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DC Comics And Gail Simone – Going Beyond Gender

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You’ll have heard the news by now – Gail Simone has been unceremoniously fired from Batgirl via email by DC editorial. Or, more accurately, by Brian Cunningham (who Gail had no problem naming and shaming – and rightfully so). The focus, understandably, has been on DC getting rid of one of their few prominent female creators (and arguably the most well known female creator in mainstream comics) during a year in which DC have been regularly slammed for their sparse number of female creators.

Not only that, but it follows a week on from the departure of Vertigo’s Executive Editor Karen Berger. A woman who writes the top-selling female led comic, and the woman who commissioned Sandman. Rather like The Walking Dead killing off existing black characters whenever a new one is introduced, it’s hard not to notice the pattern. Especially when less-than-popular male creators like Scott Lobdell just keep getting put on more books.

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scott lobdell

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But let’s put gender aside for a moment. Regular readers may wonder why I, of all people, might suggest that, but DC’s problem right now goes beyond the feminist ‘agenda’ (I hate that term. Makes it sound like all us girls got together to work out how exactly they’re going to spoil the fun for the boys who won’t let us play with their toys). But ultimately, going on about how Simone’s firing from Batgirl is rubbish for women is neglecting a huge portion of her fandom, which crosses gender, race and sexuality. DC haven’t just mistreated a female writer, they’ve mistreated a hugely popular – and hugely talented – writer. It would have been just as shocking if Brian Azzarello had been fired from Wonder Woman.

I choose to believe that Simone’s gender was not a factor in her dismissal from Batgirl, because believing otherwise would just depress me far too much. So what are the other options? Could DC have been unsettled by her vocal (and honest) social media presence? Well, Scott Snyder ain’t exactly Twitter-shy, and he’s still got a job in the Bat-family. Besides, Kickstarter has proven that well-known creators can drum up just as much interest in their work via social media as a huge corporate marketing push can. So I’d say that a vocal creator is better for DC than a quiet one.

 .dc comics 52 batgirl

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Is it because Batgirl wasn’t selling well? Erm, no. Moving on.

Did DC disagree with the direction she was trying to take the comic in? This seems like the most obvious answer, and one that seems to be endemic to DC right now. Ever since the New 52 launched, DC editorial have been meddling like never before, keen to make sure that the new status quo is maintained across all books. Except it hasn’t really worked, seeing as Superman is currently getting smootchy with Wonder Woman in Justice League while mooning over Lois Lane in Superman. But if you try to squeeze Stephanie Brown into something, editorial will be on you like a tonne of bricks. Creators like George Perez, Paul Cornell and Rob Liefeld have complained publically about the inconsistent editorial mandates rolling down the DC editorial structure.

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The Fury of Firestorm-The Nuclear Men

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Simone herself had already walked off one book – Firestorm – because of ‘creative differences’. Storylines are approved and then disapproved at the last moment. Creators are put on one book and then torn off them before they have a chance to make an impact. Even DC’s current stars are aware of the tension, with Scott Snyder’s Tweets regarding Simone’s dismissal coming off like the awkward kid in the playground watching one of his friends bully another and wondering if he should step in.

These editorial strictures are causing a bit of a talent exodus at DC. Creators who have managed to escape the mandates (like Grant Morrison, who can get away with anything) are few and far between. As a result, DC aren’t currently publishing much that feels groundshaking. Everything feels like it’s being played safe. You can’t imagine the current DC ever publishing something as inventive and intelligent as Gotham Central. The fate of John Constantine is indicative of DC’s wider picture right now – his long-running, down-and-dirty Vertigo self is being consumed by his infinitely more vanilla DC self. DC have become the CW, when they should be striving to be HBO.

 .hellblazer/constnatine.


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