Hot, Throbbing Dykes to Watch Out for: Cartoons

Alison Bechdel is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I'm sorry to say that although I've known about her "Dykes to Watch Out For" for years, I only recently began reading the series after discovering her gripping memoir Fun Home. I'm not reading the DTWOF volumes serially (although perhaps I should), but rather as I can get my hands on them. But what I'm discovering even in my haphazard reading of them is that Ms Bechdel's artwork and narrative gets richer as time passes, that her characters become increasingly complex, and that the deep reflectiveness coupled with a playfully mordant sense of humor I discovered in Fun Home enlivens DTWOF as well. "Hot, Trobbing..." is an excellent title for this collection, because the story lines in it collectively build in tension until the reader is virtually panting for some kind of release. The main story centers around Mo and a new character, Sidney, a big-city, snooty, and frequently unbearable assistant professor of feminist theory. Mo takes an immediate dislike to Sidney, which eventually morphs into a sexual attraction that's overwhelming. In the meantime, Clarice and Toni are experiencing their own tension in their longstanding relationship, Lois is on prozac and losing her sexual joi de vivre, Ginger has reached the do-or-die point on her dissertation, and the bookshop Madwimmin is on the skids. Everything and everyone is in crisis mode and the tension steadily builds until, thankfully, it's released in exquisite simultaneity at the book's end (which, by the way, is also one of Bechdel's most erotic finales). Along the way, there are some delicious digs at bad feminist poets, the sheer silliness (and fun) of sexual toys, the difficulties of juggling parenthood, marriage, and a hectic, demanding job (in the story line of Clarice, Toni, and Rafael), the hazards of dating ex-lovers of current friends, and the pain involved in coming out to one's family. Wonderful, joyful, bittersweet stuff.

I love Bechdel's characters (my husband - yes, husband - says I remind him a *lot* of Mo when I go off on a tangent). The Madwimmin-a-go-go benefit at the end had us both laughing till we cried. Long live the mad women of Madwimmen!

After having read the occasional DTWOF in the local gay and lesbian press, I finally bought this collection of strips. I was incredibly impressed! Not only is this book *VERY* funny, but all of the characters seem to embody the diversity withing the gay and lesbian community. I couldn't put it down!

Warning: if you haven't read this book, this review is a spoiler! I really liked this latest book by Ms. Bechdel. It's nice to see good things happening for the characters: Mo stirs herself and goes after Sidney instead of whining about her lack of a girlfriend. Ginger finally gets her PhD. Toni's parents seem to be ok her lesbianism, and Clarice and Toni revitalize their partnership which has been languishing since the arrival of Raffi, and one of the most important items, Clarice's second parent adoption is approved! I can't wait for the next book! Unfortunately, Ms. Bechdel only comes out :-) with a new book every 2 years or so. I hope she never stops this comic strip

This book ties up cliffhangers from the previous collection, "Unnatural Dykes ..." We find out what happens with Toni, her mother, Raffi, Clarice and Gloria. Time is closing in on Ginger and ther dissertation. Madwimmin Books starts to suffer as the new "Buns and Noodle" superstore rakes in the cash. We get to see more of Audry and Jezanna. Lois has a secret. And Mo has an unwelcome admirer. This book is great! Bechdel manages to tie up loose ends and still keep a coherant story that has a climax that's worth the entire series (as if you needed more of a reason). Pick this one up to complete your collection thus far. Pick all of them up if you haven't started yet! It sure beats the heck out of daytime soaps.