Friday, May 13, 2005

Stupid Author Quote

I'm embarrassed as a DC fan.

Because my beloved Thanagar is losing in my own poll? No. I just swill my enemies' blood from my "I Want You for the Thanagarian Army" stein, designing a little cottage for myself built entirely out of the bones of Rann-sympathizers...

Because the current issue of Aquaman is beyond my meager comprehension? No. I've wrapped myself up in a skirt and labcoat, reminding myself through the Aquaman gallery at Near Mint Heroes that Arthur has survived much worse (including Peter David and Rick Veitch)...

Because DC's new, cutting-edge logo is a decade behind the times and looks like it should be on a bathroom cleanser? No. The old logo was stupid; so's the new one. DC's uphipness is part of its charm.

Am I embarrased because Frank Miller's reason why we should buy All Star Batman & Robin is "This one's gonna have a lot of babes in it!" ? Pretty much. Like many readers, I've long since written off Miller as a whack-job whose greatness as a writer lies not in his work itself but in its effect on others (Kirby was like this, only not a whack-job).

The Batman titles have been the haven and heaven for strong female characters in the DCU. Not Wonder Woman, where woman get duped and abused so that WW can save them. Not Superman, where (despite all of Lois's gun-toting) women's job is to fall off buildings and out of helicopters. Batman gave us Sasha Bordeaux, Silver St. Cloud, Helena Bertinelli, Cassie Cain, Barbara Gordon, Selina Kyle, Renee Montoya, a no-longer invisible Maggie Sawyer, a respectable Onyx, Lady Shiva, Talia Al Ghul, Leslie Thompkins, Sarah Essen, Carrie Kelly (remember her, Frank?!), and I'm sure you could add to the list. For the love of Adam West, even Aunt Harriet pulled out a pistol to capture the great Chandel (or was it his brother Harry? In either case, the point remains...).

I know a lot of straight guys read comics and love the ladies, but trust me, as a gay guy I'd be just as mortified if Geoff Johns' recommendation of the new Green Lantern series was, "It's chockful of prime manflesh, folks!"

But what I am REALLY embarrassed about is that DC thought this was an appropriate quote to use in their advertisements for this extremely important new imprint.

You wonder why the general public doesn't respect comic books? Maybe because the people who make comic books don't respect them, either.

6 comments:

naladahc said...

It just proves to me that comics as we know them (the paper kind you buy monthly) continues on the long slow road to death.

Oh well. I don't care anymore.

Hate Filled Poster said...

Why would they use that as a quote? It puts down the rest of their line...

Dumb advertising.

You wonder why the general public doesn't respect comic book companies? Maybe because the people who make comics don't respect the public.

Scipio said...

Haven't you see it yet? It's on the backmost page of the latest comics (like Villains United, for example).

Hate Filled Poster said...

I hadn't noticed it. I'll check when I get home.

I've learned to tune out the ads except for the Heroquest wannabe game insert and the Matrix ads that annoy me to no end.

Anonymous said...

Why would they use that as a quote? It puts down the rest of their line...

Doesn't it just belittle Miller's babe-less comics?

Anonymous said...

Try reading the All-Star and Dark Knight Returns comics as parodies, that always helps me get through them (both Batman and Superman).