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So, I was introduced to these words said by Misty Lee (magician and wife of Paul Dini) from a Podcast they hosted:
And you know, also, someone raised the point in, I don’t know if it was in a forum I was reading but it’s something I’ve heard a million times before - but usually, the strongest and loudest protest over sexy things come from ugly fat girls. And now I don’t necessarily agree with that and I’m probably going to get some awesome flame mail as a result of this, but as somebody who’s relatively secure in her sexuality - I don’t think I’m the hottest broad out walking around - I definitely don’t think I compare to some of these comic book chicks - but that doesn’t mean that I don’t like to look at ‘em. I find the feminine form very appealing and I’m not at all offended by that…*
Wow. Where to begin.
“And you know, also, someone raised the point in, I don’t know if it was in a forum I was reading but it’s something I’ve heard a million times before - but usually, the strongest and loudest protest over sexy things come from ugly fat girls.”
Do we really need to go there? I suppose some of the protesters might be on the heavier side. I am. And some might fit our cultural definition of “ugly”. I think I might. I am not a girl though. But most of what I have seen has been regular women and guys who find the idea of a comic aimed at 9 years old on up featuring a cover of it’s female heroes half naked and on the verge of attack from tentacles.
It’s the fact that they look frightened. And there is the bell, but that’s just a “what the hell” type think. The Black Cat is a cat burgler (well, was-she is a good guy now). WHY WOULD SHE WEAR A BELL?! Oh, and there is Misty’s hair. But compared to everything else? It’s minor. But anyways, back to the fear thing. These are strong women. They are tough, martial artist types. And they look like they are scared of the alien creature. And they are stripped down, the Black Cat has slime that looks…well… like a certain bodily fluid on her breasts. These women should look ready to kick that alien’s ass. Look at the work by Lea Hernandez (as an aside? I wish I was as good at PhotoShop as she is), it’s subtle in it’s changes…but man…it has a totally different connotation.
” I find the feminine form very appealing and I’m not at all offended by that…”
Misty? I find the feminine form appealing as well. The cover still bothered me. No one complaining is offended by the mere hints of sexuality. If they were just offended by that? Heroes For Hire would be under fire every month for it’s tongue in cheek cheesecake covers. It’s not. Why? Most people (even feminists, guys!) get cute, funny and fun sexy images. This is not puritans lamenting the showing of an ankle. It’s the way the characters are being portrayed, not as sexy, but as simpering victims.
If people are going to determine why some of us are critical of the cover, please critique our criticisms.
*Thanks to the efforts of Tinderblast (a fellow Girl-Wonder Member) who is the person who made the effort to actually transcribe that bit. Without that? I would have been real lazy and paraphrased. 
