Kelly Sue Action Figure, originally uploaded by Kelly Sue.

Laurenn brought me this momiji doll as a present. She calls it a Kelly Sue Action Figure–which makes me ridiculously happy.

KSAF now lives on my desk next to Ganesha and Superman. They are my totems.

Girls Night In

From Greg McElhatton at Read About Comics:

[Age of Heroes #3] opens with the strongest piece in the book, a story starring the three liaisons for the different Avengers teams. It’s a simple but fun premise from Kelly Sue DeConnick, having the Absorbing Man attack Avengers Mansion with only Maria Hill, Victoria Hand, and Sharon Carter prepared to stop him. DeConnick brings the readers through an entertaining chase, and at the same time plays off the three women’s similarities and differences.  This is probably the most interesting I’ve found Victoria Hand in particular, who finally has a reason for being slightly defensive when you see how Maria and Sharon treat her. (Victoria’s cold and stuffed-up-nose-accented dialogue are, for that matter, rather entertaining as well.) There’s even nice throwaway bits throughout the story, like the fact that with three Avengers teams there would have to be some sort of equipment-sharing deals going on to try and make everyone happy…

Full review in link.

• Literally everything Kathryn and Stuart Immonen do is cooler than anything the rest of us do.
• Marvel.com has posted a preview of Fraction’s first issue of Thor right here.  That’s Thor #615, if you want to pre-order it from your local comic shop.  (If you’re not a fan of your nearest shop or you just don’t like to leave your house any more than is necessary, Fraction and I always recommend Midtown Comics’ home delivery service.  You can even get them on the phone and they’ll walk you through the process.)
• Speaking of ordering comics, Casanova #2 is out from Icon on Wednesday.  Spread the word, please.
• Tom Spurgeon has posted a thorough and enjoyable SDCC Con Report in which he wonders, “Who wouldn’t want to pick up Iron Man or Casanova at least once after seeing Matt Fraction play a filthier-mouthed, comics-centric Spalding Gray?” (That’s on Tom’s EISNER AWARD-WINNING WEBSITE, ya’ll!  Congrats again, Tom.)
• Have you seen Enquirer Dharbin? ‘Cause it’s pretty astonishing. I’m just sayin’.

• Alisa and I stopped at Kate Spade on our way to see SALT Saturday night (SALT was awful, by the way. I’m convinced the test audiences doomed it and there’s a good cut floating around somewhere.  There were too many terrifically talented people involved for that movie to have been that bad.)  I fell in love with the bow ring and the Jocelyn shades.  I’m still greedily clinging to my birthday day money, but when I’m ready to spend, these are an option.

• Shaun White is coming to PDX for the Dew Tour.  DUDE.
• Hey, if I want to go see dance in Portland, where do you recommend I go?  Is there a local contemporary company I should follow?  A venue that hosts tours?  How’s the Oregon ballet?

• I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a performance called (I think) CARCASS that I saw in Austin years ago.  The choreographer was Llory Wilson.  I googled to see where she was and what she was up to and didn’t really come up with an answer, BUT–I did find that her troupe used to be called the “Tallulah Dance Company,” which pleased me greatly.