Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Review: THE STORY OF MY TITS


THE STORY OF MY TITS
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS – @topshelfcomix

CARTOONIST: Jennifer Hayden
EDITORS: Chris Staros and Leigh Walton
ISBN: 978-1-60309-054-4; softcover with French flaps (September 2015)
352pp, B&W, $29.95 U.S.

Mature readers (16+)

The Story of My Tits is a 2015 black and white, original graphic novel from Jennifer Hayden, an author, children's book illustrator, and comix creator.  Published by Top Shelf Productions, The Story of My Tits chronicles Hayden's life from her years as a girl with a flat chest to her battle with breast cancer in her forties.

Born in the early 1960s, Jennifer is an ordinary girl, but over time, she comes to discover that unlike other ordinary girls, her breasts are taking their own sweet time to develop.  Eventually, Jennifer's tits do appear as she discovers boys, sex, and break-ups with boys.

However, the innocence of youth quickly gives way to the chaos of adulthood.  There is college, a long-term relationship with Jim, the young man who later becomes her husband.  There is her mother's brush with breast cancer that eventually leads to a mastectomy, and while her mother suffers a health crisis, her father has a mistress.  Jennifer experiences the ups-and-downs of two families after she marries Jim, but the biggest downer is her own diagnosis of breast cancer.  It comes during the summer of 2004 when she is 43.  It is then that Jennifer has to chart her own difficult course of surgery, recovery, and renewal.

Any description of The Story of My Tits cannot come close to truly describing this monster of a comic book.  I understand why it would be sold as a graphic novel about cancer, because breast cancer is a dark shadow that looms over this story.  It is hard to find people who have not had a brush with cancer in their lives.

My paternal grandfather died of it.  In 2014, a friend who was long misdiagnosed died of pancreatic cancer.  I took my mother to a doctor's appointment a few years ago, not knowing that a biopsy was planned.  When I was told that the doctor was concerned about the possibility of breast cancer, I finally understood what people mean when they say that they feel as if the walls are closing in on them.  It was as if I were in a large room that instantly shrunk to closet-size around me.

The Story of My Tits is a story about life, love, and loss.  It is an epic biography about family and friends, about having jobs and having a career, about saying goodbye to cherished loved ones almost at the same time welcoming new life into the world.  Because Jennifer tells us so much about her life, we buy into her story.  And when we buy into the story, we buy the cancer, too.  Jennifer's confusion about her health and her fear of death become a real thing with which we the readers must grapple.

The Story of My Tits is triumphant and heartbreaking.  It is glorious in its joy and candid in its sadness.  Most of all, it is a fantastic read.  I did not know that tits could be so alluring and attractive, and it would have nothing to do with sex.  Seriously, Jennifer Hayden has offered a story for our times that is timeless in its breath and scope.

A+

www.jenniferhayden.com
goddesscomix.blogspot.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



Tuesday, February 16, 2016

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

DC COMICS
OCT150274     AMERICAN VAMPIRE HC VOL 08 (MR)     $22.99
DEC150357     ASTRO CITY #32     $3.99
NOV150273     BAT MITE TP     $14.99
NOV150268     BATGIRL TP VOL 02 FAMILY BUSINESS     $16.99
DEC150276     BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #20     $2.99
OCT150248     BATMAN NOIR THE BLACK MIRROR HC     $34.99
DEC158458     BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 2ND PTG     $3.99
DEC158459     BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #2 2ND PTG     $3.99
NOV150275     CATWOMAN TP VOL 07 INHERITANCE     $14.99
DEC150359     CLEAN ROOM #5 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150229     DOCTOR FATE #9     $2.99
NOV150304     DOOM PATROL TP BOOK 01 (MR)     $29.99
NOV150282     DOOMED TP     $14.99
DEC150285     HARLEY QUINN #25     $3.99
DEC150304     INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FIVE #4     $2.99
DEC150365     LUCIFER #3 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150236     MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9     $2.99
NOV150265     MIDNIGHTER TP VOL 01 OUT     $14.99
DEC150242     POISON IVY CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH #2     $2.99
DEC150366     RED THORN #4 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150289     ROBIN SON OF BATMAN #9     $3.99
DEC150252     SECRET SIX #11     $2.99
DEC150296     SINESTRO #20     $2.99
DEC150258     SUPERMAN AMERICAN ALIEN #4     $3.99
DEC150309     TEEN TITANS GO #14     $2.99
DEC150250     TITANS HUNT #5     $3.99
DEC150255     WONDER WOMAN #49     $3.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

MARVEL COMICS

DEC158239     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.2 BIANCHI 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150811     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8     $3.99
DEC150728     AVENGERS STANDOFF WELCOME PLEASANT HILL #1 ASO     $4.99
NOV150947     AVENGERS TIME RUNS OUT TP VOL 04     $19.99
NOV150924     CAPTAIN AMERICA HC WHITE     $29.99
DEC150812     CARNAGE #5     $3.99
NOV150938     CIVIL WAR WARZONES TP     $16.99
DEC158240     CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS #4 IBANEZ 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC158104     DARTH VADER #13 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC158105     DARTH VADER #14 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC158106     DARTH VADER #15 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC158241     DEADPOOL #5 MOORE 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150859     DEADPOOL AND CABLE SPLIT SECOND #3     $4.99
DEC158242     DOCTOR STRANGE #4 NOWLAN 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
NOV150943     E IS FOR EXTINCTION WARZONES TP     $15.99
DEC158243     EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #5 RAMOS 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150858     EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #7     $3.99
DEC150862     MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE SEASON TWO #16     $2.99
DEC150864     MAX RIDE #4 ULTIMATE FLIGHT     $3.99
DEC150774     MIGHTY THOR #4     $3.99
DEC150732     POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1     $3.99
NOV150952     PUNISHER VS MARVEL UNIVERSE TP     $34.99
DEC150795     SILVER SURFER #2     $3.99
DEC158244     SPIDER-GWEN #4 RODRIGUEZ 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150816     SPIDER-WOMAN #4     $3.99
DEC158245     SQUADRON SUPREME #3 ALEX ROSS 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150761     SQUADRON SUPREME #4     $3.99
DEC158107     STAR WARS #14 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC150866     STAR WARS #16     $3.99
DEC150838     STARBRAND AND NIGHTMASK #3     $3.99
DEC150788     STAR-LORD #4     $3.99
DEC158108     TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #2 FRANK CHO 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC158246     ULTIMATES #3 ROCAFORT 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150797     UNCANNY INHUMANS #5     $3.99
AUG150897     UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS HC VOL 03 OPENA CVR     $125.00
DEC150815     WEB WARRIORS #4     $3.99
NOV150955     X-MEN GAMBIT TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 01     $34.99
NOV150942     X-TINCTION AGENDA WARZONES TP     $15.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

IDW PUBLISHING

DEC150442     GODZILLA IN HELL TP     $19.99
SEP150470     SDCC ART GALLERY KEVIN EASTMAN COLL TP     $24.99
DEC150428     TMNT COLOR CLASSICS SERIES 3 #14     $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT150041     BARB WIRE TP VOL 01 STEEL HARBOR BLUES     $14.99
DEC150101     BTVS SEASON 10 #24 MAIN CVR     $3.99
OCT150079     CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 23     $49.99
DEC150104     DARK HORSE PRESENTS 2014 #19     $4.99
DEC150051     DRAGON AGE MAGEKILLER #3     $3.99
OCT150081     FATE ZERO TP VOL 01 (MR)     $11.99
SEP150104     GAME OF THRONES FIGURE GREY WORM     $24.99
OCT150082     KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE OMNIBUS ED TP BOOK 03     $19.99
DEC150054     PLANTS VS ZOMBIES ONGOING #9 PETAL TO THE METAL     $2.99
DEC150082     STEAM MAN #5     $3.99
DEC150047     TOMB RAIDER 2016 #1     $3.99
DEC150124     USAGI YOJIMBO #152     $3.99
OCT150083     VAMPIRE HUNTER D NOVEL SC VOL 23 IRIYA BERSERKER (MR)     $11.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

IMAGE COMICS

DEC150562     ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE #9     $2.99
DEC150566     BIRTHRIGHT #14 CVR A BRESSAN & LUCAS     $2.99
DEC150567     BIRTHRIGHT #14 CVR B DRAGOTTA     $2.99
DEC150546     BITCH PLANET #7 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150573     CITIZEN JACK #4 CVR A PATTERSON & TODD (MR)     $3.99
DEC150574     CITIZEN JACK #4 CVR B LEMIRE (MR)     $3.99
DEC150644     FADE OUT TP VOL 03 (MR)     $12.99
DEC150583     FROM UNDER MOUNTAINS #5     $2.99
DEC150587     HUCK #4 CVR A ALBUQUERQUE     $3.50
DEC150588     HUCK #4 CVR B ALBUQUERQUE     $3.50
DEC150589     I HATE FAIRYLAND #5 CVR A YOUNG (MR)     $3.50
NOV150668     INVINCIBLE TP VOL 22     $16.99
JUL150613     SEX CRIMINALS #14 (MR)     $3.50
DEC150539     SNOWFALL #1 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150553     STARVE #6 (MR)     $3.99
NOV150652     STRAY BULLETS SUNSHINE & ROSES #12 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150624     SYMMETRY #3 CVR A IENCO     $3.99
DEC150625     SYMMETRY #3 CVR B IENCO     $3.99
NOV150656     TITHE #8 CVR A EKEDAL     $5.99
NOV150657     TITHE #8 CVR B SEVY     $5.99