Jayson’s Reviews > Katana, Volume 1: Soultaker > Status Update
Jayson
is on page 26 of 234
Notes:
(1) First issue wasn't terrible. I think, with a reputation like Nocenti's, if it's not viscerally appalling, then you feel let-down.
- I just recently read Nocenti's "Klarion," and this isn't even in the same ballpark of bad.
(2) Really, it just reads like teenage fan fiction, from the clunky dialogue, to the stupid concepts, to the feeble grasp of Japanese culture.
— Sep 30, 2021 05:00PM
Notes:
(1) First issue wasn't terrible. I think, with a reputation like Nocenti's, if it's not viscerally appalling, then you feel let-down.
- I just recently read Nocenti's "Klarion," and this isn't even in the same ballpark of bad.
(2) Really, it just reads like teenage fan fiction, from the clunky dialogue, to the stupid concepts, to the feeble grasp of Japanese culture.
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is on page 231 of 234
End Notes:
At the start of this, I had the bright idea of doing a status update after every issue. I just couldn't keep that going after issue 7. It seemed like this would be a goldmine of over-the-top Ann Nocenti inanity. But, though a few issues did skirt that level of train-wreck, the bulk of it ended up being just regular-awful, as opposed to the shock-awful I expected.
— Oct 07, 2021 05:50AM
End Notes:
At the start of this, I had the bright idea of doing a status update after every issue. I just couldn't keep that going after issue 7. It seemed like this would be a goldmine of over-the-top Ann Nocenti inanity. But, though a few issues did skirt that level of train-wreck, the bulk of it ended up being just regular-awful, as opposed to the shock-awful I expected.
Jayson
is on page 171 of 234
Notes:
(1) Despite my previous assessment that this hasn't been as terrible as I expected, issue seven was actually fairly painful to get through.
- I spent pretty much the entire time shaking my head and muttering "what!?"
(2) Supernatural love triangle. We have just crossed over into YA territory.
(3) There's this new villain, "The Falconer." Wasn't that an SNL character?
— Oct 06, 2021 01:30PM
Notes:
(1) Despite my previous assessment that this hasn't been as terrible as I expected, issue seven was actually fairly painful to get through.
- I spent pretty much the entire time shaking my head and muttering "what!?"
(2) Supernatural love triangle. We have just crossed over into YA territory.
(3) There's this new villain, "The Falconer." Wasn't that an SNL character?
Jayson
is on page 150 of 234
Notes:
(1) I've read the Creeper origin already, back when I did my run of "Forever Evil" tie-ins.
- I can't say that my opinion's changed... though, I wasn't shocked by how terrible it was this time. Likely as I've read it before, or perhaps I've been living in Nocenti-land for too long and have become used to the stink?
(2) On the positive side, the story does make sense.
— Oct 05, 2021 11:40PM
Notes:
(1) I've read the Creeper origin already, back when I did my run of "Forever Evil" tie-ins.
- I can't say that my opinion's changed... though, I wasn't shocked by how terrible it was this time. Likely as I've read it before, or perhaps I've been living in Nocenti-land for too long and have become used to the stink?
(2) On the positive side, the story does make sense.
Jayson
is on page 128 of 234
Notes:
(1) What drives me nuts is that there's so much blood and serious, mortal wounds, yet no one's injured or gets medical attention, and everyone's immediately able to fight again.
(2) Villains flee in shame. Not exactly made to look like formidable foes.
(3) What was the point of Killer Croc? Does he come back? Is his story continued elsewhere? Plot holes need filling!
— Oct 05, 2021 10:50AM
Notes:
(1) What drives me nuts is that there's so much blood and serious, mortal wounds, yet no one's injured or gets medical attention, and everyone's immediately able to fight again.
(2) Villains flee in shame. Not exactly made to look like formidable foes.
(3) What was the point of Killer Croc? Does he come back? Is his story continued elsewhere? Plot holes need filling!
Jayson
is on page 108 of 234
Notes:
(1) Alex Sanchez shares art duties with Cliff Richards on issues 5. I'm a big fan of Richards, he should be a much bigger deal, and not just a fill-in guy.
- I don't know what it says that the series regular is so far outshined by his backup.
(2) This is still dumb, but at least here it looks pretty while being dumb. Being pretty makes stupidity a lot more tolerable.
— Oct 05, 2021 03:30AM
Notes:
(1) Alex Sanchez shares art duties with Cliff Richards on issues 5. I'm a big fan of Richards, he should be a much bigger deal, and not just a fill-in guy.
- I don't know what it says that the series regular is so far outshined by his backup.
(2) This is still dumb, but at least here it looks pretty while being dumb. Being pretty makes stupidity a lot more tolerable.
Jayson
is on page 88 of 234
Notes:
(1) Issue 4 was another not-terrible one. It suffers mostly from situational disjointedness.
- Katana suffers a major setback. One scene she's rushing by, telling people the matter's urgent, and the next scene, "days later," she's back at her waitress job looking slovenly and depressed.
(2) Of course, "WAP" had a totally different meaning in 2021 than it did in 2014.
— Oct 04, 2021 04:00PM
Notes:
(1) Issue 4 was another not-terrible one. It suffers mostly from situational disjointedness.
- Katana suffers a major setback. One scene she's rushing by, telling people the matter's urgent, and the next scene, "days later," she's back at her waitress job looking slovenly and depressed.
(2) Of course, "WAP" had a totally different meaning in 2021 than it did in 2014.
Jayson
is on page 69 of 234
Notes:
(1) Nocenti makes a big deal about this ultimate weapon, the spiral sword. It doesn't exist, she invented it.
- It's not so much a sword as it is a flat-metal whip... though in execution, it's more like a gymnast's dance ribbon.
(2) So get this: Katana's husband's soul is trapped in her sword. So she has intimate time with it. But he's not the only one in there. SMDH
— Oct 03, 2021 03:00PM
Notes:
(1) Nocenti makes a big deal about this ultimate weapon, the spiral sword. It doesn't exist, she invented it.
- It's not so much a sword as it is a flat-metal whip... though in execution, it's more like a gymnast's dance ribbon.
(2) So get this: Katana's husband's soul is trapped in her sword. So she has intimate time with it. But he's not the only one in there. SMDH
Jayson
is on page 47 of 234
Notes:
(1) After a shockingly not-terrible first issue, the second issue is back to the good ole exasperating, brain-melting Ann Nocenti I know and loathe.
- I was getting worried for a sec.
(2) Ann Nocenti makes the mistake of having everyone speak like Ann Nocenti.
- Jazzy colloquialisms don't really sound quite natural coming out of twenty-somethings or elderly Japanese.
— Oct 03, 2021 07:15AM
Notes:
(1) After a shockingly not-terrible first issue, the second issue is back to the good ole exasperating, brain-melting Ann Nocenti I know and loathe.
- I was getting worried for a sec.
(2) Ann Nocenti makes the mistake of having everyone speak like Ann Nocenti.
- Jazzy colloquialisms don't really sound quite natural coming out of twenty-somethings or elderly Japanese.
Jayson
is starting
Notes:
(1) October buddy-read with my comic book crew. Theme is "The Horror Show": horror books or horrible books.
- Being Ann Nocenti, it's plainly the latter.
(2) Why subject myself to another awful Ann Nocenti ordeal?
- The same reason people eat Tide Pods or Carolina Reapers... because sometimes poor judgement stares you in the face and says "You don't have the gonads!"
— Sep 30, 2021 05:35AM
Notes:
(1) October buddy-read with my comic book crew. Theme is "The Horror Show": horror books or horrible books.
- Being Ann Nocenti, it's plainly the latter.
(2) Why subject myself to another awful Ann Nocenti ordeal?
- The same reason people eat Tide Pods or Carolina Reapers... because sometimes poor judgement stares you in the face and says "You don't have the gonads!"
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Alexandra Elend Wolf
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Oct 01, 2021 02:29PM
Wait, isn't this a DC superhero or something? Or do I have her completely mixed up with someone else?
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Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Wait, isn't this a DC superhero or something? Or do I have her completely mixed up with someone else?"No, you're correct, Katana's a superhero. She usually floats around in other people's books. During the DC New 52 alone she was a member of the Justice League of America, the Birds of Prey and the Suicide Squad.
Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Wait, isn't this a DC superhero or something? Or do I have her completely mixed up with someone else?"No, you're correct, Katana's a superhero. She usually floats aro..."
O, thank God, my memory is not so terrible after all XD That does seem like your typical comic superhero, no? Floating around in different series at about the same time and all, not that I'm a comic expert or anything.
Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "O, thank God, my memory is not so terrible after all XD That does seem like your typical comic superhero, no? Floating around in different series at about the same time and all, not that I'm a comic expert or anything."Katana definitely fits in the martial arts category of superheroes. DC actually has a lot of sword-wielding eastern lady characters: Cheshire, Lady Shiva, Talia al Ghul, Cassandra Cain... so, it's fairly typical, if not a definite type.
The problem with Katana, is she doesn't really have the makings of a main character, or at least not one that can sustain an ongoing title. But she's popular enough, and has a cool enough look, that DC keeps experimenting with her in different groups and team-up combinations, hoping that something will stick.
Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "O, thank God, my memory is not so terrible after all XD That does seem like your typical comic superhero, no? Floating around in different series at about the same time..."Well, I guess that it's nice that DC is trying to find the place for this character that people clearly like enough.
P.S. Thanks for all this very interesting information.
Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Well, I guess that it's nice that DC is trying to find the place for this character that people clearly like enough.P.S. Thanks for all this very interesting information.."
My pleasure. I'm glad they're at least trying with this character too, despite the less-than-optimal results :)