Most Comic - Con news come courtesy of press releases and carefully choreographed unveilings at panels . But this year , one of the most surprising Con story of 2011 came out of that popular raw material of Con life : the audience question - and - answer session .
In short , one speculative Batgirl cosplayer — who go by the byname Kyrax2 — wanted to know why DC Comics did n’t have more women helming their brand newfangled superhero books . A hebdomad later , the result cyberspace katzenjammer moderate DC to issue a press tone ending confronting this issue , stanching what had become a DEFCON 1 public recounting meltdown .
This particular lamentation did n’t originate withKyrax2 . Indeed , the news of a positively dinky amount of women writers and illustratorsparticipating in DC ’s much ballyhooedSeptember relaunchhad been gaining traction prior to Con .
https://gizmodo.com/why-is-dc-comics-canceling-and-restarting-all-its-super-5811314
But Kyrax2 put a face to this critique of DC ’s testosterone - heavy originative and superhero rosters , and after hearing a heated up exchange between DC co - publisher Dan DiDio and a fan on the Thursday of Con , Kyrax2 took her business to the mike the next day . In an eminently clear interview withDC Women Kicking Ass , Kyrax2 describe the frosty reaction she gravel at the Justice League panel :
When I got up to ask the interrogative , I was feel almost * bewildered * , which is why it come out as , “ Where are the woman ? ” This line got cheer up . Johns responded that DC had more iconic female characters than anyone else , and also said that he loved Mera , who was a cracking eccentric and ‘ right there next to Aquaman ’ . The first woman Johns mention in response to my question was n’t Wonder Woman , it was a character determine by her relationship to one of the male superheroes .
I respond to that , thinking out loudly and note that a lot of their female submarine sandwich are tie in with another hero . For example , BatGIRL / Batman , SuperGIRL / Superman , Wonder GIRL … Wonder WOMAN , who I say was the only REALLY iconic DC female fighter I could think of off the top of my head .
The audience did n’t care that . They right away began yelling at me , shouting out their favorite female sub , Huntress , Starfire , etc . In term of iconic status , are Huntress and Starfire on the same degree as Wonder Woman ? I for sure had n’t learn of them before I convey into comics .
The room became extraordinarily unfriendly to me very , very quick . People start hiss and yelling at me to sit down . I shrugged and said , “ Well , now I ’m blend to get scream at . ” I was n’t overturned so much as I was * confused * . Did n’t these people want to see more give up - ass adult female ?
Later in Con , Kyrax2 would again iron the progeny with DC ’s head honchoes , who at this peak damn well knew the woman in the Stephanie Brown Batsuit . Post - Con , news show of DC ’s Q&A embroilment spread asindustry press picked up the storyand theaudio clip of a stung DiDio treat the other lover from Con Thursdaymade the internet rounds . confront with an increase ireful interweb , DC discharge off a much postulate press release entitled“We Hear You ” last Friday evening :
DC Comics is the home of a pantheon of noteworthy , iconic woman characters like Wonder Woman , Lois Lane , Batgirl , Batwoman , Catwoman and Supergirl as well as fan favorite characters like Black Canary , Katana , Mera and Starfire [ … ] We ’ll have exciting news about new projects with women creators in the coming months and will be make those announcements closer to publishing .
On one hand , I empathize with the DC panelists . Convention Q&As can be a snake in the grass pit , where any matter — no matter how innocuous , inane , or arcane — can gravel up the spleen of fans ( “ I HATE the colour of Hawkman ’s shoulder pads ! ” ) and inspire “ gotcha ” questions .
On the other , these were n’t those questions . It ’s somewhat baffling how damage ascendance was louse up here , for the simple fact that want to see more female creators and the creation of marquise female characters is n’t a controversial position whatsoever .
DC unquestionably is n’t conspire to keep women out of the comical diligence , but dodging questions about the sheer possibility of hiring womanhood creators gives the veneer of dodginess . As Kyrax2 herself remark :
The thing I do n’t understand , is why Didio is so actively hostile to questions about female Almighty ? Consider a couple of other ways the conversation could have gone :
Q : Are you committed to lease more woman ?
A : Yes .
( cheers from the audience , I sit down )
Superheroes may have the comic medium in a headlock , and the industry skew towards bepenised personnel and protagonists . But assuming an omertà about letting women in the Batcave does n’t make a damn punch of sentience , and hopefully DC ’s willingness to open ( and act on ) this dialogue with fans will inspire other newspaper publisher to do the same .
So there you have it , comic industry — now someone give Kate Beaton’sStrong Female Characters their own serial , for bullshit ’s saki .
halfway photo viaDC Women Kicking Ass .
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