Riri Williams: Marvel’s Precious Little Sociopath

Marvel debuted the character Riri Williams in July 2016. The character replaced Tony Stark as Iron Man, adopting the name Iron Heart (which ironically turns out to be the name used in a porn parody of Iron Man). Riri’s claim to fame is that she is a 15-year-old black female super-genius supposedly smarter and better than Stark.

Brian Michael Bendis, the character’s creator, faced a backlash from progressives because Bendis is a straight, white, Jewish man writing a black female character. His critics ignored at Bendis and his wife adopted two black girls. They also ignored his reason for creating Riri Williams, as explained in the Time article. His critcis felt much more content to attack the man rather than give him a chance.

However, things have not been that great for Riri. The Invincible Iron Man series that Riri leads has seen its numbers drop dramatically since its November 2016 debut:

#DeleteMarvel: Revenge of the Hypocrites

What do you do when the CEO of a company that has pandered to you for half decade supporters new Hitler?

This is the problem faced by progressives who read Marvel comic books. Their problem begins with Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter, a long-time Donald Trump supporter. Perlmutter has a sordid history concerninh his penny-pinching and general indifference to his employees. However, that has history has little to do with the current situation.

The current situation, the #deletemarvel boycott, stems from Perlmutter’s support of Trump. That is it. There is no concern about the CEO’s handling of Marvel, how he treats his employees, or that his primary concern is money. It is solely that he committed the crime of supporting new Hitler.

That seems one of the pettiest reasons to boycott any company. Perlmutter has little to do with the day-to-day grind of the company. Progressives, however, do not like to miss a chance at virtual-signaling. If that means boycotting a company that scrubbed its line-up of iconic characters to meet their demands for more “diversity”, so be it.

Of course, the boycott will likely reduce the already dismal sales of the social justice themed books.

Milo Yiannopoulos interviews Chuck Dixon

Milo Yiannopulous interviewed comic book writer Chuck Dixon a few weeks ago. The interview concerned Dixon’s adaption of the book Clinton Cash.

I enjoy Dixon’s work. He wrote my favorite comic book version of Batman and Nightwing. He always added in a of instability to Bruce Wayne, specifically the way Batman would undermine or sabotage his relationships with the rest of the Bat family. It makes for an interesting read. His run on Nightwing is one of the best.

One thing I like about Dixon’s work is the lack of political spin. I do not mind politics in comics in moderation or if the creator wants to make a broader point. However, some creators cannot separate their politics from their creations. It hurts the story because the only fleshed out characters are those who adhere to the creator’s worldview. Anyone outside of it lacks nuance, and is often a foil for the more “politically appropriate” character.

The Rise and Fall of the Comic Empire

I stumbled onto SF Debris’ Opinionated Reviews a few weeks ago. The page features a fascinating history of the comic book industry. Some of the stories and information I knew, but much of it I did not. I have heard many stories about the dodgy tactics Marvel and DC used over the years to screw over each other and destroy their competition. Their mutual hatred of Valiant and Image is legendary.

I have not vetted any of the claims made in the videos, however, based on my understanding of the comic book industry I do not doubt any of it. Despite the industry being about “funny books,” it is still a business and that will always attract some of the worst humanity has to offer.

What is particularly interesting is Marvel’s behavior over the years. When Disney bought them in 2009, I thought that the Disney need to crush all competition would ruin Marvel. Little did I know that Marvel was as underhanded and vicious as Disney. Given the information presented in the videos, Disney’s buyout of Marvel looks practically incestuous.

The series is well worth the watch.

Be Careful What You Ask For

For years feminists clamored about the lack of female characters in comic books. They demanded more titles featuring superheroines. The comic book industry needed these super women, feminists claimed, in order to break up the “boys’ club.”

Feminists demanded strong female leads. They wanted women who were unafraid of anything. They wanted women who did not rely on archetypes or tropes. They wanted women who did not need a man. They wanted books that not only focused on women, but featured all-female casts.

So the industry gave feminists what they asked for. It took some time. There were a few false starts — the Minx line, Marvel Divas, Girl Comics. However, eventually Marvel and DC, the former in particular, managed to get it right and give feminists exactly they wanted. And now:

Smart, Nice and Sassy: ‘Good Girl’ Role Models Make Boring Heroes

I will allow ComicsAlliance’s Juliet Khan explain:

A Dose of Stupid v108

It happens every day. In fact, it is pretty hard to avoid it. There are some things that can only be understood with a slap on the forehead. Things so mind-boggling that one wonders how humans managed to evolve thumbs while being this mentally inept. Case in point:

Comic book heroes with average body types

Bear with me a moment and allow me to share my pain. My godson comes over to me and dangles his tablet in front of my face. I stare at it for a few seconds, stupefied by the image on the screen. It is so wrong, so viciously moronic that the only words I can manage are, “What the fuck are you showing me?”

What he showed me was this:

Top Posts of 2014

Here are the top posts of 2014. This list only includes posts written in 2014, not those that carried over from other years.

Comic books, sales, and rape

Anal Rape: the CIA’s “necessary” and “legitimate” medical practice

A Dose of Stupid v102

What rape apologism looks like

Being a Boy: Lesson Learned

Told you so: Study finds women rape men more than you think

Being a Boy: The Monster Inside

A Dose of Stupid v100

These aren’t the nerds you’re looking for

186 Kurdish schoolboys kidnapped and the world remains silent