Thor is a woman, Spider-man is black, and the Hulk is Korean-American. These popular characters were once all white males, but Marvel Comics has undergone some re-branding and decided to branch out with character diversity. Are these changes to be praised and the new line-up celebrated? Can this truly be called diversity when these female and minority characters are launched from the platform of popular, established, white male characters?
This article will argue whether or not this kind of "diversity" is valid.
I always thought about why didn't they just create new characters as opposed to changing the old? I like that they are trying to be progressive and gain a more diverse audience and appeal to the masses, however, I feel as if it's kind of a half-hearted move. Sounds like they said to themselves, "Oh hey, it's 2015, we need to have more diverse characters. Oh, let's just change Thor into a woman and make Spider-man black." Upon hearing these changes, I didn't feel moved. I think for this topic, it would be important to see how their readers have reacted and what their thoughts are, and if this made an impact on Marvel's comic-book sales. – Jmarie9 years ago
While I am incredibly glad to see that more female characters are being added, I am hesitant to praise the way in which it is happening. Representation is everything; it's what pulls people in and keeps them buying, volume after volume. People of all colors, creeds, identities, religions, and orientations deserve to be explored and promoted - correctly.
Having Thor be a woman is an interesting change, but I think it was a cop out. Jane Foster could have been so incredible on her own. She didn't need Mjolnir and the power of Thor to be "super," but that's the angle they chose.
The Spiderverse is taking a slightly better approach to it. This opens the path for there to be multiple personalities with the same powers. That sort of open-ended story telling could do so much good for representation. What could all of these different people, all from different backgrounds, do with the same set of powers?
While all of this is all well and good, I want to see original characters that aren't being slapped with the merits of their "previous" versions. Jane is going to have to break away from readers who have the white, male, Norse "god" mindset. They could have easily taken a bit from the movies - why was Jane Foster, a normal woman, able to absorb an Infinity Stone? There is so much potential there! Let's have new characters that are black, latina/o, trans*, gay, asexual - but let them be themselves. No recycling of names to get attention. Let the characters speak for themselves. – crypticlyric9 years ago
I worry about this change in comics. I absolutely think that creators need to be creating more diverse comic universes, however some of these changes seem half thought out and sloppy. I'd much rather see new characters of different races than old characters redefined. No matter what the main stream public is probably going to remember the white character, thus taking something away from both versions of the character. I also worry that these changes are temporary grabs for publicity and lacking in real substance. – SomeOtherAmazon9 years ago
Who writes comics and for whom? – Munjeera9 years ago
Gender violence and female submissiveness is at the heart of Alan Moore's Watchman. It is pivotal to the plot and is at the center of part of the overall drama. But what is the point? How does the attempted rape of Miss Jupiter matter in the overarcing "save the world" plotline and the end of Golden Age comic book innocence?
Even though Watchmen is a great work of writing, you bring up a good point when discussing female violence. Would the story drastically change If Miss Jupiter being sexually assaulted was removed? Probably not. It may make The Comedian more despicable as a character. However the scene where he shoots a women because she was pregnant with his baby shows how much of a scumbags he really is. So his sexually assaulting Miss Jupiter could be seen as overkill. It is certainly a interesting conversation to be had. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
This is an article that I think is worth writing. Watchmen's a great story, but that doesn't render it immune to criticism, and Sally's attempted rape is pretty superfluous to the plot. There were a lot of ways that Moore could have established hatred between Silk Spectre I and The Comedian without having to go there. – Winter9 years ago
The Comedian's attempted rape of Sally is not superfluous to the story insofar as Dr. Manhattan only sees the value of human life when he realizes the "miraculous" fact that Laurie is the product of such improbable circumstances. The Comedian also impregnates a woman while fighting in Vietnam and kills her when she tries to make him take responsibility. These and other instances of abuse toward women reflect Moore's overarching interest in depicting the self-destructiveness of human nature and stripping away the loftiness of earlier comics. – JLaurenceCohen9 years ago
Over the summer a friend expressed an interest in starting to read comics to me, however he seemed overwhelmed and eventually disheartened by the idea. Too many titles, too much history, and too expensive… it can be a little much for people on the outside. It's become a somewhat accepted fact that actual reading of comic books is a subculture. Look into how this small readership (vs cinematic and televisions viewers) effects the industry. What can be done to make people more interested in picking up the titles? How do we help people with the interest start?
A good way to go about this piece could be to offer tips for people who want to get into the world of comic books. It could also work well in list format. – Marcie Waters9 years ago
If anyone should want to get into comic books eventually, as I do myself, it's perhaps best to look at what scholarly authorities on comic literature consider to be the finest examples of comic book stories, characters, or franchises; and then look to see what might interest you most. Personally I'm more into the independent comics, the unique comics, the ones that lie outside your typical Marvel and DC super-hero series (Judge Dredd, Tank Girl, Hellboy, Vampirella). Most of the main pantheons don't really interest me as much. But if I ever wanted to explore say... X-Men, or Batman, or Wonder Woman, I'd probably look to the compilation reprints that I can buy on Amazon Kindle, rather than picking up some hard copy that used to cost fifty cents. Buying comics digitally, what ever you can, makes for an easier price tag, and a smaller foot-print in the house. You can't collect them in quite the same way. But if you're just starting out and you want to read them rather than build up a stock pile of them, it's probably best to go digital and piece meal it out just to get a taste of a few things first, before you dive headlong into a particular franchise. – FilmmakerJ9 years ago
A discussion of whether the female characters represented at Comic Con are overly sexualized. While male characters provide opportunities for fans to embody the strengths of their favorite heroes and villains at Comic Con; are the female characters being equally, accurately represented for their strengths? How much is being represented of a female character's worth when the focus is on her body and a lack of clothes. Fans can defend such costumes, claiming they are depicting the character as accurately as possible. But at what point can fans compromise the accuracy of their favorite character without contributing to the objectification of sexualized female characters in this Comic Con culture.
As a man, I'm not sure if it's entirely right to put in my two cents. But I'd like to try just the same. While it is entirely understandable and agreed that dressing in skimpy clothing does allow others to focus more on your body than anything, it is still entirely up to the individual to decide what they do or do not wear, and how they wish to present themselves publicly. Female characters are indeed still often drawn in a revealing fashion: which is where the issue really starts. And yet all of these female Con-attendees wouldn't dress as these characters unless they enjoyed the characters themselves, but then also enjoyed the outfits. They certainly wouldn't take the time to craft and build them to perfect specifications if they didn't like the look of them. Beyond this, though, in recent years I have come to understand that our culture is becoming far more defensive against the sexualization of women then it perhaps ought to, strictly because if it is taken too far, this defense begins to encroach on the right that each woman has to present themselves as they like. To say that sexualization is inappropriate in specific places or to certain extremes is completely acceptable and reasonable, but to say that sexualization is inherently wrong is both unfair and unwise, especially because it can be seen as a dehumanization of those women who do have strong faculties of mind and manner, but are put down because they like to show off more than some think that they should. The real trouble has always been the extensive use of sexualization by the media in order to sell products, and the perpetual depiction of attractive women as people with either a distinctive lack of smarts, or a pension to use their sexuality as their chief asset to get what they want. Beyond these stereotypes, there is nothing inherently wrong with showing yourself off if you think you look good in a particular outfit: and I say this for both women and men. If you wear a particular outfit with pride and never out of obligation to anyone, then as long as you are within the limits of dress-code where-ever you may be, I think one's fashion choices can be something to be admired. Because it isn't just the person's body that we see, it is their personality and their strength of character on display as well. An outfit, and how one wears it, can tell you a lot about someone. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
As an additional note: the idea that a female character who chooses to dress in skimpy outfits can't be an admirable character or a good role model, or that a conservatively dressed female character can't ever dress in more revealing attire because it might diminish her other values; can be considered a stereotype in and of itself, because it just isn't true. Granted, fictional characters are still designed by other human beings (often by men), so they don't make their fashion choices by their own accord. But that's not to say that real people like such characters can't or don't exist. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Sexualization itself is not inherently a bad thing. It can be incredibly empowering and transcending for people and fictional characters. However, in the given context of Comic Con (where the content curation and creation is heavily dominated by men) it is an unavoidable fact that there is a lack of balance and unequal representation for female characters. This leads to a limited source of inspiration and adaptation for female fans to embody and represent.
It is not a statement or question of whether a sexualized character can be admirable. But what does it say when the sexualization of a female character is more pronounced than her super powers or other strengths? That does not seem to be an issue for sexualized male characters and their male peers. – yshim9 years ago
I love the topic. I think, there is a bit of a Halloween Complex when it comes to cosplaying for some folks. Do I want to be Wonder Woman or a super sexy Wonder Woman? The writer could also try looking into the signs that Comic Con posts (i.e. cosplay is not consent). As a cosplayer, I'm more about the armor and covering up, but still, there are those people that think no matter what a woman wears, the fact that she's there, engaged and enjoying similar subjects, is what makes her attractive. – Jaye Freeland9 years ago
Thanks for the clarification, ~yshim. I think I understand your question much more now. It would help to have specific examples of course: context would be everything here, and whether or not one is already aware of a particular characters' abilities, powers, or past deeds. I can think of a few characters, both male and female, who just by looking at them, you can't really judge their innate abilities or true personalities at all, because it isn't clear from the get go. If you didn't know who Luffy from "One Piece" was, or L from "Death Note" was, you would have no context for their abilities or their character, they're not strong or powerful in any outward facing way, and one might judge them improperly. The same would be equally true of someone dressed as Vanellope Von Schweetz. The personality of Sara Silverman's voice-over is what makes that character work so well, but just some random person wearing that outfit with the hoodie, the skirt, and the stockings, would give no indication of that character's true nature. Perhaps powers and strengths come more clearly through outfits which exhibit a sense of tactical nature, or being "combat ready:" which I will agree are found much more often on men than women, and could be a key source of your topic's issue here. For instance: Kim Possible, Black Widow, and Leela (from Futurama), all wear outfits which allude to what they do or what they can do. Kim and Natasha both wear gloves and utility belts. Natasha and Leela both wear heavy dark boots. Kim and Natasha both have red hair, which can express visually a more dynamic personality, same with Leela's purple hair. Kim wears khaki cargo pants. Leela wears her hair tied up, whereas the others seem comfortable with their hair down. And each of these characters are usually depicted in artwork striking a fighting pose, or brandishing some sort of weapon. So in almost all instances, their characters are fairly clear, even from just looking at pictures or cosplayers portraying them. You can tell they are capable of more than just looking pretty. Characters like Princess Peach, Tinker Bell, Bulma (from Dragon Ball), and Elsa (from Frozen), though, perhaps not so much. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
For the last decade, black heroes from Marvel and DC Universe has transcended to higher levels, broke down the walls of stereotypes and inspired future characters to follow in their footsteps. There are several black heroes who did just that and much more. There is a comprehensive page on Wikipedia listing black heroes that could be used as reference.
Black Panther would be great to talk about, considering he was one of the first African-American superheroes. You can start by talking about Black Panther and then continue to go down the spectrum of heroes after that and maybe how they model that certain character. – scoleman9 years ago
Love Black Panther and the story of vibranium. This would be a great topic. Munjeera
– Munjeera9 years ago
Examine how the place of political cartoons has shifted in the context of the political landscape. Political cartoons used to be a huge part of news media. While publications like The New Yorker still publish political cartoons daily. They do not carry the same weight they did in the early twentieth century, for example. This can be largely attributed to the shift of consumer's media focus away from newspapers. Do these cartoons still carry the same integrity and level of social criticism they once did?
Very interesting topic! I think it will be important to feature some specific examples in a sociohistorical context from the 20th century and present day to make it more tangible. It would probably also be necessary to write about Charlie Hebdo and the consequences that had on political cartooning – Jacqueline Wallace9 years ago
Political cartoons can be interesting and relevant but I've noticed a tendency to oversimplify complex topics. I have the same issue with political cartoons that I do with stand up comedy: a lot of it tends to be offensive, unhelpful, or based on generalizations that further perpetuate misinformation. I'm not too fond of making large statements with such a small medium of conversation. Of course, I don't mean to say that this is the case for ALL political cartoons. It's just something I have noticed, and that may very well have a lot to do with the fact that I am from a southern state. – bandreu9 years ago
Very interesting topic, you may want to include some commentary on whether the medium has simply shifted to digital platforms. Do on-line cartoons compete with print? – Jeff MacLeod9 years ago
For someone who's just joining the comic scene and has no idea where to start when faced with the vast collection of Marvel Comics. The article should be more of a list on where the person can start, what can be skipped (if anything can be), and what is essential.
I, for sure, think it's personal preference. Depends on what the person wants to read because there is a vast spectrum full of comics that one CAN start with. I like the topic a lot, I'm just sitting here like "where does one start?" I kind of just picked up a comic book, and started reading. I was very into Aquaman when I started, but he doesn't really have a list or anything. He's basically a character by himself, so I didn't have much to go off of other than Justice League probably. But, the thing about comics is none can be necessarily "skipped" you just don't read them, there's not an order you read them in, so the topic would be kind of difficult on that aspect. Just personally. It's not like the TV shows. They have spin-off and crossover comics, but you don't have to read them in an order unless you wanted to. I would just choose something you like first--if Avengers looks appealing read that and then read the iron man, cap, loki, thor, etc., comics for each character. I guess that could work, explaining Avengers comics and then the character comics that Avengers derived from. So, the order of reading certain comics to get to Civil War would be interesting. There's comics you should read before getting to Civil War, there's a bunch of crossovers and spin-offs. I really like this topic, though, never really gave too much thought about it because I just tell my friends specific ones to read like Deadpool and Iron Man etc. :) – scole9 years ago
Personal preference will always come into it, although I think this is still a great topic. A couple of different comic books could be highlighted from a variety of characters/stories. – Jordan9 years ago
Possibly mention the Ultimate Universe, as it was created to be a jumping on point for new readers at the start of the millennium. – IanMcKinzey9 years ago
on this one, it would be kind of cool to see different generations; such as, millennials and where they should start compared to the generation after and "all-new" was aimed towards them and etc., – scole9 years ago
A speculative think piece, could be based partly on the trend for gritty TV shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones) as well as big blockbuster hits. Also the surprise hit with little known Guardians of the Galaxy. Could be fun to think on possible filming and casting choices too!
This is a very interesting topic! Could you please elaborate more on the thesis a little more? It's a bit vague. Would this concern the comic books, as well? Would it be a comparison of T.V. series vs. movie franchise? Also, your comment about Guardians of the Galaxy is a bit confusing, what do you mean by "surprise hit"? Please develop this thought a little more. Otherwise, good ideas! – Megan Finsel9 years ago
I think what makes Guardians of the Galaxy interesting is that it originated as a little-known comic and yet has been a really popular film, sorry I did not make that as explicit as I should have done. The overall idea is to use comics as source material and imagine whether they will / how they could be brought to the screen (this could be film or TV). – Camille Brouard9 years ago
They can bring ANYTHING they want to the screen! – IanB589 years ago
I love this topic! It could work for TV shows, but since Marvel has literally every film from phase three already announced and basically ready to go -- this could be cool to think about phase four and what comics they could bring to the screen after these ones have concluded. – scole9 years ago
