Detail of the cover to Final Crisis #3The Beat's analysis points out that this cover might not be presenting Supergirl as the brightest crayon in the box.
My take? I was actually more surprised that Final Crisis was still going on. That series totally fell off my radar. So in that case, this cover was actually a success, because it brought to my attention that Final Crisis is still taking place.
But possible anti-feminist interpretations of the art aside, what are these covers really contributing to the series? They tell me absolutely nothing about the story. They only bank off the idea that "icons sell."
And you know who is one of the very few artists who can pull off a successful non-narrative "icons sell" cover? Alex Ross. He could paint Herbie The Fat Fury on a cover and make it sell well. Plus, he doesn't paint Supergirl as if she has a half-eaten snickers bar in her cranium where her brain should be.
Well, you know, the bimbo Supergirl could actually be beneficial in your corner. She could stand there and look all bimbo-y with the mini skirt and bare midriff, which would distract your opponent...
ReplyDelete"Gosh, Mr. Doomsday, you're so big and strong... Teehee!"
And while Doomsday's wiping the drool from his chin, Superman lands a flying right hook and doesn't get his butt handed to him.
You know what they should really put on the cover? Show somebody at a computer accessing Wikipedia to look up all of the obscure DC characters only Grant Morrison seems to know about.
ReplyDeletebentcorner-
ReplyDeletealso look up what the fuck is going on!!!!
i swear to go I still have no idea what Final Crisis is about, and why it should even matter to me.
say what you will about Infinite Crisis or Identity Crisis, but at least I could follow.
It's like Batman RIP. I have no idea what the hell is going on.
And it's not cause I'm stupid as a lot of Morrison fans seem to say whenever I repeat this.
It's the fact that the guy just doesn't make any god damned sense.
It's like watching the first five minutes, the middle 5 minutes, and the 5 minutes before the last 5 minutes of an episode of LOST in the middle of season 4.
And all the GM fans say how wonderful it is. And then us regular people who don't have our noses up his ass are saying, WTF?!!!!!
Gimme Secret Invasion. It's WAY better.
These covers for Final Crisis are totally sexist. Look at the Supergirl one you posted and there's also the Wonder Woman one:
ReplyDeletehttp://i.newsarama.com/preview_images/dcnew/oct08/1/fc5coversk.155.jpg
For all the women's "iconic" cover images, both of them are in passive poses, while all the men are posed for battle, rushing at the viewer and ready to kick ass. The women are either posed as Victoria Secret models, or a teenage airhead who can't decide what flavor of frappaccino that she wants.
If the men were posed in passive poses too, I wouldn't have a problem, but with both female characters, the emphasis in NOT on their heroism. We would never see any of the male heroes plsed like thsi as their "iconic" image.
Should the covers question be directed at Morrison, or the artist, or the editor for this series?
ReplyDeleteWell, I for one thought it harkened back to a more innocent Kara.
ReplyDeleteTo me the picture isn't depicting a stupid or passive or sexy Kara.
No to me it looked like she is witnessing something off screen pretty horrible and she is wondering how she is going to deal with it.
As for the finger at the mouth that seems to be fueling the fire, it is reminiscent of Jim Mooney's Supergirl where that was her pose when she was thinking of ways out of a problem.
But, as is always the case, art is interpreted by the viewer. So let the critics come forth.
I just hope I hear the same bile for all the other portrayals of women on comics covers this month, including Marvel and Indy titles.
Somehow I doubt I'll see it.
"I just hope I hear the same bile for all the other portrayals of women on comics covers this month, including Marvel and Indy titles.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I doubt I'll see it."
Seriously! This isn't the place to expect that kind of thing though. You just have to accept that I think.
For those having difficulty with Final Crisis:
Evil Gods are taking human hosts, taking the big time superheroes out of the picture and planning to make lots of bad things to happen.
For those having difficulty with Batman:
A bad guy who knows a lot about Batman is trying to take him apart mentally. Batman is hallucinating a bit but fighting back.
Sammy, you and Downey Jr. should be buddies, lol. :)
I really really love that Supergirl cover. I don't think that she looks like a bimbo, she looks like she's gazing in amazement or shock at something and she's so lost in what she's looking at she doesn't notice her finger to her mouth.
ReplyDeleteI don't think or see how that means she's stupid.
All of this could be fixed by putting a headset in the hand by her head, and a walkie talkie mouthpiece in the other.
ReplyDeleteThere, fixed. ^_^
sexist or not, that Final Crisis cover is really well drawn/painted. Where as the alex ross picture looks like it's a photo that's been put through a photoshop filter. Also she looks like she's 30.
ReplyDeleteOf course back to the broader issue. I wish more artists and editors would break out their old copies of How to Draw the Marvel Way, and read the section on drawing covers. Out of the 30 or so books I pick up every month I'd guess maybe 5 have covers that actually relate to the events (not just the characters) inside the book.
There is a non-zero probability that Supergirl will actually do something cool in "Final Crisis".
ReplyDeleteMaking effective use of heroes (or heroines) that tend not to be taken seriously has always been one of Grant's strengths.
Since "Final Crisis" seems to be a remix of some of the author's favorite tropes, this hope doesn't seem completely irrational...
I don't like the Final Crisis cover, but Ross's Supergirl poster is no prize either. The face just looks like she's had a hard life and too much alcohol.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with a cover that shows the heroes doing something, I wonder?
For whatever its worth, I just asked my husband--who doesn't read comics--what he thought this cover meant:
ReplyDelete"It looks like she's on a cell phone, trying to decide what kind of pizza to order."
So it is decided. Iconic pose indeed!
It's not itself a sexist cover so much as an accurate depiction of a sexistly craptacular character. I'm not gonna blame the artist for depicting new-model KZL as an insufferable airhead when that's exactly how she's been written since her return.
ReplyDeleteIt's not itself a sexist cover so much as an accurate depiction of a sexistly craptacular character. I'm not gonna blame the artist for depicting new-model KZL as an insufferable airhead when that's exactly how she's been written since her return.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you have read Kelly Puckett's run or how she is portrayed in Johns Action Comics. Or if you are just piling on.
Anyways, I am still shocked by the reaction to this cover of all the ones on the shelf this month. I also don't see sexy or airhead at all here.
I wonder if you have read Kelly Puckett's run
ReplyDeleteYou mean the bit where the little boy gets sick and she promises to cure cancer? Ick. It's like reading the blonde lady from The View except with superpowers.
I mean I'll even grant as it's the sort of thing that might play cute if they'd taken some actually likable character and had her start acting insufferable because hey, cancer is bad! But this is just like, an insufferable character continuing to act insufferable, because why change what's completely failed to work?
As far as your question about Johns, I actually can't stand to read anything by Johns. Presumably Supergirl would be no exception if I'd read any of his comics with her in it, but in at least this case that wouldn't really be the character's fault
I did enjoy her characterization in Legion of Super-Heroes, but that's only because she was characterized completely differently from any of her main-continuity books, to the point where I can't consider them the same character.
You know, this cover doesn't bug me. I actually think of it as an innocent pose. Since Mary Marvel has been made all dark and nasty, it's apparent that Kara is the new innocent powerhouse in the DCU.
ReplyDeleteThe Alex Ross one looks a little too much like Darryl Hannah to me.
I've been enjoying Final Crisis itself, but I despise these covers. I've gone over it in detail over at my own blog, Val:
ReplyDeletehttp://atopfourthwall.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-one-real-complaint-about-final.html
To boil it down, the Final Crisis covers are just... BORING.
Nobody mentioned the open mouth and the finger coming towards it? Not exactly pornface but it's not a stretch to say "hint of fellatio-pose."
ReplyDelete"You mean the bit where the little boy gets sick and she promises to cure cancer? Ick."
ReplyDeleteYeah, the one where she presumably fails to save x amount of people because she inexplicably decided to spend something like 50 years floating in space instead to save someone that was 99% likely to still be dead by the end of it.
Oh dear, is all I can say to that.
I don't know what it is within the context of the story, but in terms of it being a cover that's supposed to give you an instant read of what a character is all about- yeah, I think she looks pretty vacant.
ReplyDeleteI guess anyone can have a "Doyyyy..." moment, but she's someone with flight and super-strength and all that good stuff. Why not have her flying off to do something about whatever it is that's making her space out instead?
And I think cheesecake art is fine and dandy but I don't see why it has to be virtually the default mode for female supers. Batman crouches on gargoyles, Superman bursts chains or orbits the earth, Wonder Woman thrusts her boobs provocatively at us, Black Canary shows us her ass.
And Supergirl?
Supergirl bites her fingernails and flinches. AWESOME!
Not that there haven't been some powerful cover portrayals of female characters... but I'd like to see more action and less simpering. More fists and fewer Victoria's Secret poses. I just want to challenge the artists to pick up other magazines besides Maxim for their female idealizations.
Is Supergirl even iconic? That's not her symbol that she wears on her chest. The casual reader doesn't see the S symbol and immediately think "Supergirl."
ReplyDeleteHopefully matters will improve when her book is brought into the fold with the Superman titles. But it doesn't seem right to me that she wasn't able to make it on her own--that she still needs her cousin to prop her up.
i liked that picture. to be honest, i hate plot related covers. they're generally ugly imo. the JSA icon covers (done by Ross i believe) are gorgeous.
ReplyDeletethere a few plot covers that are good, like the Lucifer covers by Kaluta, or the pseudo-plot covers for Invisibles.
collecting all the icon covers for FC,
snow.
by the way people: FC makes perfect sense. Secret Invasion makes sense in that nothing is happening at all for the first four issues.
ReplyDeleteIssue Five undoes the entire premise (who do you trust) but to figure out how you need to buy another Avengers title where the story is actually happening. Fuck that.
"I just hope I hear the same bile for all the other portrayals of women on comics covers this month, including Marvel and Indy titles."
ReplyDeleteWhen DC does its sexism, when Marvel does it (witness Frank Cho on Mighty Avengers) its part of the feminist sexual revolution.
Geez, why can't you see that?
I just hope I hear the same bile for all the other portrayals of women on comics covers this month, including Marvel and Indy titles.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I doubt I'll see it.
If not this month, you could easily go back a few months and find entries about the Mary Jane statue, Heroes for Hentai, or Doctor Doom shouting demeaning things at Ms. Marvel.
If not this month, you could easily go back a few months and find entries about the Mary Jane statue, Heroes for Hentai, or Doctor Doom shouting demeaning things at Ms. Marvel.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways you are making my point.
1) Those were *months* ago when I felt DC and Marvel were looked at with equal scrutiny.
2) Compare the things you just mentioned to this cover of Supergirl. Tell me if this cover merits the same outcry as those.
You know what ... I just need to put this behind me.
ReplyDeleteI see what I see ... an homage to Jim Mooney. It shouldn't affect me to hear what others see.
I actually thought it was a lovely cover.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do fall into the camp of "She's seen something horrible just out of frame."
I'd also point out that, in current continuity, she's supposed to be something like 16 or 17 years old, right?
How many teenaged girls do you know, faced with a complete horror, wouldn't have a moment of indecision? That's all it seems like to me.
As for the finger in the mouth = near fellatio argument ... oh for goodness sake. Sometimes a cover is just a cover.
My only regret is that the powers-that-be at DC haven't found the right vehicle for what could be a fascinating character.
This Supergirl is really not the brightest crayon in the box. She's sweet and young and naive and not all that smart. I wouldn't want her in my corner in a fight because I'm not even sure she knows what she can do.
ReplyDeleteNow, if it were Linda Danvers ...
--
ReplyDeleteNow, if it were Linda Danvers ...--
She'd disappear off the face of the earth and not be bothered with helping anyone ever again?
She'd disappear off the face of the earth and not be bothered with helping anyone ever again?
ReplyDeleteDude, show a little respect for the canceled. Some of us are still in mourning.
*sniffle*
Azrael...
Dude, show a little respect for the canceled. Some of us are still in mourning.
ReplyDeleteSome of us are. Not moi. Not this boy.
I've bought all 38 issues of Supergirl and I love it, bare midriff included. I really don't give a shit about all of you prudish morons and your bitching about how she's depicted; she's a modern-day teenage girl, for frack's sakes, and modern-day teenage girls wear bare midriff shirts, now, just like they did in the '70's-it's just fashion, so deal with it! It shouldn't have been a big deal, but thanks to you people it has exploded to the point of bullshit. All I have to say about this is put the frack up, or shut the frack up. Please.
As for wanting Linda back: I want that like I want George Bush back as president. It was a stupid concept to begin with (appearently Superman couldn't do what Batman did and just adapt her as his ward!) and I'm glad that she's gone, as well as the stupid 'Earth angel' Linda Davners bullshit. Kara Zor-El/Kara Kent/Linda Lang works for me just fine.
With regards to the new Supergirl book for kids; as long as it's for kids (very young girls maybe), I have no problem. But please don't make the main Supergirl character like her, or model her to be like the Supergirl of the early '60's book with her gung-ho cheery disposition-I'll stop reading it if that happens.
As for the bimbo bullshit being bandied about here; she's no more a bimbo than I am a idiot. Please stop assuming that because she's dressed like Britney Spears, she acts like her; as the song says, 'she's just a girl in the world.' Not The Big Blue Boy Scout-we've got enough of that with her cousin.