Opinion piece at EarlyWord.com about sexualized women super heroes in graphic novels.
Excerpt:
You’d think that these series would be a natural place to engage with a female audience. Strong female characters? Check. Action crime plots? Check. All of these women, as written by writers including Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, and Chuck Dixon, are well able to give Buffy Summers a run for her money. The big difference? Take a look at the cover for Gotham City Sirens. The image is clearly, overwhelmingly intended for readers who want to ogle women: teenage and adult guys.
and male superheroes look normal?
find me one male hero without huge biceps and a sixpack and with muscles bulging everywhere.
I’m not sure what girls want from comics. But the 3 female villains used for the example are supposed to be hot.. part of how they succeed is by seducing men, so of course they pose that way. It looks sexual, but it’s displays dominance.
no one ever asks how to get more teen boys to watch soap operas or Ellen or whatever else women watch. and I don’t see many guys reading Cosmopolitan or Shape or Vogue no matter how many beautiful women they photograph for the fashion ads and stories.
if girls don’t like superhero comics, then what’s the problem? do we really need to please everyone?
Do the men fight crime in bathing suits?
Other than Aquaman, Namor or the Thing, of course. I’m perfectly fine with women superheroes having idealized bodies (though it would be nice to have more than one or two body types) but most of the costumes are ridiculous.
And who on Earth said that superhero comics are only for guys anyway? I’ve been reading comics quite happily for over 25 years, thanks, and I’m female.
Comic publishers should be making their product for everyone. That way they get to increase their customer base, make more money and get to continue to make comics. Or they can keep marketing their products to a rapidly dwindling group of 18-45 year old males and watch the money go elsewhere.