Could Cyborg and Hawkman Team Up To Defeat Wonder Woman?

So, I'm in the book store the other day, and I'm always keeping my eyes open for things the girls would like, so when I saw that they had a Super Friends coloring book, I picked it up without even looking. The girls LOVE the DC Super Friends book, and we pick up the issues every month. I didn't even really stop to look at it. Just dumped it on the pile.

But then, something caught my eye. Super Friends Cyborg! Cyborg isn't in the comic book, but the girls know him from Tiny Titans. So, instead of the six Super Friends, this one had seven. Even better.

But wait, is that Hawkman up there in the corner? It is. I don't particularly care about Hawkman, but I have no objections to him either. But, if there are seven characters, and two of them are new, then one of the six from the comic books has to be missing . . .

Yep, they ditched Wonder Woman, and traded her in for Cyborg and Hawkman. The Super Friends Coloring Book went right back on the shelf. I've never complained that there's "only one girl" for my girls in the Super Friends comics. They certainly haven't complained, and the portrayal of WW is very good.

So why did they drop her from the coloring book?

I'm not one to say publically, "I'm offended and will never buy your product again," but I actually had this one in my hands in the "To Buy" pile. So, that's one lost sale from whoever thought the presence of one female superhero would lose more sales than dropping her for freakin' Hawkman.

JSA #25: All in the Family

Wasn't that a great shot, that last page of JSA?

The huge table, with everyone sitting around it?

And Alan was talking about how they were a great big, happy family?

Yep. Alan Scott's happy family! What a nice image!

No one missing from that picture at all. Nope. Nobody missing from Alan Scott's happy family picture.

Oh wait. . .

5 Things I Didn't Expect To See In Flash: Rebirth #1

1. Barry Allen brutally murdering a bad guy.

2. Barry Allen's mother being brutally murdered.

3. Bart Allen, back home and alive, without any sort of explanation, since I honestly forgot that that happened in Legion of Three Worlds, and still can't remember if has been follow-up with anywhere else.

4. Officer Chyre, who is apparently about 100 years old, but looks much younger.

5. Iris Allen and Linda Park West being approximately the same age.

Yey for Legs!

I appear to be a minority of one.

Shelly says:

All of which are why I've never wanted her to regain the use of her legs. It's
so important for there to be disabled characters to be role models for disabled
readers. Babs, as Oracle, shows you can succeed despite being unable to walk.

Platinum Comics Site offers:

As O­racl­e an­d as a perso­n­ in­ a
w­h­eel­ ch­air sh­e h­as b­een­ a real­
in­spiratio­n­ an­d a gu­idin­g l­igh­t
sh­o­w­in­g th­at n­o­ o­n­e is
def­in­ed b­y th­eir disab­il­ity.

Those are only two examples of the common theme. And I don't actually agree with the sentiment. I only disagree as it applies to Barbara Gordon. You see, I've got three girls, who all love comic books. And, just like your boys will dress up like Superman and Batman, my girls dress up like Supergirl and Batgirl (and Wonder Woman) for Halloween. (See pic, approximately three posts down.)

So, yeah, Clark Kent died for an arc and then came back. Bruce Wayne broke his back fighting Bane, but was walking again soon enough.

Linda Lee Supergirl died in the Crisis, and stayed dead for 20 years. Barbara Gordon got put in a wheelchair and stayed there.

So, here's the thing. I haven't actually told MY little Batgirl that Barbara Gordon had her spine shot through by the Joker and can't be Batgirl anymore. I mean, what the hell? Why is it that the "girls" don't just get better like the boys do?

Barbara Grodon can walk around and do her Batgirl things in Tiny Titans, and in the various Batman TV shows. But I don't really want to show her "current" Barbara Gordon, because for a long time it just felt like she -- unlike every other superhero in history -- had been damaged in a way that she couldn't recover from. And that wasn't fair.

My daughter loves comics because she loves and identifies with Batgirl. I wouldn't be shocked if over half of every little girl who has ever seen or heard of a comic book character identifies with either Supergirl, Batgirl, or Wonder Woman. So, please, let them go out and be Supergirl, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman! (Wonder Woman, by the way, is on that higher tier, where her deaths and injuries are always easily reversable, which is why I push her as a character.)

And please, feel free to build up your next wheelchair-bound Oracle #2 into the greatest freakin' superhero of all time. But make it some character who just doesn't seem to be working out in their current incarnation (Spoiler, Ryan Choi, that teleporty-girl from Birds of Prey), or even better someone not currently in the the Superhero community -- like Robin's ex-girlfriend after Stephanie (Zoe?) or that scientist guy who got killed by an OMAC in Outsiders. Just give him or her a debilitating genetic spine injury (no more bullets through the spine, please), and move on.

Voila. Oracle II could keep being a great role model, and Barbara Gordon can keep doing what she has always done as Batgirl -- inspire little girls.

Mixing our Jo(h)n Stewarts

The Raggirls had pointed out that none of the Superfriends appear to be Jewish. The cover of Superfriends #10, however, has convinced them that John Stewart -- like his h-less peer -- is a member of the Tribe. Knowing of nothing recent and canonical to contradict it, I'm going along with it.

Except for the minor hubristic incident in which billions of people died in Cosmic Odyssey due to his mistake, I can't imagine any Jewish parents who would be unhappy to have the Super Friends' Green Lantern as a son-in-law.

One Thought on Rann/ Thanager Holy War

So, let's assume that you are Starman, leader of Gemworld. Let's also assume the entire population of your planet has been killed. But wait! In their second game of "Hide the Ball" this decade, the Rannians have now re-located themselves to your now-empty world.

How do you respond?

Or, to bring it down to Earth -- Let's say you are the President of the USA, and the entire population of your country was just killed while you were off on a European diplomatic mission. Suddenly, who should pop up across your heartland but the entire population of Indonesia.

How do you respond?

I'm thinking it won't be along the lines of "What the heck, I'll just be President of the Indonesians now!"

That is why you are not Starman of Gemworld.

Terra #2: Boobies Boobies Boobies!!!

So, um.

Yeah.

Never thought I'd read a comic book with Power Girl in it, and have it contain TWO other characters with more prominently displayed bosoms.