Comic Book Developers Recognise the Potential of Female Characters
It has recently become known that there are more female gamers than male, there was a general suspicion that the industry had yet to recognise this statistic. After all, the market is dominated by adrenalin-packed, male influenced titles such as Call of Duty, while similar titles and characters also command the attention of the mainstream media.
You can also argue that this trend has been prominent in the comic book market too. If you delve beyond the surface, however, you will see a subtle change in the approach of writers and developers. More specifically, established studio brands such as Marvel and DC have both unveiled new comic book line-ups and characters, which include potentially iconic female stars of tomorrow.
The Focus on Women: The Comic Book Characters for the Next Generation
The announcement from both camps came on Friday, with Marvel generating slightly higher levels of interest through social media interaction. This is primarily thanks to the unveiling of an all-female Avengers team, which have been introduced as a prelude to a cross-title Secret Wars event that is scheduled to take place in May. Without the iconic Captain America, Iron Man or Hulk, the imaginatively titled ‘A-Force’ will be written by G. Willow Wilson and help to introduce new characters and reinvigorate others such as Ms. Marvel.
Interestingly, the co-writer of this series has played a seminal role in the conception and development female comic book characters. Marguerite Bennett has written for both Marvel and DC in recent years, penning influential characters such as the Asgardian assassin Angela for the former and Batgirl and Lois Lane on behalf of the latter. With new characters during an army of iconic female superheroes who have been refined for the modern age, comic books are reinventing themselves for a new and increasingly diverse generation of fans.
The Last Word
Marvel and DC have emerged from the confines of comic book literature in the last two decades, ever since the emergence of Batman as a star of the silver screen in 1989. This has peaked in recent years, as the development of successful movie franchises; Marvel console games winning new fans and generating millions of pounds in revenue. This has been largely founded on the appeal of male characters, however, which may have alienated a portion of the female fan base.
DC and particularly Marvel has an extensive selection of female characters, however, from the powerful She-Hulk (the original’s cousin) to Medusa and veteran avenger Storm. Now that these individuals are being given centre stage on the worlds’ most popular comic book pages, writers can create more diverse adventures and reach out to a more varied reader demographic.
