At their best, comic books are about outsiders and underdogs; their heroes are so powerful because of their ability to overcome adversity, to fight for humankind and for equality. So it’s surprising that even in comics, a field that has the potential to be so inclusive, women and other minorities are underrepresented.
But one amazing lady, a superhero in her own right, aims to change that. Kelly Sue DeConnick writes the Captain Marvel comics, epic stories that trace the heroic adventures of Carol Denvers. Right off the bat, Denvers (aka Ms. Marvel or Captain Marvel) shuts down the myth that female superheroes are inferior to their male counterparts: The Atlantic Wire reminds us that in “the first […] comic, Danvers is quick to remind a villain, along with the audience, that she outranks Captain America.”
DeConnick’s work has lifted the character to new heights of popularity, attracting both male and female fans. At New York Comic Con, she explained, “I think that the message [of the work] is that no one is ‘other,’ that white males are not the ‘default human being.'” But her work is far from done; The Atlantic reports that most comic book writers are male and that Marvel head Stan Lee isn’t in a rush to see more female characters. Hopefully DeConnick’s writing will inspire both women and men to create more diverse characters that compose a more rich and complex portrayal of the human experience.
Thanks to The Atlantic Wire
Image via The Atlantic Wire
