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M.O.M: Mother of Madness
M.O.M: Mother of Madness #1
Game of Thrones superstar EMILIA CLARKE debuts an EXTRA-LENGTH, THREE-ISSUE MINISERIES! The mayhem begins with Maya, under-the-weather scientist by day, over-the-top superhero by night, and badass single mom 24/7. Deadpool action and Fleabag comedy collide when Maya activates her freakish superpowers to take on a secret sect of human traffickers. Mature readers only! Comedy and chaos await in the first of three 40-page issues by the glamorous artist of Horde, LEILA LEIZ!
40 pages, Unknown Binding
First published July 21, 2021
18 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
July 23, 2021
The fact that Emilia Clarke wrote a feminist comic book that addresses so many issues in today's world is enough to make me short circuit. 100/10.
December 17, 2021
I was so excited for this feminist comic after I saw the gorgeous cover, even though high expectations almost always burn me.
…and I did get burned.
This comic was a bit too self-aware and the satire was really heavy-handed. It kind of devalued the topics/issues it brought up, like human trafficking, racism, etc. It also took me out of the story frequently. Too much with the meta stuff. Which sucks, because I wanted to be rooting for this superhero mom. Her backstory is a really cool concept!
Another thing I got stuck on was the layout of the panels-it didn’t always flow very well, which could be disorienting..combined with the dialogue being sort of forced wasn’t great.
The art was really good though! Loved it. And I appreciate that this comic was a passion project for Emilia Clarke and her team, and also the message they are trying to send was great. All about it. I think there was potential here. I don’t know if I will stick with it and read future issues though. I really only kept it because of how beautiful it is 😬
…and I did get burned.
This comic was a bit too self-aware and the satire was really heavy-handed. It kind of devalued the topics/issues it brought up, like human trafficking, racism, etc. It also took me out of the story frequently. Too much with the meta stuff. Which sucks, because I wanted to be rooting for this superhero mom. Her backstory is a really cool concept!
Another thing I got stuck on was the layout of the panels-it didn’t always flow very well, which could be disorienting..combined with the dialogue being sort of forced wasn’t great.
The art was really good though! Loved it. And I appreciate that this comic was a passion project for Emilia Clarke and her team, and also the message they are trying to send was great. All about it. I think there was potential here. I don’t know if I will stick with it and read future issues though. I really only kept it because of how beautiful it is 😬
July 22, 2021
Cool concept, but poorly executed so far. The dialogues especially are clumsy at best, quite forced most of the time. Still, this is the first issue and it's from a brand new writer, so I'm gonna give this story a chance to improve along the way.
March 2, 2025
This book has excellent writing by Emilia Clarke and Marguerite Bennet, with amazing artwork by Leila Leiz that is sure to delight everyone. And is definitely not what you would expect with more realistic story settings and character portrayals. It's something everyone needed in a while to have a more positive view of women and it's a great commentary on how media and entertainment affect our lives now. It's something I didn't predict to be so real and true to its nature, and with both superhero elements and a dystopian world not too far off, I easily rate this among my favorite reads of the year.
I can't wait for the next issue!
I can't wait for the next issue!
July 25, 2021
This book was NOT written for me at all, and that is okay. This is Emilia Clarke’s first comic, and it is a feminist one following a hero who gets her powers from her menstrual cycle and the different emotions caused by it. If that sounds up your alley, it probably is. If it doesn’t, well...
There is some good here though. The art and coloring are beautiful, with Leila Leiz doing a fantasic job. I alao enjoy Emilia Clarke as an actress, and you can tell this was a very personal project that meant alot to her. I think my main problem with this is it wants to talk about the issues women face, but it does it in such a hyper relatable way that it really is only relatable for certain woman that were raised under very certain conditions. I gave this to my POC friend to get a better sense of if women I personally know were enjoying what was being said here, and man she got absolutely nothing out of it. But if you did enjoy it, good for you, it’s great you found a book that spoke to you.
But as of right now, this book is just doing way too much, as it wants to have it’s cake and eat it too. It wants to talk about these fucked up things, but does it in such a cartoonish way none of it feels real. Real predators don’t oogle at paintings of naked women during work parties, real rapists don’t make #MeToo and lawsuit jokes during a work speech, all of this feels like a cartoon version of how one white woman sees the world. Some of it can feel super real, like a scene of Maya being gossiped about after she has an accident in her dress, but it’s ruined when someone saying vile, sexist shit like “Women’s purpose is to have kids, raise a family and take care of others” is played off to be exactly as bad as someone saying “She ruined that dress” when one is CLEARLY way more sexist and fucked up than the other. The fact I can remember most of the insults thrown at Maya and Boone during this issue, but I still don’t know the full extent of Maya’s powers, like how they work when she’s not menstrating or if they even do (it’s still not really clear after a re-read) or even her motivations for this specific story, isn’t good like at all. It can just be a bit much at times, and I hope this can really come back together for the last two issues, as I really wanted to love this, but man I just couldn’t.
I will give her props though, as on the last page, a list of numbers and websites for victims of awful stuff like hate crimes, sexual assault, and human trafficking is left instead of some ad for a book. It feels like she actually cares about these issues and wants to do something to fix it, even if the book can seriously falter when addressing those issues in a way that feels real. I guess that’s another problem, as this books wants to talk about everything, but it’s done none of it well or with any grace.
The lovely channel of Casually Comics did a fantastic video breaking down why I didn’t exactly enjoy this, that I highly recommend you check out as well :
https://youtu.be/OMO-Hs3RxcM
There is some good here though. The art and coloring are beautiful, with Leila Leiz doing a fantasic job. I alao enjoy Emilia Clarke as an actress, and you can tell this was a very personal project that meant alot to her. I think my main problem with this is it wants to talk about the issues women face, but it does it in such a hyper relatable way that it really is only relatable for certain woman that were raised under very certain conditions. I gave this to my POC friend to get a better sense of if women I personally know were enjoying what was being said here, and man she got absolutely nothing out of it. But if you did enjoy it, good for you, it’s great you found a book that spoke to you.
But as of right now, this book is just doing way too much, as it wants to have it’s cake and eat it too. It wants to talk about these fucked up things, but does it in such a cartoonish way none of it feels real. Real predators don’t oogle at paintings of naked women during work parties, real rapists don’t make #MeToo and lawsuit jokes during a work speech, all of this feels like a cartoon version of how one white woman sees the world. Some of it can feel super real, like a scene of Maya being gossiped about after she has an accident in her dress, but it’s ruined when someone saying vile, sexist shit like “Women’s purpose is to have kids, raise a family and take care of others” is played off to be exactly as bad as someone saying “She ruined that dress” when one is CLEARLY way more sexist and fucked up than the other. The fact I can remember most of the insults thrown at Maya and Boone during this issue, but I still don’t know the full extent of Maya’s powers, like how they work when she’s not menstrating or if they even do (it’s still not really clear after a re-read) or even her motivations for this specific story, isn’t good like at all. It can just be a bit much at times, and I hope this can really come back together for the last two issues, as I really wanted to love this, but man I just couldn’t.
I will give her props though, as on the last page, a list of numbers and websites for victims of awful stuff like hate crimes, sexual assault, and human trafficking is left instead of some ad for a book. It feels like she actually cares about these issues and wants to do something to fix it, even if the book can seriously falter when addressing those issues in a way that feels real. I guess that’s another problem, as this books wants to talk about everything, but it’s done none of it well or with any grace.
The lovely channel of Casually Comics did a fantastic video breaking down why I didn’t exactly enjoy this, that I highly recommend you check out as well :
https://youtu.be/OMO-Hs3RxcM
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2021
I can see hidden potential coming out of this.. 🤞
July 21, 2021
HELLO??? I LOVED THIS!!! THE ART AND THE HUMOR AND MAYA HERSELF AND SHE IS RIGHT WE /WERE/ PUT IN THIS WORLD TO HELP EACH OTHER. MAN I LOVE EMILIA SO MUCH!!!!!
July 27, 2022
While I will devour anything Emilia Clarke does (films, television, witty interviews, game of thrones promotional videos, you name it), her debut comic fell a little short of just… decent.
Don’t get me wrong, the concept and art are SO. COOL. I love the inclusion of real-world issues and hard-hitting feminist commentary. But the dialogues felt a little clunky, sometimes a little too satirical or a little too meta to follow through. I’m so pumped to read about a badass mom’s superhero journey but there was something so overly-saturated about the storytelling methods.
Nonetheless, it was a nice little breather away from the usual material I browse through, and I hope this isn’t the last we of Emilia’s comic book ventures.
3.75/5
Don’t get me wrong, the concept and art are SO. COOL. I love the inclusion of real-world issues and hard-hitting feminist commentary. But the dialogues felt a little clunky, sometimes a little too satirical or a little too meta to follow through. I’m so pumped to read about a badass mom’s superhero journey but there was something so overly-saturated about the storytelling methods.
Nonetheless, it was a nice little breather away from the usual material I browse through, and I hope this isn’t the last we of Emilia’s comic book ventures.
3.75/5
August 18, 2021
Welp. The environment this lead character is in is highly relatable.
I was going to say there was a lot of exposition at the beginning, but then the book called the reader out, saying if we will watch 22 marvel movies, we can read 5 pages of backstory and they are right.
Definitely interested in seeing where this goes.
I was going to say there was a lot of exposition at the beginning, but then the book called the reader out, saying if we will watch 22 marvel movies, we can read 5 pages of backstory and they are right.
Definitely interested in seeing where this goes.
August 7, 2021
Fantastic
Loved every bit of it. A fresh, funny, and yeah sometimes emotional take on what it’s like to be a woman. The good, the bad, and the ugly is made into something new and empowering.
Loved every bit of it. A fresh, funny, and yeah sometimes emotional take on what it’s like to be a woman. The good, the bad, and the ugly is made into something new and empowering.
October 12, 2022
There were so many moments in this comic that could've been so good, but it was just so heavy handed. It felt like it went so satirical, yet so clumsy with feminist catch phrases and people being gross, that it left no room for any heart.
December 4, 2023
La de Emilia Clark me ha parecido una idea genial. En un mundo, el del comic, donde no parece haber espacio para lo femenino, Clark reivindica que las mujeres tengan representación desde una perspectiva feminista.
Aunque el cómic cuenta con ciertas carencias de guión, llegando a no tener sentido la trama o los diálogos, es divertido y refrescante ver a una súper heroína que además de ser mujer, también es trabajadora y mamá y cuyos poderes dependen de las emociones, tan denostadas tradicionalmente.
No es el cómic un género que me guste especialmente pero me parece que este alberga un gran valor por lo pionero y por la intención. Si bien es cierto que, aunque feminista, cae en ciertos tópicos que me extraña que a Clark se le hayan pasado: aunque en sus primeras páginas pide disculpas por no poder representar a todo tipo de mujeres en sus dibujos, llama especialmente la atención que ni siquiera uno de sus personajes femeninos sea gordo. Todos tienen cuerpos delgados que, aunque no se ven sexualizados por su indumentaria, representan cánones de belleza muy determinados, de piernas largas y cintura estrecha.
No obstante, como digo, la idea mola y los dibujos que acompañan al guión están muy trabajados.
Aunque el cómic cuenta con ciertas carencias de guión, llegando a no tener sentido la trama o los diálogos, es divertido y refrescante ver a una súper heroína que además de ser mujer, también es trabajadora y mamá y cuyos poderes dependen de las emociones, tan denostadas tradicionalmente.
No es el cómic un género que me guste especialmente pero me parece que este alberga un gran valor por lo pionero y por la intención. Si bien es cierto que, aunque feminista, cae en ciertos tópicos que me extraña que a Clark se le hayan pasado: aunque en sus primeras páginas pide disculpas por no poder representar a todo tipo de mujeres en sus dibujos, llama especialmente la atención que ni siquiera uno de sus personajes femeninos sea gordo. Todos tienen cuerpos delgados que, aunque no se ven sexualizados por su indumentaria, representan cánones de belleza muy determinados, de piernas largas y cintura estrecha.
No obstante, como digo, la idea mola y los dibujos que acompañan al guión están muy trabajados.
May 25, 2023
Beautiful artwork and beautiful story. Never read a feminist comic book and this was so good. My only con is at some parts the writing felt rush but other than that good story so far. Volume 1 ended in a cliffhanger so going to continue reading volume 2 right now.
July 24, 2024
Having super powers on your period is actually insanely cool
July 21, 2021
Looking at goodreads it appears I’m the second to rate this!
Really liked this first issue, from the vibrant colours, interesting graphics and story that had me smirking and relating to a story that’s essentially about a woman with superpowers, that’s the power of it.
I think the letter from Emilia in the back helped me to understand all the choices when it came to plot and speech. Plus if you’re a little confused about how her powers work, there’s something to help at the end too.
I will say I don’t think I ever read an issue, mostly volumes of a few combined, but it was great to read it this way for what I’m sure will be a successful series. On a personal note, I appreciate how particular Emilia was with choosing who worked on this. Much respect there!
Really liked this first issue, from the vibrant colours, interesting graphics and story that had me smirking and relating to a story that’s essentially about a woman with superpowers, that’s the power of it.
I think the letter from Emilia in the back helped me to understand all the choices when it came to plot and speech. Plus if you’re a little confused about how her powers work, there’s something to help at the end too.
I will say I don’t think I ever read an issue, mostly volumes of a few combined, but it was great to read it this way for what I’m sure will be a successful series. On a personal note, I appreciate how particular Emilia was with choosing who worked on this. Much respect there!
Read
February 18, 2023v feminist comic, really liked it
June 25, 2021
This has potential. Whether it reaches it within its short run is to be seen.
Full review to follow closer to release date
Full review to follow closer to release date
July 26, 2021
Baffling. One moment there’s a regurgitation of a superficial political agenda, suddenly there’s something even more mind numbing than that…an invisible woman farting and a character saying to themselves “is that Mexican?”
This was $5.99. I thought DC were the biggest robbers in the industry.
This was $5.99. I thought DC were the biggest robbers in the industry.
September 12, 2021
A strong but uneven debut, but one I'm excited to keep reading.
The book centers on Maya Kuyper, a 29-year old single mother coming to terms with, among other things, a unique set of powers she possesses tied to her emotions; different emotions temporarily bestow her with different powers, such as fear leading to enhanced hearing, anger to super strength, and a whole gamut of others from the standard to the weird (like going to stretch goop when she's happy). Tied up in this narrative are issues of trauma, self image, body acceptance, feminism, and a number of other topics that I think are fairly successfully all tied together, particularly for this just being a first issue.
The first page strikes you with activity, a jumble of a party, our heroine bespeckled in a pair of radiant rainbow glasses that immediately make her pop off the page, and her direct gaze and dialogue with the audience immediately grabbing your attention. From there, we get interpolations of her tragic backstory, how she got her powers, and her current life as a chemical engineer and mother dealing with misogyny in the workplace and motherhood at home.
I really liked the amount of characterization and setup packed into this issue; it set up the broad strokes, painted in a lot of the important details, and left plenty of canvas for the next two issues. The voice and cadence of the dialogue was great, mixed in with some fittingly weird anecdotes and observations to really cement the first person stream of narrative you're getting.
The only significant complaint that I had with the issue was that occasionally the panels didn't always flow together well. More than once I'd flip a page, continue reading, and flip back and forth a couple times to make sure that I hadn't missed a page. Similarly, while I thought the art was by and large great, it doesn't render actual movement very well, though that's limited to a very brief fight scene.
Lastly, the issue is a killer value, coming with a bunch of cover design and art sketches, a letter from Emila Clarke on how she came to write this, and even a back cover packed with resources to support those dealing with sexual abuse, sexual trafficking, racism, mental health issues or thoughts of suicide, and various civil rights issues. It really cements that this book aims to get into the messy rat's nest of modern life, and that while it means to cut to the bone, it's also there to support you if it touches a nerve.
So yeah, promising start, looking forward to seeing where it goes.
The book centers on Maya Kuyper, a 29-year old single mother coming to terms with, among other things, a unique set of powers she possesses tied to her emotions; different emotions temporarily bestow her with different powers, such as fear leading to enhanced hearing, anger to super strength, and a whole gamut of others from the standard to the weird (like going to stretch goop when she's happy). Tied up in this narrative are issues of trauma, self image, body acceptance, feminism, and a number of other topics that I think are fairly successfully all tied together, particularly for this just being a first issue.
The first page strikes you with activity, a jumble of a party, our heroine bespeckled in a pair of radiant rainbow glasses that immediately make her pop off the page, and her direct gaze and dialogue with the audience immediately grabbing your attention. From there, we get interpolations of her tragic backstory, how she got her powers, and her current life as a chemical engineer and mother dealing with misogyny in the workplace and motherhood at home.
I really liked the amount of characterization and setup packed into this issue; it set up the broad strokes, painted in a lot of the important details, and left plenty of canvas for the next two issues. The voice and cadence of the dialogue was great, mixed in with some fittingly weird anecdotes and observations to really cement the first person stream of narrative you're getting.
The only significant complaint that I had with the issue was that occasionally the panels didn't always flow together well. More than once I'd flip a page, continue reading, and flip back and forth a couple times to make sure that I hadn't missed a page. Similarly, while I thought the art was by and large great, it doesn't render actual movement very well, though that's limited to a very brief fight scene.
Lastly, the issue is a killer value, coming with a bunch of cover design and art sketches, a letter from Emila Clarke on how she came to write this, and even a back cover packed with resources to support those dealing with sexual abuse, sexual trafficking, racism, mental health issues or thoughts of suicide, and various civil rights issues. It really cements that this book aims to get into the messy rat's nest of modern life, and that while it means to cut to the bone, it's also there to support you if it touches a nerve.
So yeah, promising start, looking forward to seeing where it goes.
November 18, 2022
This was terrible. Like, WEIRDLY bad. Here's a couple things about my perspective. First, I am perfectly capable of enjoying a work of fiction, even if I'm ideologically opposed to the political perspective of the writers. I'm an ardent atheist, but I still loved The Power and the Glory, an astoundingly Catholic work.
This is a pointedly feminist work. I have no ideological issue with feminism whatsoever. What I have a problem with is a work of fiction where the ideology is so UNBELIEVABLY on-the-nose that it gets in the way of storytelling. The reason I made a point about being able to enjoy fiction I am ideologically opposed to is that I don't want anyone to think that it's my (non-existent) anti-feminist attitude, coloring my revulsion to this ridiculous tract.
The issue is that the story is convoluted and presented in a needlessly confusing, slapdash fashion. Tons of self-conscious 4th-wall breaks, expository flashbacks, and incoherent action narrative combined to make a totally incoherent story. Perhaps if they hadn't had to fill EVERY SINGLE PANEL with digs at the patriarchy, there may have been room to have engaging characters instead of paper-thin ones, and a fun, action-packed story of super-heroism instead of a jumbled mess. I've read Joyce's Ulysses, and I found this GN confusing.
I suspect that the reason this was green-lit is due to the participation of its celebrity co-author, Emilia Clarke. Its novelty value is certainly part of the reason that I picked it up, but it's total lack of narrative value is why I will NOT be picking up the other two books. I suspect that if the co-author wasn't an internationally famous actor, cooler heads might have prevailed, and someone may have said 'no, we can't do this.' For what it's worth, I think 14-16 year old girls of the anti-patriarchy persuasion will really like this, if they can manage to find it. For anyone older, its shotgun-blast lack of nuance will render it unpalatable.
My review of the writing was 1 star, but I gave a full bonus star for the fact that the art, in particular the character design, was fantastic. Just cartoony enough to convey a madcap atmosphere without ever crossing over into Saturday morning territory, and the characters facial designs and expressions were really, really good.
This is a pointedly feminist work. I have no ideological issue with feminism whatsoever. What I have a problem with is a work of fiction where the ideology is so UNBELIEVABLY on-the-nose that it gets in the way of storytelling. The reason I made a point about being able to enjoy fiction I am ideologically opposed to is that I don't want anyone to think that it's my (non-existent) anti-feminist attitude, coloring my revulsion to this ridiculous tract.
The issue is that the story is convoluted and presented in a needlessly confusing, slapdash fashion. Tons of self-conscious 4th-wall breaks, expository flashbacks, and incoherent action narrative combined to make a totally incoherent story. Perhaps if they hadn't had to fill EVERY SINGLE PANEL with digs at the patriarchy, there may have been room to have engaging characters instead of paper-thin ones, and a fun, action-packed story of super-heroism instead of a jumbled mess. I've read Joyce's Ulysses, and I found this GN confusing.
I suspect that the reason this was green-lit is due to the participation of its celebrity co-author, Emilia Clarke. Its novelty value is certainly part of the reason that I picked it up, but it's total lack of narrative value is why I will NOT be picking up the other two books. I suspect that if the co-author wasn't an internationally famous actor, cooler heads might have prevailed, and someone may have said 'no, we can't do this.' For what it's worth, I think 14-16 year old girls of the anti-patriarchy persuasion will really like this, if they can manage to find it. For anyone older, its shotgun-blast lack of nuance will render it unpalatable.
My review of the writing was 1 star, but I gave a full bonus star for the fact that the art, in particular the character design, was fantastic. Just cartoony enough to convey a madcap atmosphere without ever crossing over into Saturday morning territory, and the characters facial designs and expressions were really, really good.
June 15, 2025
Feministische Superheldin mit Biss und Problemen
Als Headlinerin wagt GoT-Ikone Emilia Clarke mit diesem Comic-Debüt den Sprung von der Drachenmutter zur Mother of Madness. Ko-Autorin ist Marguerite Bennett, Zeichnerin Leila Leiz. Die M.O.M. dieser drei Damen ist eine ungewöhnliche Superheldin, weit ab vom Heroismus á la DC oder Marvel. Am ehesten würde sich ihre Maya Kuyper wohl mit Deadpool verstehen. Mayas Superkräfte überfrauen (‚übermannen‘ wäre mehr als unpassend) sie während ihrer Periode. Es ist eine bunte, schräge, bissige, feministische Graphic Novel.
Die Story beginnt im NYC des Jahres 2049, wo sich Maya, 29 Jahre jung, auf einer Party im Kunstmuseum beim Smalltalk langweilt. Durch die vierte Wand erzählt sie uns ihre Backstory. Als Neugeborene im Spital adoptiert, sind ihre Zieheltern ein liebevoller Rückhalt. Bis die Mutter stirbt, kurz darauf der Vater an gebrochenem Herzen. Aus Verzweiflung schüttet sich Maya einen Pillencocktail (aus dem Chemieabor der Eltern) in den Organismus. Die junge Frau überlebt. Beim Einsetzen ihrer nächsten Periode entdeckt sie allerdings eine gewaltige Veränderung.
Gefühle und Emotionen lassen Maya zur Superantiheldin werden. Ist sie wütend, wird sie superstark und superschnell, bei Angst schaltet sich ein Überschallgehör ein. Ist sie eingeschüchtert, wird sie unsichtbar. Bei Trauer stehen ihr sofort wirkende Heilfähigkeiten zur Verfügung. Lacht sie, zerbrechen Dinge. Ist Maya glücklich, kann sie sich endlos strecken. Reed Richards von den Fantastic Four erhält weibliche Konkurrenz.
Maya beschreibt ihre Metamorphose als „zweite Pubertät“. Sie hat große Probleme, mit der neuen Identität umzugehen bzw. ihre Kräfte zu kontrollieren. Die Heldinnen-Maxime stammt von ihren Zieheltern: „We were put in this world to help each other.“ In Band eins, der in drei Teile gegliedert ist, nimmt sie es getreu diesem Motto mit einer mächtigen Menschenhändlerin auf. Nebenbei muss Maya ihren Pflichten als Mutter nachkommen.
Ich habe „M.O.M. – Mother of Madness“ im englischen Original gelesen. Die Zeitsprünge sind anfangs ein wenig herausfordernd. Es hilft, vorab eine Zusammenfassung ihrer Superkräfte zu lesen. Wer mit bissigen feministischen Gedanken oder Kommentaren seine oder ihre liebe Not hat, sollte die Finger von dieser Graphic Novel lassen. Der Rest darf mit amüsierter Erwartung dem zweiten Band entgegensehen.
Als Headlinerin wagt GoT-Ikone Emilia Clarke mit diesem Comic-Debüt den Sprung von der Drachenmutter zur Mother of Madness. Ko-Autorin ist Marguerite Bennett, Zeichnerin Leila Leiz. Die M.O.M. dieser drei Damen ist eine ungewöhnliche Superheldin, weit ab vom Heroismus á la DC oder Marvel. Am ehesten würde sich ihre Maya Kuyper wohl mit Deadpool verstehen. Mayas Superkräfte überfrauen (‚übermannen‘ wäre mehr als unpassend) sie während ihrer Periode. Es ist eine bunte, schräge, bissige, feministische Graphic Novel.
Die Story beginnt im NYC des Jahres 2049, wo sich Maya, 29 Jahre jung, auf einer Party im Kunstmuseum beim Smalltalk langweilt. Durch die vierte Wand erzählt sie uns ihre Backstory. Als Neugeborene im Spital adoptiert, sind ihre Zieheltern ein liebevoller Rückhalt. Bis die Mutter stirbt, kurz darauf der Vater an gebrochenem Herzen. Aus Verzweiflung schüttet sich Maya einen Pillencocktail (aus dem Chemieabor der Eltern) in den Organismus. Die junge Frau überlebt. Beim Einsetzen ihrer nächsten Periode entdeckt sie allerdings eine gewaltige Veränderung.
Gefühle und Emotionen lassen Maya zur Superantiheldin werden. Ist sie wütend, wird sie superstark und superschnell, bei Angst schaltet sich ein Überschallgehör ein. Ist sie eingeschüchtert, wird sie unsichtbar. Bei Trauer stehen ihr sofort wirkende Heilfähigkeiten zur Verfügung. Lacht sie, zerbrechen Dinge. Ist Maya glücklich, kann sie sich endlos strecken. Reed Richards von den Fantastic Four erhält weibliche Konkurrenz.
Maya beschreibt ihre Metamorphose als „zweite Pubertät“. Sie hat große Probleme, mit der neuen Identität umzugehen bzw. ihre Kräfte zu kontrollieren. Die Heldinnen-Maxime stammt von ihren Zieheltern: „We were put in this world to help each other.“ In Band eins, der in drei Teile gegliedert ist, nimmt sie es getreu diesem Motto mit einer mächtigen Menschenhändlerin auf. Nebenbei muss Maya ihren Pflichten als Mutter nachkommen.
Ich habe „M.O.M. – Mother of Madness“ im englischen Original gelesen. Die Zeitsprünge sind anfangs ein wenig herausfordernd. Es hilft, vorab eine Zusammenfassung ihrer Superkräfte zu lesen. Wer mit bissigen feministischen Gedanken oder Kommentaren seine oder ihre liebe Not hat, sollte die Finger von dieser Graphic Novel lassen. Der Rest darf mit amüsierter Erwartung dem zweiten Band entgegensehen.
September 7, 2021
3,75/5
Honestly I was really excited to read this, because I’ve been following Emília for years and I love her career and she seems like a genuine and really interesting person. Usually I don’t stan celebrities but miss clarke is the exception, and when she announced that she was coming out with a book about a female superhéroe I was like: I’m here for it!. I think it’s a really creative idea and I was really excited to read this volume.
In Clarke’s world, we are following Maya, a single mom and a chemical engineer and sex worker (she basically sells pics of her foot and stuff). Maya was adopted by two scientist when she was a baby because her mom abandoned her. Maya grew up with them and they were a family, however, like many families there were struggles. Her dad was a mad scientist and her mother got ill and passed away. Her dad was trying to find a cure and he needed mayas help, but in the end they couldn’t do it and a few days later he died. Maya was left alone at the house, with the chemical lab before she got adopted by one of her dads cousin. Now she works at this company and they are trying to create a vegan meat but Maya has other stuff to deal with. She has powers and they are really complex because they are tied with her emotions and her hormones. Maya is tired of not knowing what to do with her body and the powers. One night, while listening to the police station she finds a call from a girl name Tiffany. Her son is at the house in front of this woman, so Maya hurries there and fights against the guy, but in the end, Tiffany died and she discovers someone is going after women all around the city and she needs to train to find out what it’s happening. Honestly, the concept is really cool and the art is amazing. I have to say that as non English speaker I struggle quite a bit with how this book is written. It’s really coloquial with some slang and expressions here and there so at times I was really lost , because I had no idea what they were saying and I got frustrated not gonna lie. However, Emília created a compelling story, with an interesting main character and it was a really short, quick read and I can not wait to read the next one.
Honestly I was really excited to read this, because I’ve been following Emília for years and I love her career and she seems like a genuine and really interesting person. Usually I don’t stan celebrities but miss clarke is the exception, and when she announced that she was coming out with a book about a female superhéroe I was like: I’m here for it!. I think it’s a really creative idea and I was really excited to read this volume.
In Clarke’s world, we are following Maya, a single mom and a chemical engineer and sex worker (she basically sells pics of her foot and stuff). Maya was adopted by two scientist when she was a baby because her mom abandoned her. Maya grew up with them and they were a family, however, like many families there were struggles. Her dad was a mad scientist and her mother got ill and passed away. Her dad was trying to find a cure and he needed mayas help, but in the end they couldn’t do it and a few days later he died. Maya was left alone at the house, with the chemical lab before she got adopted by one of her dads cousin. Now she works at this company and they are trying to create a vegan meat but Maya has other stuff to deal with. She has powers and they are really complex because they are tied with her emotions and her hormones. Maya is tired of not knowing what to do with her body and the powers. One night, while listening to the police station she finds a call from a girl name Tiffany. Her son is at the house in front of this woman, so Maya hurries there and fights against the guy, but in the end, Tiffany died and she discovers someone is going after women all around the city and she needs to train to find out what it’s happening. Honestly, the concept is really cool and the art is amazing. I have to say that as non English speaker I struggle quite a bit with how this book is written. It’s really coloquial with some slang and expressions here and there so at times I was really lost , because I had no idea what they were saying and I got frustrated not gonna lie. However, Emília created a compelling story, with an interesting main character and it was a really short, quick read and I can not wait to read the next one.
December 24, 2021
3 stars
Emilia Clark is writing a comic???? I was immediately ecstatic. Once it went on sale at my local comic book store, I purchased it and I couldn't wait to read it. I wish I would have liked this more. I'm debating continuing on in this series because I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Maya Kuyper is a single mom living in NYC in the future. She's a part-time sex worker and works during the day at a corporate job where she faces sexism on the regular. Secretly, Maya has superpowers that change depending on her mood. This allows her to fight crime, and try to do some good in the world. Maya may have accidentally stumbled on a sinister plot after becoming involved in a domestic abuse case.
I liked Maya as a character. I liked that she works as a part-time sex worker, yet none of that was ever discussed in this issue. I liked seeing her and her son, Billy, interact with each other, but that felt far and few in between in this issue. I think there's a lot of potentials here for this series to pick up, this issue felt like a lot of story building.
One thing that felt a bit much was all the sexism built into this. It seems like all the classic tropes of sexism was included and it felt a bit much. It took away from some of the commentary the graphic novel had (one of my favorites being a diss to Elon Musk). Sexism sucks and I'm a feminist through and through, but even for me, this was a bit too much.
I liked this, but not as much as I wanted to. I think if the sexism was toned down and more of Maya's character was explored, I think this could be a great series.
Emilia Clark is writing a comic???? I was immediately ecstatic. Once it went on sale at my local comic book store, I purchased it and I couldn't wait to read it. I wish I would have liked this more. I'm debating continuing on in this series because I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Maya Kuyper is a single mom living in NYC in the future. She's a part-time sex worker and works during the day at a corporate job where she faces sexism on the regular. Secretly, Maya has superpowers that change depending on her mood. This allows her to fight crime, and try to do some good in the world. Maya may have accidentally stumbled on a sinister plot after becoming involved in a domestic abuse case.
I liked Maya as a character. I liked that she works as a part-time sex worker, yet none of that was ever discussed in this issue. I liked seeing her and her son, Billy, interact with each other, but that felt far and few in between in this issue. I think there's a lot of potentials here for this series to pick up, this issue felt like a lot of story building.
One thing that felt a bit much was all the sexism built into this. It seems like all the classic tropes of sexism was included and it felt a bit much. It took away from some of the commentary the graphic novel had (one of my favorites being a diss to Elon Musk). Sexism sucks and I'm a feminist through and through, but even for me, this was a bit too much.
I liked this, but not as much as I wanted to. I think if the sexism was toned down and more of Maya's character was explored, I think this could be a great series.
December 8, 2021
This graphic novel uses a story about a single mother who develops superpowers tuned to her emotional states as a means of exploring a wide range of social justice issues. On the positive side, the story has moments of humor and moments of poignancy, and it takes efforts to avoid being purely divisive in the way socio-politically themed works often are. On the other hand, the book becomes bogged down in preachiness at times, and would likely have been much more effective if it’d used story to convey ideas, trusting the audience to grasp the takeaway without hammering them with ham-fisted dialogue. To be fair, the book, using fourth wall breaks, sometimes acknowledges its own exposition dumps and other clumsy and clunky elements.
The artwork was clear, if sometimes a bit bizarre.
Unfortunately, as I read the book what the story most reminded me of was the Halle Berry “Catwoman” movie, which no one [even, I suspect, Halle Berry] wants to be reminded of. One reason for this comparison was that both stories decry objectification and shaming while featuring only beautiful people, and they definitely [unconsciously, I suspect] perpetrated the “ugly equals evil” notion ubiquitous in storytelling.
It’s not a bad story and has its admirable qualities, but I think it could have been better if it were a bit more focused and less heavy-handed with the commentary. At times it seemed as if the author thought, “Oh, and I want to say something about this social travesty,” and then she inserted dialogue that seemed to have little to do with what was going on with the story at the moment. Or, perhaps, there was a list of disparate social issues that needed to be touched upon in the single volume.
The artwork was clear, if sometimes a bit bizarre.
Unfortunately, as I read the book what the story most reminded me of was the Halle Berry “Catwoman” movie, which no one [even, I suspect, Halle Berry] wants to be reminded of. One reason for this comparison was that both stories decry objectification and shaming while featuring only beautiful people, and they definitely [unconsciously, I suspect] perpetrated the “ugly equals evil” notion ubiquitous in storytelling.
It’s not a bad story and has its admirable qualities, but I think it could have been better if it were a bit more focused and less heavy-handed with the commentary. At times it seemed as if the author thought, “Oh, and I want to say something about this social travesty,” and then she inserted dialogue that seemed to have little to do with what was going on with the story at the moment. Or, perhaps, there was a list of disparate social issues that needed to be touched upon in the single volume.
January 17, 2023
Yes this isn’t a storybook, but it’s the most underrated type - a comic book. Comics have always been a long favourite since I picked up my first Batman & Superman copy when I was much younger. So when I found out that Emilia, aka my Khaleesi and reason why I am the way I am made a comic?? I had to have it and thanks to a dear friend, I DID.
Let me backtrack a little, Emilia Clarke is a special woman that I love, her genuinity and good heart has always been an example for me. I literally can’t begin to express how I felt when I found out that she made a comic with the protagonist as a brown girl called Maya - who’s a superhero. Are you kidding me?! I cried.
Mother of Madness is about Maya, who’s a scientist by day, superhero by night, and a single mother 24/7. Her unorthodox powers that are usually shunned especially since she’s a girl, is somewhat magnified in this story, proving that it’s not and shouldn’t be looked at as bad.
Like any other comic that I love to indulge in, the art was amazing. The detail of comic art and the beauty of it is so overlooked I could scream. I loved the colour scheme and how the book was put together. At many points, I caught myself smiling as I could feel Emilia’s energy through the words, it’s so her, and that makes it so me. This is the first of three parts, so I’m excited to get the others.
Let me backtrack a little, Emilia Clarke is a special woman that I love, her genuinity and good heart has always been an example for me. I literally can’t begin to express how I felt when I found out that she made a comic with the protagonist as a brown girl called Maya - who’s a superhero. Are you kidding me?! I cried.
Mother of Madness is about Maya, who’s a scientist by day, superhero by night, and a single mother 24/7. Her unorthodox powers that are usually shunned especially since she’s a girl, is somewhat magnified in this story, proving that it’s not and shouldn’t be looked at as bad.
Like any other comic that I love to indulge in, the art was amazing. The detail of comic art and the beauty of it is so overlooked I could scream. I loved the colour scheme and how the book was put together. At many points, I caught myself smiling as I could feel Emilia’s energy through the words, it’s so her, and that makes it so me. This is the first of three parts, so I’m excited to get the others.
April 9, 2024
This is more like 2.5 stars, which is generous based on the writing and more for the beautiful art and bright colors throughout.
I'm honestly disappointed. I feel like the ideas were good but poorly executed. The writing should have gone deeper but instead danced around the surface across SO MANY STEREOTYPES. And I was confused by the pacing choices. The villain wasn't clearly established before she was suddenly relevant and a threat. It was weird. I also entirely missed the origin story because it was so subtle and not explained...until the end? Which had me rereading the origin story, and I still didn't feel like I could be expected to understand that information given as the source of her powers. It sucks that such inclusivity in characters and message was implemented in a way that undermined those values and rendered them not enough to save the comic.
I'm honestly disappointed. I feel like the ideas were good but poorly executed. The writing should have gone deeper but instead danced around the surface across SO MANY STEREOTYPES. And I was confused by the pacing choices. The villain wasn't clearly established before she was suddenly relevant and a threat. It was weird. I also entirely missed the origin story because it was so subtle and not explained...until the end? Which had me rereading the origin story, and I still didn't feel like I could be expected to understand that information given as the source of her powers. It sucks that such inclusivity in characters and message was implemented in a way that undermined those values and rendered them not enough to save the comic.
August 19, 2021
Very good art, love the benday dot coloring. The story was strong, if a bit confusing. The satire was great, very uncomfortable to read. My only qualm was with all the pop culture/political references, from Undertale to #MeToo. They were used as if they were as relevant and contemporary to the characters as they are for the readers, which wouldn't be true in 2049 when the book supposedly takes place. These things could be referenced if they seemed "retro" or timeless even, and, crucially, if there were more "references" to fictional things from their time as well. In the end though, that's just a nitpick, and it probably doesn't bother other people as much as it does me. Yes, the book seems similar in many ways to Maneaters, and I'm excited to read more of it.
January 10, 2023
Feminist superhero comic.
Maya has powers that are tied to her hormones and started when she hit puberty. Each emotion she feels gives her a different power.
I love the themes the comic explores and that Maya gets to be unapolegetically herself and has a unique voice. Her rage enables her to help people and I love that. (especially love that it was written by Emilia Clarke and feels like a response to the awful ending of the you know what show and her character.)
I love how colourful and vibrant the artwork is juxtaposing against some pretty dark themes like sexim, suicide, death, misogyny and toxic masculinity. Depsite the dark subject matters there is a thread of hope and brightness.
Maya has powers that are tied to her hormones and started when she hit puberty. Each emotion she feels gives her a different power.
I love the themes the comic explores and that Maya gets to be unapolegetically herself and has a unique voice. Her rage enables her to help people and I love that. (especially love that it was written by Emilia Clarke and feels like a response to the awful ending of the you know what show and her character.)
I love how colourful and vibrant the artwork is juxtaposing against some pretty dark themes like sexim, suicide, death, misogyny and toxic masculinity. Depsite the dark subject matters there is a thread of hope and brightness.
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