Marvel has a new initiative — no, nothing by Tony Stark — that’s being called GIRL COMICS.
While some may argue it’s a little on the nose, it’s certainly true, as the whole three-issue anthology series is written, drawn, inked, colored, lettered, and edited by women!
Some of the creators include Kathryn Immonen, Marjorie Liu, Louise Simonson, Amanda Conner, Ann Nocenti, Devin Grayson (my heart just did kick-flips writing that last one), G. Willow Wilson, Valerie D’Orazio, Ming Doyle, and a whole heck of a lot more.
The Beat, who broke this story, has an interview up with editor Jeanine Schaefer. Here’s a highlight:
But I hold to my belief that there just isn’t that magical combination of character and theme that will make women read a specific book. There are so many more women interested in super hero comics and genre entertainment than most people think (and this isn’t new, it’s like me saying I’ve just cracked the case of comics getting popular in the mainstream, but everyone likes to talk about it like it’s new every time women are vocal about something they like in popular entertainment. Oh, my god, women read comics! Oh, my god, women watch television! Apparently, they even go to the movies and read books that aren’t made specifically for them! Shock! Horror!), and as the community grows, the pull list of “what women like” becomes just as sprawling as any control group.
I talk to my friends and women at cons and the answers seem to range from X-Men to Runaways to Spider-man to Captain America to Hulk, which sounds just like what any reader in any shop would say. Whenever you see a large concentration of women reading one series in particular, it’s less that there’s something specific there that women gravitate towards and more that they’ve found something that doesn’t have an implied sign on it saying “no girls allowed”.
It’s interesting, because with Wednesday Comics, Strange Tales, and now Girl Comics, the anthology format is actually taking off — mainly because they have a real murderer’s row of awesome talent involved. Either which way, the book comes out sometime next year — just in time for She-Hulk’s 30th anniversary. Man, between that and the Iron Man announcement, it’s looking like Marvel is doing a week of announcements — be sure to keep an eye on Newsarama for more news!
December 15th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I’ve noticed that Marvel makes ‘grand’ gestures towards women that always fall flat. Their women of marvel comic trades had blurbs that read like it didn’t want men to read! While this is a nice idea, I’d prefer if these creators were more visible in the industry day to day like Morrison, Rucka, Robinson, Johns, Millar, Brubaker etc… Only Conner and Simone have that. Doing this and then having them fade back for another few years is no help.
December 15th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
It’s only three issues?
December 15th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Looks fun; will def. be picking this up! Amanda’s cover is wonderful, which is a great first impression!
December 15th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
It shows just how much farther the comic culture has to go in terms of sexual equality. Believe me, I’m all for this anthology because the stories sound great. And I’m a HUGE fan of Louise Simonson, Amanda Conner, and Devin Grayson (my heart did kick-flips READING that one). But to make it “special” because it’s all-female shows how much we still see the comic arena as a giant men’s club. Hence you’ll never see a mini-series announcing with pride: written, drawn, inked, colored, lettered, and edited by men!
And may I ask why they’re calling it Girl Comics instead of Women Comics? Sigh…
December 15th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Isn’t there something inherently sexist about this? Give these women more regular work on important, serious projects and they won’t need a “girl comics anthology.” Most of the people (not all) involved in this project are as good as, or better than, the creators involved in a lot of the big Marvel titles right now.
December 15th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Oh this isn’t sexist at all…. Nope.
December 15th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I was ready to buy this until I saw the cover. Another book featuring females that can only highlight them by trashing men or showing them beating men. No equality, just in-your-face stomping on guys. If that cover was the other way around, you could open your window and hear “Misogony! Misogoney!” echoing in the air.
And couldn’t the man being beaten at least be a villain? I’m as 30-year Marvelite who’s is becoming more and more sick of Marvel, to where I now buy more DC comics (not even counting Blackest Night stuff). Everybody likes to call Tony Stark names, but he stood up for Law and Order.
December 15th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Interesting point on the anthology thing, hopefully we keep seeing high quality anthologies being produced since it allows for a project with a multitude of interesting variety.
And yeah, the concept is definitely a little on the nose and contrived but the awesome creators attached completely excuse that.
December 15th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Good start.
Better yet, take 8 million dollars (1/500th of the 4 billion they got from the disney deal) and create 400 new graphic novels for girls.
(that is $20,000 a pop)
Create so many new ideas and new characters that stan lee’s output looks like dust in the wind.
Give them away to school libraries, post them online, throw them on the iphone. put them in doctor’s office’s waiting rooms and plaster them all over the new york city subway. call the 4 mil. a total loss.
if 2 of those 400 graphic novels turn into movies that are semi-successful, then marvel is bound at lease double their investment.
but in all likelihood, this will just end up like DC’s minx line.
born in ’06. dead in ’08
sigh.
December 15th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
@Jimalsi
Oh come on! It’s just one arm-wrestling match. And I feel she rightfully won.
December 15th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Ok, who’s the wiseguy that let Devin Grayson back into comics.
Wasn’t destroying Nightwing deserving of a lifetime ban?
December 15th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I wonder if they have enough GIRL POWER to fry me some eggs.
December 15th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I will wait to see the reviews
December 15th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
I’d rather see these women working on more monthly comics please Marvel. As others have pointed out, this reeks of paternalism. Will women buy this comic because it has female creators? Perhaps. But is ‘here, we made this comic especially for you but that’s all you’re getting’ the message we want to send female fans?
December 15th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Why would every guy have necessarily bet on the guy? Spidey, for instance, would have put money on She-Hulk.
December 15th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Regardless of whether Tony Stark was right or wrong in Civil War, he slept with She-Hulk while knowing he had shot her cousin into space and she was so worried about him and hoping to find him. So, I see no big deal about a cover showing She-Hulk beating Iron Man in an arm wrestle. She-Hulk is stronger than Iron Man—of course she would win. I have been a little worried about She-Hulk now that Marvel has introduced two more of them. I only care about the original and next year is her 30th anniversary. I hope this initiative will mean something good for Jennifer Walters the Sensational She-Hulk !
December 15th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
It’s possible that Quesada et al is considering this a “try-out” book. If a particular character/creative combo is received especially well, they may get a mini or even an ongoing series. It’s hard to tell without more details, but it’s possible.
December 15th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I take this cover to probably be meant as “out of continuity”; where no hard feelings, grudges, etc. would factor in to it. It looks like just a comical, girls vs. boys situation meant to appeal to a general audience.
December 15th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
“Girl Comics”
Is it called “Girl Comics” because the book is aimed at young kids?
Hmmm…No…
So it must be called that because all of the creators are thirteen years old…
No…?
Now I’m just confused.
She-Hulk beating Tony Stark at arm wrestling is a no-brainer. The idea that Wolverine and Spidey and all the guys pictured on the cover are too stupid to realize that She Hulk could beat Tony at arm wrestling is a sign that they haven’t evolved since they were thirteen years old . C’mon, how retarded is this.
It’s nice of Marvel to “allow” a group of “girls” to write and draw Marvel characters. Now once this miniseries is over everyone can go back to the way things were
December 15th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Oh Mah Gosh! Please, PLEASE, tell me that Amanda Conner is going to draw for Marvel! Ima dyin’ ovah herr!!
December 15th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
“Everybody likes to call Tony Stark names, but he stood up for Law and Order.”
Which one is his favorite: The original, SVU, or Criminal Intent?
December 16th, 2009 at 4:12 am
I’m not very worried about ‘girl’ in ‘girl comics’. I call all you guys boys regularly when 85% of you are men.
December 16th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Theres a reason why there arent many women writing mainstream super hero comics. Because when they do they usually suck. Yes Ann Nocenti and Gail Simon are great writers, but they are the exception. Most of the time when a woman writes a super hero book you get crap like Arana.
December 16th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Seriously, Chris? You are working with a pretty small sample group there. I’ll argue that 90% of male comic writers are crap. Even the super popular ones write some bad stories.
December 16th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Beautiful cover, just wonderful!
I don’t know about the whole “girl comics” title.
However, the talent involved is without question.
December 16th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I’m buying this strictly because of the incredible line-up of creators on it. There are people I would buy just about anything from (and am currently on other books they do).
I don’t know if I see this as a step forward, a step back, or more of the same as far as women getting their due in comics. I’ll leave that for others to decide for themselves.
I’m just excited for a good comic.
December 16th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Heh! Three issues. How about that?
December 17th, 2009 at 7:22 am
SVU of coarse!!
December 17th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Even though its by women, looks like its still going to be T&A from cover to….
I mean where is the equal opportunity here? Where is all the male P&C&A?!? haha…
December 17th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
I hope that it’s not going to be, as the cover suggests, a women..excuse me…GIRL vs men mentality. To me, that would be as silly as a title called “AFRICAN-AMERICAN AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!” or the Justice League of Latinos. Don’t segregate, integrate with respect.