Post-Dykes to Watch Out for

This is without doubt the best yet of the series. I got hooked on the third book when I "came out" in college, and have kept up over the years. I re-read all of them regularly (the mental equivalent of comfort food-- definitely better than "Friends" re-runs) and enjoy seeing how Bechdel's artistic talent, human insight, and compassion grow over time. For those who are new to the series, it might be a good idea to start with this one (to get hooked on the artist's gifts at their current height), then go back and re-read them all in chronological order, so as to see the development both of characters and of creative talents. The whole series creates an immensely rich and beautiful portrait of human lives. Despite having one thing in common--a non-mainstream life--the characters are nonetheless extremely varied and individual, and their interactions are rich and real. Like previous books, this one includes an "appendix" of sorts at the end, with extra material about the characters--deeper stories that wouldn't fit into the shorter two-page format. It is the appendix in this book that makes it "the best yet." Jezanna's story-- coming to terms with her mother's death and her Dad's dating--is incredibly moving and extremely true-to-life in so many subtle ways. In graphic art as in film acting, it takes skill to portray a character's emotions, but it takes even more skill to portray a character's emotions that they are hiding from themselves (such as when Jezanna's dad returns from the bathroom and, uncomfortable at catching a private moment of grief, pretends not to notice and tries to return everything to "normal" as fast as possible--don't we all have people in our lives who cope with difficult emotions this way?). As always, the subtletly, humanity and overall compassion that infuse this strip make it a must-read for anyone of any political persuasion.

It would have been a major feat for Bechdel to keep the pace of her first books. The novelty bloom has faded some. Bechdel has courageously taken the route of allowing her characters to age. And the series has to pay the price for it. But this is for the best as we do age too and our affection toward Bechdel's cast grows since we can relate to them, no matter whether we are men or women. When Clarice and Toni try to raise their son in suburbia, their life has gotta become duller, even if it is still more exiting than their neighbour's life. Food for thought for us aging homos. It is a tribute to Bechdel talent that she weathers this transition and manages to bring more than the occasional flash of brilliance that she has shown on her previous work. It bodes well for the future as the excitement in the life of her heroines will come back when their progenies start dating, retirement planning becomes a priority, dates are not as easy too find, "remedial" surgery might be considered, etc... I, for one, will make sure that I do not miss a beat.

Alison Bechdel's characters go beyond binary thinking in this latest DTWOF collection. Transgenderism, bisexuality, and polyamory are all explored...honestly, believably, and as thoroughly as possible in a slim volume like this one.I've read all of Bechdel's collections (in order no less), and this one is far and away the most impressive. As Mo, Clarice, Lois, Sparrow, Toni, Ginger, Jezanna, and others grow in their relationships, they realize that life is not always as clear-cut as it seems, and they learn to look beyond the surface level to the meaning of words like "lesbian," "woman," "partner." It's delightful to see the explorations and reactions of characters to stimuli such as a male housemate in the Lois-Ginger-Sparrow household, or the struggling-to-understand conservative neighbors in Toni and Clarice's new suburban neighborhood. As always, the artwork is fantastic, and the stories are compelling. These are simply some of the finest comics being drawn today.

Another infusion of Mo and the gang, for those of us who don't get it daily. (If you're new to DTWOF, I recommend reading all the books -- in chrono order.)Just maybe the best one yet, as the characters and the issues they face become more mature and multi-faceted.Terrific artwork.Among the many impressive, and funny, installments is one ("leadership vacuum", p. 20) in which Mo has to slap Bechdel around a little.And the long story that closes the book, following all the dailies, is *brilliantly* orchestrated. I think it's the best one of those yet.Way to go, Alison Bechdel. I was sorry to finish the book -- I want more!

The mixture continues as before -- take one acutely-observed slice of life, garnish with some tart satire that spares no-one and takes no prisoners, and serve on wry.Though it is primarily a comic about, by and for gay women, DTWOF has some lessons and some rather pointed humour that anyone, of any and all genders and inclinations can profit from.I suppose that a reference point, for those who recall it, would be Gil Shelton's "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" strip -- while drawn by a member of the counterculture, and featuring members of that counterculture as protagonists, it was as likely to zap the hippies as the straights -- often times both in the same strip.Bechdel seems to proceed under similar intentions. She sees both sides of many issues, and, while making her own positions clear, does not necessarily demonise those who hold other views. Pity them, sometimes, but not demonise them.This book picks up immediately after virtually the entire cast have moved to the suburbs, bought houses, or acquired new roommates. (In the case of Ginger and Sparrow, it's "Bought a house *and* acquired a new roommate" -- and a guy at that.)Mo and Sydney are trying to fit as housemates as well as lovers; a situation not helped by indications that Sydney may already be cheating on her. The reality and the resolution of *that* situation are hilarious.Clarice and Toni are having troubles of their own -- partly in their relationship and partly trying to fit themselves and their son Raffi into the suburban lifestyle. Their interactions with their corporate-attorney neighbour, his uptight wife and their son, who is Raffi's age and curious, make for some amusing and frustrating moments...And so on.In this collection, tha author deals with jealousy, unfaithfulness, a daughter's hurt that her widowed father is beginning to date, a formerly all-female, all-lesbian household's difficult adjustment to one of its members having a live-in boyfriend(!), financial irresponsibility, many social issues, crabgrass and many many more topics. And the looming need to decide whether a faithful and loving but Very Old dog should be kept going by heroic means, or helped gracefully and quietly onward on the wheel of life. And every one is investigated and portrayed with both precision and sympathy.As usual, Bechdel continues the storyline beyond the end of the collected weekly strips here, going on to give us about another sixty pages of story material that carries us onward and ties up some loose ends while leaving others dangling for future exploration.This is a great book about what it means to be human -- not just female and/or gay, no matter what the author intended, and also a very funny and at times very touching visit with a cast of characters we've come to know well over the course of the strip and the series of book-length collections like this one.I devoured this book within an hour of opening the package; i'm already looking for