By: Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Avon Oeming (writing and art), Nick Filardi (colors) and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)
The Story: Two sisters deal with typical young kid problems while also coming to grips with their newly acquired superpowers.
Recap/Review: The first thing to keep in mind is that Takio is not necessarily a comic for “us”. By “us” I mean the thirty-something, mostly white guys who make up the bulk of the comic reading audience. That isn’t to say that Takio can’t be enjoyed by by someone with a growing thickness around the middle, a goatee and a Green Lantern shirt – a good story is a good story, right? – but Takio is really focused on a fan who is about thirty years younger and of the other gender: young girls.
Smart move by Bendis and Oeming. Women read more than men (average of 9 books per year versus 5 books per year). In virtually every developing country in the world, young girls read more for pleasure than do young boys. Women earn more bachelor’s and graduate degrees than men. All of this will eventually translate into better earnings. So, young girls are probably a pretty good market to attempt to develop. Comic publishers are tone-deaf on this subject, so I guess Bendis felt he had to do it himself. Where are the Wizards of Waverly Place comics? Where are the Good Luck Charlie comics? Those comics (in digest format) would sell like HOTCAKES via the scholastic book fair market. They wouldn’t even have to be good comics. It’s almost like stupid people are in charge sometimes. Note to Disney: You are leaving money laying on the ground!
Now….if you’re that prototypical 30-something guy, this is an enjoyable, but not awesome comic. There is some fun action and some humor and Oeming draws really well, but the true heart of this comic lies in the relationships between the young girls and the things that are important in their everyday lives. Bendis is smart and he knows little girls. By making the two girls who comprise the Takio team 8-ish and 13-ish, he is bracketing that awkward and difficult age where little girls transition intro young women. Rather than ramble on for 1000 words about the magic of that age, let’s just say that I understand that age about as well as any 30-something man. Yet, the sentiments of Takio still kinda bounce off me. My attitude is, “That’s nice. Bendis really understands little girls. Now when does the next issue of Scalped come out?” This just isn’t a comic for me.
However, if you are a one of us adult comic fans who has a daughter and you don’t buy Takio for her, I kinda think you’re a crummy father. Do you love comics? Wouldn’t you like to share that love with your daughter? Spider-Man is nice, but I’ll bet she’ll enjoy Takio a LOT more. So, be a sport and spend $3.95 per month (which is an dumb price point for a kids’ book) and don’t get too fussy if she doesn’t put it back in the bag when she’s done reading.
Conclusion: Don’t buy it for yourself, buy it for your daughter.
Grade: C (for me), A (for my daughter)
– Dean Stell
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