Monday, December 14, 2015
Representation in Superhero Comics
The past few years have seen some big changes in comic books. But one of the most groundbreaking is the increase of equal representation in superhero comics. In 2013, a new Ms. Marvel by the name of Kamala Khan was introduced, and quickly became a main character in the Ms. Marvel series. Khan is a Muslim-American woman, and the comics even deal with conflicts that Muslims have to deal with regarding their faith. Two other new female superheroes were added to Marvel's ever-expanding list this year: Spider-Gwen and the All-New Wolverine. I especially thought that the concept of Spider-Gwen was cool because it takes place in an alternate universe to the original Spider-man series, where Gwen Stacy gets bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker. In addition to that, the new TV show "Supergirl" debuted this year, to very good ratings, and a Captain Marvel and Wonderwoman movie are due to come in the near future. These new female heroes and their different backgrounds have showed people that one does not have to be a male superhero to be extraordinary or exciting. Another excellent alternate portrayal of the Hulk was released this year, with Hulk as an Asian-American man named Amadeus Cho. This is extremely important to the Marvel universe, as little to no Asian individuals have been brought to light on the page or the screen. Netflix's Daredevil and Jessica Jones also were released this year, which brings further representation to those with disabilities and to strong female roles. In 2018, Black Panther (an African Superhero) will also get his chance to shine in the MCU, a movie I am greatly looking forward to see. The involvement of different cultures and genders in comics makes me very happy and excited for what's in store. Implementing a wide variety of people in this outlet of media is a great way for minorities to be able to relate to the superheroes we all love so much, and keeps the individual series fresh.
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This is so incredible! Superheroes have such a vast impact on people, especially impressionable children, and it's great to see so many different ethnicities and backgrounds represented. As well as women! One thing I've seen in superhero comics with women however, is their hyper-sexualization. They are often created to show their assets, like Cat Woman, for instance, and have not nearly the influence of male superheroes. I hope these new heroes will have a great influence on children in a positive way and won't be treated as secondary to the popular male ones!! I really appreciated this post.
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