She was Hispanic. Now she looks like this:
About a year ago, the Atom looked like this:
He was Asian. Now he looks like this:
About a year ago, Firestorm looked like this:
He was African-American. Now he looks like this:
These so-called "legacy" versions of older DC super heroes have really taken it on the chin lately; in fact, the Hispanic Hawkgirl and Asian Atom were flat-out killed so that their predecessors could reclaim the identities. As I've seen others observe on the internet, DC seems unable to escape the gravitational pull of 1983; everything reverts to the early 80s version of the characters eventually.
Cyborg, quick, meet me at camera three!
Vic, let me tell you something: you are dang, dang lucky you didn't name yourself "Robotman III." If you had, you'd have been snuffed decades ago, probably to help convince your readers that Shrapnel or Chemo were serious threats. It's a thankless job being the minority version of a long-standing DC hero and while "Cyborg" wasn't the most original name you could've thought of, at least you are your own man. Now, I'm not saying you Titans hold funerals every other month, but if I were you I'd start laying away a few dollars for Jaime Reyes' plot. It's only a question of time, right?
I do not believe there is a right or a wrong here, just different perspectives. They could just make Peter Parker, Pedro Parquedor, too but instead they started a new version. To me, that's the way you do it. Most people like this new younger black Puerto Rican Spider-man but I read several of the comics and it leaves me cold but the comic and films are doing great just like my Peter Parker comic and films all continue to be pretty great. Spider-Man 3 is way, way underrated.
ReplyDeleteFor Green Lantern, DC started up a Black version but of course green lanterns come in all shapes and forms so it wasn't as though they had to kill off Hal Jordan and they didn't for 20 more years or so. Now my Hal is the worst criminal/most guilty person in the universe but oh wait, he's back again.
The Falcon and the Black Panther were really well done. But there was another who was stereotypical in terms of dress and mannerisms who won't be named.
I find that DC has many, many excellent female characters and the artwork of such women is anywhere from outstanding to other worldly. Phoenix is more or less drawn in the same way as Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Hawk Girl, some times Lana and Lois were beautiful but because Lana is way less known, it worked to have I think, a mixed race person. I wouldn't normally characterize her that way. She's just a beautiful woman but when we start counting minority characters then we end up focusing on the very thing that we are supposed not to see which is race.
Some feminists object to how female characters are drawn but let them get their own comics. Gay men love certain drawings of male super hereos and women who love women like the amazing artwork which is some times way too much ahem boobage but these are idealized characters. Most of the Greek gods were gorgeous but the standards were a bit more realistic back then if anyone looks at Venus or Aphrodite works of art. I have a serious crush on Zatanna and on Hawkgirl. Powergirl looks ridiculous however.
Black Canary and Wonder Woman are often enthralling to watch or read, just for the artwork but I just adore Zatanna because she really has a sense of style that the others lack although Black Canary dressed similarly at times and withou her wig, they sort of look alike but so do Lois Lane and Wonder Woman, who have been at various times drawn to be more adorable with really cute hairstyles but in some versions are va-va-va-voom. Peace and love to all of Goddess's creatures.
You probably didn't figure on some comic book fans discussing female attire in the comics but maybe it had to do with my initial Wonder Woman who was only Diana Price and she had some very interesting 70's outfits. Black Canary wears very attractive hose and well, Phoenix was really beautiful, Gwen and Mary Jane and Sue Richards too had great artwork and outfits.
ReplyDeleteBruce Wayne was originally a man about town which is an old term for rowdy but very stylish bachelor. The Shadow was too but obviously male clothes and styles except for hair length changes and Robin's bare legs and fairy shoes into the sharp later Dick Grayson costumes. Steve who also works for Morgan Edge rocked some real 70's styles but he was a caricature of a sports reporter and eh, that's stereotyping as well in terms of Clark having superior intelligence. Super Girl has had many lovely costumes and is usually drawn realistically compared to her cousin Power Girl, such original names, no?