We wanted to know what girls like and dislike about comic books, and we could have speculated and looked up statistics (like everyone else on the internet), but thought it would be more efficient to ask an actual girl. Pink Raygun’s newest contributor, 11 year old “Haileyscomic”, is just getting into comic books, so we asked if she would share her thoughts on what she’s reading for the rest of the summer.
We set Haileyscomic up with a pre-paid account at a local comic shop, and every week she has $10 to spend on any comic books she wants (that are approved by her parents, of course). All we ask is that she hit the new releases rack first; if she doesn’t find anything she wants there, she’ll look through the long boxes. For each comic she buys, Haileyscomic will write up a review explaining what she liked, what she didn’t like and what she would buy again.
In the week of March 31st, there wasn’t much on the new releases rack she was interested in, so she went digging through the back issues and came out with Bone #29 and Ghost Rider #14. Here is what Haileyscomic had to say:
Bone #29 (November 1997)
Bone is a very popular series, though I don’t see why. I guess people just love how even when a character would normally be fearing for their life, they’re just joking around and a having a grand old time. This means that there is no real action and problems just solve themselves (as if the villain would carelessly jump off the cliff!).
Also, I’m sure readers of Bone are cracking up every time someone makes a bad pun or uses the same jokes that have been on television for years (which seems to happen at least twice on every page). I would not go out and buy another one, nor would I recommend this for someone who is looking for a good series.
Ghost Rider #14 (June 1991)
Ghost Rider seemed to me like it was a good series, but it also seemed like it was the kind of series that needs to be followed through from issue to issue. I think this because there wasn’t as much explanation as I would have liked there to be. I think that if I read more, I might get to like it more. I felt like it skipped from one part to the next with no explanation of what was happening, but like I said, if this wasn’t the first one of the series I had read, I might have liked it more.
One thing that I didn’t like though was that the Ghost Rider was supposed to be a good guy, but he seemed more to be about getting revenge. Sometimes the art was kind of confusing. I mean, just because a character is meant to be ‘dark’ (most were), it doesn’t mean that every panel with that character has to have dark colors!! I am interested to see if all of the Ghost Rider series is like this or if I just picked up the wrong issue, so I might actually get another one.
About Haileyscomic: “I am a girl but I’m not obsessed with how I look or what’s in style or anything like that. I am also not trying to be just like a boy. I like action-adventure, but not fantasy and magic.”
(By the way, Haileyscomic really is 11 years old, so please keep your comments on this column clean.)
Never miss an update. Subscribe to Pink Raygun by Email or subscribe via RSS
Related Stuff:
Lisa Fary's earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She's angry that it's 2011 and she still doesn't have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram. 
From the mouths of babes, eh? (And I mean that in a good way!) Every one of HC’s comments here is a lesson that creators should take to heart and recite to themselves before they fall asleep at night. Every night.
It’s all very well for an indy gag-based comic (and I’m including webcomics here!) to have quirky characters and/or an intriguing set-up but, unless you put a few coherent gags in too, you’re offering nothing better than a bland mainstream newspaper strip. Good call.
And wasn’t it Stan Lee who urged us all to remember that every issue is someone’s first? It’s poor writing if the reader cannot completely understand what’s happening and even worse artwork if it’s so stylised or dark that the reader cannot even SEE what’s happening.
Give that girl an editor’s desk at Marvel. And another one at DC.
Welcome to the monkeyhouse, Hailey! Darn fine job. Keep up the good work, chica! Very well thought out sophisticated writing “for an 11 year old”, and I mean that with the utmost praise. Many, (nah, scratch that, MOST), of the adults I know cannot express themselves as concisely and clearly as you are able to. I’m sure you’ll only get better as the years progress, and become far cooler than I.
If you can’t find something in the new editions in one of your subsequent weeks, may I recommend “Barry Weem”? It’s a series, about 4 books long, about a child genius and his adventures with his average friend. I think you’d enjoy the heck out of it. I sure know I did.
Again, welcome!
Jennifer
This is great. She is so mature and yet a little jaded I think. Some of the realizations about BONE are…unexpected but refreshing to hear that just ART is not what pleases the young generation.
Ghost rider does have older issues with brighter colors. He used to wear a blue “jump ” suit ,if you will. Ghost Rider’s resergence(sp? circa 1991 or 2????) brought on some new artists that made it darker.
Great job HC. Can’t wait for the next one.
Excellent job Hailey!!!
If you can find them in the stacks, I recommend the 3 Serenity comics that came out. They are action adventure with a “western in space” bend, but better than that. I thought they were fabulous, and I think anyone could get into them.
If at all possible, the Buffy comics are also fun excellent reads. Most of them are stand alone stories and not part of a series.
Very enlightening sentiments. I think someone should send Kevin Smith past this website, and see if we can get his comic book store to send Hailey some free books to review for his store (and us of course).
Remember Hailey: Guys dig chicks who read comics, this doesn’t seem important now, but when you are older, and geekier, it will be. Plus how fun is it to be the only girl in the store?
I’m really looking forward to reading your column, Hailey! So far, I love what you have to say!
Welcome.
This is an awesome idea, and I look forward to hearing more of Hailey’s reviews!
Nice writing, Hailey, and your sharp observations made me laugh! I forwarded your review to my friend Bruce Coville, who often complains that he hates a lot of modern comic art because the panels are so dark it’s impossible to tell what’s going on. He’ll be so glad to know someone agrees with him!
Keep up the good work–I look forward to your next reviews!
Amazing! Hailey, you just hit on exactly what this 40 year old guy hates about newer comics. I hope you can find some comics that give you the pleasure I had as a kid, but I warn you, the nineties and forward aren’t the place to look. Unless you find the MC2 comics. Well done on the reviews!