I've mentioned before that the unfortunate response by the comic industry to bloggers and forums pointing out and decrying the hyper-sexualization of comic book females gets not a reduction in same but a corresponding escalation of it concerning male characters. Case in point, Superman's two distinct scenes in the recent Manhunter. Supes levitates with his midsection relative to the head-heights of several women and repeatedly shoves his groin into the faces of the mere mortals, all of whom react with appropriate awe.
From Manhunter #29 (May 2007)
I didn't need to see the Wang of Tomorrow, thanks. Where is Power Girl when you needed a guest star, huh? Fortunately, all I needed to do was flip back to page one for some Wonder Woman perfection to restore my fragile foundation of adequacy and reinforce my fanboy expectations of the female form.Here's the proofiness.
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Seduction of the Innocent Manhunter
Hey, sauce for the goose, and sauce for the gander. heh heh.
ReplyDeleteWe are not just pieces of meat!
ReplyDeleteAs the wife of one of the artists of your featured panel, I beg to differ.
ReplyDeleteKate's eyes are looking well above Supes' crotch, which is pointed at her computer monitor, not her.
And a few pages later where Supes appears in an almost identical pose, Brad draws all three mortal characters as all looking, again, at his face.
The fact that he has a package is a bonus, I think, for the female gaze. If an artist leaves it out, he's accused of not paying attention to proper anatomy. If he puts it in, he's accused of shoving it in our faces. I'm sorry, I think this just isn't true for Brad's and Robin's panels here.
Where it might be true is for our friend Dougie Braithwaite, with finishes by Alex Ross, in JUSTICE #5. Take a look at that page 8 splash where Captain Marvel appears, telling Superman "it's going to be okay" as Supes (who had fallen in a previous panel and is struggling to get back on his feet) looks RIGHT AT HIS CROTCH. Yes Superman, it'll all be okay now, the Crotch Will Save Us All!
Just sayin', you know. Besides, it's fun to pin stuff like this on Dougie, he's good-natured about it and most likely didn't mean it to be taken that way...
Sounds like those sexual harassment excuses I'd hear all the time. "It wasn't a suggestive act. I was just standing there."
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, I've seen the Justice panel.
To me it looks like sausage for the goose.
ReplyDeleteHeh.
Bleh. I'm okay with the 'boob sock' but the 'penis sock' bothers me.
ReplyDeleteHey, Elaine, tell your husband I liked the issue, and this type of minor escalation is fine with me.
ReplyDeleteYou all have to admit, it's FAR below the Star Sapphire cover... I mean, he's actually wearing clothing on his torso.
"You all have to admit, it's FAR below the Star Sapphire cover"
ReplyDeleteBaby-steps, Sinspired. Soon, Marvel and DC will be using Blockade Boy as exclusive costume designer for males.
is it lodged in his...?
ReplyDeletewait...
DAMN...
(feeling so less than mortal now)
"That is never not impressive."
ReplyDeleteTee hee.
A supehero in tights showing off a package would trouble himslef when fighting against a female villain who really knows how to beat up a man--bet it Spider-Man getting kicked in his balls by Bora in the issue of WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #75.
ReplyDelete