At Forbes, Christina Blanch considers gender in superhero comics:
In the 1990s, comics saw a spike in how muscular the characters became. Batman, for example, morphed from the diminutive figure portrayed by Adam West into a hulking warrior donning chiseled body armor. When I ask my students which superhero is the most masculine, Batman’s name comes up more often than Superman. Perhaps this is because he is a mortal man yet manages to survive perilous falls and brutal beatings without suffering lasting effects. Contrast this with Batgirl, who was paralyzed after being shot through the spine by Batman’s arch nemesis, the Joker.
The juxtaposition of Batman’s invincibility and Batgirl’s frailty is consistent with an obsession with overt male strength that dominated the 90s. This preoccupation with physical stature, which was punctuated so perfectly by steroid scandals in pro sports, is thought by many to have been a reaction to third-wave feminism, one of the most influential gender movements in history.
This is seemingly a prelude to Blanch teaching a month-long course entitled Gender Through Comic Books online later this year; that course will feature interviews with Mark Waid and Brian K. Vaughan, amongst others, and may very well be worth enrolling in.
January 24th, 2013 at 2:12 pm
She’s barking up the wrong tree, here. Batman isn’t manlier than Superman because he’s tougher or braver; those are noble characteristics, certainly, but there’s nothing uniquely masculine about them. No, Batman is manlier than Superman simply because he’s MEANER – orneriness being a trait that’s much more valued in potential daddies than potential mommies.
(I’m speaking, of course, of the “Messianic entity” Superman of today; things might be different if we were to consider the “rampaging strongman” Superman of 1938, the one who would teach a rapist a lesson by taking him out back and raping him.)
April 9th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
I actually loved this brilliant article. Please continue this awesome work.