OT: I'm thankful for the Mary-Jane statue
With both Infinite Crisis and Civil War over, fen's minds should be free of the calamity that comes with event storytelling. A time of peace should ensue in which we digest this spicy new canon. But that's not happening because this is not a time of peace. This is a time when both fandom and creators are split into two increasingly hostile camps. You can see it, feel it, and hear it all the way from Newsarama, from the Superhero Hype right over into the very heart of Scans-Daily itself.

Today we are engaged in an all-out battle between feminism and the "boys' club". And the chips are truly down. Can there be anyone that's so blind they'll say this isn't war? Anyone who doesn't realize that this is the time to take our rightful place as female comics fans? We know that the majority of fans, both in comic fandom and in the mainstream, agree with our position. We could have had the honor of being a shining, living proof that comics were not going to self-destruct. Unfortunately, we've failed to rise to the occasion.

The reason why we find ourselves impotent is not because our enemy has trolled us and called us bitches, but rather because of the treachery of some who have been treated so well by us. Now I know it is very easy for anyone to condemn a publisher or editor in general terms. Therefore, I would like to cite one case, the case of a man who has done much to shape our fandom.

Frank Miller. He birthed what many of us would call the archetypal Batman, indeed the one most recognized and written by fandom today. The Batman of Dark Knight Returns and Year One was tough but fair, formidable but not fearful, someone we could both pity and admire. And yet now, Miller writes nothing but the most misogynistic of trash. The man who gave us the very idea of the female Robin now treats us to a Wonder Woman who decries men as “sperm banks.”

This, gentle reader, gives you somewhat of a picture of the type of individuals who have been shaping our canon. In my opinion DC, which is one of the most important comic publishers, is thoroughly infested with misogynists.

One thing to remember in discussing the misogynists in our industry is that we are not dealing with bastards who deliberately want to portray women as weak and stupid. We are dealing with a far more sinister type of activity because they think their misogyny is good storytelling. Despite all the fervor and criticism towards storylines where female characters are raped, abused, killed off, or otherwise hampered just for being women; they persist in doing so because they know they’ll get a reaction every time.

As you hear this, I know that you are saying to yourself, "Well, why doesn't the industry do something about it?" Actually, gentle reader, one of the important reasons for the misogyny, the Women In The Refrigerators, the lack of a memorial for Steph, the window in Power Girl's costume, the short skirt on Supergirl -- one of the most important reasons why this continues -- is a lack of moral uprising on the part of the comic fans.

This is not hard to explain. It is the result of an emotional hangover which follows every major comic event. As the people see fan favorities die, character potential wasted, and rampant OOCness, they become numb and apathetic. However, I submit that the morals of our fandom have not been destroyed. They still exist. This cloak of cynicism has only needed a spark to rekindle them. Happily, this spark has finally been supplied.

As you know, very recently Marvel came out with a statue of Mary-Jane featuring her in the most heinously sexist position imaginable. She was for all intents and purposes barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. That is the vision of womanhood Marvel is sending to its audience, the wife of its most popular hero demonstrating what wifeliness should be. Submission and complete sexual obediance to the man in here life.

Marvel has lighted the spark which is resulting in a moral uprising and will end only when the whole sorry mess of twisted warped thinkers are swept from the comics scene so that we may have a new birth of equality and feminism in the comic book industry. And I thank them for it.