They say behind every great man is a great woman. While we AfterEllen.commers might take issue with that first gender, the saying definitely holds true in the to big-budget superhero movies coming soon to a theater near you. In fact, USA Today recently interviewed the trio of Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler and Maggie Gyllenhaal, or — as I like to call them — the supergirlfriends of summer.

All three actors are more known for their dramatic or independent film work, and all three are now stepping into mainstream comic book movie heroine roles. They're the superheroes' girlfriends/potential love interests: Gwyneth as Pepper Potts in Iron Man, Liv as Betty Ross in The Incredible Hulk, and Maggie as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight.

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As if I didn't heart Rachel McAdams enough after her turns in Mean Girls, The Hot Chick and Red Eye … now, in an interview with MTV Movies, she reveals herself to be a comic book reader who wants to play a superhero on-screen. I mean, does she want me to get down on one knee and propose? OK, fine, “uncle.” I'll head to Zales this weekend and pick up a sparkly ring.

And yes, I said The Hot Chick. Why are you looking at me like that? It's funny! The mighty McAdams–Anna Faris duo overpowers any negative Rob Schneider effects, and you know it. It's all right, you don't have to be embarrassed about liking that movie any longer. I'm not … much.

The point here is that McAdams has expressed interest in Black Orchid, a DC Comics character with (heh) roots in the 1970s who was most famously resurrected in the late '80s by Sandman scribe Neil Gaiman. … continue reading

Brace yourselves. Blake Petit, columns editor of ComiXtreme.com, published a startling finding about women and comic books.

"I want to talk about what women would want out of comics now. And here's the thing I think will surprise people … women want exactly the same thing as men: engaging characters, intelligent stories and great art."

All together now: Duh.

Comments like that used to irritate me. Now they just make me tired. I mean, next we'll read that women like food that tastes good and cars that get good gas mileage. And breathe oxygen.

Granted, many, if not most, comic books are written for men, probably because drawing babes with boobs is a whole lot simpler than developing a compelling story. (Not that I'm against babes with boobs.) But AfterEllen.com makes a point of letting you know when we find good comics that we think you'll like. Whenever I have a chance to spend more time in my comic store than it takes to pick up my subscriptions, I find new titles that appeal to me. And more are on the way.

I'm eagerly looking forward to Echo, by Strangers in Paradise creator Terry Moore. … continue reading

I keep coming across lists I can't really improve on, so I'm just going to list them. In a list. Of lists. (A few of these are via Pop Candy, which is always a good source for lists and, well, just about everything else.)

1. 10 Star Wars toys that unintentionally look like other celebrities

When I was a kid, I often complained that my Princess Leia action figure just wasn't made right — it kept toppling over. And it annoyed me that her gun was so flimsy and useless, especially compared to Chewbacca's giant over-the-arm weapon. But at least the '70s toy version of Leia didn't look like Christian Bale:

And then there's Mon Mothma and Laura Bush:

The list includes other frighteningly spot-on comparisons, like Han Solo/Josh Brolin and Yak Face/Robert De Niro.

2. 13 movies worth preserving

EW.com readers recently named the films they'd like to add to the National Film Registry. I agree with Raising Arizona and The Women — and with the reader who submitted the latter and said, "I can't believe it's not already there." … continue reading

For years, Strangers in Paradise fans have speculated about a movie or television series based on the adventures — and love story — of Katchoo and Francine.

I didn't really expect it to happen, mainly because I couldn't imagine a producer who could fully appreciate the genius of Terry Moore's storytelling. But at last weekend's Xena convention, Steven Sears, who produced Xena, announced that he and Moore are working together to bring a live action version of SiP to television. Sounds like a match made in, well, paradise.

Sears and Moore got to know each other after the SiP issue in which Francine and Katchoo appeared as Xena and Gabrielle.

Once Moore finished the comic series — marvelously, I might add — he decided to get in touch with Sears and actively pursue making a TV show. Of course, the writers' strike has to end and they have to find a studio and make a pilot and get the series picked up and other minor details, but I can't help being excited about the prospect. And I can't help imagining who will play Francine and Katchoo. … continue reading

Have you ever had that dream where it’s the future but it’s not the future — like, everything kinda looks the same but somehow you know anyway that it’s the future — and you’re standing there enjoying a fruit smoothie and all of a sudden Kristanna Loken as a Terminator and Summer Glau as a Terminator both come around the corner and you’re all, like, “Oh no!” but it’s OK because they’re fighting each other? But you’re kinda freaked out anyway and you don’t want to get hurt, so you run into this muffler shop that’s nearby but when you get inside it turns into some kind of Ye Olde Inne and Saloon and Charles Barkley is there playing the piano? And you look outside and the Terminators have spotted you and they’ve decided they want to fight you and they start running towards the muffler shop/Ye Olde Inn and Saloon so you hide behind the counter, but there’s this midget there who’s dressed up like Where’s Waldo (except that he’s also wearing a vest) and he’s totally looking at you with eeeeevil intent and he’s holding a knife? So you decide that you’d rather take your chances with Kristanna Loken and Summer Glau (Terminators or not) than with a murderous midget dressed up like Where’s Waldo so you go back outside ... and when you get outside it’s snowing and the Terminators are making out and then a unicorn comes along and offers you some gum and then you wake up?

Well, if you’ve ever had that dream, then there’s a chance that your dream could come true this Sunday at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention! Yes, folks, on the 13th, Summer Glau and Kristanna Loken (along with Leelee Sobieski) will be making an appearance and signing autographs at the fabulous Shrine Auditorium Expo Center. If my dreams mean anything — and I think they do — then there’ll be Terminators fighting and making out everywhere.

What? It’s totally possible. This one time I had a dream about my car breaking down and then 8 months later it happened! That’s not just a coincidence. … continue reading

When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comic turned out to be so true to the television series — and so much fun — many Joss Whedon fans dared to hope that more of his canceled shows would continue in graphic form. Angel fans got their wish in November (with mixed reviews) and now comes confirmation that a new Serenity comic will be published in March 2008.

Serenity: Better Days is a three-issue series set between the end of Firefly and the 2005 Serenity feature film — the same setting as Serenity: Those Left Behind, which was published in 2005. … continue reading

Sometimes a list is so close to the hearts of AfterEllen.com readers that all a blogger has to do is tell you about it and sit back to watch the fun. So, I was tickled to find this list in the Los Angeles Times of the "Women of Whedon." The Times asked Joss Whedon to name his five favorite female creations. I was less tickled once I perused the list, however, thanks to at least one dreadful omission. (Get ready to be indignant.) Where's Willow?

While your ruffled feathers relax a bit, let's look at the women he did name. I certainly can't quarrel with the first. … continue reading

As a long-time reader of Birds of Prey, I was disappointed when writer Gail Simone left the series. Her love for the characters showed — and she was one of the few female comic book writers working on a superhero title. But soon after, DC announced that Simone's next project would be none other than the story of Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman.

Shortly after the announcement, Simone summed up her feelings about Wonder Woman. "This book is about the best goddamned warrior planet Earth has ever known, and she happens to carry a mystical arsenal around just for the hell of it. If a writer can't make that interesting and fun, they really shouldn't be writing superheroes."

Do I hear an amen? … continue reading

The two most prominent memories I have of reading as a child involve Walnut Grove and a beagle with an overactive imagination. I recall vividly how my mother would read me the tales of Laura Ingalls Wilder before bed. I recall equally vividly learning how to read via the Sunday morning comics, which meant Peanuts, Peanuts and more Peanuts. That might have something to do with being from the same vicinity as the guy who created Charlie Brown and his lovable companions. Charles Schultz is so revered around these parts that we put up bronze statues of his creations in our city parks.

After reading all about a new book detailing Schultz's life and some of the stories behind his creations, I began to reminisce about my formative years, years spent watching good ol' Chuck fall for Lucy's tricks, Schroeder bang out Beethoven on his toy piano, and best friends Marcie and Peppermint Patty sell Cheerios. … continue reading

I bought a couple of issues of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic while the show was still on. They were OK, but, with the notable exception of a two-issue story about Willow and Tara (by Amber Benson and Terry Moore), I didn't find the series interesting enough to add to my subscription list. Then came "Season Eight," with Joss Whedon himself at the helm, and by issue No. 2, I was hooked.

What surprised me most about the comic was not that the dialogue and pacing were in keeping with the show — after all, Whedon wrote it — but that the characters had the same look and feel of their live action versions. Pleasing fans of a cult classic isn't an easy task, but that is exactly what artist Georges Jeanty has done.

As you might expect from obsessive Buffy fans, no detail is too small to be noticed. When Jeanty released pencils for the cover of No. 2, for example, it sparked a debate on Whedonesque about the appropriateness of Buffy's sneakers. Maybe it's just me, but when I see that picture, I don't think of footwear. … continue reading

This Valentine's Day you can send that lovely lass a free e-card that celebrates lezzie love.

There are four designs to choose from, including this one, which is less lusty and more friendly:

The cards are designed by author/cartoonist Paige … continue reading