Ignore the hip-breaking weirdo disco cover — The Unstoppable Wasp is a new take on the shrinking hero that emphasizes science for girls. The first collection, Unstoppable!, reprinting the first four issues of the series, is due out August 30 in comic shops, September 12 in bookstores. The new wasp is Nadia, the previously unknown daughter of Hank Pym, inventor of size-changing particles. She was raised in the Red Room by the same nefarious group that trained assassins such as […]

It is so cool to have a series starring a butt-kicking superhero woman I can read regularly. It seems (still, unfortunately) that only one or two of that type are allowed to exist concurrently, but at least writer Kelly Thompson can be relied upon to provide funny, action-packed stories that have an undercurrent of emotional meaning. Hawkeye: Anchor Points (reprinting the first six issues of the currently running series) takes Kate Bishop to Los Angeles, where she wants to be […]

Nalgene has added to its line of reusable Marvel water bottles with new Guardians of the Galaxy models. There are six large bottles, one each for Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Groot, Rocket, and a shot of the team together. Plus one more, a 20-ounce bottle for kids with Rocket and Groot. This was my favorite choice (sent to me for review), since it addressed all the issues I had when I first tried some of the bottles. It’s small enough […]

Now that we’re starting to be able to think about being outdoors again, you may want to consider a water bottle to take with you on activities. Nalgene Outdoor has created an entire line featuring many favorite Marvel superheroes: Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and the Avengers. They gave me one of the 32-ounce wide-mouth Black Widow bottles to evaluate, and I took it with me on my road trip to visit family over the winter holidays. […]

It’s rewarding to see how comic creators who didn’t grow up in the medium can take long-running characters (who often have been dragged in so many directions over the years that there’s no personality left, or they’re a mass of contradictions) and find fresh, modern new approaches to them that make them fascinating. That’s precisely what Chelsea Cain does with Bobbi Morse, Mockingbird, in this five-issue collection. Mockingbird: I Can Explain contrasts hugely with the cash-grab Mockingbird: Bobbi Morse, Agent […]

I’ve been reading comics a long time, so sometimes I feel like I’ve met my lifetime quota for superhero tales. Then a fresh, modern approach comes along that makes me appreciate even more the talent involved in telling good comic stories. Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!: Hooked on a Feline reprints the first six issues of the series by Kate Leth, Brittney L. Williams, and Megan Wilson. (Issue #6 had art by Natasha Allegri instead of Williams and Wilson, which makes […]

I’m amazed. I’ve been skipping the superhero comics I normally read because they’re either rebooting AGAIN (DC’s Rebirth) or in the middle of a crossover event rerun (Marvel’s Civil War II). But here, Kelly Thompson and Paulo Siqueira manage to explain the point of the event to me while still giving me entertainment regardless of the stunt branding. Most importantly, I enjoyed the time I spent with this team of women and want to see more. There’s even a guest […]

A superhero team book rises or falls for me on the mix of personalities (not powers), and I really like the blend put together here. The characters are well-known, but not big or central enough to handcuff the creators. (Plus, A-Force came out of an alternate universe crossover, so who cares about continuity?) She-Hulk, always a favorite, and Medusa, queen with the magic hair, battle it out for leadership. Captain Marvel is the muscle, Dazzler (of all people!) is the […]