There's been a lot of talk in the comic-book world recently about DC's relaunch, which was meant to draw in new readers to the world of superhero comics. While some of the books have received good reviews, most of the discussion has been on the new DC Comics' treatment of women. Almost everything I've heard about the relaunch has focused on the overt sexuality of the women depicted. Some critics have praised this move as a bold spin on the sexual politics of James Bond, while others decry it as almost pornographic pandering to the predominantly male comics-reading demographic.
Above: Could it be both?
My knee-jerk reaction which I have to clarify by saying that I haven't READ any of these comics - is to side with the latter camp. I've long since abandoned most of the embarassment I felt over reading superhero comics as a mature-ish adult; however, it's difficult for me to forget that a lot of that embarassment springs from the depiction of women IN comics.
For example, I've cited Marvel comics's Civil War miniseries as THE story that got me reading superhero comics again in my twenties. Civil War pitted the superheroes against each other after the Superhero Registration Act required costumed crimefighters to register with the government or face jail time. At the time I read it, I found the story to be an emotionally compelling and timely portrayal of the issues surrounding the Bush administration's war on terror.
(Since that time, I've found Civil War to be more than a little silly, since vigilantism is ALREADY illegal, but whatever.)
There's a particular panel in one of the very first issues that shows Tony Stark (AKA Robert Downey, Jr.) encouraging other heroes to register, as it's the "right thing to do" and "will help restore the public's trust in superheroes." Of course, the artist gives us the most appropriate visual presentation of Stark's impassioned appeal by situating the "camera" right behind She-Hulk's curvy spandexed posterior.
This is dramatically necessary to the plot.
An otherwise relevant (if a bit ham-fisted) message about the conflict between liberty and security is almost completely overshadowed by superheroine badonkadonk, and that's just... well, it misses the point. Sex (and violence) are often treated as mature subject matter, but when the sex and violence are needlessly wedged into a plot, the end result contains about as much maturity as a conversation between Beavis and Butthead.
I don't want to get all "Think of the children!" here, but, really, THAT'S where superhero comics get their fans. I started reading comics pretty much just in the newspaper; however, I watched X-Men and Batman: The Animated Series almost religiously. I started reading the actual comics at a much later age, but mainly to recapture some of the fun and magic of watching Wolverine, The Joker, and all the rest on the TV. Eventually, superhero comics led me to more sophisticated works, and I'm pretty happy with what I've discovered.
Next year, kids'll plop down in front of the TV to watch a new Batman cartoon. From the limited preview information available, they'll be able to see Batman go up against the nefarious Professor Pyg... who is probably most famous for giving Robin a lap-dance in his first appearance. Whether or not it makes for a good story, it's probably NOT appropriate reading material for a kid.
No lie, though - I LOVE this guy!
I have to say that it IS pretty funny that Batman's so heavily marketed towards children: "What do we do with a psychologically tormented man who saw his parents murdered in front of him and spends his time hunting down depraved, violent criminals? Slap his face on a lunchbox!" Seriously, that's like making a Dexter onesie for toddlers.
I love comics as a MEDIUM - I've often said the comic panel enables a uniquely creative approach to storytelling other media don't allow. In order for that medium to grow, it has to have a continually growing fan base - and, whether you think comics IN GENERAL are for kids or not, it's pretty apparent that SUPERHEROES appeal mainly to children. And me.
In my mind, there's no question that superheroes can be used to tell compelling stories for adults - despite what my mom says. Unfortunately, in the world of comics, at least, it seems like they're not doing as good a job hooking children as they could be. And, yeah, even though there are plenty of other good book choices for kids, that makes me a little sad.
Besides, those all-ages kiddie comics are STILL the ones that best suit my uptight Mormon sensibilities, so I would want to read them, too.
1 comment:
While lines like "will someone please think of the children" is funny coming from someone like Helen Lovejoy, I'm not ashamed to say that I am ashamed of the sexualization of women that exists in our culture. I am disturbed that it is frequently targeted at children. And praise for the continued practice of it turns my stomach.
That said, it's much too pervasive for me to try to reject even half the things that pander sex for money in some minute way. And comic books seem pretty cool otherwise.
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