Universe reboots and equality in comics

Since beginning on this course, basically all of my interests and creative views have been changed radically. I've never been totally surrounded by like minded creatives who see the world through the same lenses I do before, and the environment of the studio has been a great place for me to be able to experiment and try to evaluate where my practice is headed without trying to drive it one specific way or another. I've tried to be open to new processes, modes of thinking, ways of roughing, and digital media in realising my ideas. I've also changed what illustration I've been consuming, and I'm only reading ONE traditional superhero comic at the moment. Just one.
I KNOW IT WAS LIKE MY WHOLE THING

While I haven't lost the respect for or the knowledge of the characters and worlds that introduced me to the world of illustration (jump me in the studio at any time I can still tell you Aquaman's wife's name or name at least six versions of the Iron Man armour), this course has developed my understanding of illustration to a point that the media I consume just has to be weirder, deeper and more meaningful to satisfy me.

Marvel and DC have both quite recently rebooted their universes (for the layman, this means when the narrative comes to a stagnation point and people are bored so the company decides to reinvigorate the franchise and invite new readers by resetting the timeline, wiping the slate clean and redeveloping stories and characters from a different perspective). Sounds tiring? IT BLOODY IS. DC rebooted their universe a few years ago in an event called The New 52, and while Marvel haven't done an overhaul this size in a while, parallel timelines and alternate universes have been a persisting headache in their stories for a few years now. While I sort of understand the necessity of doing this from a business standpoint, all it has done for me is alienate me and undermine the stories I've being invested in by resetting the entire timeline of events.

One of the last stories I really engaged with was Dan Slott's Superior Spider-Man. It was a riveting exploration of our responsibility to do good in the world if we find ourselves able to do so, done through the plot device of the villainous Doctor Octopus taking over the mind and body of Spider-Man, appearing entirely as Peter Parker, with the mind of Doc Ock. Rather than continuing his career of villainy, Otto Octavius uses his new (albeit stolen) body and powers to do what he sees as good, and be a hero. The story revolves around his thought processes around this concept, and how his choices differ to the traditional methods of heroism due to his abusive upbringing. While Peter Parker eventually returns to his own body and mind, the character of Doctor Octopus is developed into a complex and tortured character who ultimately wants to make the world a better place, but is so jaded by his treatment by that very world, finds it difficult to keep this ideal in mind instead of seeking revenge for what he has undergone.

I thought it was really thought-provoking and has a great message for younger audiences that you can't let the world get on top of you and change you for the worse, no matter how bad things may get. It's a dark and ultimately inspirational tone that could help a young reader cope with bullying, standing out at school, having confidence in themselves and their talents, and the importance of always trying to make the world a brighter place rather than getting comfortable in the darkness.

BUT THEN the universe's refresh button got clicked so does any of it count? Do the lessons the characters learnt still stand today, and have they developed from them? Or have they reset and is Doc Ock robbing diamonds again and kidnapping old women?
I read a couple of pages of a crossover called Spider-Verse in which multiple Spider-Men from multiple realities converge because a vampire wants to eat them all or something for some reason. Doctor Octopus (in the body of Spider-Man, known as the Superior Spider-Man) wakes up in the tech-noir year of 2099 and eventually ends up on a team of alternate universe Spider-Men fighting vampires (and there's a humanoid pig in a costume called Peter Porker the Spectacular Spider-Ham)and then after that the universe fell in on itself and everything exploded into a new world called Battleworld and then that was destroyed when a thousand versions of Thor destroyed Castle Doom and the Big Bang happened again and then-


I feel some of the thematic effect of that story is undermined now.


Moving away from these mainstream storylines, I have tried to absorb some of Marvel's forays into addressing inequality in comics. There has been a lot of character change at Marvel in the last few years, the hammer of Thor is now wielded by Jane Foster, the Hulk is an Asian teenager, Iron Man is being replaced by a fifteen year old black girl. I feel that these are all steps in the right direction, but a lot of this is used for marketing ploys. An example is the female Thor, who was promised to be a unique new character, but is yet to show really that she is more than Thor but a girl this time.

Putting a woman in Thor's armour isn't the same as crafting a resonating female character with a distinct personality and set of values that sets her apart from her predecessor. I was excited to see how she would deal with the burden of Thor's power and what her goals would be, but it turns out she does everything Thor did before except with lipstick. I don't really agree with pretending to create equality when really its just a simulation, Marvel should be striving to make Thor a character little girls will aspire to be like and give them confidence in who they are and remind them girls and boys are exactly the same. I definitely think there should be more female role models in comics, and I think they should be utilised properly to send a message rather than be a marketing stunt.

Of course there are instances of equal representation present in todays comics, Ms Marvel follows the story of Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager with stretchy powers. Kamala is a practising Muslim and avid comic book nerd, acting as reassurance for young Muslim girls who may not feel represented in the media today. I feel its important for young boys and girls of any faith to be reading stories like this, Ms Marvel is not defined by her gender or her religion but by her interest in science and love for helping those around her.


Similarly, Captain Marvel has been an equally successful title, aimed at an older audience, still focusing on making people aware of gender equality. Carol Danvers exists as the universe's protector Captain Marvel, and is one of the hardest hitters in the Marvel Universe present. This is a great message for young girls and boys, the stories show a woman who has no dependence on men to be strong, and is just as powerful as male characters such as Iron Man or Captain America. Her title, Captain, is also gender neutral, rather than calling her Mrs Marvel or Lady Marvel or Marvel Woman. This allows her to not be tied to a single gender, meaning anyone from anywhere who is a fan can engage with her fully.
Captain Marvel remains the only superhero comic I'm still reading for this reason, precisely the fact that she clearly has a reason. She exists to remind girls that they're just as strong as boys, a fact that is being lost and twisted in the growing movement of sexism that doesn't understand what feminism is.