Behold the cover of Red Hood and the Outlaws #32, where they double-D-down on their bold vision of guys being super-tough-awesome while women do nothing but offer sex. To anyone passing by.
People have talked about the appallingly simple sexualization of Starfire before, and the comic’s response isn’t “screw you“, it’s “screw her, that’s what she’s there for“. They took one of the only sexually liberated characters in DC — hell, one of the only superheroes who could convincingly claim to know where new heroes come from — and turned her into a robotic sex socket. The closest her reboot comes to agency is demanding men stop boring her with details like “names” before banging her.
This cover busts beyond comics into the sort of stupid car mag which uses women as an accessory because they’ve come up with an amazing new joke about dangerous curves. The sort of writer who uses PHWOAAAAR unironically, and to describe what an engine sounds like. And if those weapons were any more phallicly placed they’d be firing used tissues.
Look at Jason and Roy – the Outlaws know they’re being drawn right now, and the all responded by getting their weapons out and showing what they can do. And unfortunately, as far as the writer is concerned that’s what Koriand’r is doing too.
More on this with The 5 Most Ridiculously Sexist Superhero Costumes and The Big Balls of Bioshock Saviours.
… And then you end it with a rape joke.
You’re absolutely right. I thought I was drawing a parallel between the misuse of the characters and sexual roles, but it still boils down to that, which is no damn good. Fixed now. Thanks for letting me know.