DC Women Kicking Ass is a site that, well, kicks ass! Check out the 5 best things that happened for women at DC Comics and 5 worst things that happened for women at DC Comics in 2010.
On the best side, the debut of a Batwoman, Power Girl, Batgirl, and Zatanna ongoing series and the relaunch of Birds of Prey all within 2009-2010 is really quite astonishing. You mean I can actually choose between books starring women now? (On the worst side of things: all these characters are white). It seems absurd to be grateful for multiple female-led books next to the glut of generic white male-led books (50% of which are Batman), but reality is absurd.
Also, I hadn’t considered the prominence of female characters in DC games much before – I looked at the terrible character creator in DCUO and wrote it off, and recoiled from Harley Quinn’s fetish makeover in Arkham Asylum – but talk about Wonder Woman in DCUO has got me thinking more about that.
On the worst side, the lack of women behind the scenes at DC Comics and the rendering of female superheroes in media adaptations of DC properties as personas non grata really hit home. I’m still bitter about Supergirl being written out of the title – and cover – of her own animated feature last fall.
DC Women Kicking Ass blows me away with its sheer prolificness and range of topics covered, through a dynamic mix of photo posts, open ended reaction posts, and more traditional textual analysis. The site has proved to me that Tumblr, primarily known for context-lite photoblogging and a weird form of limited commenting, can be a viable blogging platform (especially now that Tumblr’s added true commenting). I always learn something new when I visit DCWKA, making it a favourite go-to source.
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For my worst moment for DC females this year, please refer to the cover of “Zatanna” #5, an image that made me nauseous and caused me to instantly drop the book. Zatanna stares out at the viewer with vacant eyes, her lips parted “seductively,” her breasts way too large, but worst of all: the man holding her from behind, a sickening smile on his face, has one hand a few inches above her crotch. The cover caption reads: ZOMBIE LOVE!
Yuck! I didn’t even read the issue, I was so turned off. Jamal Igle has his work cut out for him to give this character back her dignity. .
Oh dear. I see what you mean. Definitely going for the drugged-and-about-to-be-raped look. Wow.
I had a similar visceral reaction to the opening page of issue #1. I’m sorry to see that the creepy predatory vibe not only hasn’t gone away, but has migrated to the covers :(
Thanks so much for the kind comments, Michelle.