On the Power Girl Cut-Out Costume

Yeah, Esther's right on the money here. Quit with the stupid justifications. No one buys it.

That said? I like Power Girl's cut-out ("boob window") costume. It was stylish when she was introduced, and now it's retro. It's actually very classic looking and when originally designed it was actually pretty classy looking too. The design is just plain good. The design is actually great, I'd say. I'd wear it if I could pull off white myself.

That's why they keep going back to it, because it's a good basic costume and as it was originally just a small cut-out on an invulnerable character it's not inherently lewd/impractical. (Unlike the midriff-baring Huntress, or the monstrosity Carol Ferris is parading around in--though my hat's off to Mahnke for making it less eyesearing.) All the attempts to change it have had her going to worse costumes. (The one with the normal neckline actually tends to show even MORE boob than the cut-out.) And it doesn't need a reason any more than she liked the look better than any emblem she tried to put there, and now she's just used to it. Anything beyond that is downright insulting, like you're trying to fool us into thinking there's something inherently empowering about baring your breasts. There isn't.

(We all know good fashion isn't dependent on the amount of fabric. Different cuts do different things for different bodies. And that's not even getting into color. Aesthetics are complicated in this area.)

Now, if DC feels guilty enough that they feel a need to justify this costume, maybe rather than offer us some bullshit they can have the artists draw it tastefully. A cut-out is ideally supposed to offer just a hint of cleavage, not go down to or below one's nipples. Just a guess, but that and the annoying high-cut bikini bottoms might be where all that guilt and disgust originates.

Solicits: Hal, Jaime, Diana, and... Mitch?

Full DC solicits up.

I already told you about the Justice League of America #14 cover, and the Countdown tie-ins.

The covers to Green Lantern #24 and Green Lantern Corps #17 look good, but I don't trust the solicits enough to try and derive any clues from them. Suffice it to say, I'm going to be reading and hanging on every panel of both books and the two Sinestro Corps tie-in specials.

Blue Beetle's getting in on the fun, too:

BLUE BEETLE #20
Written by John Rogers
Art and cover by Rafael Albuquerque
A “Sinestro Corps War” tie-in! The Lanterns’ war hits home as a yellow ring appears in El Paso. But is it being offered to the Scarab or to Jaime Reyes? And whose will is stronger?
On sale October 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

The cover to the Flash #233 has the kids in cute costumes.

Aside from that, this looks written with me in mind:

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #7
Written by Mark Waid
Art by George Pérez & Bob Wiacek
Cover by Pérez
Wonder Woman and Power Girl fight side-by-side against a foe who may be more powerful than both of them combined!
On sale October 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

And, of course, the one to wait for:

WONDER WOMAN #13
Written by Gail Simone
Art and cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
An electrifying new era begins for the world’s greatest superheroine! Gail Simone (BIRDS OF PREY, SECRET SIX) joins the phenomenal art team of Terry and Rachel Dodson for what promises to be one of the most exciting Wonder Woman stories ever!
What exactly is the Circle, and what deadly secret do they hold about Diana’s birth? What familiar face from Wonder Woman’s past returns with a mission to spy on Special Agent Diana Prince? Why is the Department of Metahuman Affairs on a collision course with the wounded remnants of the Society of Super-Villains? All this plus monkey assassins in a story that spans the globe and shakes Diana to her core!
On sale October 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

The other thing to catch my eye was this (emphasis mine):

DC INFINITE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1
WRITTEN and illustrated by various
Cover by Gene Ha
Don’t miss this collection of 13 stories of tricks and treats by some of comics’ top creators, including writers Steve Niles, Mark Waid, Steve Seagal, Dan DiDio, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Peter Johnson (TV’s Supernatural), David Arquette (Scream), Cliff Dorfman (Entourage) and many more with art by Ian Churchill, Dean Ormston, Dustin Nguyen , Bernard Chang and others! The inmates of Arkham horrify each other with terrifying tales involving Superman and zombies, Batman and vampires, Robin and werewolves, Aquaman and witches, Flash and the dead, and more! Plus, the return of Resurrection Man!
On sale October 31 • 80 pg, FC, $5.99 US

I think we can take it as a given that they're digging him up so they can kill him again.

Still missing the point.

Loren over at Suspension of Disbelief did an overlay test and discovered that the Power Girl cover was altered before release to give her a smaller breast size.

However, her lifeless posture, incorrect anatomy (the breasts are still anchored to her ribcage -- boobs don't work that way!) and utterly vacant expression remain.

Good god, DC, its not about the fucking cup size. Its about when your artist doesn't bother to draw the rest of her because he thought big breasts got the character across.

They don't.

Next time you kick Turner in the butt, make him fix the rest of the cover too. Or better yet, don't hire his lazy ass!

50 Things I Love About Mainstream Superhero Comics

(Kalinara started a meme.)

1) Continuity Porn -- Yes, I am that kind of fan. The one that DC caters to. The one that keeps Geoff Johns in the job. The one who perfectly satisfied to read five different versions of the exact same story, published at different time periods and adjusted for continuity.

2) Time travel storylines, guest-starring the Legion of Superheroes from any publishing period.

3) Any version of Starman, because of the intricate history James Robinson set up.

4) That every Flash who has ever been published can team up to fight a single villain.

5) Power Girl's playful banter with Wildcat reminds me of me and the guys at work.

6) Coluans.

7) She-Hulk enjoys her super-strong green form.

8) The core team of the JSA is essentially a bunch of cranky old men who probably get together with old supervillains to play poker.

9) Characters I love who died (Ice) can be brought back to life. Characters I love who went evil can always have been mind-controlled.

10) John Stewart's first appearance when he steps in between the cops and the checker-playing kids.

11) Retroactive Continuity!!

12) I've been following these characters long enough to be able to fill in the spaces between the panels.

13) Quicksilver is an absolute jerk when he's good. He can also believably go insane and evil and I still adore the character.

14) Patrick Gleason's aliens.

15) Somewhere in the Multiverse there is an Earth controlled by Nazi Dinosaurs.

16) Multi-part serial stories which give me something to think about as I do mindless repetitive tasks.

17) Green Lantern's powers have as much visual potential as an illusionist, but all entirely in my favorite color.

18) I can read about both Kyle and Hal.

19) Spider-man interacts playfully with random New Yorkers.

20) Big Barda is the muscular ass-kicker in the Free family, and Scott isn't the least bit bothered by this.

21) A large percentage of the male population of Opal City wear fedoras.

22) Black Canary was still a hero when she lost her powers.

23) Manhunter is divorced. She is not a castrating bitch. Her husband is not deadbeat Dad. They are two decent people who couldn't make it work out, and there was no need to make anyone the villain to make the other look better.

24) The original Red Tornado was just a lady with a pot over her head and a blanket-cape, even came from a humor book, but in the modern DCU she's known as a hero and her flashback stories drive that home.

25) Tim Drake and Maxine Hunkle are overenthusiastic hero-worshippers who became heroes.

26) "When I'm no longer needed to battle crime and injustice" is a better answer to "When will you marry me?" than "When Hell freezes over"

27) It is almost completely random, yet very funny, that panels featuring Green Lantern are usually a rear-view.

28) Whatever damage is done by the current writer can be fixed by the next writer's retcon, reboot, or just plain redemptive writing.

29) That even the tropes I despise are so well-known that we have a staple of jokes to make when we see them. (Yes, I love Fridge jokes. Surely you all knew that)

30) The term "cosmic rod" makes me giggle like a 12-year-old.

31) Husk can shed skin like a snake.

32) Mutants like Domino, Longshot, and Scarlet Witch, who have vague probability powers that conform to the writer's needs.

33) Shining Knight is a teenaged girl with a sword, gold armor, an Arthurian history, and a flying horse!

34) The cover to Defenders #5 has a giant monster holding a blonde woman in his hand just like King Kong -- only this woman is swinging a sword at the monster! (And she's a valkyrie!)

35) Wonder Woman killed Medusa on live television, while she was wide awake. Touch that, Perseus!

36) Lois Lane is a driven, pushy, arrogant, complaining, sneaky modern career woman. As a result, she gets to see Superman with his briefs off on a regular basis.

37) Captain Comet still appears from time to time.

38) All Brainiacs are pretty much dicks, whatever time period and moral alignment they show up in.

39) Grant Morrison.

40) No knockoff can hold up to the original Superman.

41) You can make an easy Jack Knight costume for any convention with a pair of boxers, a Hawaiian shirt, a leather jacket, ski goggles, and a broomstick that's been spray-painted gold.

42) The industry pros are part of the fandom.

43) The creepy visual effect of shadow powers when the Shade, Obsidian, or Nightshade show up.

44) That Blink was so popular after Age of Apocalypse she was the anchor for a new series.

45) Kyle Rayner, in the alley, with the lead pipe.

46) Everything is just so much bigger in the DC and Marvel Universes. The stakes are higher for everything. Aliens invade every week. The End of the World is nigh every month. People don't just have fist-fights, they have aerial battles over the mountains while the government calls out the Air Force to take out the winner.

47) At the same time, there's street heroes who handle normal crime and everyday accidents. They interact with the cosmic-level heroes and team-up.

48) Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, and Romance genre stories all take place in the same city.

49) "You made me lose my hair!" was not the motivation for a female villain.

50) The story where Power Girl lifts up an Arthurian-era knight and throws him into a lake after he tries to run off with her per the laws of Chivalry? Collected in trade now.

Undergarments of the Gods

BreastBlog 2007 is winding down, but it can not die until some poor woman has blogging specifically about underwear.

Its my turn this year.

And, as I have been shown this dreadful "Public Service" Announcement which blames female bloggers for creepy street harassment on the part of people who should be acting more professional, this post will involve me discussing my taste in underwear specifically, as well as that of several well-known superheroes. And if any of you should approach me on the street and mention my underwear in the hopes of creeping me out, expect to hear a 3-hour talk on the virtues of granny underwear. It will be far more detailed than you wish to know, and shall involve a tangent about two men kissing and the opportunities to view such an event, as well as a lecture on how the yellow weakness was the greatest arbitrary weakness conceived of in the Silver Age, a rant on George Perez's Wonder Woman reboot, and complaints about people who think Frigga and Freya are the same goddess.



Unless, of course, I don't have three hours, in which case I will mercilessly taunt your visible physical flaws.

Anyway, I've been recently made aware that a bouncing chest is considered a stumbling block, something very trying for men who are attempting to stare open-mouthed at a perfectly innocent young woman and keep their thoughts pure at the same time. I feel no pity or sympathy for a man I've caught staring when my chest moves, because whatever awkwardness is felt on their end can't be anything compared to being attached to the dreadful things. Oh sure, as a body part there's a certain amount of unconscious comfort to it. A Bounce Tolerance, so to speak. It differs for every woman, based on her size and her choice of support, but there's a certain amount of bouncing that is to be expected and can be ignored. Even then, however, we are all well-aware of the bounce and know that nothing can be done to stop it (to be honest its quite rude to remind us of that fact, because its uncomfortable enough to know that your flesh is bouncing without some person calling attention to it!). Some women don't give a damn either way, but most women will take steps to minimize the bouncing. I'm one of those women who care very much about minimizing the bouncing.

For me, its a matter of comfort as well as self-consciousness. I don't like feeling that bounce. I don't like thinking about that bounce. I don't like others watching that bounce, and seeing others watch that bounce just makes me think more and more about how I don't like feeling that bounce or thinking about that bounce. This puts me in a foul mood and leads to a great deal of unpleasantness at work and on the internet.

Yes, that's right, Ragnell the Foul is cranky because her chest bounces too much. And here I bet you thought my shoes were too tight.

After evaluating various bras on comfort, dressing time, amount of movement, appearance, and durability, I discovered the perfect bra for me a few years ago. It has a racer back, a back-closing clasp, and an underwire. It happens to be about two cup sizes too small right now, and distributes my flesh into what my sister refers to as the "uniboob" but trust me once I get that contraption fastened there is as little bounce as possible and that is precisely how I like it. I find bouncing to be very unpleasant.

It may be surprising (well, to new readers at least -- "Hello to any perverts out there who googled women's underwear and came up my insane ramblings!") that I looked at Amanda Conner's Power Girl costume design and thought of that bra.

Its the creases, actually, and the fact that the costume does not appear to separate the breasts but instead distributes them into the aforementioned uniboob and looks a couple cup sizes too small. Adjusting for artist interpretation, I'd say an actual Power Girl costume would not dip so low on the breasts and instead would have the same effect as my favorite sports bra -- as much restriction of bounce as possible. There's still going to be some natural jigglyness, but absolutely nothing can be done about that with our society's support technology.

Which brings me to Wonder Woman. She is from a society of women that has existed independently of men for three thousand years, and has access to divine magic. If anyone can make a better bra, its the Amazons.

When Jodi Piccoult was hired, she was quoted as asking to change the costume because she thought a bustier would be difficult to fight crime in. A bustier is an undergarment which supports the bust from underneath, usually with plastic ribbing. I'm with Piccoult in that I think a bustier such as the red top that Diana wears would be difficult to fight crime in. Honestly, I think that a bustier such as the red top Diana wears would be difficult to do anything in. Diana's costume, however, was designed by the Amazons who must have superior brassiere technology.


By that logic, I propose that Wonder Woman is not actually wearing a bustier. Her bust is supported by the gold breastplate that lies on top of the red material.

It only makes sense. That belt is the girdle of Gaia, a major divine artifact. Those bracers are forged from Aegis, a major divine artifact. Her tiara is forged for Amazon royalty. Surely its not too out of the question to assume her breastplate has magic properties as well?

Some artists draw a tiny, tiny WW, but the Byrne years depicted the WW (and the classic eagle) with a decent amount of coverage. The eagle could clearly be a bra in itself, but the WW probably works with the red material to lift, cradle, and stablize the WonderTwins as well as protect Diana's vital organs. In most drawings it molds to her chest shape and likely has an attached underwire threaded through the red part of the costume. There's probably a decent amount of padding for comfort underneath the gold and surrounding the underwire. Add Diana's gift of flight and magic properties associated with any of Wonder Woman's gear and that bra must feel like an extension of her body, never too restrictive, never too loose, an undergarment forged by Hephaestus himself!

Yes, I have considered this at great length.

But there can always be a better bra. I think the capabilities of one are in the hands of Lorna Dane (Polaris) and Francis Kane (Magenta) of Marvel and DC respectively.

When I first saw the X-Men trailers a few years ago, I watched a clip of Magneto spontaneously create a bridge with random plates of metal as he was walking across it and was struck by the potential breast-tech applications of magnetic powers. From how I've seen magnetic powers used, a person can tear metal apart and assemble a costume over their body that fits their form absolutely perfectly. As this is made entirely of metal, there is no chance of it moving, and if those breasts are snugly contained and supported in the metallic bra there will be absolutely no bouncing. Its form fitting, so it lifts and separates if you want it to. No need for an underwire, as the entire outfit is an underwire. With the right kind of padding it could be very comfortable, and since you made it on your own it certainly wouldn't restrict breathing. And in addition to all of that you can reasonably expect it to withhold against most attacks.

I'd go so far as to say that if I could have any superpower I wanted, it would be magnetic powers to aid in the construction of the Ideal Support Garment.

In retrospect I suppose this is the mentality that led to the corset.

It would cut down on bounce, though. I certainly wouldn't want bounce if I was fighting crime.

Now I just need an envelope.

Wrote another letter to DC, this time over this. Feel free to pinch your nose and read aloud Comic Book Guy-style:

Dear Mr. Didio,

I saw Eddie Berganza's guest column in DC Nation last week. I had a mixed reaction, as a female reader

On one hand, its nice that you know we exist. I've been reading since I was 12 and over that time I've gotten the distinct impression that comic book companies only think guys read.

And I am casually interested in Supergirl. I pick it up from time to time to see if I like what's going on, but I'm not a big Kelly or Churchill fan and with Super-books I read for the creative team. (And implying the Power Girl is a "bimbo" by creating a "mimbo" equivalent doesn't endear them to me.)

Now Green Lantern books I'll read even when the writer and artists are unknowns. I love Green Lantern. I have the T-Shirt. I have the toys. I have the 'piggy' bank. I WANT to buy the entire series from the 40s until now because I ADORE the concept.
But I've dropped Green Lantern 3 times over the last 13 years. Twice because Jade was being treated like crap, and once for costumes. I never thought I had a problem with cheesecakey costumes before (love Wonder woman, love Power Girl) but Ivan Reis' interpretation of Arisia made me cringe. The shirtless Star Sapphire on the cover of GL#18 made me drop the book in the middle of a storyline. It looked like porn.

While its heartening to see an actual superhero book looking for female readers, its hard to stomach the sentiment when another book makes it crystal clear through exploitive art that female readers are not welcome.

Look, at DC you have an AWESOME product concept-wise. Superheroes can and do appeal greatly to women and you have the icons. And its wonderful (hint, hint) that you have pleasing female readers in mind.

Just don't stop at the 'girl' books. I'd read everything you put out if I felt welcome to.

Its obvious that column was because Supergirl's sales are declining and they know that women are reading due to the Girl-Wonder.org letter campaign, but I don't think they realize how stuff like this and Minx sound when contrasted to the mind-boggling sexism of the Green Lantern #18 cover. So I thought I'd bring that to their attention.

So Polly did take a Time-Trip

On the Newsarama thread for EAglesham's interview, Geoff Johns showed up to clarify some things (this thread pointed it out):

Actually, the only one who remembers events like that is Power Girl.

Everyone on the JSA, from Earth 2, have vague recollections that there was a multiverse but that's it. DCU history is nearly identical to what it was.

Why is Power Girl the only one with real Earth 2 memories will be explained in Justice Society of America. I think some confusion has come from interpretation of interviews more than the comics themselves.

Hippolyta was a member of JSA, Matrix Supergirl did exist, Etc.

Eaglesham on JSA

Over at Newsarama, JSA artist Dave Eaglesham shoots his mouth off about the new characters. Here are some key points:

Click for SpoilersPower Girl

NRAMA: A couple other members who command respect are Power Girl and Mr. Terrific. How are you approaching them?

DE: Power Girl is an interesting draw because she has such a large chest, and that's something I don't usually do. I don't go for that kind of, you know, "T and A." But I think what really offsets that large chest is her muscularity, because she's really got big arms and such. I'm trying to soften her character up a little bit, but at the same time, she's taking on more responsibility in the JSA as a leader. So she needs more stature, she's got to stand up taller and be less punky.

Ma Hunkel

NRAMA: Oh yeah! How could we forget her?

DE: You know, people don't think of her, but I want to make her such a character that Geoff will want to use her a lot. Because I think she's really interesting. I'm doing a totally different take on her. Once again, I was hoping they would like it because I sort of sprung it on them. She greets Maxine at the headquarters and she's wearing a three-piece suit instead of an apron and all that stuff.

NRAMA: A suit?

DE: I want her to be more sophisticated. I'm drawing her very tall. She's a big woman. Six feet tall, broad shoulders. I want her dressed really nice, really sophisticated. She's very capable, and she could go out for adventures on her own anytime she wants. She knows how to use all the things in their facility, so she should dress like the respectable person she is.

NRAMA: So you said you sprung it on them. What did Geoff say when he saw her in a three-piece suit?

DE: He loved it. Now, she doesn't have the tornado symbol on her chest anymore, but that's fine, because Maxine's going to be taking over that.

Maxine Hunkel

NRAMA: Let's start with one of the brand new characters who was announced by Geoff in San Diego. Her name is Maxine Hunkel, the granddaughter of Ma Hunkel. She's really young, right?

DE: She's about 19 years old. But she's very bubbly and energetic. She's so positive and yet she's also isolated because of the way she talks and the way she is. People don't want to be around her.

NRAMA: She's almost too positive?

DE: She's almost too positive, and I think she experiences a lot of rejection because of that. When she's asked to join, it's a great moment in the story. I was so looking forward to drawing her. And you know, I never know what's going to happen when I take on a new character like that. I hope that the writer gives me enough cues as to where he wants me to go. And I drew it, and I sort of did a slightly different take from what Geoff indicated in the script. And I was like, "Oh, I don't know if he's going to like it." But he loved it the second he saw that first drawing. I put freckles on her face, and she's absolutely adorable. Everyone's going to love her. I'm sure of it.

Starman

NRAMA: At the Toronto Comic Book Expo, you told us that your favorite page you had drawn in Issue #1 was one where Starman is dancing through a building. You've said you can't reveal too much about this character, but if he's dancing, it sounds like he's a fun character.

DE: He is a fun character, and the funny thing is, I had no idea it was going to turn out that way. It's not in the script for him to dance or anything.

NRAMA: Really? It wasn't in the script?

DE: No. He just enters this building. It's almost like the character dictated to me what he was going to be, and I just sort of went with it. And I thought, he's going to be dancing. He's just so much fun. But he's a huge guy. The stars and the glowing eyes mean you don't really see his face. So you'd expect him to be very heroic and threatening, but he is quite the opposite.

And he's a close talker.

NRAMA: He's a what?

DE: A close talker. He stands about two inches from your face when he's talking to you.

NRAMA: Is that also something you came up with?

DE: Absolutely. And it becomes so funny, every scene I draw him in. You'll see when the first issue comes out. There's a few scenes where he's just really close to Mr. Terrific, and they're like ... not sure what to make of him.

NRAMA: That's another one that you don't have a face to play with.

DE: No. He's even more of a challenge because he's got a star field in his costume. You don't want to bring too much light on him, so he's more of a challenge. He will require posturing.

NRAMA: Bigger actions? Or not bigger really, but his actions will have to show his emotions and reactions instead of his face?

DE: Oh, for sure. It will be his posture, but at the same time, he doesn't react to things like other people, so it's a little different.

NRAMA: You said in Toronto that he's your favorite character you've drawn so far.

DE: Oh, I was surprised how much fun I'm having with him. Like I said with the dancing scene -- I didn't know that was going to happen. That to me is priceless in comics, when there's a certain unknown element that's undecided until you actually get in and work the material, and it pops up and surprises you. And suddenly you know: That's where I want to go with this guy. And it's great if everybody else likes it too! [laughs]

Less significant characters were also mentioned, if you'd like to take a look.

Coming in November... (Yes, these would be Spoilers)

The full DC November Solicits are up featuring... The Shocking Return of Kyle's Face!

Other things of note:
-- Detective Comics will not be by Paul Dini in November.

-- All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is late even on a "bimonthly" schedule, resoliciting the issue with Wonder Woman's butt on the cover. You know, the one we'd have to buy so to see how badly he fucks up Diana and the rest of the JLA. Yes, I was going to read it. Kalinara and I have a bet about how he degrades Green Lantern. I've got money down on how angry I'll get.

-- Catwoman is still fighting the Film Freak?

-- Cassie Cain's really been getting around since she turned evil. She'll be in Supergirl #12 this time.

-- 52 WEEK 26: The Origin of Power Girl by Waid and Adam Hughes.
WEEK 30: Get ready for the story you never expected! "Batman...No More” — a full length 22-page adventure featuring Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and...Batwoman?!?

-- Ken Lashley is still drawing The Flash. This makes me sad. Why won't this book let me love it?!

-- Okay, Johns, I'm holding you to this Green Lantern solicitation. You've played with us way too long. You've teased us in other solicits and not followed through. This, this is the last straw. I had better see John Stewart this issue, dammit!!

-- "On the planet Korugar, a Lantern faces hatred and rejection and, across the cosmos, another Lantern’s heart is broken."
The lesbian subtext in the first Green Lantern Corps storyline was so thick that it took two readings to figure out which character they actually meant by the second clause of that sentence.

-- Green Lantern Archives, Vol 6, "Advance-solicited; on sale January 3"
Tease.

-- Without even reading the writeup for Green Arrow #68, I'm guessing Monsters.

-- Just for the record, I'm purposefully avoiding the slash joke about Ion #8.

-- "Hot on the stardust trail of the oldest artifact in the universe, the Omega Men crash land on earth — dragging with them the battling Spider Guild, L.E.G.I.O.N., and a mysterious female alien. Only one thing stands in the way of a planet-wide cosmic doomsday: the heroes of Earth!"
I'm sold on Omega Men. All it needs is Adam Strange, Captain Comet and a Green Lantern and it has the whole Outer Spaaace! set.

-- Sachs and Violens TP
There was seriously more demand for this than a collected Green Lantern: Mosaic?

-- Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes once again does not have Starboy on the cover or in the solicitation. Dude, you don't just change his appearance and shunt him to the background. Khallor-fans, unite!! We want Thom! Well, we think he's Thom... We'd like to know if he's Thom or not...

-- This image was four hundred times better when Alex Ross drew it for a Vertigo series.

-- Where the hell is Wonder Woman? Someone handcuff Heinberg to his typewriter.

Wednesday Morning Follow-up

I'm too thinly spread right now to fully explain why I chose the post I chose for Monday's Feature, but I do want to see where the topic leads. After all, more than one commenter seemed to miss my point so elaboration is definitely needed. This paltry offering says nothing close to everything I want to say about Power Girl, but maybe it'll help you understand my reasoning. Here are three quotes from three very different people arguing for three very different reasons:

Erik Larsen, pleading for fans to stop complaining about Power Girl's breasts:

The Phantom Lady's only distinguishing characteristics are her ample cans. That's pretty much all she has going for her. Ditto Power Girl. To tone them down is to strip them of their identities.

Library Lass, explaining why she refuses to read Power Girl stories:

That's enough for me. I don't want to read Power Girl. I'm afraid that, if I start reading about her, I'll have to write a fic wherein PG goes through seven kinds of merry hell (in what would, no doubt, suspiciously resemble a fantasy-standard epic quest) to find some kind of alternate-Earth Kryptonite that would work long enough for her to have a breast reduction.

(Edit: Library Lass explains her true intentions behind the post here, but despite my own mistake I'm leaving this up because 1) The post sounds too real, 2) All of the people agreeing with it, and 3) we're getting good conversation out of it. There's still a lot to say on the subject)

James Lamb Jr, chiming in on why he feels Power Girl is an antifeminist character:

You really don't get nastier than this Pamela Anderson knock-off in mainstream comics, yet, what's most interesting about that LJ (and most feminist discussions of Power Girl I've come across) is that the massive chest automatically incinerates whatever feminist aggression the character may exude - even when Wonder Woman's chest rivals Earth-2's bountiful bosom. Power Girl's never judged on the content of her character by anyone - male or female - because of her titanic top-heaviness.

Now, readers, what's the common attitude in each post?

Monday Misogyny

(Edit: Library Lass explains her true intentions behind the post here, but despite my own mistake I'm leaving this up because 1) The post sounds too real, 2) All of the people agreeing with it, and 3) we're getting good conversation out of it.)

From a livejournal post on Power Girl:

I don't read Power Girl. Don't know anything about her beyond: blonde, big breasts, related to Superman, !Supergirl, involved in the Crisis.

That's enough for me. I don't want to read Power Girl. I'm afraid that, if I start reading about her, I'll have to write a fic wherein PG goes through seven kinds of merry hell (in what would, no doubt, suspiciously resemble a fantasy-standard epic quest) to find some kind of alternate-Earth Kryptonite that would work long enough for her to have a breast reduction.

Hey, if I was Power Girl? I'd have a breast reduction. What am I saying? I *had* Power Girl's breasts. (I didn't have the rest of her body though. 'Tis a shame, really.) And now I have sensible C-cup breasts. Kryptonite was not involved.

I've given up trying to explain this line of reasoning to people. Most get stuck on "But you can't take away the boobies!" and then I stop talking to them.

(Edited to show entire post)

Power Girl: You Be the Judge!

It's no secret that I'm a Power Girl fan. I have been since I first saw her guest-star in Peter David's 1990s Supergirl series. I can't remember the issue number (my sister has it somewhere), but it was cute and funny. I remember Power Girl lifting a truck or something at the end of one issue, and then helping out in the second. There was a joke about pointy sticks. There was one point where she told Linda (this was the Linda Danvers Supergirl) she had an idea, and it cut to a panel of both women bracing their shoulders against a spaceship or a flying city or something like that. I just remember it looming over them, Linda asking "Now what?" and Karen remarking "Unfortunately, here endeth the plan."

I liked her immediately. She was an older, gutsier version of Supergirl. Unfortunately, she was appearing only Sovereign Seven and I had no money (and my sister wasn't shelling out for that series), so I didn't get to see her in action for a while (I wasn't disappointed when I did). In the meantime, I did search online, and found a scan of her first appearance somewhere. She earned my Eternal Fanitude right there.

Of course there's more!

She was just what a teenaged girl living in our society would want to grow up like. Beautiful and alluring (Everybody by that age wants to be pretty) by the traditional standards, but uncompromising, brave, superstrong, supertough, respected by all the old men around her, and able to fly. I'd even go so far as to suggest that Power Girl is why the fear of feminism thing never took hold of me as a teenager.

I like how she was classy, brassy, and outspoken. Her easy banter with some of the guys and her complete lack of fear in drawing the line when it came to sexism. It's tough in a mostly male workplace. You always wonder if they don't trust you to do the job because you're newer than them or because you're a woman. You don't want a hostile workplace, so you let things slide that really do bug you. I loved how she just showed up and laid down the law. It was awe-inspiring.

And yes, her character design did help. At least, Wally Wood's original Power Girl design did. She's busty, slightly chunky (as comic book ladies go), and straight-backed. She stood like Superman. She was definately feminine, though. Her hair and eyes had the softness, and she was shaped that way. (And before you start in on me for liking traditionally feminine characteristics, I'm going to tell you right here I'm well aware of the unrealistic appearance and bullshit beauty standards modern society shoves down our throats and I know that that's what's affecting my assetment. Awareness of this influence, knowing why I like it, just doesn't change the fact that I like the character design). To me, the hole in the chest-fabric worked much better than the simply white costume, because of her body type. With the little window, I get the impresson of a bra.

I get that impression because yes, I'm busty (and somewhat chunky in belly area), a bit topheavy so to speak. Power Girl is probably the ideal for my body type and I like how she looks with the little window costume. Especially the new design (I think Amanda Conners came up with it) with the visible seams on the outfit. It looks like a sports bra to me. And because it's so obviously not spandex, and because of the way the cleavage shows up in the little window, I know that she's wearing an underwire with very tough fabric and a racerback -- the same sort of bra I don't feel comfortable unless I'm wearing. So, yeah, there's a little self-projection here.

I don't think that's all there is to her, but I do think her appearance, like any well-designed comic book character, emphasizes her personality.

Anyway, I've been following the recent round of posts set off by Savage Erik Larsen (No, I'm not telling you where I got that) and found two that stood out to me. One included Redlib's latest anti-Power Girl jibe, which put me in the mood to defend her, and the other was the one Kalinara posted on Power Girl while I was in Mississippi, where one of the comments caught my attention.

"I dunno, maybe you need to talk to more women. :) The thing I dislike was that Wally Wood (I think it was him) deliberately drew her breasts bigger in each succeeding issue just to see if anyone would notice. He was basically taunting editors (and of course completely ignoring even the possibility of female readers). PG's breasts started out as an ARTIST IN-JOKE. I dunno about you but I find that kind of offensive on its face."

Ignoring the first sentence (which actually kind of offends me), we see a rumor I've seen pasted all over the internet, but never seen confirmed. Mr Wood is no longer with us, so everything we really have is second-hand. I asked Cronin over at CSBG to look into it, but he hasn't gotten around to it.

Well, to paraphrase my mother, if you want something done right, do it your own damned self. I've gotten my hands on a few back issues of All-Star Comics form the 70s, and of course there are scans of Power Girl's first appearance all over the internet. In effect, I have samples of artwork from all five issues of All-Star Comics that had Wally Wood drawing Power Girl. I selected the clearest full frontal body shot of Power Girl seen in each issue, and have posted them here for comparison. If you don't believe me DC is collecting these issues into a trade paperback in August.

So anyway, without further ado, I bring you...

The Power Girl Breastrospective

(All-Star Comics #58)

(All-Star Comics #59)

(All-Star Comics #60)

(All-Star Comics #61)

(All-Star Comics #62)

(All-Star Comics #63)

(All-Star Comics #64)

(All-Star Comics #65)
(I needed to tilt this one on its side.)

(Once again, the term "Breastrospective" courtesy Chris Sims)

It was particularly annoying in 60, 62, and 65 where she seemed to be at an angle everywhere, but I did the best I could. I think we have enough data. What do you guys think of the Wally Wood legend? Fact or Fiction?

Two Women Discuss Food and Fashion

"Hey, Diana, I thought you were a vegetarian!"

Wonder Woman looks up from her snack to see Power Girl approaching.

"Hi Karen!"

"Is that beef jerky?" Karen asks.

"No, it's venison," Diana takes a bite and offers it to the others. Karen accepts, but still raises a questioning eyebrow

"No," Diana answers, "I'm not a vegetarian. My cook is. I respect his personal reasons for being so and eat what he makes, but I have nothing personaly against eating meat."

"Isn't that a conflict with your nature-beliefs and animal rights stance?"

"Not at all. Lady Artemis' primary office is Chief Hunter, Lord Hermes is the patron of livestock farmers, and I've been recieved more from them than I can repay. It would be a spiritual betrayal, for me personally, to swear off meat when I benefit from their patronage. This doesn't mean I condone unnecessary cruelty, but I don't find nutrition cruelty, just how it may be collected. This venison, for example, was freeze-dried and given to me by a hunter friend from a deer she personally killed during the allowed season."

"Still seems like a conflict to me," Karen says, "but then a lot of things with you are contradictory."

"Not to me they aren't. As I'm sure things that seem natural to you may seem contradictory to others" Diana indicates the window over Power Girl's cleavage.

"Look who's talking!"

"This outfit was considered acceptable by my culture. Themiscyra is a very warm climate, and I had no need for extensive armor with my gift from Demeter. You chose your costume well aware of what the Patriarch's World would think of you. I'm not condemning you at all, but I am curious as to why."

"It's a distraction tactic."

Diana raises an eyebrow. Karen frowns, she should have known better than to try and bullshit Wonder Woman.

"I was going to put a symbol there, like Superman's..."

"Then why not leave it blank?

Karen tosses her head, ill at ease. This is embarassing.

"I have a nice body, I'm proud of that. I wanted to show off a little."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing!"

"Then why try to cover it with another explanation?"

"Because guys don't understand, damn it. They see the window and the boobs and think 'That's it. That's Power Girl.' And if I complain, they say 'Well, you're showing yourself off. You want this kind of attention.' Which is wrong, I want to be sexy and lively and beautiful, but I'm still a person, y'know. I don't want to be reduced to these."

"Makes sense. A little in this society tends to turn into a lot. Some people see a little bit of skin and consider it a complete nullification of humanity. They can't see past the sexuality and see that it's just a part of an entire person, and so a little sensuality gets seized upon as a 'distinguishing characteristic' and even the entire identity of a woman. The emphasis on sexuality increases, and soon the whole woman is lost in this hideous caricature of femininity. They're not a fully realized person to the observer, they're just a fantasy, or a joke. I can see why women in this society would tend to hide themselves in the attempt to minimize this."

"I've tried that," Karen states sullenly, "more covering costumes, frowning and scowling all the time. It didn't feel like me!"


"Of course not! You're lively and bawdy and it's wonderful. You remind me of my mother sometimes."

"Now, you mother was fun," Karen grins momentarily, remembering the Amazon Queen, "But she had the same problem. It pissed her off, too."

"And she resisted both sides of the argument. She resisted the people who tried to define her as little more than a pair of breasts, and the people who tried to cover her up because they believed that definition. And in the end, how do you remember her?"

"As a wise, lively, brassy woman," Karen says after some thought, "Who found the same fun and excitement saving the world as dancing at the victory party."

Diana smiles widely.

"But not everyone remembers her that way."

"I'm ever an optimist, Karen, those are the ones who never met her. And I have to believe that more people remember her for the good deeds she did than the pin-ups she posed for. I also have to believe that more people will remember you for saving the world than for baring part of your bust."

"You are so naive," Karen replies affectionately.

"Still, are you going to sew up the hole in your costume?"

"Are you going to drop the deer jerky?"

"Fair enough. Let's find something to do."

"Or someone to hit."

Got a Laugh Out of This

Minor Supergirl #6 Spoilers

I read Supergirl #6 and one of my hopes was dashed. The 16-year-old girl is still being heavily sexualized.

To think those cover costumes had given me heart.

However, the art is much more reasonable -- if still cheesecakey -- and the writing is infinitely better now. We're not universally expected to like her, but to understand that she's a hotheaded teenager and that's not a positive trait. As such, I like her a lot better. Rucka does indeed have skill.

And I did get a laugh from this issue.

You know how, even when the solicits have revealed something like a mystery identity or someone's death months in advance they still treat it as a surprise in the actual book? So, even when we know who Nightwing (Wow, yet another Nightwing in the DCU!) in Kandor is, they'll still have a big reveal where she shows up, is mysteriously clad in the uniform for a page or two and her identity is then revealed in a surprise manner.

Which we got, below:



Did you recognize those breasts?

A full page before they show her face, and it serves to identify Power Girl.

I laughed for ten minutes.

Making Assumptions

Store owners and clerks take note, because nothing cheeses me off more than this.

I walked into a store in Georgia. I got a few of what I call "It's a stranger" stares, and no one said a word.

Behind me are the two men who rode with me to the store, Joe and Max. The man behind the counter greets them as they walk in together. After we left the store, I asked Joe if he'd ever been in the store before. It was possible, though I sincerely doubted it because a) he'd driven us to two other now closed stores before this one, b) Joe reads very little that isn't Manga and there wasn't any Manga or Anime there, and c) the comics Joe does read are the ones I buy, think are cool, and send him for his birthday or Christmas.

"Not for a few months," he replies. So I ask him why I wasn't greeted and he verifies my suspicions about the clerk. I actually felt better, because I'd almost walked right out.

Because it's the only store in the town and I insisted on visiting here in my neverending search for back issues, I actually did bother to take a look at the boxes, though. I find a few from the seventies but almost put them down because I'm pissed off that he greeted Joe and not me. Then I see them.

Quarter bins.

There aren't many quarter bins in Oklahoma City, you understand.

There are even fewer I haven't already picked through on Saturday afternoons.

I couldn't just pass them by. I was in town for a single day to visit Joe. We had to be back the next day to get ready for class. There were six quarter bins.

I looked through the first one. Volume 2 Starmans, written by James Robinson, in good condition, for a quarter. Five for a dollar! They cost two-fifty back in Oklahoma! Clearly the owner was insane and I needed to take advantage of this. When I walked back to the register, with nearly sixteen dollars worth of project, I found Joe and Max sitting by the door, looking very bored. They hadn't bought a thing and had found nothing to chat with the clerk about. While the clerk, who was actually a fairly nice person who I hope will know better than to make assumptions next time around, rang up my purchases, Max made the joke.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I said, some women shop for shoes, some women shop for clothes..."

I look at my watch and rolled my eyes. Forty minutes for picking through six full long-boxes. That was not bad at all and I don't know a male comic book fan who wouldn't do it either. I said so.

They bitched about the time. I politely reminded them that they had spent longer in the video game store, which I had no interest in, the night before. They pointed out that I had spent my time looking for Lovecraft games and making fun of the Tomb Raider intro (it's actually pretty funny, she seems to realize that guys are staring at her breasts and fidgets nervously) they were showing.

Like they couldn't have made the most of being in the comic book store. But no, they only like Manga!

That's when I made the decision. Back in Mississippi there was a comic book store that was a close walk to our hotel, twenty minutes, thirty at Max's horrificly slow shuffle. There was another store ten minutes (fifteen by Max's pacing) beyond that that I hadn't felt a need to visit. Well, suddenly I did. My passive-aggressive vindictive energy was now focused on marching his sexist ass to that store and back. Sure, he could have said no, but that would have meant he had to stay home alone all night and study. He was going to have to do that after I left Friday. So on Wednesday, Max agreed to go.

He whined the whole damned way there, and dragged his feet.

Then he humiliated me by reading the product off the shelves.

But it was worth it. There were no quarter bins, but there were dollar back-issues. From the seventies. I loaded up, and headed home with whiny guy in tow.

I did get more than vengeance out of the walk, though. One of the dollar-issues I found contained the three most awesome Power Girl Panels I have ever seen. You see, I'm a King Arthur buff. I think medieval clothes look cool. Swordfighting is fun to watch, and horseback-riding has a charm cars just can't replace. I'd never live in Arthurian times, though. Because I'm not just a casual movie-goer, or a TH White (short for White-wash) reader. I'm an obsessive researcher of Arthurian Lore -- particularly the grim and gritty pre-Malory legends. I have had periods where I've thrown all of the intense fervor currently directed into Green Lantern fandom into King Arthur Stories (especially the ones about Gawain, my favorite knight) or Sherlock Holmes pastiches. As such, I'm well-acquainted with the odious rules of chivalry, particularly the ones about ladies left alone. Much as I love these legends, there are days when I really wished Morgan Le Fey would just up and kick all of their asses for their rampant stupidity regarding women.

Which brings me to Power Girl.





Anyway, my point is that I really, really love Power Girl.

Oh, and that you should greet both genders of customers when they walk into the store, whether you think they'll buy or not because stereotypes are utter bullshit.

On Persephone

Well, I was originally going to post about Kyle Rayner's butt, but I found myself distracted some commentary at Seven Hells. Essentially, the arguments there led me to a train of thought I can't seem to derail. They got me thinking of Persephone.

Yes, there's more. To the public at large, Persephone is commonly relegated to the role of "Victim" in Greek Mythology and ignored. It's true, she was only kidnapped to give Angst to her mother, Demeter. Hell, she was customed designed to give Angst to others. She was dragged through Hell and did very little during the story. She was deceitful and indecisive at worse, and helpless at best.

But after that story, she became one of the most terrifying and powerful figures of Greek Mythology. The day Persephone was finally condemned to the Underworld on a permanent basis was the day she fully took power and claimed the throne of the Underworld. She was always seated beside her husband when heroes came to visit (as Dr Bolen points out, no one ever found a "Gone Home to Mother" sign instead of a sitting Queen). She was often on their side, and swayed the rule in their favor. She was one of very few wives who was able to keep a lover aside from her husband without any backlash. She was the only one who ever forbade her husband to have an affair, and enforced it, not just once, but twice. She was the boss, if not always the mother, of the Furies.

Persephone was the sympathetic guide to the Underworld once you were there, she knew all of its secrets. She knew its secrets, she'd passed through the same death you had, and she was your last, best chance for mercy and sympathy, and if you were ridiculously lucky -- resurrection. No one got out of the Underworld without Persephone's approval.

Persephone was in such a situation of complete powerlessness that drawing any personal power out of it was akin to squeezing blood from a rock. But she managed it. She went from Hapless Maiden to Queen of the Underworld, She Who Blocks Out the Light. She made the unbelievable best of a bad situation, and she still gets zero respect for it.

I've long hated Persephone and Hades' handling in Wonder Woman, especially in Rucka's run since the other Olympians have been so well handled. After the events of "The Bronze Doors" Persephone would at the very least be in front of Queen Pallas with a protest sign right now. Sure, the early Persephone might have been grateful for the reunion with her mother, but after centuries of reigning as Queen and more equal to her husband than any other goddess, do you think she's happy with him dead and her ousted in favor of Ares and his slut? Ha!

But that's okay, I've found Persephone elsewhere in DC. Everyone is so quick to parallel Oracle with Athena, because of the surface similarities (extensive knowledge, helper of heroes, she's a librarian for Hera's sake!) but when you look more closely, Oracle is the DCU's Persephone. She was a bright, redheaded summer goddess. Optimistic and helpful, she was the only one of the Bat-clan to not have some horrific tragedy driving her to fight evil. Until the Joker saw her, and in order to hurt her parent, crippled her, humiliated her, and left her to die. Barbara found herself cut off from that world of adventure she'd loved so much and trapped in her apartment at a computer.

So she made like Persephone, and turned that position into one of power. It didn't happen until after the Killing Joke writer had long since moved one, and she'd passed hands to another creative team, yes, but it still happened. She became one of the most powerful heroines in the DC Universe, from a chair. She was the guide and helper to anyone lost, not only in the underworld of Gotham, but the entire superhero community. She outshined her own Hades (Batman) in detective skills. For a long time, he didn't make a move without calling her. She became the boss of the Furies, which was started by teaming with another Persephone who regained her power -- Black Canary.

And now, she may be finally coming back to the light! And some are thrilled, while others are disappointed. They like Oracle the way she is. The way I see it, she's still Persephone. Regaining the use of her legs, and taking up an active superhero career is just assuming more personal power. She'll have her ups and downs, be back in the Underworld again, but that's okay. She knows her way around now, and she'll always have her computer skills, will always have her detective skills, will always be one of the most intelligent women around, and will always be able to tell others "I've been there, here's what to do."

And she's not the only one. Everyone's at DC is in the Underworld right now. Power Girl is trapped in her own wavering self-doubt and need to belong (Please note, however, that this is all Her Angst, and no one else's. Kal-L is actually around to cause more Angst on Power Girl's part). Jade's been there since she betrayed her lover's trust. Donna Troy is just coming off of many months of mind-control and about to get many people who trust her killed. Wonder Woman herself is cut off from her sisters, fighting off a gigantic robot monster with unlimited resources and reinforcements on her own, and reviled by the entire public.

The thing isn't the situation itself. The strength of the character is in how much power can be drawn out of the situation, and who they come out as. Power Girl's a born Artemis-type. Athletic and Feminist. She'll come out of the Underworld stronger, more centered, perhaps a bit less tempermental now that she'll have less insecurity. and go back to what she does best. Diana is Athena, and will reclaim her wise warrior role, she'll continue to do what needs to be done no matter what the rest of the world thinks of her. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jade get trapped in the Underworld. Barbara will become more physically active, but she and Dinah will still be the older, wiser Persephone types, helping those lost in the Underworld.

And it's not just the women here. Superman is coming off of mind-control. Earth-2 Superman is cut-off from his home reality. Batman is caught up in his own arrogance. I don't want to talk about Nightwing. Hal is coming off of years caught The entire DC Universe has made a side-tour to the Underworld.

But that's one of the pluses of DC. Everyone plays Persephone at one point. Tragedy and overcoming it is what makes drama. And anyone who is not the lead of a book is primed to suffer for another's Angst. I suppose you could argue that, due to a number of factors, most males get off easy -- but who does that make the stronger gender?

Favorite Women of DC Comics Part I: The DCU At Large

Some of what you've heard is true.
I have no love for Jade, Donna Troy, or Cassie Sandsmark.
I did cheer at the news of Spoiler's death.
My hatred of Jeph Loeb's Supergirl has only just slightly started to ebb.

But I do love the Women of DC Comics. So, when Spencer Carnage (Of Course, Yeah! on the sidebar) accused me of being a "double agent" or worse, Devin Grayson, I felt a need to respond.

So I present to you a Written World First:

A Positive Post About Female Characters!

Below are just some of my Favorite Women of DC Comics (along with the titles that introduced me to them):

Death (The Sandman)
-- Yes, everyone loves Death. But she loves everyone back, so its okay. Man, she was totally unexpected. A perky, pale Poppins fan. A genuinely nice person with a kind word for everyone she meets, no matter who they are. Precisely the person you want to meet on the last day of your life.

Ice (Justice League International)
-- All of the best of classic femininity in one sweet little package. Ice was everything idealized in sweet, demur, quiet modest ladies of a bygone era, but with a core of quiet strength that came out when she was needed as a protector. She dressed up to fight evil, but wore a tee-shirt over her spandex costume. She liked sweet little puppies and plush animals and thought that if she looked deep enough into Guy Gardner she'd find the ideal man underneath. I'm sure people think I should hate her, but I loved her. I want her back. I want her dating Guy again. I wouldn't object to her marrying him and settling down to cook and raise the kids, because I know if a supervillain showed up at the door he'd better be well-prepared, or at least have an electric blanket in his getaway car.

Power Girl (JSA)
-- Any feminist brazen enough to walk around with a hole in her shirt...

Hope O'Dare (Starman)
-- Next to Shade, my favorite character from this series. She's a legacy cop, standard tomboy complete with older brothers, but has a definitely refined feminine side. I know that doesn't sound like much, but you have to read the series to understand her appeal beyond that. I couldn't do her justice.

Madame Xanadu
-- I like Tarot cards. She's got this mysterious fortune-teller thing going on. She's just plain cool.

"Surprise Girl" (Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight)
-- If you read this series, you know who I mean. If you haven't read this series, read it. I love King Arthur legends. This is a young lady from a King Arthur tale who is noble, uncomplaining, and heroic. She is a quiet, simple, plodding person who moves steadily towards her goals. In a very short time, she impressed me as one the strongest teenaged girl characters at DC right now. I'd like to see her interact with Wonder Woman.

Batgirl, Cassandra Cain (Batgirl)
-- I must admit, she's contrived. But she's also highly compelling. Same appeal as the above Seven Soldiers character, but without the purity. Cassandra's past is tainted by her own actions an regret, while the above girl is pure nobility.. I sincerely hope Cassandra makes it through the One Year Gap. I've got my fingers crossed she'll be in Birds of Prey.

Crazy Jane (Doom Patrol)
-- She sprang fully formed from the twisted mind of Grant Morrison, a thousand fun female characters in one! Multiple personalities, each with a different superpower. What a concept. I was surprised Driver B actually turned out to be a female personality, I'd always pictured an older male when she took over.

Black Canary (JSA, JLA, Birds of Prey)
-- Despite her poor taste in men, or perhaps, because of it; Dinah has long been a down-to-earth relatable woman. She's the sort of person you admire even when she screws up.

Oracle, Barbara Gordon (Birds of Prey)
-- Easily the most intelligent and valuable person in the DC Universe, without ever leaving her chair.

Lady Blackhawk, Zinda Blake (Birds of Prey)
-- She calls Oracle "Skipper," throws perky salutes, and wears a cute mini-skirt uniform, but she still kicks more ass before 6 AM than most women in the DCU do all day. And there aren't nearly enough lady pilots.
I think she should hook up with Hal Jordan. Not just because of the job, but because she's a fun-loving person and he could stand to cut loose for a night.

Hawkgirl, Kendra Saunders (JSA)
-- I've just liked her since her first appearance. I don't know why. She's drowning in melodrama, but I don't really mind it. I loved that her grandpa had to talk her into doing the hero thing. I love that she freaked when she found out how she got reincarnated. I love that she didn't want to date Carter at first and ran straight into Sand's arms. I absolutely adored her being on the JLA in Obsidian Age. "Harpy."

Stargirl/Star-Spangled Kid II, Courtney Whitmore (Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.)
-- She started out the way a teenager would have. Stealing her stepdad's stuff and sneaking out. She had major attitude problems at the beginning, but I've been able to watch her grow out of them to become the emotional anchor of the JSA. Her own series was light and funny, and she carries a little bit of that with her no matter how mature she is.


Alanna Strange (JLA, Starman, Adam Strange, Rann-Thanagar War)
-- She's from a world where the men were so wussy they had to kidnap a Terran to protect them. She went straight for the one real man on the planet, even if he had to be away half the time. Every time I've seen her, her life (as the hero's wife) is threatened somehow; but she is always threatening right back. She is the first to grab a blaster in a crisis, and the first to rally the rest of Rann to fight alongside her. I have never seen an Alanna Strange appearance where I wished she hadn't been there.

Supergirl, Linda Danvers (Supergirl)
-- An impressively complex character with a sense of humor who's merits are well-documented across the Internet. She's another tough act to follow.

Big Barda (JLA, Mister Miracle)
-- She's tough. She's strong. She's gorgeous. She's perfect for any gender role-reversal joke. She loves her husband and still kicks ass. She's Big. She's Barda. How can you not love Big Barda?

Answers to the OYL Quiz

(If you don't want the story potentially spoiled, why are you looking here?)

The following questions are from Wizard #171. They have surfaced in at least one thread on every message board I've looked at today, so I figured I'd just answer them here instead of retype everything. I'm working on two assumptions: The Big Three will be effectively disappeared from the DCU for the entirety of the one-year gap; DC are going for the most surprising developments they can get away with.

--One of these characters will give birth in '06: Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Catwoman, or Oracle

Oracle is too easy, as she hasn't been physical for a long time, but given that she's getting her legs back, I don't see them hurting her body again so quickly with a pregnancy. We'd still end up spending a long time watching her recovery, which I believe Gail Simone wanted to skip over for the one-year-leap (Otherwise, why time it now?)

Power Girl has already had a child during a big event.

Catwoman is my runner-up, because the thing between her and Batman has been played up in the build-up here, and they did have a kid on Earth-2.

But I'm going to go with Wonder Woman here. Wishful thinking on my part, I admit, but come on -- Diana's got almost no love-life, Aphrodite's got to be getting irritated by now. This Goddess has turned young women into fruit trees for less, but she continues to favor Diana desptie her virginity? And Rucka's been playing up the motherly aspect of her personality whenever he can. It's a logical step. And it's a way to remove Wonder Woman from the regular DCU for a full year.

--One of these characters will be stripped of their powers: Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Green Lantern/Hal Jordan


This plot point has been done to death with Jordan. And comparing his post-Parallax behavior to John's words and Kyle and Guy's actions, he's the least likely Lantern to get the pink slip right now.

I don't see a point with Supergirl.

Everyone on every message board seems to be saying Wonder Woman, because her powers are the easiest to lose as they depend on her patron's favor. But I don't buy it. Diana is Athena's main champion. Diana just got Athena the Throne of firkin' Olympus, and then topped it off with a trip to the Underworld to fetch her baby brother and quell a rebellion. This is all fresh goodness, so it would take a lot to annoy Athena that much. I can see it, though, for the right reason, which is why Diana's my second choice here. But I can only see one specific reason here:
Diana's actions in Sacrifice? No. I can totally see Athena getting behind Diana on those, being a war goddess and all.
Failing to defend Paradise Island? No. They were never mad at Diana when the Amazons got slaughtered before.
Diana getting knocked up? Not even this. Athena might be irked, but remember, Aphrodite and Demeter are also Diana's patrons -- and Athena's biggest supporters in her coup. Diplomatically, at least, Athena would have to let this one pass.
Diana getting knocked up by a guy in Athena's temple? This could do it.
Diana getting knocked up by Poseidon in Athena's temple? Bingo! But this slim possibility is the only one that would work.

So my money's on the Big S. It's the only concievable way to take Superman out for a whole year without killing Lois.

-- One of these characters will become the mayor of a crime-riddled city: Wally West, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen

Wally's a nobody since Hal mind-wiped the universe for him. He doesn't have the in-story name recognition to become politicians, at least, not in such big city. Plus, he's just too young.

Oliver Queen is highly political, but he's totally tactless. He would shoot his mouth off at the first press conference and totally alienate his target demographic.

Dick has the money, and he has joined the police force to root out corruption, so politics is a natural nexts step. I still see him as too young, though.

Bruce Wayne however, has the money, the backing, the influence, and the fake charm to make it happen. And it's not a natural move for him, under normal circumstances. But given his disillusionment with the hero community, the staggering odds he's been facing threatening to overwhelm him, the utter futility of his mission and the fact that it's falling to pieces -- well, a change of plan might be necessary. Why not take a page from Dick's book and join the system to cleanse it? Plus, it's a good way to remove Batman for a full year.

-- One of these characters will have amnesia and be unable to tell friend from foe: Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Atom, Elongated Man

Wiping Atom or Elongated Man's memories would clear the slate for either character, but it would be just too sad after Identity Crisis.

This could be a hook for an Aquaman relaunch, but given the title of the new book (Sword of Atlantis), I don't see it as too likely.

Now, an amnesiac Martian Manhunter would make a lot of sense. It would explain the utter lack of a JLA relaunch (Doesn't work without a Martian!), and J'onn does have a history of memory problems.

-- One of these characters will take the mantle as the most powerful hero in the DCU: Booster Gold, Animal Man, Kyle Rayner, Earth-2 Superman

Mantle Schmantle! The most powerful hero in the DCU is obviously going to be Kyle Rayner. And not for the obvious reason.

Despite the name of his new book, I don't think Kyle will be fully Ionized and move laterally through time again. That would be too hard to write. But, Kyle is currently the most influential man in the Green Lantern Corps. Kyle is the beloved Torch-bearer, single-handedly responsible for the resurrection of the Oan race. The Oan race which is the collective boss of the Green Lantern Corps. When Kyle walked into the Citadel, and the Guardians immediately dropped everything to be in his presence and praised him. Every year, on Kyle's birthday, they decorate an everpurple tree and buy gifts for each other. Kyle is wonderful. Kyle is the best thing since sliced bread. They love Kyle. They want Kyle happy, they want Kyle safe, and, most of all, they want Kyle close to them.
OYL the Corps will be a staggering force that has swelled to 7200 intensively-trained uber-powerful supercops. They are all under the control of the Gaurdians, who love Kyle. Who want to keep Kyle happy, safe, and close to them. Even if Kyle does internalize his powers, he will still be the beloved Torch-bearer, savior of the Oan race. He will still secretly be referred to by most of them as "Uncle Kyle" when Ganthet is out of earshot. He will be the Most Powerful Hero in the DC Universe, because he will be the only one who can influence the Guardians.

If you doubt this, look at his recent actions: He disobeys his orders in Rann-Thanagar War by following a lead that would take him directly to the center of the war that he is expressly forbidden to involve himself in. Instead of getting the boot, he gets Kilowog sent to pick him up and gently guide him away from the danger. He's currently in the process, in Recharge, of breaking a millenia-old pact between the Guardians and the Psions, over a girl who left the Corps voluntarily before she got kidnapped. Now, when the old Green Man did this in Omega Men #29, he got booted from the Corps, and even cut off from using his power to save his own butt! If Guy had done this alone, I can see a similar result (especially since he got threated with Krona's punishment for breaking into the Citadel!). So, what's going to keep Kyle and Guy from getting the book thrown at them? Why, Kyle's presence, of course.

And the beauty of all of this is: Kyle is very last person in the DC Universe who would capitalize on this situation. Hell, he'll probably be the last person to realize he's getting special treatment! It'll all be subtle, little rules that they bend for him. He could be running the Universe, and he won't ever realize it.

Of course, if you want to get tricky (which Wizard and DC often are), if Kyle's only taking up the Ion name again, that is the mantle of the "Most Powerful Hero in the DCU" if not the actual power level.

I just hope this question doesn't mean we'll see Earth-2 Superman as the Spectre. That's a scary thought.

-- One of these characters will become a criminal: Hal Jordan, Superman, Flash, Captain Marvel

Hal Jordan's too obvious here. He's already played villain for too long to be a fugitive.

We'll sooner see Superman back in his grave than turning to crime.

The Flash would be interesting, to say the least, and I could see Wally or Bart end up in a situation that forced them on the wrong side of the law easily.

But I went with Captain Marvel because not only does this have an initial "Huh?" factor, but it makes perfect sense on examination -- Billy is actually a lot younger than everyone else, and is now without guidance after Day of Vengeance #6. His powers are magic-based, so I don't see how the Wisdom of Solomon is totally reliable right now. He's also been lagging in popularity, and such a stunt would raise interest, at least temporarily. I can see him being forced to the wrong side of the law even more easily than the Flash right now.

-- One of these characters will be the only one around after "Infinite Crisis": The Flash/Wally West, Superboy/Connor Kent, Green Lantern/Guy Gardner, Nightwing/Dick Grayson

This does not necessarily mean death. They are playing with us.

Wally West is probably going to retire with the kids.

Dick will evolve beyond Nightwing somehow.

I was originally going to go with Guy Gardner, but then I realized: The Solicits for the Teen Titans Annual are already out, and it's a post-Infinite Crisis love story with Wonder Girl and Superboy. This not only means that Cassie will survive (WHY?!), but Connor Kent will definately be around afterwards. Which means Guy might be the "heroic warrior" to sacrifice himself in the Rann-Thanagar War Infinite Crisis Special
At this point, he might have more of an effect than even Jade. But even so, it's possible that I'm wrong, and Guy will be around, but in a different form. Back to Warrior perhaps? Or maybe, just maybe, the solicits were lying to me and the love story is set before the end of Infinite Crisis. In which case, Guy is home free. I'll have my fingers crossed, but I know what to expect.

As I have said on other message boards, if Jade survives the Rann-Thanagar War Special but Guy Gardner or Captain Comet dies, I will personally vomit on Dave Gibbons' shoes at the very next convention I see him at.

-- One of these teams won't survive Infinite Crisis: JLA, JLA, JLA, JLA

Haven't the foggiest idea here.

-- One of these characters becomes the military's secret weapon: Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Red Tornado, Green Lantern/John Stewart

John is becoming rebellious again. I can't see him working for the military after what he said to Hal in Green Lantern #1 about his "Wake-up call." And given what happened to Kyle and his mother in Homecoming? after John defended "the Man" and got sent on a wild goose chase, it would bug me to see him become a "secret weapon."

Wonder Woman's views are too unconventional.

Red Tornado is an off-chance, but for some reason I really see Cyborg going military here. Not sure why.

-- One of these characters will destroy an entire country and kill millions: Braniac, Sinestro, Black Adam, Vandal Savage

Not Sinestro's style. Plus, this sort of thing is generally reserved for villains needing to prove themselves. Sinestro's coming off the biggest scheme of his career -- He actually took down Hal Jordan! He kept him down for a decade! And he would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for that meddling kid...

Wouldn't jive with Black Adam's normal actions. He does consider himself a moral man and would probabyl stop short of mass genocide.

Vandal Savage is off to a good start in his last appearance, going all Ra's Al Ghul on us -- but Brainiac's been awfully quiet during all of this. I can see Brainaic surprising every one with a sudden, huge, destructive action.

On the Eve of the Metaplot

My hopes and predictions for during/after Infinite Crisis:

-- Taking Supergirl into outer space is a bad idea. Supergirl is evil.

-- Taking Alan Scott into outer space is a bad idea. Alan's source of energy is the same kind of magic used by all of the Guardians of the Universe's old magic enemies. Alan inadvertantly frees all of these old magic enemies, such as the Empire of Tears, from eons-long imprisionment, allowing fans to finally see modern stories about these guys and not just tantalizing references in old GLC Quarterlies.

-- Putting Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner in command positions turns out to be a good idea.

-- Sardath's way of defeating Onimar Synn was a bad idea. Onimar Synn returns -- Seven Times as Big, Seven times as Yellow!

-- Power Girl becomes something very similar to Donna Troy.

-- Superman is holding Despero's consciousness.

-- There is also a crazy, evil, or both, Pre-Crisis version of Superman running amok.

-- The White Martians return, and become roving space villains. There will be many laughs from novice Green Lantern encounters with them "Telepathic shapeshifters with heat vision!? What whacked-out deity thought of that!?"

-- Johnny Sorrow returns.

-- Dark Seid will not return until after the OYG (One-year Gap).

-- Brainiac returns.

-- The Joker returns, in a very, very bad way at a very, very, bad time. Think No Man's Land bad.

-- Villains you didn't realize were gone return.

-- Villains you didn't realize existed return.

-- Heroes you didn't realize existed die. And for some unknown reason, you care!

-- Airwave, Larry Jordan, dies heroically, giving angst to cousin Hal.

-- Martian Manhunter dies.
- Without his emotional guidance, the next version of the JLA doesn't take, and the book is cancelled.

-- Captain Comet doesn't die, and becomes a recurring guest star in Green Lantern Corps.

-- None of the Earth Green Lanterns die, but scores of nameless alien Lanterns do.

-- Jay Garrick does not die.

-- Donna Troy does not die, but is never used as a love-interest again.

-- Pariah finally dies. And there will be much rejoicing.

-- Hawkman neither dies nor bathes.

-- Wally West does not die, but retires (maybe even conveniently loses his powers) to spend more time with the kids.

-- Either Connor Hawke (Green Arrow II) or Roy Harper (Arsenal) dies. I hope it is Arsenal.

-- Kyle Rayner does not die, remains active, but is unable to comfortably return to the metropolitan, or even global scale of heroics after becoming so used to the universal scale of policing.

-- Bart Allen becomes the new Flash.

-- Barry Allen shows up through time-travel, and nearly gets killed before (but also after) his appointed time to be killed.

-- Todd Rice (Obsidian, son of Alan Scott the Golden Age Green Lantern) gets his powers back, much to his father's annoyance.

-- Wally West and Kyle Rayner work together for one last time.

-- Colu (Homeworld of the Brainiac bloodline) suffers a major population loss. The disaster that occurs here is blamed on Donna Troy, but actually perpetrated by Supergirl. The damage could be a lot worse, but Kyle Rayner and a new Green Lantern from Colu manage to contain it.

-- Kyle Rayner deliberately performs an act of mass destruction, again, and is rewarded by the Guardians of the Universe for it.

-- Guy Gardner gets to hurt a lot of bad guys. There will be much rejoicing.


-- Vril Dox II, Brainiac II, will be technically counted among Kyle's Rogue's Gallery, but never become an actual supervillain.

-- The Spectre's new host is not Jim Corrigan, but somebody else.

-- Sasha Bordeaux becomes the only OMAC. She is never used by anyone but Rucka.

-- We see a new Atom-style shrinking hero, that goes by the name "Ion"

-- The new Blue Beetle is Hispanic, and never before seen.

-- Lex Luthor is not only thwarted, but forced to help the heroes again.

-- Star Sapphie dies, and we see a new Star Sapphire.

-- Black Adam turns on the Secret Society of Supervillains.

-- Dr. Psycho is thrown out of the Secret Society of Supervillains. This is actually pretty impressive.

-- Nevertheless, the Secret Society of Supervillains remains intact, with a slightly altered roster.

-- Brother I is defeated by an all-female team led by Wonder Woman, and including Fire and Sasha Bordeaux

-- Every member of the Justice League who was punked by Deathstroke (and they ALL got punked) in Identity Crisis gets to lay a smackdown on him. The damage dealt, and the speed in which it is dealt would ideally be proportional to how badly the Leaguer was punked. Meaning Slade walks away without so much as a concussion from a fight with Green Arrow that last two issues, but is nearly killed (and left in traction for the entire one year break) by Kyle Rayner in just two panels.

-- All of the Big 3 are MIA during the OYG:
- Wonder Woman does not die, but is tapped to mediate peace talks between Rann and Thanagar. She goes into space for a year.
- Superman goes into forced exile in a) the Fortress of Solitude, b) the center of the Sun, or c) the Phantom Zone
- Batman leaves Gotham top find himself. He tours the world, again, as Bruce Wayne.

-- John Stewart is one of the featured characters in 52.

-- John Stewart is absent from the Green Lantern ongoing due to his having inexplicably disappeared during the OYG (This will be explained in 52). Kyle Rayner, as one of the GLC troubleshooters, ends up staying on Earth for an extended period of time to help find him. This is why we've only heard of Guy Gardner as the star of the GLC ongoing, because Kyle is getting partnered with Hal for the next year.
- A year passes, and Hal Jordan still hasn't told his brother about what happened with Parallax. He is still reckless, repressed and in denial after the OYG. He is also still abnormally (for a Green Lantern) susceptible to mind control.
- Hector Hammond reaches in Kyle's brain and is unable to control him, but still manages to kick a few walls down.
- Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons settle Mama Rayner's fate once and for all, because Johns can not bear to see loose plot threads. It will be very unpleasant.

---

Now for the good news -- An explanation for "Great Guardians!" that is funny, and affords Kyle a chance to flex his creative muscle. I just hope he writers this explanation into Recharge. It would be funny.