|
Diverse cast of superheroes coming to comics
It was fascinating to read this article by our colleague Eric Deggans on the new array of black, brown and gay superheroes that will be arriving to newsstands while DC Comics simultaneously reboots 52 different titles in its catalog. The project is called the New 52, and it's an ambitious effort by DC Comics to reimagine some of its best-known comic books in an effort to draw in new fans, starting or restarting 52 different series at once with Number One issues publishing this month.
While most attention goes to marquee names such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, a cadre of writers and artists are developing characters of color and a gay woman as superhero stars in six new books — some for the very first time. Among them, Deggans reports, are:
- Static Shock, a black kid with powers over electricity who once had a popular TV cartoon
- The new Blue Beetle (now a Latino man)
- Batwing, right, (the Batman of Africa)
- Green Lantern Corps (co-led by John Stewart, a lantern who is black)
- Firestorm (a black teenager with nuclear powers)
- Batwoman (who is a lesbian)
- Mister Terrific (a black man who happens to be the world's third-smartest person).
Comic book fans have long been stereotyped as middled aged white men. Worried that there aren't a lot of 7 year olds taking up the lifelong comic obsession, the industry is changing. The change follows America's own demographic shifts. According to analyses of the 2010 U.S. Census, more than half the children under age 2 in America are now from racial and ethnic minority groups. Such groups are also more than 50 percent of people under age 18 in 10 states, a trend expected to reach across all 50 states in a dozen years.
--Sharon Kennedy Wynne
Follow us on Twitter @WhoaMomma
Loading...Most Recent Blog Posts
About the bloggers
Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Video
Most Popular Categories
THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
|
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
|
|
|
Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
