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.