Oh, get off your HIGH horse, it’s women in Superhero comics – what more do you want?!

AND that’s a black one too, 2 birds, 1 stone. Natch.

;) (don’t ban me please)

You know what’s sad is that’s probably how the conversation went over at 417 5th Avenue.

Ugh.

PS: How do you get to my posts so fast?! It’s like you’re looking over my shoulder!

I hope someone in the Marvel Bullpen actually reffered to Misty Knight as “a black one” too – because in my head that’s the best editorial meeting that could have ever happened.

As for your shoulder reading, just checked the site and it was up. MY LUCK. Ahem.

Maybe I’m just a perv, but I’m not necessarily angered by the cover, although I understand how it could cause an uproar. Three large-breasted women with their jumpsuits completely unzipped, and chained to a large pillar = phallic iconography? Jesus, why don’t you just have a fold out cover with them all getting beat to s**t with a ten-foot penis?!?

Looks like the same artist who did Drain. Which was very much a T&A fest. I’m guessing they were Japanese, which may explain the sensibilities, since the tentacle pr0n (and such) is more commonplace and accepted there. Of course this is a Marvel book, not a manga, thus the jarring WTF

Holy $#!+!! I didn’t even notice the tentacles before!!! . . . . Wow.

The bondage and tentacles are bad enough, though arguably more cheesy than offensive, but it’s the spooge on Black Cat’s breasts and Misty Knight looking like Summer Tan Barbie at a disco-themed S&M party that bug me.

And yeah, Sana Takeda is the artist from Drain.

You guys are just way too critical of your porn.

You know, I wouldn’t even care… if not for the fact that they’re bitching about the statue…

I’d say this is clearly worse than the statue.

Remember it’s just a comic. Why does anyone care.

Well, this is a blog about comic books…

But tell me, when exactly are we supposed to start caring about something like this? It’s not like comics exist in some isolated vacuum and aren’t reflective of society in some form or another.

I don’t see the big deal. Hell, it was not even 15 years ago when Jim Lee was drawing Rogue and Psylocke in some of the sexiest poses in comics. No one complained then and no one should complain now. These so-called feminists could stand to focus on real life problems and not fictional characters being “exploited”.

I’d be interested to know if you (or ANYONE I’ve seen speak about this) thinks the actual artist of the piece shares any of the responsibility for this? Lord knows when I draw something, and barring a direct editorial description or thumbnail handed down from above that described that image exactly, I try to take both exclusive pride and responsibility for my work. Do you think we should boycott Sana Takeda? The editor looked at it for a moment, noted that it was hentai inspired cheesecake (obviously, how could they not?) and then probably decided it was well done and might elicet the controversy to raise sales. Whereas the artist spent untold hours working hard to make the image look exactly like that.

Irregardless of a language barrier, I’ve seen everyone comment on this image now BUT Sana Takeda.

That’s a good piece of art, and I don’t see where exactly is the problem in hot chicks…

Hmm, why do I get the feeling that a lot of the replys in the context of “hot chick, titties good!” are either written by teenaged-boys or wankers?

Hell, scratch that, they seem to be a lot from column A and a lot from column B.

And as for all those social-retards who think all the “so-called” feminists should put-up, shut-up and “focus on real life problems”, let me ask you this: who reads comics, for the majority? Young teenaged-boys, right? So if one were to tolerate a media focused on these young minds, which depicts women in such demeaning poses, and emphasies sex in relation to violence, how would that be a good thing?

It’s like saying:
‘Rape? Why certainly, Johnney, you can read about as much rape as you like! But only in comics, mind! Wouldn’t want to go putting ideas into your head, now would we? And it’s not like a visual picture of subdued and about-to-be-violated women (and oh-so sexy! Look! Boobies!), is going to warp your sense of what a healthy sexual-relationship should be! Oh no indeedy!’

So to all those fellows, I’d like to send out a big: get fucked. No seriously: get fucked. Preferably by a tentacle.

I know I’m probably going to regret this, but I have to call you out on the whole “warping one’s sense of what I healthy sexual relationship should be” comment. The idea of what a healthy sexual relationship should be can be VERY different from one person to the next. There are plenty of men AND women who engage in bondage/S&M and it can be part of a healthy sexual relationship. Some women enjoy being the submissive partner. Granted, it’s something where all parties should know what they’re getting into, and everyone involved should be an adult, but hey, those rules should go for EVERY sexual activity.

Should the imagery presented in the cover be made available to a teen audience, I don’t know, because on a surface level, it’s nothing but suggestion. No nipples are exposed, the tentacles aren’t actual penises, and the slime is not semen. Maybe we as adults can immediately register these images as suggesting something else entirely, but I don’t know for show how many teenagers are pre-teen kids will beyond the large breasts. And as far as making the leap to implying that this cover could be a contributing factor in teenage boys being conditioned into rapists, I’m sorry, but I gotta call bullshit on that. There are far greater factors that a teenager will encounter that will warp their sense of what a healthy-sexual relationship should be. I’m more worried about teenage girls who watch soap operas.

No one complained then and no one should complain now. These so-called feminists could stand to focus on real life problems and not fictional characters being “exploited”.

I think one of the reasons female bloggers find this old cannard so tiresome is that it’s seldom proffered in the spirit of, “Hey, let’s not lose sight of women’s issues in developing nations,” but to discourage discussion about the way women are represented in our popular culture. I don’t agree with all of Calamity_M’s points, but I doubt she’s voicing her concerns about H4H in lieu of taking a stand on reproductive rights or fair labor practices.

Yes, I could do without the unzipped outfits, the slobber, and the tentacles, but I think the thing I find so disappointing about this cover is that a series that had been light-hearted, fun, and yes–a little cheesecake–has taken such a hardcore detour into icks-ville.

Does any rape actually occur in this comic? If not then stop yelling RAPE about this cover. I’m assuming they fight their way out or some shit… If you don’t like it don’t buy it, no need to obssess over it.

Dude, you’re like a year late and dollar short!!