Review and Rating of "Wolves" by Becky Cloonan

http://estrigious.com/becky/

Writer & Artist: Becky Cloonan

Publisher: Self-published

I was drawn to “Wolves,” a short 20 page comic in which the readers follow the story of a hunter on a mission that will change his life, by the beauty and simplicity of the artwork. Happily, the writing follows suit. Cloonan rarely uses dialog, but reveals the depth of the character through first-person captions and compelling full-panel close ups. The plot is sophisticated, employing flashbacks and memories, yet simple. The world of the hunter is depicted as chilling and cold by the sharp lines of the black and white artwork. Cloonan’s panels are expressive as well. Square panels enclose events happening in real time, rounded panels, the past. The last panel on the second page encloses a smaller panel within it, an interesting technique. 

It’s hard to talk about the writing separately from the artwork, since the two work together so closely. This syncing of art and writing is no doubt the result of Cloonan’s work on both aspects. She even self-published the piece, making me re-think my prejudices against self-publishing. The only disappointing elements of "Wolves" are the occasional lack of clarity in artwork and the somewhat cliche fantasy motifs. Nonetheless, it's a lovely read.

% Panels Devoted to Women

11%

Women in Action

˜˜ Women occasionally participate in plot-moving action.

The one female character provides the romantic interest and the personal motivation and internal struggled for the male protagonist.

Women as Leaders

˜Women are followers, not leaders.

The woman in the comic is significant, but her role is passive.

Women as Sex Objects

˜˜Women’s features are over-emphasized. Their sex separates them from male characters, but they do engage in plot-moving action.

Cloonan does a lovely job of creating a sexy female character who isn’t over the top sexual.

Men Deviating from Male Stereotypes

˜˜Men sometimes deviate from the male stereotypes of a logical mind, rationality, lack of expression and empathy.

We’ve got a hunter as a protagonist, so luckily the first-person captions reveal his inner struggles and emotions. This guy’s a fighter and a feeler (Yeah, I made that term up for the sake of alliteration, but you get it, right?)

Something to ponder: As readers, do we expect women writers/artists to create works with female protagonists? Do we, without knowing the gender of an author, assume that books with female leads are written by women?

Let the Rating and Reviewing Begin!

Ms. Comix was started for the purpose of encouraging female comic writers, artists, and readers One way of reaching this mission is to provide handy resources and tools, collected on one  convenient blog.  The review + rating posts will hopefully 1. expose blog viewers to a variety of comics 2. warn viewers of absolutely horrendous comics 3. help viewers find a comic they’d like to read. Here’s how the ratings will work:

% Panels Devoted to Women

 A pretty straight-forward statistic; percentage of panels in the comic featuring a woman speaking or engaging in an important action.

Women in Action

*Women don’t participate in plot-moving action. 

**Women occasionally participate in plot-moving action.

***Women often participate in plot-moving action

 

Women as Leaders

*Women are followers, not leaders.

** Women depicted occasionally as leaders.

*** Women often lead the other characters.

 

Women as Sex Objects

*All or most women are overtly sexualized; their feminine features are over-emphasized and their main role in the comic is to provide eye candy for characters and readers.

**Women’s features are over-emphasized. Their sex separates them from male characters, but they do engage in plot-moving action.

***Women are depicted as sexy (or their sex is not emphasized at all), but their allure does not define their purpose as a prominent, plot-moving character  in the comic.

Men Deviating from Male Stereotypes

*Men never express their emotions; they engage is mostly physical action. They are depicted as logical and  apathetic.

**Men sometimes deviate from the male stereotypes of a logical mind, rationality, lack of expression and empathy.

*** Men deviate dramatically from the male stereotype. They express their emotions, use creativity, and think of others.

A Caveat about Ratings

These ratings are not to determine the ideal comic (Although they do seem to suggest that “the best” comic receives three stars all around and a high percentage of panels devoted to women—but that’s why I’m writing this disclaimer, right?) because it would effectively devalue any comic with a male protagonist and few female characters. The ratings are coupled with a review, which touches upon other  redeeming (or not) qualities of the comic. 

The purpose of the ratings is to simply provide a quick reference to help you choose the best comic to suit your current desires. For example, if you’re sick and tired of reading comics with booby women who have no real plot-moving purpose in the comic, avoid a comic with a one star rating for “Women  as Sex Objects.” Or if you’re looking for a comic with a strong female lead, read a comic with three stars for “Women as Leaders.” And if you just don’t want to read about men anymore, pick up a comic with a high percentage of panels devoted to women. As the reviews and ratings begin, I might (and probably will) change the rating descriptions or add new ratings accordingly. Advice and suggestions are welcome.

Coming soon…review and ratings of  Marvel’s Captain America: The Chosen

The Complete Story of the Daring Exploits of Women Who Read Comics

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