Her.meneutics: An Open Letter to DC Comics

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« A Christian Response to Gay Bullying | Main | Go Marry, Young Man! »

October 13, 2011

An Open Letter to DC Comics

How to stop making it so hard for me to love you.

Alicia Cohn

Dear DC Comics,
Since you are my favorite comic book publisher, I am so excited that your risky decision to reboot 52 of your comic book titles seems to be paying off.

I haven’t been in a comic-book store in a while — and not just because I have been told “the nail salon is next door” once too often, or because DC Entertainment agreed to replace a super guy from Iowa with one from Britain to play my favorite character. I haven’t been to one in a while because, well, let’s face it: your medium has been hit-or-miss for some time.

However, I applauded your initiative to simplify your storytelling, and hoped it might re-center on the moral drama of priority-setting, the often competitive brute and moral strength, choice, and consequence. After all, those qualities got me hooked on superhero stories in the first place, and it’s those kinds of character dilemmas that I have most enjoyed dissecting with other fans.
For this, I would celebrate your success wholeheartedly — if it weren’t for a controversy triggered by the reboot of several of your female characters, in particular, the alien Starfire.

Fantasy author Michele Lee asked her 7-year-old daughter how she felt about the revamped Starfire. Here’s a snippet of their conversation, one you’ve apparently caught wind of:
Daughter: "Well, she's not fighting anyone. And not talking to anyone really. She's just almost naked and posing."

Lee: "Do you think this Starfire is a good hero?"

Daughter: "Not really."

Lee: "Do you think the Starfire from the Teen Titans cartoon is a good role model?"

Daughter: immediately "Oh yes. She's a great role model. She tells people they can be good friends and super powerful and fight for good."

Lee: "Do you think the Starfire in the Teen Titans comic book is a good role model?"

Daughter: "Yes, too. She's still a good guy. Pretty, but she's helping others all the time and saving people."

Lee: "What about this new Starfire?"

Daughter: "No, I don't think so."

Lee: "Why not?"

Daughter: "Because she's not doing anything."

This conversation hits close to home. I have a 6-year-old niece who is far more interested than me in combining “pretty” dress-up outfits with saving the day. So I was interested to see the official response on your Twitter feed:

We've heard what's being said about Starfire today and we appreciate the dialogue on this topic. We encourage people to pay attention to the ratings when picking out any books to read themselves or for their children.

Unfortunately, I find your defense flawed on multiple fronts. First, Starfire is a major character in an animated series targeted to a pre-teen audience (Teen Titans). The sunshine-y version of the character in the cartoon is barely recognizable to those of us who've read her adult saga, but it's the same character and the same brand, and a new generation of little girls is getting hooked on the idea of her.

Also, you expressed that the goal of your new reboot “was to expand the market by appealing to new/lapsed readers.” I'm not sure what comic book audience is more readymade than the kids who are already watching the cartoon version.

But deep in my superhero-loving heart, I find your answer dissatisfying because you seem to have forgotten that your characters are meant to be aspirational. Yes, for years I have accepted the fact that male superheroes are more inspiring than female. The men are marked by moral dilemmas, tough choices, and strength of character that goes hand-in-hand with their superstrengths. Those are qualities I’m happy to have fill my niece’s imagination.

But like Lee’s daughter, my niece likes that Starfire is pretty as well as (at least in the cartoon) courageous and funny. It’s important to me, passing down this character, that the “pretty” have substance, something with life lessons beyond what Barbie offers.

That’s why I am uncomfortable that my niece asks me to help her roll up her shirt to look more like Starfire. Sharing comic books with my family and friends no longer seems edifying, and — perhaps more relevant to you — it feels like a waste of money to pick up an issue of Catwoman, for instance, that includes more faceless body shots than plot.

This is not a good habit to take up following your already well-documented, very unfortunate history of using female characters as victims, girlfriends, witches, or a ready-made (usually tragic) motive to spur male superheroes onto greatness.

A reboot is your chance to change all that. Let the girl superheroes be pretty and inspiring. There is nothing wrong with your hyper-male and hyper-female heroes (though it’d be nice if you allowed the ladies to be more practical in their clothing choices), but the qualities that actually make them admirable are not gendered.

Superheroes are enduring and iconic precisely because of the characteristics they demonstrate, qualities that happen to parallel those characteristics celebrated by great Bible heroes, too, such as Esther, who displayed courage and strategy, and Ruth, who displayed loyalty and innovation.

By the way: Apparently Esther was notably attractive, so you see it does happen. Feel free to use your imagination.

Your fan,

Alicia

Comments

I can second that! I really enjoyed stealing my brother's comic books when I was in middle school, but now that my son is starting to haunt the stores--wow. Mostly naked, bloody women just don't do anything for me. What happened to the warrior princesses from the fantasy books I read as a kid--Eilonwy, Eowyn, Lucy and Susan, and their ilk?

Maybe part of the problem is that comic book writers assume they're writing for adolescent boys, who are supposed to like that sort of stuff (blech). But it's not crossing the threshold of my house, thanks! I think publishers of comic books and graphic novels might be surprised at how many people would pick up their products if they'd just stop portraying women as victimized Barbies of wrath.

As someone who bought, read and traded comics, I really really appreciated this post. Best line: "... the qualities that actually make them admirable are not gendered." Perfect.

Tim

Alicia, Thank you so much for your comments. As a die-hard DC fan, I was extremely disappointment with the depiction of women in the New 52. Starfire, Batwoman, Catwoman, and (please don't read it if you haven't already) Voodoo. I too, agree that these female leads should be heroes that younger girls can aspire to, and too often, they are used as adolescent male fantasy.

As a slight consolation prize, though, one of DC's only female writers, Gail Simone is writing Batgirl, and it is smart, funny, and not exploitative at all to women.

Hopefully, DC will get the message, and we will see a new age of strong, heroic female leads.

Blessings

I never have been a big comic book fan (I just didn't have the money or access when I was a kid.) But the problem is true in books as well.

I just re-read a number of books from my early teen years and they are pretty mixed on there portrayal of girls. These were book I read as a teen boy. Madeline L'Engle is pretty good, but still she is more likely to write about boys than girls. Lloyd Alexander's Eilonwy is pretty whiney and minor in most of the books, but has some good moments.

I am paying much more attention now. I am the nanny for my two nieces and even at 2 and 4 I see the lack of appropriate female heroes clearly making itself known.

Adam Shields

I am paying much more attention now. I am the nanny for my two nieces and even at 2 and 4 I see the lack of appropriate female heroes clearly making itself known.

Unfortunately, popular "heroic" books tend to be heavily weighted towards male characters. That said, there are a few decent ones created by good authors.

Looking at movies, Princess Leia - yes, that Princess Leia - is an interesting example. When you first see her, you expect the standard "useless princess". Then she's freed from her cell, and immediately takes over leadership of her own rescue. In the second movie, she's the one that frees the heroes from captivity. In the third movie, she rescues her boyfriend from Jabba, even killing Jabba single-handedly.

Hermione Granger, from Harry Potter books and movies. Strong, intelligent girl.

Nancy Drew, though I suspect most of these would be rather dated now. Not sure if they're still writing them or not.

He doesn't really write kid-friendly characters of this type, but Joss Whedon had the following to say during an interview:
Interviewer: So why do you write these strong female characters?
Joss Whedon: Because you're still asking me that question.

I, for one, will be thrilled when the gender of s strong character doesn't matter.

Heh - This was why I was SO disappointed in the new X-Men movie - I was never a comic reader but I loved the cartoons and movies! But First Class was horrid for its protrayal of women. Every single female character - _every_ single female character was in her underwear at some point in the movie. Beyond disturbing.

@Newly Karen - I love that Joss Whedon quote! I hadn't heard it before but it fits in with what I know about him.

Thank you, thank you for this post! As a self-described Queen of Nerds, I've always wanted to be more into comics. But I've never really dived in because of the issues you describe. So far all I've read are Sandman and Fables-- I haven't been able to touch the superheroes with a ten-foot pole. And again, where do I turn my daughter when she gets older? Certainly not to Halle Barry's S&M Catwoman!

I guess we'll just stick to Princess Leia (and Amidala, as long as we discuss her bad taste in men...)

@ Adam Shields--Agreed, Eilonwy was a bubble-head, but I always figured that was an overblown part of her character. Some of Alexander's other characters were like that too--I never found her extreme naivete offensive, which is interesting, because I've sometimes wondered if I should. But I think it just seemed more magical and surreal than anything else--more Fflewdder Fflam-ish than a commentary on feminine intellect.

Sorry to go off on that tangent--I just don't usually come across anyone who knows who Eilonwy is, much less would think to comment on her. Geeks unite! ;-P

Jenny Rae,

I agree with you about Eilonwy. I am not offended by her, but having just re-read the whole series in the last two weeks I am recently thinking about her. Have you read Alexander's Westmark trilogy? Mickle/Augusta is a much stronger character.

Here are a fair number of science fiction female leads. I wonder if Sci/Fi because it is a genre of breaking molds lends itself more to that?

Probably the best female superheroes, in their best eras, were Mary Marvel in the 1940s, Supergirl in the 60s, & Wonder Woman at various times, including just a few years ago when Gail Simone was writing her and Aaron Lopresti (a Christian) was drawing her. Alas, most mainstream comic books today are written and edited by totally clueless & mostly untalented individuals who are themselves simply overgrown adolescents. One has to look beyond DC & Marvel for anything really good. There's an upcoming title called KNIGHTINGAIL (done by a fellow believer) which looks as if it'll be good. & I myself am the creator/writer of a teenage superheroine named Jonni Star, who has appeared in small-press publication, but whom I hope to publish someday in a trade paperback.

Adam--yes, I loved the Westmark Trilogy! I haven't read any of Alexander's books in years, though--now I'm wondering where my copies went. I have my suspicions--time to raid my brother's house and rifle through his shelves. (We're in our thirties and STILL pilfering each other's books! Some things never change, I guess.)

Tamora Pierce's "Alanna" books reminded me a bit of the Westmark Trilogy, although honestly it's been so long since I've read the Trilogy that I could be completely off-base.

Haven't commented before but have followed your blog, I have two Her meneutic sisters. I like the way you think and the way you present your arguments. Not real interested in Starfire but very interested in the minds of a new generation. Keep up the discourse.

Ken

I realize this is a DC-based thread, but the best female superhero writing I know of right now is in Avengers Academy (easily the best Avengers title right now ... it's not even close). Veil, Hazmat, and Finesse are real characters, with real moral dilemmas, real thoughts, and real roles. There's also Tigra, who is as unimpressive as ever, but if you focus on the kids, it's great stuff. Frankly, I find them more interesting than the male characters. Only Mettle comes close.

Note also that none of those names actually reveals the gender of the heroine. (Insert a descriptor here) Woman/Girl gets really old.

By the way, I like Eilonwy, though she's certainly not the ideal model of a heroine. Considering the era the Prydain Chronicles was written, I give it a pass. Partly because, as you noted, she wasn't the only kind-of goofy character.

Delighted by the "geek" support - thanks everyone! I am also a fan of Joss Whedon's strong female characters (also not kid-friendly, but there are some excellent women in "Battlestar Galatica," too) and happy for the other recommendations.

Though I was never a comic-book fan, I do embody many other nerd stereotypes and as a mother to a 3-year-old girl, I am also concerned with the lack of strong female characters once we move beyond Dora and Kai-Lan.

Hermione is certainly a great example! Wouldn't it be great to have a whole franchise centered around a Hermione-type character?

I always loved Eilonwy, though... She was smart enough, though kind of snotty about it. But Taran was such a goofball sometimes, it's hard to blame her!

And how can you say L'Engle wrote mostly about boys? Meg Murray, Poly O'Keefe, Vicky Austin, Camilla, and Katherine are all strong female leads. In fact, I can only think of two novels in which the main characters were male- Many Waters and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. And does anyone else love Harry (a girl) and Aerin in Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, respectively?

Okay, sorry I hijacked your DC thread to ramble about sic-fi girls...

L'Engle has many good girl characters. But I was thinking about numbers, more than actual characters. So in the Wrinkle in Time Series, Meg is the only girl (Polly is in the 5th book but I haven't read that one yet.) But even though Meg is the main character in the first two, there are always more male characters than female. And the 3rd and 4th are primarily about Charles Wallace and the twins and Meg is a much less important character. I need to read L'Engle more widely. Camilla is a good example of a strong female lead from her though.

@ Jenny E.--Hermione is the best! How about a series about Hermione BEFORE Hogwarts for middle-graders? I'd buy that!

Comic books? Getting a little far afield from any discussion of Christ Jesus and our faith, aren't we? No matter -- I'll make a note to skip the hermenutics section from now on. The magazine still offers at least one or two stories regarding Christianity in its main section. I have noticed, however, that articles that have anything to do with our Lord continue to get more and more thinned out by matters like whining about comic books and politicians these days.

Battlestar Galactica was a excellent example of a series with strong female characters. Flawed, yes, but strong. Having Starbuck be female rather than male in the remake was brilliant. I also thought it was neat that the producers showed her faith at times, too (before you flame me, I DO realize she followed a made up faith and religion!)

Love seeing so many geeky girls on this thread. Strong female characters FTW!

Indeed! Geek literature is rife with strong women, even more so if you go to not-child-friendly series like The Dresden Files or Codex Alera (Jim Butcher).

Dresden Files has swearing, adult situations, and a lot of violence (and minor gore) - but it has some of the best depictions of Christ-like characters in fiction. Plus pop-fiction Angels of both the Fallen and Arch varieties done reasonably well. All of this said, the main character isn't exactly what I would call a good guy - he operates in a world of grey. He's almost invariably assisted by a Catholic cop, though her faith in God is rarely an issue (and doesn't stop her from sinning throughout the books).

Codex Alera has a far more standard hero, but the story is usually broken into two or three sections that weave together as the book continues. Not only does the primary main character usually have his girlfriend/wife with him almost all the time, both of the other threads primarily focus on women.

There are other series - Heralds of Valdemar comes to mind - but I suspect that most people reading this site won't be interested in reading those; Heralds was one of the first major fantasy series to have significant LGBT themes.

I think it is interesting the comment above that comic books have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and thus, shouldn't be talked about at Christianity Today.

Okay, it's a stretch but still I thank you for the interesting topic and here is where I feel it is relevant. Our daughters need heroes and role models too and ones that are more than simply sexy sidekicks but leaders.

Someone should write a series of comic books based on the female hero's in the Bible. Anyone?

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