My life is a busy one. This is my stress relief.

(003) Miss Ismo's Costume Corner, Part I

As a female reader who has tried (really, really hard) to get into comics, the most persistent problem I run up against is the ridiculous costumes worn by the female characters. I mean, for cryin' out loud, why don't they wear clothes? If I were going to be flying around, kicking butt and fighting crime, you can bet that I'd be wearing something comfortable, durable (none of this "outfit torn to pieces during a minor scuffle" crap), and modest. If I'm going head-to-head with a supervillain, the last thing I want to have to worry about is whether or not I'm falling out of my clothing.

All youngsters trying out at the Sidekick Audition (that's what the flyer was advertising) need to supply their own costume. Starlass, hapless girl, is trying to come up with something to wear. Unfortunately, all she really knows about costuming, she learned from "Miss Ismo's Costume Corner," a fashion column of . . . questionable . . . reliability.

She's a little embarrassed about taking all of her clothes off, but if that's what she's gotta do, darn it all, she's going to do it.

(002) Officially Sanctioned

I love that last panel. Star looks so happy.

Our young protagonist, having found a stray flyer advertising for Superhero Sidekick Auditions, has decided that she really needs to try out...and auditions are tomorrow. While other young heroines might be tempted to operate without parental permission, Starlass has a pretty good relationship with her mom and would never dream of sneaking around without permission. (At least, not yet.)

Mom, by the way, might seem reluctant at first, but she wholeheartedly supports her daughter's superheroic aspirations.

They say it's easier to get forgiveness than permission, but Starlass has no trouble getting either one.

(Speaking of great parents, by the way, I just got a package full of cookies from my mom. Happy day!)