M.O.M

To read M.O.M., the latest comic entry in the burgeoning "menstruation pride" genre,was an inevitability, but the investment was too risky for installments. This is Emilia Clarke's first (and therefore potentially only) graphic novel, which explains its weaknesses as well its strengths. The plot of M.O.M. is comprehensive and conclusive, insofar as any comic production hoping for a sequel can be. The characters receive as much backstory as can be reasonably delivered in the time allotted. The theme should not have been as off-putting to other critics as it was. The author's enthusiasm for the project is heartwarming.

Everybody starts as novices, however, so there are three weaknesses. The first is the tendency to infodump. Experience with golden age science fiction, Steve Ditko, and Alan Moore has shown that this example is neither the longest nor the most awkward; incorporating all the necessary background into dialogue or visuals can be tricky. More and more comics writers are falling victim to the compulsive chart-making of Hickmaniasis. The expository dialogue in M.O.M. is still longer than it might have been had the author not been so well known. 

The second is the humor. Much of the humor is already outdated, a risk every author takes with the humor; the only jokes which never age (because they are so puerile) are bodily function jokes. A wife has never farted while sitting on her husband's lap, as the ancients said. Political humor, however, can sour like the half-full carton of milk accidentally shoved to the back of the fridge.

The third is the underlying assumption that the themes addressed here are being addressed for the first time. This is mostly a symptom of presentism, both of the author, not a lifelong comics fan by her own admission, and of the audience, subject to the illusion that because this is the first time they have encountered an idea it is also the first time that idea has been presented. This phenomenon is unfortunately part of the human condition, but it can be an irritant to those who have encountered the idea before and would like those who presented it to receive some credit. There are Wonder Woman runs featuring Veronica Cale in a similar vein.

M.O.M is worth checking out of the library or adding to your Christmas suggestion list. A sequel is unlikely.