The female superhero of the the 21st Century - move over Batman!

Above: Fallen superhero, Stephanie Brown's costume.


The first female Robin replacement to gain side-kick status was blonde 16 year old teenager, Stephanie Brown. Making her debut in May 2004, the female character appeared in Marvel Comic books for over a decade. She served as a role-model type figure to many avid female comic book readers, presenting a capable young woman worthy of super-hero ability and super-hero status. Unfortunately, Stephanie's time came to an abrupt and rather perverse end, which web movement 'Project Girl Wonder' describes,

'... she was tortured to death in a sequence spanning a number of issues. She was treated as a sexual object, and her murder degraded her and degraded superhero comics in general. She has never gotten the credit she deserves from DC Comics since, on page or off. Stephanie Brown is a symbol of the need for change. And we're going to see that the change begins.'

According to an article by Charlie Anders on MotherJones.com, this blow understandably 'hit fans hard, particularly the female readers who'd only just started enjoying the thrill of a Robin they could identify with.' The 'grassroots campaign is still aggressively lobbying DC Comics to give Stephanie her two-dimensional due.'

'Project Girl Wonder' is just one of many crusades by obsessive feminist fans who are speaking out against the depiction of female additions to the super hero cast and their purely sexual, objectifying roles within the story.



Above: Batgirl herself.

Fangirl since the 1970's, Simone Gail recalls similar, Stephanie Brown-esque ending for the character of Batgirl who was brutally '...shot in the spine by the Joker, who then took obscene photos of her.'As she grew older, Simone noticed that a daringly bold and sinister thematic/narrative trend was edging its way into the comics she loved to read. Simone later began 'Women in Refrigerators', a website created in the 1990's which closely followed the brutilisation and sexual abuse of heroines throughout titles.

Now a member of the DC Comics team, Simone controls the artistic direction of the Batgirl series whose role is now as a much more strong, fiesty and successful hero. Simone admits she isn't alone in her pursuit to alter the way females are presented in the comic book genre, encountering many who also want to change history. She gives the female audience the gratification they desire, 'allow[ing] girls to imagine rescuing themselves instead of waiting for a white knight to show up', she states fittingly.


Above: The original.


I am impressed by this re-rendered approach to the representation of female characters in super hero titles. Why not promote a 21st century, girls-can-do-anything attitude for kids to grow up with? It sends a more valuable, un-sexist and ethical message to young fans everywhere, without meddling in the fundamental aspects which give comics their appeal. These women are not re-writing the comic book formula but finally giving girls everywhere, a desirable and tasteful example worthy role-model status.


To read more on this fascinating phenonmenon, check out:
http://www.motherjones.com/arts/feature/2007/07/supergirls_gone_wild.html