I am disappointed in September so far, but not scared. Here's why.
They can't take away the comics that I have on my shelves. They may try to wipe them from continuity, but they can't make us forget the stories we adore. These are ours, and no editorial decision can - or should - change that.
I am going to exercise my option not to purchase DC in September, and actually torrent (which is big, because I never do that) the two titles I'm interested in (Blue Beetle, JLD) to see if they're decent before I spend any money, but I refuse to allow the bad creative decisions based in the 1990s Boys Club of Comics (*bitters*) to invalidate my love for these characters.
I loathe the sexism, racism, and homophobia displayed in the publicity DC has been putting out. The blatant disregard of valid and reasonable questions by and about women, female creators, and female characters is the one thing I find frightening, and the sheer level of privilege being shown by the vast majority of DC decision-makers (JIM LEE I AM LOOKING AT YOU) is utterly appalling.
But I am not scared. Because I buy lots of comics. Because I have always bought the physical floppies as well as TPBs and never downloaded items illegally, and I know how to make my money count. I don't just buy for myself, I buy for work, my students, other library staff, and my friends. I spend a lot of money on comics, and I have made it very clear to my Boys at Comics College & Dreamhaven why they will be seeing less of my money. It is not because of anything they have done, because I still love them (and the discounts they give me!) dearly, but because of the decisions at DC. And the more that comics sellers know why their revenue is dropping, the more they will complain as well. I have no shame in getting them to add their voices to ours, because this? Uncool, man. Uncool.
We are all Batgirl. I say this as a fake-redheaded library geek who Bab's Batgirl meant a lot to when I was little. I say this as someone who took the photos at the Halloween Party in Technical Services in 1998 where my mom worked, and EVERY SINGLE LIBRARIAN WAS BATGIRL OR ORACLE. 30 BARBARAS. But she is not our only Batgirl, and never will be.
They can't take away the comics that I have on my shelves. They may try to wipe them from continuity, but they can't make us forget the stories we adore. These are ours, and no editorial decision can - or should - change that.
I am going to exercise my option not to purchase DC in September, and actually torrent (which is big, because I never do that) the two titles I'm interested in (Blue Beetle, JLD) to see if they're decent before I spend any money, but I refuse to allow the bad creative decisions based in the 1990s Boys Club of Comics (*bitters*) to invalidate my love for these characters.
I loathe the sexism, racism, and homophobia displayed in the publicity DC has been putting out. The blatant disregard of valid and reasonable questions by and about women, female creators, and female characters is the one thing I find frightening, and the sheer level of privilege being shown by the vast majority of DC decision-makers (JIM LEE I AM LOOKING AT YOU) is utterly appalling.
But I am not scared. Because I buy lots of comics. Because I have always bought the physical floppies as well as TPBs and never downloaded items illegally, and I know how to make my money count. I don't just buy for myself, I buy for work, my students, other library staff, and my friends. I spend a lot of money on comics, and I have made it very clear to my Boys at Comics College & Dreamhaven why they will be seeing less of my money. It is not because of anything they have done, because I still love them (and the discounts they give me!) dearly, but because of the decisions at DC. And the more that comics sellers know why their revenue is dropping, the more they will complain as well. I have no shame in getting them to add their voices to ours, because this? Uncool, man. Uncool.
We are all Batgirl. I say this as a fake-redheaded library geek who Bab's Batgirl meant a lot to when I was little. I say this as someone who took the photos at the Halloween Party in Technical Services in 1998 where my mom worked, and EVERY SINGLE LIBRARIAN WAS BATGIRL OR ORACLE. 30 BARBARAS. But she is not our only Batgirl, and never will be.
/soapbox
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