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COMICS! |OT| May 2015. Those things your favorite movie/show/game/etc. was based on.

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T

TetraxShards

Member
For someone who really loves superheroes, Mark Waid's pretty good at twisted versions of them between Empire and Irredeemable. I subbed to Thrillbent to get a digital copy of Empire last year, it's really good. Not quite as good as Irredeemable but I liked it all the same.

Stay safe, Messi. Don't die in a ratty A&E.
 
V

Village

Member
Ok, I have a question for you all. Because this seems most relevant to you and your interests.

I read comic books especially super hero books, i read a lot of them, i love em. Complain about em, but uh I understand my hobby was male oriented for a good minute and in many ways still is.

So when i hear, very late mind you , that dc is pushing some media towards women and female super heroes, I understand. Except for one part, harley quinn.

Does that feel disingenuous at all? A character they are willing to throw right back under the domestic abuse bus, when joker wants to come back, being pushed as some type of I don't know cool bad guy for this media thing?

Is this just me, am i just weird?

It just seems really weird.
 
T

TetraxShards

Member
Harley just appeals to a lot of the women who would be comic readers, it's that simple. I haven't been to a con in two years, but here in Ireland at least, a good 85% of the cosplayers that were there were Harleys of some description, including two of my friends. Seriously, the cosplay parade was 17 Harleys, two Power Rangers and an Iron Man.
 
V

Village

Member
But when you get them in, and then they see their character thrown under the joker bus , in arguably the worst ways possible willing subjecting themselves to domestic abuse. Then what?

Like, dc if I feel if they wanna push harley as that, need to commit to the bit and separate them. At least that show i feel
 
G

GrandHarrier

Member
Village said:
Ok, I have a question for you all. Because this seems most relevant to you and your interests.

I read comic books especially super hero books, i read a lot of them, i love em. Complain about em, but uh I understand my hobby was male oriented for a good minute and in many ways still is.

So when i hear, very late mind you , that dc is pushing some media towards women and female super heroes, I understand. Except for one part, harley quinn.

Does that feel disingenuous at all? A character they are willing to throw right back under the domestic abuse bus, when joker wants to come back, being pushed as some type of I don't know cool bad guy for this media thing?

Is this just me, am i just weird?

It just seems really weird.
Click to expand...

First: All the major comic companies are pushing for female inclusiveness so it's not really a thing limited to one particular company.

Second: You can't really start picking apart characters like that and expect them to stand under scrutiny. Alot of "dumb" shit happened in the past or is just part of comic books and you accept it and move on. You aren't going to have Marvel talk about the time that the Avengers didn't do anything when Captain Marvel was mind controlled and raped by her son? from the future. By the same token you aren't going to see DC dissect the problems with the Joker/Harley relationship. We all know it's not healthy but it's comic books, and to be honest, they've been moving her away from that for a long time such that she is more or less her own character now.
 
M

Messi

Member
Village said:
But when you get them in, and then they see their character thrown under the joker bus , in arguably the worst ways possible willing subjecting themselves to domestic abuse. Then what?

Like, dc if I feel if they wanna push harley as that, need to commit to the bit and separate them. At least that show i feel
Click to expand...

Harley's solo book has completely seperated her from the domestic abuse angle.

and last time Joker showed up in a book with Harley he and her fought against each other toe to toe.
 
B

BKatastrophe

Member
Village said:
Ok, I have a question for you all. Because this seems most relevant to you and your interests.

I read comic books especially super hero books, i read a lot of them, i love em. Complain about em, but uh I understand my hobby was male oriented for a good minute and in many ways still is.

So when i hear, very late mind you , that dc is pushing some media towards women and female super heroes, I understand. Except for one part, harley quinn.

Does that feel disingenuous at all? A character they are willing to throw right back under the domestic abuse bus, when joker wants to come back, being pushed as some type of I don't know cool bad guy for this media thing?

Is this just me, am i just weird?

It just seems really weird.
Click to expand...

It depends. In the New 52 Suicide Squad, she basically tells Joker that he can fuck right off. So, she's pretty much getting over Joker as the New 52 has gone on, but the reason she is who she is now is because of him. So, as abusive as the relationship is, it's still a strong bond. No matter how fucked up it is.

Harley's also always been a bit off her rocker. The thing is, I don't think she's ever been portrayed as a sadist. Yes, she's violent and lighthearted about it, but I never got sadist out of her. She does what she wants to do. I don't really know if it's wrong to push Harley, because I think now more than ever, she's pushed as a strong, independent female character. The recent Conversion event should be indicative of that,
she goes through rehab and becomes mentally healthy through her own sheer willpower since she clearly doesn't want to be this crazy psycho anymore. She's willing to go there if need be, though.

I dunno. I think Harley is a positive character in more ways than she is negative. She gets over an abusive relationship, she's strong, she owns her sexuality. Plus, she's fun and lighthearted, even about the dark stuff. She doesn't play up the "broken woman that wants to feel better" angle that happens constantly. She just gets up and does what she wants. She's had a dark past, so shit's going to happen, but she's ultimately not some "broken woman looking for comfort" that always gets played constantly (not to say there's anything wrong with the trope, it just happens way too often).

Then again, I'm not a female, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
 
M

Messi

Member
TetraxShards said:
I actually googled this, and am surprised it's not a thing. Someone needs to get on that. Bonus points if she has a goofy mustache under the helmet.
Click to expand...

Closest we have gotten is Jessica Nigri's armour

6b85bc1b6d_100221208_o2.jpg
 
T

Tyrant Rave

Banned
Harley has always been a popular character so they're going to push her no matter what. Even on tumblr, which everyone loves to focus on in these kinds of discussions, she has an enormous fanbase.

And like Messi said, her solo book doesn't mention the domestic abuse stuff.
 
S

Sibersk Esto

Banned
I feel less of a fan of how Harley is portrayed nowadays. I mean I honestly never really cared about her too strongly but with the added exposure she's had lately she feels more sexualized.

Something about her appearance in Suicide Squad, with shorts so high Robbie's ass cheeks are literally sticking out rubs me the wrong way.
 
B

BKatastrophe

Member
Sibersk Esto said:
I feel less of a fan of how Harley is portrayed nowadays. I mean I honestly never really cared about her too strongly but with the added exposure she's had lately she feels more sexualized.

Something about her appearance in Suicide Squad, with shorts so high Robbie's ass cheeks are literally sticking out rubs me the wrong way.
Click to expand...

She's playful and she likes to mess around with people. She's just playing the game, bruh.
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Village said:
Ok, I have a question for you all. Because this seems most relevant to you and your interests.

I read comic books especially super hero books, i read a lot of them, i love em. Complain about em, but uh I understand my hobby was male oriented for a good minute and in many ways still is.

So when i hear, very late mind you , that dc is pushing some media towards women and female super heroes, I understand. Except for one part, harley quinn.

Does that feel disingenuous at all? A character they are willing to throw right back under the domestic abuse bus, when joker wants to come back, being pushed as some type of I don't know cool bad guy for this media thing?

Is this just me, am i just weird?

It just seems really weird.
Click to expand...

i agree, DC has perhaps the strongest female comic characters in their stable w/ WW & SG and to see editorial buckle under the neckbeard sales pressure and push Harley is sort of embarassing
 
F

Freezasaurus

Member
jon bones said:
i agree, DC has perhaps the strongest female comic characters in their stable w/ WW & SG and to see editorial buckle under the neckbeard sales pressure and push Harley is sort of embarassing
Click to expand...

People like girly hijinks. DC doesn't care if it's neckbeards or women buying the books, they'll try to appease whichever audience is the largest source of income.
 
M

Messi

Member
jon bones said:
i agree, DC has perhaps the strongest female comic characters in their stable w/ WW & SG and to see editorial buckle under the neckbeard sales pressure and push Harley is sort of embarassing
Click to expand...

Nothing to do with the large female following she has?

DC would be stupid to turn their backs on 70,000 people who want to buy an issue or two per month.
 
S

SpiderJerusalem

Banned
I think Harley is pretty cool. I think I identify with her in a way actually. I think. Sort of. Its fucked up. And i never noticed. Until someone pointed it out.
 
C

Coriolanus

Banned
gketter said:
That was me. It's been ages since I've read it. I'll be curious how it holds up but I remember really enjoying it.
Click to expand...

Very well. Gets a bit boring sometimes, but i couldn't hep but empathise with Golgoth. Heavy is the crown and all.

Quite nice to see a villain taking the hardest choice correctly. At the end, the writer managed to truly set Golgoth apart from Vic.

Empire v1 finished. Onwards to v2.
----

Aaaaand v2 Golgoth veers straight into Evil Stupid territory. Sigh.
 
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