Marvel “Now” is not just a catchphrase, it is a whole company-wide campaign to make Marvel more than just relevant, to bring them back to being hip and new.
*The word “relevant” will be used a lot in this piece.
This is no small feat, Marvel Comics has been around for a better part of 75 years. Personally, having history only secures how important your books and how relevant your heroes have become ingrained in pop culture.
If you constantly change your heroes due to gender, race,costume design or sexual orientation with little regard to their cultural and iconic status, you are doing them a great disservice. Or, instead of just making a topical solution (i.e. gender or racial swap), maybe make said hero more relevant to those communities.
Captain America represents everyone regardless of his color, belief or gender. He is iconic for his ideals, not his costume. Changing him, killing him or aging him is short term sensationalism and used to drag the non-pop culture media into doing a quip or a quick write up report. It will have no lasting effect on anything.
(News clippings from the death of Superman)
*I do love Falcon as Captain America, but they didn’t just make him become Cap, he still retains what made him who he is as the Falcon.
Sam Wilson wasn’t a sidekick, he was Captain America’s best friend and partner.
See, when I say these things like Marvel needs to make NEW and interesting female leads, not just turn them into a female version. as a former (would be) comics writer, an editor and as a fan. Don’t just go, “Hey look at us! Being hip and topical…”
Marvel, and especially their “rival,” DC, have done it again and again. But, this time, Marvel with “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” (in what I thought was going to be another “let’s change things just because”) looks like it is shaping up to be something refreshing. Unlike the past incarnations, I wholeheartedly feel and believe this will and can be something great. So far, it doesn’t look or feel like just a female version of the 70’s comic book.
I can dig this title only because it isn’t a title that benefited anyone back in the day. Devil Dinosaur was a silly, unique, and mostly, short lived title and adding a female lead can make this very obscure book popular and, hopefully, make it fresh and exciting.
See? I can be progressive.
I just want Marvel to make new and great female heroes
without riding the coattails of their past heroes. Moon Girl looks to be something worth picking up. I am already in love with the cover art and concept designs.
Here’s to hoping for the best!
