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The Comic Conspiracy — Episode 201 (2015-03-17)
This week, we discuss DC’s new costumes, Batgirl cover controversy, Netflix’s Marvel Knights, Orphan Black topping the sales charts, the Powers pilot, and listener questions. Starring Ryan Higgins, Brock Sager, Toby Sidler, and Charlie West.
Running Time: 1h 05m 06s
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I love the Batgirl cover and it should never have been removed. Glad to hear that you guys’ opinions on it are similar to mine.
I’m a little disappointed that you didn’t have a woman as a guest on your panel to discuss the Batgirl cover. When I hear four dudes saying, “I don’t get why people are so offended,” all I can think is, “Of COURSE you don’t get it!” During the podcast, you go on to discuss how all the Barbara Gordon stories post-Killing Joke were about building the character back up and giving her power. In one image, this cover takes that power away and turns her into a victim again.
It’s part of a tradition of female characters being victimized in a way that male characters rarely (if ever) are. As one of the panelists pointed out, yes, these stories are fictional, but given the amount of real sexism I’ve seen from male comics fans, I think it could be exceptionally helpful for these fictional stories to not reinforce those concepts.
@ mrm1138
Here is a female comic book fan that reads Batgirl and she is pissed by the fact that the cover was cancelled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsz_6TgflcY
I don’t know many female comic book fans in real life or many girls that read Batgirl just like Ryan said and he owns a Comic Book store and most of the customers are 20-30 year old something males that buy it including myself. So its just people that don’t even buy the comics that are complaining about this probably.
Also you are crazy for viewing her as a victim in that picture, I view it as a transformation.
Oh no Bruce Wayne is a victim because his parents died and he had his spine broken by Bane… guess what? that was a transformation to his character and in both of those instances. Batman wouldn’t ever view himself as the victim in those situations and if you view him as a Victim then you are interpreting and reading the books wrong.
Where were you when the Joker killed off Jason Todd?
Or in the Death of the Family new52 story arc?
Joker is crazy and an evil villain ALL THINGS ARE ALLOWED.
You are doing a disservice by calling Batgirl the victim here she wouldn’t like that, she would scoff at your pity just like she did Batman and Jim Gordon in the later issues once she was recovering and eventually became Oracle.
I’d say that in the Batman universe more good male characters have been hurt or killed compared to the times women have been so if anything there should be more to balance it out.
Hey mrm1138, if they did had a female and she was fine with it what happens then?
@Broken
If the hypothetical female guest were fine with the cover, then that’s fine. Pretty much all I would have wanted to hear is the perspective and insight from the other sex.
Just because the cover makes me uncomfortable doesn’t mean I think my opinion is the right one. I’m just explaining why it makes me feel that way.