Wednesday, May 30, 2007

This Is What a Girl, a Super Girl, Should Be Like

Summer term has started, Gentle Reader, and already, I’m drowning in work, work, work. I’ve been up for less than an hour, with only one cup of coffee (so far!) to make me Somewhat Coherent. I wasn’t going to blog about this yet, rather wait until this afternoon, after dissertation work and office hours and class (oh my!), but Kalinara's early post this morning inspired me. I just will endeavor to bring you something Arrogant Self-Reliance rarely does: brevity.

A few minutes ago, Mr. Reads called me over to his computer to show me something that, as he claimed, was going to “make me giddy.” As so often happens, Mr. Reads was not wrong. He showed me this interview with Mr. Bedard and these concept sketches by Mr. Guedes, and I became, to put it Mildly, Giddy Indeed.

Kalinara has reviewed Mr. Bedard’s plans for his upcoming stint on Supergirl, and I agree with her completely. Here is an idea for a Supergirl that truly is, as Kalinara terms it, a “teen of steel.” Indeed! In a complementary fashion, I’d like to draw Your Attention, Friends, to the concept art accompanying the interview.

*This* is what a Super Girl should look like, because this is what a Strong Girl looks like. As Mr. Reads said this morning, she has a *girl’s* body, not a woman’s body, and that makes all the difference. A little awkward, a little over-confident, and completely comfortable in her own skin. Look at her stance, how she hams it up for the viewer, her strength, her proportions. This is a Young Woman in Comics that I believe will attract younger, female readers. This is a Supergirl that I would have loved to have as a Young Girl Myself.

In particular, Gentle Reader, look at this image of Supergirl sitting down, with her cape tucked over her leg. I have taught, on Many Occasions, young women in this age range. Once, I was even Such A Girl Myself. And for those of you with any doubt, let me tell you that *girls sit this way, all the time*. In all honesty, I, as a 30-year-old woman, *still* sit this way, on occasion.

This is a realistic portrayal of a woman for a comic book. This is just plain Super.

Bravo, Mr. Bedard and Mr. Guedes. You have brought the Super Girl back to Supergirl.

Posted by Amy Reads at 8:20 AM

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8 comments:

AcadeMama said...

I agree that the body language - the slouchy, skirt draped over/between her legs - resembles what I've seen from the tween/teen age group (and myself when I was that age..and even now). But my questions are: Does she *have* to wear the belly-baring top? And, how strong can she be with such a slender figure? It's hard to tell from the concept art, but there doesn't seem to be any muscle definition, not even the kind you see on, say, soccer-playing girls or swimmers (in the upper body). I mean, don't stats indicate that most teen girls *aren't* this size? Certainly this is moving in a better direction in that there are no boobs popping out of her top, and her waistline isn't so proportionally small that she wouldn't even be able to walk. I'm just trying to imagine what my own daughter would *see* in these images. What message about beauty/body and female strength would she be picking up on? I'm new to the whole super-hero/comic world, so forgive my utter naivete if these questions are completely unfounded :)

1:32 PM
Amy Reads said...

Hi Academama,
I agree that the body language - the slouchy, skirt draped over/between her legs - resembles what I've seen from the tween/teen age group (and myself when I was that age..and even now). But my questions are: Does she *have* to wear the belly-baring top? And, how strong can she be with such a slender figure?

You may not believe this, but these concept images are 150% better than what Supergirl looks like currently. So much so that so many in Comic Fandom are jumping for joy with these concept images.
The belly-baring top may seem a bit much, but then, you could compare it to this image and understand why I'm Shouting With Joy.

Also, this, and this and this.

And she is, through all of this, *sixteen years old*.

So a beefier, tougher, cuter Supergirl is a Welcome Sight!

It's hard to tell from the concept art, but there doesn't seem to be any muscle definition, not even the kind you see on, say, soccer-playing girls or swimmers (in the upper body). I mean, don't stats indicate that most teen girls *aren't* this size? Certainly this is moving in a better direction in that there are no boobs popping out of her top, and her waistline isn't so proportionally small that she wouldn't even be able to walk. I'm just trying to imagine what my own daughter would *see* in these images. What message about beauty/body and female strength would she be picking up on?

This is something debated and tossed about Across the (Comic Book) Universe. These are important questions to which I have some answers, but not all.
Try looking at Girl-Wonder.Org and When Fangirls Attack for some interesting discussions.

I'm new to the whole super-hero/comic world, so forgive my utter naivete if these questions are completely unfounded :)

Never :) And Supadiscomama asked me the same thing earlier today regarding this new look for Supergirl, and how it was any better.

Ciao,
Amy

4:24 PM
AcadeMama said...

Eeeek!! Those images leave Supergirl looking like Barbie Meth-Head (post boob-job)!! Scary stuff, so the new SG is definitely worlds better!

9:59 PM
Ami Angelwings said...

:O

Omg

She looks.. so good :D

I can't wait ^-^

11:00 PM
Rae said...

Oh, Hooray! This is what supergirl should look like. She has body fat--not a lot, but enough. She has facial expressions and body language. She slouches and grimaces and generally looks like a teenager--an extraordinarily attractive and slender teenager, granted, but still a teenager. I am doing a small happy dance at my desk.

1:01 PM
Amy Reads said...

Hi Academama,
Eeeek!! Those images leave Supergirl looking like Barbie Meth-Head (post boob-job)!! Scary stuff, so the new SG is definitely worlds better!

It is worlds better, and she's Come A Long Way, but comics still have miles upon miles to go.

But this gives me hope!
Ciao,
Amy

9:40 PM
Amy Reads said...

Hi Ami,
:O
Omg
She looks.. so good :D
I can't wait ^-^

Between this and Sean McKeever on Teen Titans and Gail Simone on Birds of Prey, I may just fall into a Comics Coma of Joy.
:)
Ciao,
Amy

9:41 PM
Amy Reads said...

Hi Rachel,
Oh, Hooray! This is what supergirl should look like. She has body fat--not a lot, but enough. She has facial expressions and body language. She slouches and grimaces and generally looks like a teenager--an extraordinarily attractive and slender teenager, granted, but still a teenager.

Indeed! Her inherent teenager-ness is delightfully apparent, and even the upskirt shot is so obviously done to show off her shorts (Finally! Shorts! Under a skirt while flying! Huzzah!) that I am thrilled.

I agree that she's still on the slender side, but that, too, I put to her youth. She's still growing.

I am doing a small happy dance at my desk.

I join you in the Dance of Joy! Huzzah Supergirl!
Ciao,
Amy

9:43 PM

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