The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 667: Jingle Belle #2, December 1999

Inevitably, Jing saves the day. I think this is the thing about Christmas stories, be they comics, television, film, or what have you - they end nicely. Regardless of one's feelings about the commercialism of the season, or about the religious connotations of the holiday, Christmas in the end is about optimism, about the idea that we can all be just a little bit better than we usually are, and wouldn't it be lovely if that were the case year 'round?

That's all I want to say about this comic right now, because, really, everything else aside, that's what's important. Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 666: Jingle Belle #1, November 1999

It was tempting, on so auspiciously-numbered a day, to review a comic of a more devilish bent, but considering the time of year, Jingle Belle is a nice compromise. Telling the story of Santa's out of control daughter, Jingle Belle is not a kids' Christmas comic. While all of the themes of the season are there, Jing's adventures tend more toward rampant destruction and chaos, a seething dislike for the children her father loves, and constant misguided attempts to win his affection and respect. So, basically, she's just like every other teenager/young adult out there, except her dad's a magical Christmas being.

It's really lovely to see Paul Dini's talents applied outside of the superhero genre. This is not to say the his superhero work is not superlative, but there's some creators who are really good at one genre, but whose attempts at other genres aren't so great. Coupled with the excellent art of Stephen DeStefano, this is a Christmas comic for people who like a little bit of spice with their sugar plums. There's a particular sequence in which Jing's latest holiday invention (a rig that looks like a sci-fi cosplay but actually uses live ammo) has just been turned down, and she's sitting next to a mass-produced Jar Jar Binks doll (never named, but the "Meesa loves yousa" that the doll spouts is telling), which she proceeds to blow to pieces with her apparatus. The expression on her face sums up the feelings of many toward that little bit of Star Wars foolishness.

This is also the only Christmas comic I'm reading this week that takes up more than a single issue. Jing accidentally revives the powers of the Blizzard Wizard, an evil sorcerer who once ruled the North Pole, before Saint Nick came along and liberated the elves. At the end of today's issue, he has revealed himself to the world, cancelled Christmas, and told everyone that it's Jing's fault. At which point, the snowballs begin to fly. I'm sure Christmas will be saved tomorrow. Maybe.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 561: Mutant, Texas: Tales of Sheriff Ida Red #1, May, 2002 (Western Week, Day 4)

So, this is my kind of Western. Mutants formed by the conjunction of a comet crashing into a nuclear power station with the spiritual magic of the landscape produces an isolated town in the wilds of Texas populated by anthropomorphic plants and animals, and one or two mundanes as well.

With a team like Paul Dini and J. Bone, you're pretty much assured a quality comic. While Dini is something of a superstar thanks to his Batman Adventures work, he's not necessarily seen in the same light with print comics. And Bone is a reliable and innovative illustrator who's carved out a nice little niche in the industry over the last few decades. As far as I know they've worked together a bit on Dini's Jingle Belle one-shots, and Mutant grows out of that collaboration. Ida's a lovely character, as is Tia Oso. I remember when the series came out, slightly before my comic store shut down (which might account for my only having the first 2 issues), and Oni hyped the heck out of it. Well, as much as a smaller company like Oni can, that is.

Rambling today. Sorry. I'm pretty sick right now. This was a good comic, definitely a Western that's up my alley. As with Pilgrim yesterday, we've got a nice mixture of the Western tropes with the Sci-fi tropes, and perhaps that's what's working for me. A quick look through the rest of this week's comics reveals much more traditional fare, so we'll see what happens with them.

Bah. I'm going to go sit on the couch and feel gross. Onward.