The Bad and The Good in Comics
This is an example of a BAD cover. This is the kind of thing that makes Fangirls rampage.
The female heroes on the cover are shown as defeated, horrified and being degraded by tentacles if not raped. Their hands are loose, showing weakness. (I think part of the despair Misty Knight is feeling is the fact she has lost her nipples, possibly in another battle somewhere.) Meanwhile, in the background, the only hands clenched into fists belong to the guy in the group. I'll bet if we could see his face, he'd look angry. The dripping fluid on the tentacles is a wonderful addition. Just in case you missed the phallic connotations of the tentacles, there is a glop of goo on Black Cat's breast. An homage to MJ's pearl necklace, perhaps?
There is so much wrong with this cover it could become a drinking game in a University: Spot a misogynistic, sexist, exploitative, degrading or demeaning element on this cover and take a shot!
This is an example of a GOOD cover. This is the kind of cover that makes Fangirls coo and say "I'll buy that!"
Look at that cover. Power Girl looks POWERFUL, CONFIDENT. Her body is proportional. Her waist will support her torso. She has hips and thighs. Her costume isn't just spray paint on a naked body. There are wrinkles in the fabric! Seeing "the girls" isn't done in a sleezy way. They are actually slightly flattened like they would be by crossing her arms over them. PG's attitude, shown by her looking down her nose at the viewer, is one of daring you to be stupid. Mess with her and she will kick your ass and enjoy every second.
Dear Stupid People in the Comic Book Industry,
If you want to sell more comic books, stop gearing them toward the Basement Dwelling, Mouth Breathing Troll Male (Troglodyte penii erectus). Only such individuals will buy comics with covers like "Victims For Hire." Due to disgust over that cover, you will lose sales, as a lot of non-BDMBTM will not buy the comic; the vast majority of women readers certainly won't. Make more images like the second and it is possible more women will buy comics on a more regular basis thus potentially doubling your sales.
Posted by Marmy on May 25, 2007 03:36 PM
Comments
Alex Ross (at least I think it's Ross' work) never fails to bring class back to the funny books. I'm also gratified to see he kept the Magical Cleavage Window intact.
Btw, the dude you can't see in the background of the Heroes for Hire cover is Shang Chi - Master of Kung Fu.
Posted by: Turbo at May 25, 2007 09:37 PM
Yes, I know the male member of Heroes for Hire is Shang Chi. I just didn't think it necessary to name him. Sexism on my part?
Posted by: Marmy at May 26, 2007 12:09 AM
Power Girl has always been hot to me. The first time i saw her in a mag was in the 80's and the reason i liked her is that, they were OBVIOUSLY increasing her bust size more than any other character in comics. It was for the most part anyway, unmentioned in the mags itself as that would be droll. But she was healthy. I think that may be why she was written sooo angry. Guys are drooling over her bod and she hates that. I was always glad that she wasn't anyone's object, but i wish (ed) she'd lighten up a little. Big Boobs are fun. Go with it
Posted by: kenny at June 8, 2007 11:19 AM
Thanks for the comment of supporting PG but "big boobs are fun"? Spoken like someone who hasn't had to deal with having them. I come from a family of women with very large breasts. I consider my self lucky that I have escaped with proportional-to-my-frame breasts. And while, yes, breasts are the most obvious sign of being a woman and can make a woman feel sexy and desirable, I've seen the great many downsides to it: back pain, divots cut into shoulders from bra straps, men who can not look you in the eye, mockery, assumptions of being a slut, assumptions of being stupid, jealousy from some women, difficulty in finding clothes that fit properly, limited mobility, to a degree, due to the breasts getting in the way. Those are just a few that immediately spring to mind. I could probably come up with a lot more if I thought about it.
PG is angry probably due to all those things and more. Obviously no one in the DC world is going to give her a breast reduction so she's stuck with them.
Posted by: Marmy at June 8, 2007 11:33 AM