Comic Newspace

With the original run of the New 52 reviewed by Blaine, I’d like to post a Comic-Book Newspace, with particular focus on a controversy that surrounds the Reboot.

And there’s video.

A thoughtful response to issues raised by DC’s handling of some iconic females in their reboot appears here. But for those of you who prefer the humorous approach, check out the ongoing, amusing analysis of comic-book women and their physics-defying physiques at Eschergirls, or Aaron Diaz’s illustrated look at why the female metahuman costumes could do with redesigns.

For those of you not so interested in these issues, Aaron Diaz has also shared his version of a rebooted Justice League. I’m not sure about a marble Wonder Woman, but we certainly have some fresh takes here.

And for the videophiles, you can enjoy either relevant discussion:

(their earlier discussions include Japanese/American differences, and comic book rape)

Or a super-hero-themed rap video:

For those of you who missed some of the recent controversy, you can read some accounts here, here, here, and here.

Maybe the Hooded Woman of the New 52 is the Batgirl of San Diego.

4 replies on “Comic Newspace”

  1. I need to say a few things about the female creators bit: the calculations that quote a drop from 12.5% to 1.9% use all credits (editors, production, etc.) in the “before” numbers and solicitation names only in the “after” numbers. A repeat of the calculation shows a difference of less than one percent. There are also numerous female creators who have publicly stated that DC invited them to participate, but it was the creators that turned them down. Fans are going nuts over this, but those “in the know” don’t seem bothered by DC’s actions so much as the general industry-wide lack of female creators.

    As for the characters, I get some of the complaints. Voodoo and Starfire are going back to their roots, so it’s more of a “why this interpretation” question than a “DC turned them into…” deal. As for Catwoman, I get the criticism, but reading that issue, it felt to me more like they’ve established Selina Kyle as having a cat-like sense of hedonism, where she just takes what she wants with no attempt at self control. I read Judd Winick interviews after reading the issue, and he sees Batman as a character that is all about control, so I think that was more a decision to set up dichotomy than anything else.

    Do comics lack the diversity, both in gender and heritage, that comics should have to represent the world? Absolutely. Is that more of a problem in the New 52 than anywhere else? No, I don’t think it is.

    • You make some valid points, but I recommend several of the online comments on Starfire, most notably Laura Hudson‘s. Starfire’s roots were as a sexually liberated character, a character from a world where sexual promiscuity was accepted, who nevertheless cared about the men with whom she became involved. She’s been rewritten as a blow-up doll, which is something rather different. And I find it a little troubling that DC bent their new continuity out of shape in order to preserve multiple versions of Robin, but seem to have eliminated both Steph Brown and Cassandra Cain.

      Finally, put yourself in the mind of a female reader who simply raises questions at ComicCon regarding female characters and creators, and gets booed by the audience.

      Is it worse in DC? Not necessarily. (They’ve kept Batwoman, for example, and the comic is one of their best). But with a reboot, why not try to make things better?

      However, this isn’t a one-sided argument, and the complexity of readings (not directly about DC, but on the general subject) may be seen in Babs and Gia’s video, to which I’ve linked.

  2. Addendum: I also not that all these nay-sayers seem to completely ignore the fact that Power Girl, famous for her breast size, has had her breast size reduced and is being written as exactly the kind of strong, self-made woman they are clamoring for. She appears in Mister Terrific, which I strongly recommend.

  3. They could probably do an Escherguys, too, but that site made me LOL and it do make a point.

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