Captain Marvel Funny Moments Comics Carol Denvers
As you may recollect Christina Blanch is running a class on Canvas.internet virtually gender in comic books. This week we were assigned to read 3 unlike interpretations of Carol Danvers. Final week we read three interpretations of Superman, but ane fundamental divergence is that Marvel Comics tends to (with few exceptions) stick to the same origins for their characters. Unlike DC, resetting their universe every 15-20 years, Marvel characters tend to just become more things tacked onto their origins, but the basics don't change. We read the following iii Ballad Danvers books: (technically we had a lot of issues to read for the final one, only I thought it'd exist interesting to limit the comparison to #i problems)
Ms Marvel Vol 1 #1:
Dec 1976
writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
colors: Marrie Severin
Ms Curiosity Vol 2 #1
March 2006
writer: Brian Reed
inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Captain Marvel #1
July 2012
writer: Kelley Sue Deconnick
All art: Dexter Soy
I thought I'd compare the issues in the post-obit categories: costume, hair, task, reactions to Ballad, and plot.
Costume
When it comes to the costume I was a bit surprised that the 1970s costume was then revealing. Her midriff is exposed and her legs are also bare. In fact, the lesser of her suit substantially resembles a pair of high cutting panties. (Even though they're really connected to the top of her suit) She wears a domino mask and regular size boots. There is no cleavage to her costume which is not surprising given the time period, simply surprising to me as a comics reader in the 2010s.
The 2006 costume is more similar what I [sadly] wait in modern comics. Her costume is the jumpsuit bathing suit design that many female person supers in the Marvel universe wear (encounter Storm and some incarnations of Psylocke). It seems to have traded baring the midriff for such a high rising bottom to her costume that information technology seems to almost achieve bellybutton-level height. Her boots become to thigh length and, combined with gloves that end at the elbows – seems to be a much more than sexualized costume. She withal sports the domino mask; fifty-fifty that has been fabricated sexier and roofing less of her face. And while there is no cleavage aspect to this conform, in many of the interiors you can run into "side-boob" – so Jimmy Palmiotti is non cartoon information technology as enclosed as Frank Cho is doing on the comprehend. Speaking of Ms Curiosity's breasts, they announced to take grown 1-ii cup sizes in the xxx years since the previous encompass.
Finally, nosotros go far at Helm Marvel #i. Finally, a costume we tin be proud of. It looks more military similar Captain America'south. It's most Victorian in the sense that it even goes up to her neck. Perfect for those who have been calling for an end to sexism in comic book illustration. However, it gets a bit subverted within the issue – we'll become to that soon. Also, in that location is less accent on her breasts.
Pilus
I know that hair can exist intensely personal to a adult female. It's the reason backside Storm's mohawk (90s and now). Yet, I only know this second-manus for I am a homo. And so mayhap I'm wrong in my estimation, merely I feel like Ms Curiosity from 2006 is the least sexist. In the 70s, she has a haircut from that era that makes her a cute or bonny woman. In 2012 Captain Curiosity has a mannish haircut. (At to the lowest degree information technology appears that way when she'due south fighting and on the cover. Near the cease of the book information technology appears information technology's long and she merely had information technology tied upward or something?) I experience like the 2006 hair is but natural flowing hair. Carol Danvers doesn't seem to care what others think about her hair while the 70s one is trying to wait pretty and the 2012 one is trying to be taken seriously past males.
Job
Because, as I mentioned above, Curiosity takes things on to characters rather than rebooting them, Carol's resume grows through the decades. So in the 1970s comic she has worked for NASA (a manly job) and when she lost her ability to work there she went to exist the editor of a adult female'southward magazine (a womanly job somewhat alike to Lois Lane's place gender-wise). In 2006 she's worked every bit a exam airplane pilot in the military (manly) , NASA (manly) , Homeland Security (manly), and as an Avenger (male person/female). The latest one doesn't make mention of all that, but it's probably even so true.
Reactions to Carol
Information technology's interesting to see how everyone reacts to Carol/[Ms|Captain] Marvel. I was surprised to see that despite beingness a woman, the criminals in the commencement comic take her threat seriously. Sure, they utilize sexist works like "matriarch" and all that, simply they aren't proverb things like "she's a woman, I can take her." One of the criminals is fifty-fifty genre savvy – knowing he lives in a earth of superheroes, he knows that women supers can be just as dangerous to criminals. (As I am adding the images to this mail service, I merely realized that both Ms Marvel Vol 1 and Ms Curiosity Vol ii kickoff with her throwing a car. Is the 2d an homage to the first?)
In direct contrast to that is the 2012 Captain Marvel where the villain routinely mocks her for being a woman. He asks if she's Helm America's secretary and whether Captain America feels like less of a human being for taking society from a woman. I dear the witty response – she outranks him military-wise. I know what writer Kelley Deconnick is going for here – showing what a hard time it tin can be every bit a woman. But it feels anachronistic and out of place. I felt like I would have accepted that in the 1970s comic, but it seems a bit forced in 2012. I know women still live in challenging times (making 70-90% of what men make depending on the study you read), but information technology's not the barrel-slapping time of Don Draper.
Strangely, compared to those two issues, the 2006 issue deals with the fact that Ms Marvel is a has-been and doesn't really deal with gender issues at all. I mean Stilt Man is a B or C-list villain and he doesn't even know who she is.
In her civilian life, Carol is dealt a series of sexist assaults by J Jonah Jameson, but information technology's more in line with his grapheme than anything else. He's supposed to be a colossal jerk – he hates Spidey despite Spidey saving the urban center and his life multiple times.
Plot
Ms Curiosity Vol 1 #1 is definitely a production of its time. The plot (other than Carol Danvers figuring out that she'southward also Ms Marvel) involves Ms Curiosity taking on Spidey-villain Scorpion when he tries to impale J Jonah Jameson for existence responsible for his miserable life. Being written during the women power time period – it's important that she relieve Jameson and for him to absolutely experience emasculated by being saved by a woman super.
It's somewhat sexist that Ballad Danvers suffers from fainting spells which happen before she becomes Ms Marvel. I actually doubt a male super hero would be written as fainting before becoming his super self.
Other than that, the outcome if full of unintentional funny due to being so sometime. In that location's too much talking instead of just showing what'southward going on. Narrration boxes telling us things we tin see with our own eyes. And a really weird fight in which she figures out that she got her powers from Captain Curiosity and narrates all of this to Scorpion.
With the 2006 issue it's dainty that comics evolved to prove, not tell. At that place's a lot less of the panels being taken upwards by pointless talking "I need to use my powers to escape from this bad guy" (no crap!) I love the frame story of her having a chat with fellow Avenger alumnus Jessica Drew. Information technology allows for 1 of my favorite story telling jokes – having an unreliable narrator called out on her embellishments. I besides dear when super heroes do normal stuff similar just eat together at a cafe. (I've mentioned this practically everywhere I've written about comics)
I took issue with ii things gender-wise. First off, there'south this incredibly abrasive tradition in comics to bend females in ways that would break their bodies in real life in order to bear witness off their breasts and butts at all times. It has spawned a Hawkeye meme and one time you start to detect this stupid practice, you can't unsee it.
Then there's her mention of not being able to call the Fantastic Four because she did something embarrassing with Johnny Storm in Vegas. I know this serves at least ii purposes a) it makes a reference those Las Vegas ads that are still running – albeit less oft and b) information technology makes it then she has to be there by herself. However, other than Spider-Man, I can't see any male characters giving a crap what they did in Las Vegas – they'd remember a female super they'd hooked up with if information technology meant getting the job done right. In the 1000 scheme of things information technology's not as well sexist, but it just tweaks me a bit. And, as nosotros learn in the end – information technology's a Brood Invasion. The Breed are the Marvel Universe equivalent of the xenomorphs from the Alien flick franchise. She needs all the help she can go.
The final comic, Captain Curiosity, is the first 1 written by a woman. Information technology's also the first time she's called Captain rather than Ms. Now, I know at that place are in-universe reasons why she's been Ms Marvel all this fourth dimension. And, every bit the PR scene in the 2006 issue pointed out, she'southward gone past other names in the past – maybe when people realized Ms Curiosity was an blowsy name. Later on all, other women have outgrown their sexist names – Marvel Girl and Invisible Girl, to proper noun two.
So it's nice to come across her go to the more than respectful Captain Marvel. It's prissy to run into a female person in a costume like the ones whatever man would article of clothing. Merely I feel like some of that is undone with these panels focusing on her butt:
Information technology'south disappointing considering all the other changes fabricated. It's like non having those poses was a bridge besides far. "What practice yous want me to do? I fabricated her costume less sexy! The least we can exercise is show her ass!"
It'due south interesting comparing this consequence to both the 2006 and 1970s issue. First of all, the Ms Curiosity Vol 1 looks like the stereotypical comic volume. The 2006 issue looks similar a modern comic volume. The 2012 issue looks like Art. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and more painterly than comic book-y. Also, while the 1970s issue is action-packed, and the 2006 issue ends with a Brood invasion, nothing has happened by the end of the 2012 issue. Today's comics sure can move at a slower stride. And I'grand non complaining – I recollect she has some great character evolution moments with Captain America and Spidey. Although I do complain from the sense of having a very limited budget due to my girl being born and when yous compare story density for toll between a book and a comic – you can be forgiven for wanting comics to get on with information technology a bit.
I don't often read comics over so many decades and with the issues that Professor Flinch has picked out we go a very nice glance at how the style we view gender has inverse over the years. It's pretty neat to come across how far we've come and how far we accept still to go.
Source: https://www.comicpow.com/2013/04/17/carol-danvers-mscaptain-marvel-through-time/