CCI: Marvel's Marvelous Women

[CBR News]

A group of Marvel Comics' leading ladies including creators, editors and staffers held a special panel at Comic-Con International to discuss the role of women in the comic industry.


Full article here.

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

You know. These panels are nice, but when is Marvel going to a) give a female writer or artist a role on one of their top books and b) put out more books for their female characters? They have TONS of them, yet there are three Spider-men (four if you count Miles) with a book and zero Spider-women. Captain America can have two ongoings and Black Widow can't even get one? How is Hawkeye the breakout character from Avengers? It's all well and good if Storm gets to lead the X-Men, but why isn't it worth it to explore her life beyond the X-Men?

That said, I am happy that Captain Marvel is happening. It may not be how I would have launched it but it is happening and it's a step in the right direction. I'm also happy that Red She-Hulk is happening but they need a better name for the book and the character. That said Parker's good at his craft and Pag is a great artist. I'd like to add that Kitty being considered the third leg of the Ultimate trinity feels fresh and new. There's a lot to like about that twist in my opinion.

I just hope that Marvel strives harder to promote more female creators and characters.

[Monty_Cristo]

You know. These panels are nice, but when is Marvel going to a) give a female writer or artist a role on one of their top books

Captain Marvel is a top book.

[rasx]

You know. These panels are nice, but when is Marvel going to a) give a female writer or artist a role on one of their top books and b) put out more books for their female characters? They have TONS of them, yet there are three Spider-men (four if you count Miles) with a book and zero Spider-women. Captain America can have two ongoings and Black Widow can't even get one? How is Hawkeye the breakout character from Avengers? It's all well and good if Storm gets to lead the X-Men, but why isn't it worth it to explore her life beyond the X-Men?

That said, I am happy that Captain Marvel is happening. It may not be how I would have launched it but it is happening and it's a step in the right direction. I'm also happy that Red She-Hulk is happening but they need a better name for the book and the character. That said Parker's good at his craft and Pag is a great artist. I'd like to add that Kitty being considered the third leg of the Ultimate trinity feels fresh and new. There's a lot to like about that twist in my opinion.

I just hope that Marvel strives harder to promote more female creators and characters.

I agree! and will be supporting Red She-Hulk.

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

Captain Marvel is a top book.

Not yet proven. Marvel (and myself) want Carol to be A-List, but I honestly don't believe she's there yet. They need a prominent female to match up against Wonder Woman in terms of prominence and Carol is ripe for that role especially bearing the company's name.

[PwrdOff]

I certainly applaud these women for taking on the thankless job of holding this panel just to make excuses on Marvel's behalf. The fact that they didn't even hint at any new projects on the horizon means that there probably won't be any. Certainly this isn't a problem that will be fixed overnight. Most of Marvel's female characters are shackled by shameful histories and terrible depictions, and really trying to mold most of them into capable, modern characters is going to require some miraculous writing. On the creative side, there are obviously tons of women looking to break into the industry, but there are most likely ten times as many men looking for a similar break. Hiring based on merit alone isn't going to close the gender gap anytime soon, and since the pool of applicants is invariably drawn from the fanbase, a product that doesn't appeal to all demographics won't help to balance that either.

I think that as men, we sometimes forget just how oriented modern media is toward our tastes. Movies and shows targeted specifically at women are generally treated as jokes and ignored, so basically everything we could possibly be exposed to caters to us and our superior levels of disposable income. Naturally, we expect women to see things the same way, despite the fact that it couldn't be any more different. So while we might dismiss DC's and Marvel's efforts as pandering to the female demographic, we can't ignore the fact that just about everything else in existence panders to us. And of course, female-led books don't need to just appeal to women either, since there's nothing a red-blooded male hates more than a proverbial sausage fest.

Captain Marvel looks to be a huge success, and that has to be at least partially be attributed to its status as basically a referendum on the viability of female creators and characters in the industry. Replacing a few superfluous Avengers or X-Men books with some female solos could conceivably help the bottom line, not to mention make the company look much better. So just grow a pair and take some chances Marvel.

[Monty_Cristo]

Not yet proven. Marvel (and myself) want Carol to be A-List, but I honestly don't believe she's there yet. They need a prominent female to match up against Wonder Woman in terms of prominence and Carol is ripe for that role especially bearing the company's name.

but that's another issue. what would "prove" that? why is Iron Man considered A-List? i read the first issue of Captain Marvel. i don't think the writing is any better or worse than in Iron Man. really, "A-List" just means "popular." fans determine what is A-List. and i happen to think that Danvers is in the top 3 of popular marvel heroines.

[Disco_Magic]

i happen to think that Danvers is in the top 3 of popular marvel heroines.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ms. Marvel... er, Captain Marvel... whatever. I love Carol Danvers. However, being one of the top 3 Marvel heroines does not necessarily make her top tier. As much as I'd like to see her get the spotlight, it's a bit of a stretch to think she'll be more popular than Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Wolverine, Daredevil or even Ghost Rider any time soon.

[cookepuss]

I'm just hoping that, one day, Marvel might take another crack at Spider-Girl. Not the Arana one, but the real deal. Even with its ups and downs, the v1 series lasted 100 issues and the few follow-ups tacked on another 50 more issues. Especially for Marvel, that's more than respectful.

Has Marvel had a female character (superhero) lead an eponymously titled book for longer? Sensational She-Hulk is the nearest challenger to this crown and that only lasted 60 issues.

[Monty_Cristo]

Don't get me wrong, I love Ms. Marvel... er, Captain Marvel... whatever. I love Carol Danvers. However, being one of the top 3 Marvel heroines does not necessarily make her top tier. As much as I'd like to see her get the spotlight, it's a bit of a stretch to think she'll be more popular than Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Wolverine, Daredevil or even Ghost Rider any time soon.

only because she's a woman.

[MuhollandDriver]

I'm just hoping that, one day, Marvel might take another crack at Spider-Girl. Not the Arana one, but the real deal. Even with its ups and downs, the v1 series lasted 100 issues and the few follow-ups tacked on another 50 more issues. Especially for Marvel, that's more than respectful.

Has Marvel had a female character (superhero) lead an eponymously titled book for longer? Sensational She-Hulk is the nearest challenger to this crown and that only lasted 60 issues.

I love your avatar!

How about a Magik solo?

I did enjoy what I read of the original Spider-Girl series.

[cookepuss]

I love your avatar!

Damn right you do! The New Mutants kick ass.

How about a Magik solo?

It'd be great.... WITH the right writer. She's a tough character to write. She's more than just a mutant/demon sorceress. She's a little girl lost. She's almost like a grown up kid actor, her childhood lost to her thanks to being tossed into the dangerous world of grownups far too soon. Not many actors get that. Claremont, her creator, really nailed the core element of the character like no other writer. Louise Simonson got close. Zeb Wells too, at least for a few issues.

I did enjoy what I read of the original Spider-Girl series.

It really was a sad situation for the book. It was amazing that it lasted for a decade given the fact that most MC2 books died within a year. I think that, apart from the MC2 placement, it was maybe too much in the "Mighty Marvel Style" for some readers. DeFalco has this writing style that's contemporary and smart, yet direct and very 80s at the same time. Spider-Girl really didn't fit in their catalog. With edgier books like Civil War, Grant Morrison's New X-Men, and Ultimates, it really stood out like a sore thumb. I think that it only lasted as long as it did because of how well it did in trades.

[MuhollandDriver]

Damn right you do! The New Mutants kick ass.


It'd be great.... WITH the right writer. She's a tough character to write. She's more than just a mutant/demon sorceress. She's a little girl lost. She's almost like a grown up kid actor, her childhood lost to her thanks to being tossed into the dangerous world of grownups far too soon. Not many actors get that. Claremont, her creator, really nailed the core element of the character like no other writer. Louise Simonson got close. Zeb Wells too, at least for a few issues.

Have you read the latest issue of Adjectiveless X-Men? Magik was very well-written in that issue! I thought that Zeb Wells did amazing things with her. I agree though, she is a layered one!

[cookepuss]

Have you read the latest issue of Adjectiveless X-Men? Magik was very well-written in that issue! I thought that Zeb Wells did amazing things with her. I agree though, she is a layered one!

I've read everything Marvel's put out since 1980. So, yeah. :) I wouldn't say that she was especially deeply crafted in that X-Men issue, but the solidarity she showed by standing with Piotr did show a side we haven't seen in a while. Zeb Wells did a great job with her for a few issues, but the constant interruptions from events really put a damper on some of the character development. His characterization of her shifted somewhat from the beginning to the end of his run. Just a bit.

[MuhollandDriver]

I read the liveblog from this event. When fans asked about female-led series at Marvel, answers seemed to range from "It's a perception issue" to "some X-team titles feature women prominently" to "There are many female-led titles outside of Marvel". That last one is kinda sad.

I agree. These panels are nice, but I would prefer to see their female characters grow more.