DC Comics: Bombshells

[janegray]

The success of Bombshells would be a Cinderella story if Cinderella wore motorcycle boots. The initial idea was to build a comic book inspired by a line of popular collectible figurines. That germ of an idea has expanded into one of the brightest and funniest comics DC has to offer. The comic sold 60,000 copies in its debut print issue in August — a massive number for a digital-first comic.
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Women writers and artists like Bennett often face backlash for "pushing an agenda," which is usually followed up by complaints that they're ruining comics by not having women overtly sexualized in their stories. A similar backlash is also applied to nonwhite writers and nontraditional heroes.
But 60,000 issues has a way of drowning out those voices.
"I feel like there was a lot of resistance to that at first, but now people are like, 'The books are here, you can see what they're like, they're great. Go forth and read,'" Bennett said. "I think people are starting to understand that this is not the destruction of Western civilization if you let girls in your goddamn clubhouse."
Diversity is making DC Comics great again







Giving credit here is a little annoying because the issues were original published as digital chapters, so the numbers are different depending on which version of the comic you got. For example, I bought the first TPB, which collects the first 6 printed issues, which collect the first 18 digital issues. Anyway, those are the very first pages in any version of the book, the very beginning of the series.

I love the Batwoman pun. and I don't even mean ironically, I genuinely love the pun :D

"You don't get to control your story when it gets presented by someone else," Bombshells writer Marguerite Bennett tells me. She explains that the "announcer" is an exaggerated and satirical joke, but one that gets at a truth about female superheroes and women portrayed in comic books. "They're [the female superheroes] doing their own thing, but they're also aware of how they're being cut and presented and marketed, and being turned into icons."

During one of her patrols, Batwoman takes out a gang that sold Jewish refugees out to the Nazis. She is especially furious because she herself is a Jew, and her anger makes her reckless. She doesn't notice that one of the thugs got right behind her.







She comes to the conclusion that just being a Gotham vigilante is not good enough, and decides to enlist in Amanda Waller's secret team to help end the War.








(From digital issue #8)

This next issue opens with a terrible battle between American planes and German planes, bombs and explosions everywhere. Then...














(From digital issue #2)

It's interesting that they mention children. They don't explain how those children come to be, though the Amazons here are good people so I think we can thankfully exclude the rapes and murders of the current mainstream universe (admittedly the Queen does order Steve's execution, but it's noted that it's specifically because he is part of the army that indirectly caused the death and maiming of their children. Other Amazons are not happy with her decision and let Diana go rescue him).









The Queen listens to Diana's tale, but points out that they have already suffered heavy losses in wars against horrible enemies, so why should they risk their lives now to go aid the people whose army dropped bombs on their home? She then orders Steve's execution as punishment for the aforementioned bombs.

Naturally Diana breaks him out, with the help of her friend Mera.



(From digital issue #4)

Mods, would it be ok to create a new tag for the Bombshells series?

Comments

[captainbellman]

It is nice that the writing here is a tad more intelligent than has been typical in DcNu books starring the Amazons. I liked that in Steve's encounter, neither side comes out more 'right' or 'wrong' than the other, and his observation that they might not have a frame of reference for a giant population is interesting.

[janegray]

Aww, come on, that's damning with faint praise. I think the writing here is legitimately good :)

[zapbiffpow]

This. This, for once, is a clear win for DC, I think.

[captainbellman]

Also, as I understand it the Dreamwidth format only supports a certain number of tags, so in order for the mods to provide a new one they'd probably have to delete an old one as well.

[icon_uk]

Yeah, that's an ongoing "hobby" of the Mods... Due another pruning soon, and I have the list to do it, but just need to find the time.

[janegray]

Allright, thanks :)

[thatnickguy]

Huh. It looks like Diana here is totally equal in power and ability with her Amazons. Which, oddly enough, was Marston's original version of the character.

[coldfury]

Yeah, I think DC wants to have her be equal/near equal to Superman, but you can't have a whole island full of Superman equals, that diminishes Superman! So then she has to be special! But how is she special from other Amazons?

And then things get messy.

[janegray]

I mean, she was literally created by the Gods. It should be extremely simple and straightforward to justify her being much more powerful than the average Amazon. It's kind of incredible that DC still managed to mess that up.

[ozaline]

Her post crisis origin mirrors the myth of Pandora who was also sculpted from clay and given gifts by the gods.

But Pandora's gifts were stuff like a decietful nature and Diana's were super strength and battle strategy.

[janegray]

I always felt so bad for poor Pandora. She was set up to fail! When they created her they purposefully filled her up with insatiable curiosity, then they gave her a Mystery Box as wedding gift and told her "there is something amazing here! lololololol wonder what that is!"

It was all a plot to hurt her husband, the Gods used their powers to fuck with them. But who does everybody blame? Pandora. It's like getting somebody hooked to drugs, offering them a syringe, and blaming them when they take it.

[crinos]

Yeah, Greek Mythology is full of victim blaming (See also Medusa).

[ozaline]

Not to mention the regarded romantic passion as an illness. So women were in that sense essentially plague carriers... So much misogyny.

[zapbiffpow]

I want to see this book made into an HBO high-budget series so much.

[arthur_wynne]

I'm not so sure about the HBO part... but a high-budget live action series would be grand!

Is this the best Wonder Woman portrayal currently in publication? Because I think it's pretty much perfect.

[janegray]

Well, the series does have a few flaws. Most notably, the villains/antagonists often cling to the idiot/villain ball.

For example...

SPOILERS

...the TPB ends with Diana imprisoned as a traitor because she stopped her allies from executing defenceless enemy prisoners.

And I can't help but wonder, why would the allies be so dumb as to turn on their own champion (who has greatly helped them win their battles, and is possibly their most valuable asset) just to get rid of a few defeated Nazis?

I'm not even judging the immorality of it, just the sheer impracticality. Surely keeping a demi-goddess on their good side is a higher priority than shooting a dozen random mooks who can't even do anything anymore. Logically, locking them in some crappy cell and throwing away the key (or, hell, taking them away in some hidden location to shoot them in secret if you are that determined to do it) should be the obvious course of action, rather than making an enemy out of the superpowered ace in the hole who had been winning your battles for you.

There is a similar problem with the Stargirl&Supergirl stories, which is why they are my least favourite of the bunch.

However, the characterization of Diana is pretty much perfect :)

[zapbiffpow]

Oh, yeah, I remember that part, but I just now realize the dumbassity of the Allies. Chalk that up to mis-channeled battle trauma. Or shield sorrow, as the Amazons would say.

There is a similar problem with the Stargirl&Supergirl stories, which is why they are my least favourite of the bunch.

Mine is a toss-up between this and the second Batgirls arc. But, y'know, on a 'relatively' basis: both arcs were still very entertaining reads.

[long_silence]

I'm really enjoying Legend of Wonder Woman so for me it's a toss up between the two portrayals

[zapbiffpow]

This. I think Legend!Wonder Woman is how she kicks ass as an outsider and an individual, while Bombshells!Wonder Woman examines how awesome she is when played off heavy conflict and supporting cast.

[shadowpsykie]

These are actually..... Good... These are DC?

[lordultimus]

They're noncanon, so they don't have editors breathing down their necks.

[janegray]

Not so much noncanon, more like Elseword!canon.

[lordultimus]

Same difference.

[ebailey140]

Since we're getting a crossover later this month, it's part of the Multiverse.

[janegray]

Wait, what? I haven't heard anything about that.

[ebailey140]

Harley's Little Black Book #4, out at the end of the month.

http://www.dccomics.com/comics/harley’s-little-black-book-2015/harley’s-little-black-book-4

[janegray]

...Oh boy.

I'm not happy about that. One time DC had its heroes from Elseworlds meet up, they had them fight to the death. Plus mainstream!Harley does things like chopping up innocent flight attendants, I don't trust her anywhere near the legitimately anti-hero Bombshells!Harley.

:(((

[janegray]

The cynical reader might point out that these comics were given so little faith, DC wouldn't even sell them as printed books until well after they became wildly successful, keeping them as downloads-only for a very long time, and the writer was constantly told that the series could be canceled at any time. Even after the first issue sold 60.000 copies, they still were incredibly reluctant to properly back the series and gave it virtually no advertising (to the point that it still doesn't even have a Wikipedia page).

But cynicism aside, ultimately DC did the right thing and published them as printed TPB. The second one ic coming out in a couple of months too, so all it well that ends well :)

[icon_uk]

Time to check out the local Comic Book shop for that TPB!

[alicemacher]

It'll be money very well spent. I picked up Vol. 1 (which came out in March) a couple of weeks ago, intrigued by the scans previously posted here, and fell in love instantly.

[deh_tommy]

I swear, people in this community make MARVEL and DC sound like complete and utter evil corporate types where anything good that they make comes from pure luck and anything else is just unmitigated awfulness.

[janegray]

Many of us have been reading comics for over 20 years. The bitterness piles up :P

[shadowpsykie]

like JaneGray said. also, as of the new 52 at least, the writing has been sub par in DC, same for Marvel as of AvX

[deh_tommy]

I'd like to say that's more a matter of opinion rather than objective fact, especially considering the titles post-Avengers vs. X-Men and New 52 that have been critical darlings (like Vision, Secret Wars, Batman, Starfire, Ms. Marvel, Amazing/Superior Spider-Man, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, DC Bombshells, (The Mighty) Thor, Deadpool, Justice League (at least, after Forever Evil), Forever Evil, Gren Lantern, etc.).

[zapbiffpow]

"Just come back to me."

Last one, swear: this is one of my favorite goodbye scenes/issues in recent memory, art, plot, circumstances and characterization-wise.

[janegray]

Comment all you like, good-looking person. I make a little happy sound whenever my inbox gets a new message <3

And I agree, it's really nicely done. Since I was only going to post four scenes, for a long time I was undecided between a bunch of different scenes (one of the most painful choices was between the Diana&Steve ones and the Harley&Ivy ones. In the end I chose to go with the former because, while the Harley&Ivy scenes are fantastic, they are not that different than their usual adventures in mainstream comics, whereas this is the first time I've seen a PTSD take on Steve Trevor so I thought it was more unique). But from the very beginning I knew I'd be posting the scene where Kate and Maggie say goodbye.

[zapbiffpow]

Why thank you kindly, Ma'am! I agree with your point about PTSD Trevor - that gaunt, hunched traumatized portrayal is something I haven't seen from him before, it's refreshing. Ditto the poster's dilemma - it really is tough to pick pages especially when there's so much good scenes to condense from. What a high that is.

[laschifosavita]

The art consistently has me swooning. I already want to preorder the "The Art of" book.

[kurenai_tenka]

Omg Harper. <3

Is there a TPB of this yet?

[janegray]

I couldn't stop grinning at that BATFAN panel XDDD

There is!

http://www.amazon.com/DC-Comics-Bombshells-Vol-1/dp/1401261329/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465049180&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=dc+combshells

[kurenai_tenka]

Me neither. xD

Brilliant, thank you! I approve very much of the cover, I have a giant framed version of that picture in my hallway lol.

[janegray]

I have a framed Bobshells poster too! :DDD

The one I picked is Black Canary though. I loved the Wonder Woman one, but I have a huge soft spot for night/stars/moon aesthetics ^^

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0240/4219/products/6c6286dd8a2a91487d964d7ba5064d37.jpg?v=1415122495

[kurenai_tenka]

Ooh, that one's really nice too!

I went with the Wondie one because of the Rosie the Riveter reference (I know they did a more direct take on that, but Wonder Woman is a huge bonus too ofc. <3)