(This is part three of a three-part series of articles regarding current runs of all-female superhero teams.)
I’ve legitimately been working on this article or thinking about this article for weeks. How do I write an article on the weaknesses of the all-female teams out there? And how do I do it in a way that allows me to stay true to my own theory and ideology? I finally have an answer:
I don’t.
I could rant for pages about how Birds of Prey has turned into a giant cat-fight over a big, strong man. I could focus on how X-Men is so boring, I might actually drop it from my pull. I might discuss the strange implications of gender structure that I see in Fearless Defenders. But at the end of the day, one article isn’t enough to list all the negatives or the weaknesses that I see. So instead, I’m making a wish list. Comic writers and artists, take note, and let me know if you have any questions.
- Stop with the inappropriately-clad crime fighters. Spandex is fine. Capes are awesome. Stilettos are ridiculous. Super-cleavage is impractical. I could literally live the rest of my life without seeing a female hero wearing a damned tiara. Stop it.
- Women’s lives revolve around a LOT of things, alright? We’ve got a lot going on. Men are in the periphery. They always have been and they always will be. We’ve got more important things to do than go super-villain over how Mister Dudebro broke our hearts. Seriously. I promise. So maybe make the main plot be about the women actually fighting crime instead of fighting each other about the nearest penis in the vicinity.
- It’s not just men who are clever and witty. Women are, too. We can have witty dialogue, too. We can even joke around about sexual things. Crazy idea, I know, but it’s true.
- It’s okay to show a woman having some sort of inner conflict. She doesn’t always have to be confident, just like she doesn’t always have to be weak. In fact, we experience a whole range of emotions. So if a woman shows a moment of weakness, that’s okay. Men do, too.
When it comes right down to it, my problem with all-female teams is that the women seem to become caricatures. They aren’t real and they can’t be real because they don’t have a male in the area to show them how to be. Think about that for a moment. And I mean really think about it.
What’s lacking in these three runs isn’t just one thing or another, it’s a whole litany of things. And much as I enjoyed Fearless Defenders (so much so that I added it to my pull), even it isn’t exactly what I was looking for.
On the other hand, have you picked up Rat Queens? If not, DO IT. I command you. I promise you it’s well worth your while, and you won’t see me screaming at it in sheer feminist rage.
