Comic Book Pajama Party: Women Who Love Comic Books

Aiming to give female comic book fans a voice concerning a format that has long been considered “boy only,” Comic Book Pajama Party interviews eight female fans, first in a comics store and then settling down at one woman's house for a night of chat, chocolate, and Twister. The women—ranging from those who seek out realism in Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve, to devotees of traditional superhero comics, to anime and manga enthusiasts—have a jolly time ripping apart the anatomy and costumes of female comics icons, asking when adventuresses in thongs have the time to get bikini waxes, and wondering just how much longer they will have to endure the buxom heroine type before more diversity in female form is represented. The women frankly and humorously cover a variety of topics, from their favorite bad girls and bad boys, to the question of when violence is justified and when it goes overboard. The “pajama party” aspect of the documentary, however, wears a bit thin, and more attention should have been paid to focused discussion topics or in-depth interviews with each of these women, allowing them more opportunity to voice their opinions about the comics world—where it is now, where it might be headed, and what they'd like to see happen. The filmmakers, from the director to the crew, are almost all men, and while kudos are in order for giving us the opportunity to hear the voices of female comics fans, one can't help but wonder what a female director might've done with the same topic. Rated PG-13 (“contains frank sexual discussion and dolls in unseemly positions”), this is recommended, overall. Aud: P. (R. Brenner)