Posted on 05/28/2006 3:33:03 PM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Hinted and teased about for months, Sunday’s New York Times (already being delivered in the New York area) confirms that DC is brining back a staple of its Silver Age: Batwoman.
The article, entitled "Straight (and Not) Out of the Comics: At DC and Marvel Comics, new heroes are gay, black, Asian and Hispanic. Get used to it," is a full- page feature on page 25 of the Sunday Arts & Leisure section on Marvel and DC’s emphasis on increasing the diversity of their respective character libraries over the past months to year-plus. NYT writer George Gene Gustines covers, among others, the attention being placed on the upcoming Black Panther/Storm wedding at Marvel and Luke Cage's key role in New Avengers, and the new Blue Beetle - a Hispanic teen - as well as Batwoman, Kathy Kane, who, according to the article: “…is a wealthy (socialite), buxom lipstick lesbian who has a history with Renee Montoya, an ex-police detective who has a starring role in 52."
According to the article, Batwoman will "appear in costume for the first time in a July issue of 52"
Eagle-eyed DC fans caught a first look at Batwoman in Infinite Crisis #7’s splash page showing a swath of new characters – wearing a costume apparently inspired by the original, Silver Age Batwoman, as well as a nod to the color scheme of Batman Beyond. According to the NYT, the costume was designed by Alex Ross. Of course, her name, an obvious homage to the Silver Age “Kathy Kane”.
Also mentioned is “the Great Ten”, a Chinese-government controlled/sponsored superhero team making their debut next month in 52. According to the article, the team includes, "the Celestial Archer, with ties to Chinese mythology; Mother of Champions, who can give birth to a litter of 25 super-soldiers about every three days; and Seven Deadly Brothers, a martial arts expert who can divide into many."
The Times piece recaps the sometimes bumpy roads comic books have taken towards diversity - including DC's 1998 series The New Guardians, the mid-90's Milestone imprint, and 2000's "Planet DC" initiative - but according to Gustines, this new emphasis/push is intended to be a "sustained one,” taking place in an alternate world that nevertheless reflects American society in general and comics readers in particular, in much the same way that they multicultural casts of televisions shows like ABC's Lost and Grey's Anatomy mirror their audiences."
"I'm glad we're at the point when they're being rolled out without flourish - not 'Minority Heroes Attack!,' " DC writer Judd Winick tells Gustines. "It's important to see them as characters and not a story line about race."
The piece is also not without some examination of the online comic book community and their reaction to change. Citing the death of the Ted Kord Blue Beetle, which paved the way for the new Mexican-American Jaime Reyes version, Gustine writes, "Fans of the old Blue Beetle posted online messages decrying his death and griping about DC's new, generally more somber direction. But comics devotees are notorious for buying titles out of loyalty, whether from completist compulsion or from a need to be able to complain about what they don't like, and DC knows it".
"It's hard to introduce any new hero," DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio tells Gustines, adding that using familiar names like (like Blue Beetle and Batwoman), "gives us a leg up so they're more readily accepted, I think that's the way to go."
Look for a link to the Times piece when it appears online, and an interview with DiDio on the new Batwoman and DC's drive to diversity Sunday, here at Newsarama.com.
Ping
Sounds more like "Moonbatwoman"
This thread is ghey.
And if a Muslim was also included, just imagine the big o that the NYT's gayboy writer would've had.
The man behind many of the recent DC character 'overhauls' came to the company from a Hollywood background. Explains everything. I used to wonder why so many southern comic collectors shunned today's comics in favor of the Silver Age books. No wonder. The secular humanist agenda has now taken ahold of comics. Geez...
At least BATGIRL (Barbara Gordon) still likes guys...
Sheesh.
"It's okay, Batgirl... sometimes, Robin and I both like to accessorize, too..." :)
Is it just me, or does she look almost scarily like Vince Vaughn?
I'm probably going to have nightmares about that.
"That's a man, man!"
Ping! :)
:)
ROTF!! Sigh. They don't make 'em like they used to.
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