collababortion

What I just told DC

DC has been getting some rough press (viz. the audio footage of DiDio getting aggressive with a reader at SDCC), but I continue to be willing to give them a chance to redeem themselves.  Wonder Woman is an OUTSTANDING book, as is Animal Man and Batwoman. I think Action, Demon Knights, and Swamp Thing all have immense potential.  I’m going straight to buying trades of both Firestorm and Batgirl, and look forward to more of Simone’s writing (because Secret Six has supplanted every other book I’ve ever collected as my favorite of all time, and I’m sad as heck to see it go).

I was a Marvel girl, primarily, growing up, and headed into indie territory once the horrors of the nineties took a toll on my favorite books at the time (Liefeld!!!! *shakes fist*). It took Birds of Prey and Secret Six to tempt me back to reading one of the “big two” publishers.  So I feel a bit betrayed that the company I’ve given so much of my money to recently has released such swill as Catwoman and Red Hood.  Would having more women on staff at DC mitigate this? Not necessarily - DC has female editors on staff now, and that fact hasn’t stopped such atrocious drivel from being published on nice, shiny paper with a big “T” emblazoned on the front to tell parents it’s ok for their kids to read it during a time when they’re forming their opinions about the world and how they relate to it.

I’m buying Marvel, too, these days.  And while I think they also have some issues, they are not nearly so dire.  It would be a good idea for both publishers to look to the other to see what works, what doesn’t and why comics are continuing to take a downward turn when they can be one of the least expensive forms of entertainment.  Marvel: look at Wonder Woman, Batwoman, and Animal Man. DC: look at the new Daredevil and Ultimate Spider-Man.  These are GREAT books with GREAT art and compelling stories with nary a tit or ass or dead-eyed porno stare on full objectifying display. 

I know DC is getting a lot of input like this these days, and it’s probably tempting and easy to tune it out as “just another angry feminist”.  Please don’t. Even if you only scan these things, consider, if only for a moment, how many voices there are shouting the same thing.  We WANT to buy your comics. We WANT to support you, give you our money, give you a chance to really forge customer loyalty with new demographics.  We’re giving you the tools to do so, if you only listen.