wonderseal (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wonderseal) wrote2009-05-06 07:37 pm
wonderseal) wrote2009-05-06 07:37 pm
Entry tags:
I have very important opinions about visual graphic literature, okay
I just got the first issue of Power Girl.
You win a cookie for reading all of this*
I should preface this by saying I haven't read the Terra mini, but I'm going to!! I have all the issues now!!
But yes, Power Girl. I knew I liked Amanda Connor's art. I saw it in the Green Arrow/Black Canary wedding special and it was cute. Her women have substance and they feel like they could, you know, stand up. Especially for a character like Power Girl, whose more defining feature, shall we say, has (rather unfortunately for the most part) been her large chest, it's important that she not be all muscles. I like the softer, fuller approach to drawing women! And I like good looking women in my comics. I think it's important for there to be idealized people in comics. We need to have something that makes us wish we were these characters. That's why it's escapist. What bothers me is when the line between ideal and hypersexualized gets blurred; when people get them confused, and think that an ideal figure is one that is objectified. Obligatory mention of Marvel Divas goes here.
ANYWAY. I knew I was excited for Power Girl. And I certainly enjoyed the first few pages. I was a little annoyed that her civilian person, Karen Starr, wore such low-cut outfits. But then I got into the book a little more, and discovered not only a superhero who was confident and competent, but a woman who was these things. I got more about her personality and her force of character from her civilian form than from her superhero form. Karen Starr is setting up her own super technical company that refuses government contracts and only does thing to help people. She wears a casual suit and red checkered sneakers. She's funny, humble, and in charge.
The panels that sold me happened when she's interviewing a guy for the job. She asks if he's interested and, eyes on her impressive cleavage, says "Sure Miss Starr... I'm, uh, very interested!" Without looking at him, changing her demeanor, or chastising him, she takes a finger and gently lifts his chin. This was amazing to me. Here we have someone who dresses sexily presumably because it makes her feel good. She doesn't like it when men ignore her face, but she doesn't become a raging bitch, either. She's cool, confident, and remains accessible while defining her boundaries. And she actually goes on to address the fact that people stare at her breasts, so she's not oblivious to her sexy. And she's gotten over it without surrendering any of herself or vilifying anyone in the process, and staying hot on her own terms.
The other bit that really made me think that this was not like a lot I've seen in terms of girls in comics is a scene where someone she is considering hiring is openly sexist. He says, "I understand your fear, you're a woman and your nature is to raise children, but we can only conquer this huge, contagious social cancer if we comprehend its essence..." Karen addresses this by first debating his logic, then asking him to leave: "Now get out and take your sexist nonsense with you." I think the first important part of this is that they brought it up at all. This shows an awareness and a comfort from the writers. And they have Karen handle it in a mature way! Instead of being reactionary, she addresses the logical concerns, and then lets him know that he was out of line. Every part of this comic shows Karen in a position of cool, level-headed authority. But she's still accessible and likable. I would want to be friends with her!
I think it's the red checkered sneakers.
*Actual cookies may vary
You win a cookie for reading all of this*
I should preface this by saying I haven't read the Terra mini, but I'm going to!! I have all the issues now!!
But yes, Power Girl. I knew I liked Amanda Connor's art. I saw it in the Green Arrow/Black Canary wedding special and it was cute. Her women have substance and they feel like they could, you know, stand up. Especially for a character like Power Girl, whose more defining feature, shall we say, has (rather unfortunately for the most part) been her large chest, it's important that she not be all muscles. I like the softer, fuller approach to drawing women! And I like good looking women in my comics. I think it's important for there to be idealized people in comics. We need to have something that makes us wish we were these characters. That's why it's escapist. What bothers me is when the line between ideal and hypersexualized gets blurred; when people get them confused, and think that an ideal figure is one that is objectified. Obligatory mention of Marvel Divas goes here.
ANYWAY. I knew I was excited for Power Girl. And I certainly enjoyed the first few pages. I was a little annoyed that her civilian person, Karen Starr, wore such low-cut outfits. But then I got into the book a little more, and discovered not only a superhero who was confident and competent, but a woman who was these things. I got more about her personality and her force of character from her civilian form than from her superhero form. Karen Starr is setting up her own super technical company that refuses government contracts and only does thing to help people. She wears a casual suit and red checkered sneakers. She's funny, humble, and in charge.
The panels that sold me happened when she's interviewing a guy for the job. She asks if he's interested and, eyes on her impressive cleavage, says "Sure Miss Starr... I'm, uh, very interested!" Without looking at him, changing her demeanor, or chastising him, she takes a finger and gently lifts his chin. This was amazing to me. Here we have someone who dresses sexily presumably because it makes her feel good. She doesn't like it when men ignore her face, but she doesn't become a raging bitch, either. She's cool, confident, and remains accessible while defining her boundaries. And she actually goes on to address the fact that people stare at her breasts, so she's not oblivious to her sexy. And she's gotten over it without surrendering any of herself or vilifying anyone in the process, and staying hot on her own terms.
The other bit that really made me think that this was not like a lot I've seen in terms of girls in comics is a scene where someone she is considering hiring is openly sexist. He says, "I understand your fear, you're a woman and your nature is to raise children, but we can only conquer this huge, contagious social cancer if we comprehend its essence..." Karen addresses this by first debating his logic, then asking him to leave: "Now get out and take your sexist nonsense with you." I think the first important part of this is that they brought it up at all. This shows an awareness and a comfort from the writers. And they have Karen handle it in a mature way! Instead of being reactionary, she addresses the logical concerns, and then lets him know that he was out of line. Every part of this comic shows Karen in a position of cool, level-headed authority. But she's still accessible and likable. I would want to be friends with her!
I think it's the red checkered sneakers.
*Actual cookies may vary