Reading Between the Panels #1
May. 19th, 2010 03:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emeraldstagHad some comic book thoughts while reading that I can't really cover in my stack posts. Might do this on occasion.
In Batgirl, it looks like they're trying to recreate Jason Bard with the new Detective Gage. This is a direct example of my problem with how comic relationships are handled, in that they are not a major focus for their core male audience so they treat it flippantly. Like in REBELS, where Starfire now finds herself. She is immediately hit on by Captain Comet, and a dig at Dick Grayson while they're at it. It's a double standard with the sexes as the male heroes don't carry relationships because it's all about the action, but with female heroes when given their own title they are immediately beset with either a romantic interest or at the very least an opposite sex character to interact with.
Find me a top level character that is in a relationship (outside of Superman - Barry Allen/Flash is from that era & Aquaman hasn't been around for a long time). There isn't one. The only one at Marvel was Spider-man and well, we saw what they thought of that relationship, removing it so they can instead have moments like that terrible mess Van Lente wrote with Peter's roommate and the Chameleon pretending to be Peter.
Sadly I think the next victim to this relationship status quo will probably be Ultimate Spider-Man. Since the terribly written Ultimatum, USM has been a shining spotlight of FUN and stability. But as we all know, writers have to shake things up and with the upcoming appearance of the Chameleon and the phrase "Spider-Man's life is completely destroyed". I wouldn't be surprised, after all Peter Parker isn't allowed to be HAPPY.
That being said, looks like Kitty's life is the first to change. I really wish they'd leave the mutant discriminating to just the 616-verse but I guess that's just one mutant characteristic they don't want to drop. I do think the cast has gotten a bit heavy with the additions of Johnny Storms & Bobby Drake but I'd hate Kitty to be the one that leaves. With those two around Peter, he seems to act much more like the teenage boy he is, not sticking around to help Kitty through her pain instead of walking off with Johnny and Bobby. Although I must admit in the Ultimate verse I would like to see a Peter/Sue Storm relationship, might add that to my one-shot ideas I'd like to write someday. Of course I don't think Ultimate Peter is as scientific as his 616-predecessor so it might not be the perfect match but that hug from a few issues ago sparked the plot bunny.
With Birds of Prey returning, I'm wondering how they're going to balance Barbara Gordon between that book and Batgirl. Because we know that a character can't be used in two titles where they aren't the main focus. I'm wondering if the minor plot involving Wendy will evolve into her taking on the role of Stephanie's info provider. I worry sometimes about the use of the Batfamily villains. The Riddler was made into a legit detective for a time but now its clear they're making him back into something sinister. Two-Face, after being made into a trustworthy character during OYL was quickly made back into the villain but has dropped into obscurity even though he's considered to many to be the main Batvillain that would be Dick's nemesis. Now the Penguin is going to be doing something with Birds of Prey and I can only feel anxious about it.
I'll be dropping a few titles I've been reading: REBELS, I only started reading it again because of Starfire's sudden inclusion but I'm really over her being typecast as a "space character" and reduced to only those type of stories; Batman, I'll be dropping while Tony Daniel writes. I know Morrison is coming back to tell some untold story between Final Crisis & RIP, but once he leaves I'll be back off because while Morrison writes a great Dick/Damian in Batman and Robin, I miss Pete Tomasi writing Dick. He wrote him great during the last year or two of Nightwing, and I really wish they'd give him the Batman title to write. I won't continue with the Superman: War of the Supermen, I'm tired of the evil Lanes, tired of Zod and tired of Kara's family being killed. I used to complain about Jamal Igle's art, but having seen his art on something else, I think the art falls more on either the colorist or inker instead of Igle's pencils.
In Batgirl, it looks like they're trying to recreate Jason Bard with the new Detective Gage. This is a direct example of my problem with how comic relationships are handled, in that they are not a major focus for their core male audience so they treat it flippantly. Like in REBELS, where Starfire now finds herself. She is immediately hit on by Captain Comet, and a dig at Dick Grayson while they're at it. It's a double standard with the sexes as the male heroes don't carry relationships because it's all about the action, but with female heroes when given their own title they are immediately beset with either a romantic interest or at the very least an opposite sex character to interact with.
Find me a top level character that is in a relationship (outside of Superman - Barry Allen/Flash is from that era & Aquaman hasn't been around for a long time). There isn't one. The only one at Marvel was Spider-man and well, we saw what they thought of that relationship, removing it so they can instead have moments like that terrible mess Van Lente wrote with Peter's roommate and the Chameleon pretending to be Peter.
Sadly I think the next victim to this relationship status quo will probably be Ultimate Spider-Man. Since the terribly written Ultimatum, USM has been a shining spotlight of FUN and stability. But as we all know, writers have to shake things up and with the upcoming appearance of the Chameleon and the phrase "Spider-Man's life is completely destroyed". I wouldn't be surprised, after all Peter Parker isn't allowed to be HAPPY.
That being said, looks like Kitty's life is the first to change. I really wish they'd leave the mutant discriminating to just the 616-verse but I guess that's just one mutant characteristic they don't want to drop. I do think the cast has gotten a bit heavy with the additions of Johnny Storms & Bobby Drake but I'd hate Kitty to be the one that leaves. With those two around Peter, he seems to act much more like the teenage boy he is, not sticking around to help Kitty through her pain instead of walking off with Johnny and Bobby. Although I must admit in the Ultimate verse I would like to see a Peter/Sue Storm relationship, might add that to my one-shot ideas I'd like to write someday. Of course I don't think Ultimate Peter is as scientific as his 616-predecessor so it might not be the perfect match but that hug from a few issues ago sparked the plot bunny.
With Birds of Prey returning, I'm wondering how they're going to balance Barbara Gordon between that book and Batgirl. Because we know that a character can't be used in two titles where they aren't the main focus. I'm wondering if the minor plot involving Wendy will evolve into her taking on the role of Stephanie's info provider. I worry sometimes about the use of the Batfamily villains. The Riddler was made into a legit detective for a time but now its clear they're making him back into something sinister. Two-Face, after being made into a trustworthy character during OYL was quickly made back into the villain but has dropped into obscurity even though he's considered to many to be the main Batvillain that would be Dick's nemesis. Now the Penguin is going to be doing something with Birds of Prey and I can only feel anxious about it.
I'll be dropping a few titles I've been reading: REBELS, I only started reading it again because of Starfire's sudden inclusion but I'm really over her being typecast as a "space character" and reduced to only those type of stories; Batman, I'll be dropping while Tony Daniel writes. I know Morrison is coming back to tell some untold story between Final Crisis & RIP, but once he leaves I'll be back off because while Morrison writes a great Dick/Damian in Batman and Robin, I miss Pete Tomasi writing Dick. He wrote him great during the last year or two of Nightwing, and I really wish they'd give him the Batman title to write. I won't continue with the Superman: War of the Supermen, I'm tired of the evil Lanes, tired of Zod and tired of Kara's family being killed. I used to complain about Jamal Igle's art, but having seen his art on something else, I think the art falls more on either the colorist or inker instead of Igle's pencils.
