My Favorite Things: Lindsey Stirling, Heavy Metal Comedies, and Female Superheroes

Hello there! You’ve found your way back to My Favorite Things, a weekly column where the ladies of Speculative Chic fill you in on the best of the best, as far as geek entertainment goes. Clearly, we’ve been bitten by the superhero bug, because two of our entries these week focus on fabulous female superheroes. Additional highlights include your new favorite horror-comedy show, and a Mad Max-style music video.


Nancy’s Favorite Thing is… The Supergirls by Mike Madrid

TheSupergirls

I originally picked up The Supergirls in order to get background information on the comic column I’m writing here on Speculative Chic, and that’s exactly what I ended up getting and more. The Supergirls is a history of female superheroes in comics, starting from the (often forgotten) crime fighters of the golden age, and bringing us up through the early aughts. On top of being highly informative, the book is also incredibly engaging. Author Mike Madrid writes in a very accessible style, and his enthusiasm for the subject matter can be felt on every page. This isn’t just a praise-fest though. Madrid is always willing to point out where female comic book characters have been shortchanged throughout history. The only thing about the book that made me sad is that it was published back in 2009, meaning that I couldn’t hear the author’s thoughts some of my favorite figures — such as Squirrel Girl and Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel. If you’re looking for a survey of female superheroes in comics, this would be the perfect place to start.

 

Sharon’s Favorite Thing is… Ash vs. The Evil Dead!

AshEvilDead

What am I loving at this moment? The summer doldrums. That sleepy chunk of August when cable networks shutter their good stuff because they know we’ll be — god forbid — outside doing healthy-human stuff. I try to keep my healthy-human stuff to a minimum, which is why August is so good for catching up on shows I haven’t seen. I meant to do that. I wanted to get around to all the wonderful streaming gems my friends recommend. And yet somehow I found myself re-watching every single episode of Ash vs. The Evil Dead. Because they’re only a half-hour. (Watch two, they’re small). Because unlike The Walking Dead, you can be pretty sure all the main characters will live to see another day. But mostly because, at its heart, this is a comedy show with a lot of blood, a ridiculously appealing lead, a Motor City heavy metal soundtrack, and Lucy Lawless. Can you really ask for more?

 

Carey’s Favorite Thing is… the Wonder Woman Trailer!

I skipped Batman v. Superman, so I didn’t see Gal Gadot debut as Wonder Woman. I saved my money, holding out hope for a Wonder Woman movie.  And I have been rewarded. The Wonder Woman trailer debuted at Comic-Con. Then it hit the Internet. The second time I watched it, I remembered to make it full-screen. The third time, I called my spousal unit over so he could see it.  We watched it a fourth time.  Here is Wonder Woman, flying through the air.  Racing toward the enemy.  There’s the armor, the shield, the lasso. Wonder Woman kicking ass. (A very undecidedly Diana Prince word, but it fits).  Then the bit at the end with Etta Candy. And the soundtrack!  I allowed myself to hope this movie would do justice to Wonder Woman.  If the film is as good as the trailer looks — if it treats Wonder Woman right — I’ll be throwing all of my money at it and preaching about it in the streets. Because 76 years is a long time to wait for a true superheroine film.

Casey’s Favorite Thing is… “The Arena” Music video!

I love, love, LOVE Lindsey Stirling’s new music video “The Arena.” Almost all of Stirling’s videos include some sort of fantasy theme. “The Arena” is especially great to me because it pays homage to the Mad Max films. It’s all there: the mixed bag fashion, the dusty setting, the vaguely steampunk aesthetic and the underlying sense of danger and instability. Stirling is a fabulous musician, of course, but this video gives her an opportunity to show off her amazing dance prowess as well. The dancing isn’t new; she always dances in her videos and performances, but she doesn’t always get to do a complicated routine with a partner. I’ve watched this video an embarrassing number of times and I still marvel at it.


Any thoughts on the selections above? What’s your favorite thing of the moment? And don’t forget, you can find many more recommendations by clicking on the category My Favorite Things.

8 Comments

  • Shara White August 8, 2016 at 7:22 am

    It’s WAY down towards the bottom, but if you’re a member of LibraryThing, you can enter to win a free copy of Madrid’s SUPERGIRLS from their Early Reviewer’s program — it’s been revised and updated, and I bet it just might talk about Ms Marvel and Squirrel Girl!

    Reply
    • Kelly Gorman August 8, 2016 at 7:26 am

      Ohhhhh! I have a copy of the first edition and have been meaning to read it for forever. But now I’m wondering if I should wait or – okay who am I kidding, I’ll try and read the 2008 version, and then go and read the revised and updated version when it comes out 🙂

      Reply
    • Nancy O'Toole Meservier August 8, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      Awesome! I’ll have to check that out. I think I have an old LibraryThing membership somewhere…

      Reply
  • Venessa.G August 8, 2016 at 2:58 pm

    Omg, I hadn’t had a chance to watch the WW trailer yet! I’m so glad it’s here! It doesn’t really give any idea of the actual plot of the movie, but man, is she freaking badass! I *cannot* wait for that movie!

    Reply
    • Nancy O'Toole Meservier August 8, 2016 at 9:45 pm

      Saaame here. As far as teaser trailers go, I don’t think I’ve seen one this good since Guardians of the Galaxy’s first trailer.

      Reply
  • Lane Robins August 8, 2016 at 7:58 pm

    I have been deeply deeply dubious of a Wonder Woman movie from this group of people, but this trailer hits the spot. I, too, watched it at least three times the first chance I had. I like Gadot. She may not be super muscular looking, but she exudes competence, so I believe her as Wondy.

    Reply
  • Shara White August 20, 2016 at 7:46 am

    Casey: I’m loving “The Arena” — it’s definitely one of Stirling’s better pieces, and the video is just way too much fun. Though I’m kind of sad we don’t see her and her violin in Doof Warrior fashion!

    Reply
    • Casey August 22, 2016 at 1:29 am

      That would have been fun! So glad you liked it!

      Reply

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