of Adventure Time. A tie-in comic book was released recently, and Andrew Neal, owner of Chapel Hill Comics, designed an exclusive alternate cover for it! The release party is this Saturday, the 18th, at 4 pm. Details are available at the CHC website here.

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