Wednesday, June 24, 2009

More Lesbians! Well. The same lesbian. Then some flirty non-lesbians. You know.

I forgot to mention this before, probably because I was so overwhelmed by Kate Kane's albinism: she's not a stick figure with giant breasts, she's a proportional woman with curves. Also she's got nipples. Seriously. They're, like, poking out of her costume. And I don't normally pay attention to these kinds of things (really!) so it was pretty noticeable. Why does she have nipples? Are they going for the Clooney look? I guess constantly-erect nipples are better than gravity defying breasts of doom (a.k.a. gigantobreasts).

Right?

Yeah, suck that Power Girl, Batwoman is anatomically correct.

Speaking of someone sucking someone else's something, the other big pick up for me this week was Gotham City Sirens. I just sort of went along for the objectification ride on this one. I love the way Paul Dini writes Harley and Ivy, and I literally LOLed at a couple of scenes. Which is nice. Sometimes I don't mind comics being funny! (Page 10 is the best, and I will scan it and insert it here as soon as I get a chance.)

Now, I'm not saying that it's automatically objectification if a man is writing or drawing female characters. Not at all. I still like Greg Rucka! But the title of this, erm, title is sirens. Here, let me sum up the wikipedia article so you don't have to read through it: three women who use their sexuality to seduce and kill men.

Remember back in the seventies, right after the second wave of feminism, when women retaking the streets, using their sexuality to get what they wanted, and being just as violent as men was an entire subgenre of movies? No, me neither, but I know those movies exist. Right? Well, Pam Grier was in a lot of them, but then we get into blaxploitation and there's no way I'm going there right now.

I just don't find it subversive any more.

What I do find interesting is the idea of Harley and Ivy legitimately caring about Selina's well-being. And I certainly enjoy the three women's dynamic. And Harley is one funny lady, despite her thing with the Joker.

Oh, hey, while I'm on the topic (or not)... where did Holly go? Was that ever explained? She should go to L.A. randomly! Because that's where lesbians go when they leave Gotham for no good reason. Viva Los Angeles!

So I liked Sirens enough that I will keep reading it. I like this post-Bruce Gotham that's been established, and I like the writers and artists working in it. For the most part. I seem to like the non-central titles more, but I've always been like that.

By the way, to come full circle, none of the women of Sirens have nipples.

Maybe Gotham isn't that cold after all.

5 comments:

  1. Siren can also mean "a device that makes a loud prolonged sound as a signal or warning: ambulance sirens," which, while I doubt it was the intent in titling the series, is very convenient. ;)

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  2. @guardian.orion Hah, yes, every true! Though doesn't it get its name from the original sirens? The sound was meant to be a warning to sailors? I could be totally wrong on that.

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  3. Hm. That should be "very true," which is why I shouldn't write comments while on the phone and why google SHOULD have an edit-comment feature.

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  4. It does come from the mythological sirens. Their name in Greek literally meant "binders" ('seiren', from 'seira' "cord, rope"), which may have been a reference to how Odysseus overcame them.

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  5. @guardian.orion Ah, thank you! :) I had a feeling.

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