Comic Book Superheroes Get the Pin-Up Girl Treatment
What would it look like if comic book
superheroes were portrayed in the same hyper-sexualized manner as their
female counterparts? A new project by Brett White of Comic Book Resources looks to answer that question in response to the unpopular, super-sexy cover art for Spider-Woman #1.
Marvel Comics, which has recently been praised
for its introduction of a number of prominent female, gay, and minority
characters (see the popular Tickld listicle “The Difference Between DC and Marvel. This Is Priceless“)
made a perhaps-inevitable misstep last month when an alternate cover
for the first issue of the new Spider-Woman comic book series featured
the title character, Jessica Drew, scaling a building in an impossibly
skin-tight outfit and ridiculously oversexed pose that left little to
the imagination (and is actually an anatomical impossibility, as
reported by the Telegraph).
The cover, which has received considerable online backlash, is the work of Italian comic book artist Milo Manera,
who specializes in erotic artwork. Many consider Manera’s selection an
odd choice for a series that hopes to draw female readers.
“She looks like she’s wearing body-paint, and
that’s a big no-no for an industry still trying to remember that women
exist and may perhaps read comics and also don’t want to feel completely
gross when they do so,” wrote io9.
White’s mock-up covers, on the other hand, re-purpose drawings from the Marvel Swimsuit Specials of
the 1990s. Though the poses don’t quite match the pornographic
overtones of Drew’s (legs akimbo, butt unrealistically thrust in the air
as she crawls atop a building), they are showing quite a bit more skin
than we’re used to from our male superheroes, and they would definitely
feel out of place at the local comic book shop.
“What if Marvel released sexy variant covers for every comic they released? Why couldn’t Magneto
#1 feature the master of magnetism in a brokeback pose with a come
hither look?” asks White. “Sexiness isn’t inherently a bad thing…it just
needs to be an equal thing.”
Despite the relaunch of the Spider-Woman,
She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel (as a Muslim, no less) characters, as well as
the introduction of a new female Thor, the double standard for woman in
comic books (Spider-Man boners aside) is still very real.
Okay, is it just me who thinks they are putting their point ad adsurdum by using illustrations from their Swimsuit Specials ? Which came out in the 80s ?
ReplyDeleteIf this kind of portrayal of male superheroes would have been successful, don´t people think Marvel would have drowned us in that kind of covers ?
I think this whole debate is lopsided because certain facts are ingnored. Nobody mentions that male heroes also have impossibly optimistic anatomy and wear skintight costumes that leave little to the imagination. I can still remember the cover that answered the one question about Captain America I never wanted to be answered : does Captain America wear it left or right ?
You know what I mean.
And if not I envy you. You lead a charmed life.
But seriously, all the way Disney destroy Marvel and that´s what you focus on ?
You know, this should be a new comic by Sergio Aragones : DISNEY DESTROYS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. I´d buy that in a second.
I'm shouting obscenities at an Epson SX130 printer but calm down because Peter Alexander is singing "Delilah". "Delilah" was originally sung by Tom Jones. Lyrics include "WHY, WHY, WHY, DELILAH" and they ought to be turned to "WHY,WHY, WHY DISNEY". I actually thought this was a joke on a spoof site so thought I'd have a laugh. No. It was serious. Hey, why didn't they get "Tom of Finland" to draw the covers. Oops. Just realised he died in the 1990s? BUT there are a lot of imitators. Homoerotic just about says it all. No "balancing the inequality" at all. I tend to wear to the right one day and to the left on others. Some days I go right-left-right-left alternatively. Politics, heh? ;-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I keep thinking that it cannot get worse.....then Disney pulls another piece of crap out of the toilet.
It came out in the 1980s --"RETRO!" Extra $s!!!!
Seriously, I know Joe Quesada just like Dan Didio are simply "Yes Men" -in Marvel The Untold Story Quesada is exposed as such from the very outset. Yes, Disney pays his wages but for crying out loud is that all that he cares about? I guess it is.
Quesada and Didio are, of course, the figure heads put there to take the heat for all the decisions. "Jovial Joe" my ass. "Daring Dan"...no comment.
Trouble is....are these covers going to sell? "Hi, Stew. Just in to pick up my standing order. Oh, do you have "Comic Book Homo-erotica #32?" These covers are going to embarass a lot of fan boys and...well, its just another gimmick, isn't it? Deadpool on every cover. Oh, I just despair. I think once they do this reboot next April/May even more dedicated fans are going to jump ship. I mean fans of MANY years standing who invest a lot of emotion in characters as well as money and then..."Heh? How is the God of Thunder no longer worthy of being the God of Thunder? How does a hammer mean a woman is now the God of Thunder -it only gives the bearer the power of Thor??? I think I'm having a haemorrage..." Beta Ray Bill? Thunder Strike? Is it fair to say Walt Simonson was the last person to treat Thor properly? "The Casket Of Ancient Winters" story....I guess not many people care.
I've read blogs and even seen video blogs from people who are saying "I don't give a **** about continuity. Who cares -its comics!" Those are the morons keeping Disney going. And "I just bought the Guardians comic and I got a Rocket Raccoon Comic. Not sure what the stories are -I just bagged and boarded cus these are gonna be worth mucho dinari!" Really. "Mucho" I guess is bastardised Spanish and Dinari or denarius auri was Babylonian, then Greek and the old "D/d" you see on old British comics meant a penny -d=dinari. Educational, huh?
I seriously despair and as I've written before, Marvel and DC are just turds floating in the bowl waiting to be flushed....and be replaced by movies.