Thinking thoughts about comics

[lithera]

I was talking about the comics I buy earlier and I noticed something. Not only are my comics purchases still DC slanted but they're distinctly slanted toward titles with female characters in the lead. I wondered, does Marvel have fewer books about female characters? So, I went to go look at the January Solicitations that just came out. I counted any title with a female character in the title. I didn't count any team books (JLA or Avengers) as the make up can shift dramatically from issue to issue, so I'd rather not count them because I really don't know from month to month. (If anyone wants to make a case for any of them, I'd be open to hearing it.) This is what I came up with:

Marvel
Ozma of Oz
Anita Blake
Ant-Man & Wasp - Both guys now. I am wrong.
Spider-Girl
Widowmaker
She-Hulks
X-23
X-men Legacy
Wolverine & Jubilee
Scarlet

DC
Wonder Girl
Knight & Squire
Gotham City Sirens
Birds of Prey
Batgirl
Supergirl
Wonder Woman
Power Girl
Zatanna

So, Marvel has the same number on that list than DC does, fair enough. A little closer look, though and two of those Marvel titles, however, are mini-series (Widowmaker and Jubilee). Another three are not in the main superhero line (Ozma, Anita and Scarlet). I'm fudging on X-men Legacy because it should be called X-men: The Adventures of Rogue, so you can count that one either way. Wonder Girl looks to be a one shot, so it gets pulled. Counting it, that leaves Marvel with four on going titles with female leads vs eight at DC. I didn't see Black Widow or Batwoman's ongoing in the solicitations for January, either.

Hrmmm. Thinky thoughts.

[Edited to fix Wonder Girl's one shot status and then again for Wasp not being a woman anymore.]

Comments

[slick_nyc.livejournal.com]

Uh, actually, Hank Pym goes by the name "Wasp" now, and it's him teaming up with the new Ant-Man in Ant Man & The Wasp.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Oh!

Thanks! So, I'll take that one off, should I? I forgot that she died, right? Who is the new Ant-Man?

[mbouloukoue.livejournal.com]

It also says a lot that Jubilee couldn't sell by herself--it has to be Wolverine & Jubilee for Marvel to push it.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

But Steeeven.... Wolverine's in EVERYTHING.

[corvuscrx.livejournal.com]

Knight & Squire is also a mini-series.

On the Marvel side She-Hulks is a one-shot & Black Widow is "on hiatus" (read cancelled)

So Marvel has 2 or 3:

Spider-Girl, X-23 (X-Men Legacy)

DC has 7:
Gotham City Sirens
Birds of Prey
Batgirl
Supergirl
Wonder Woman
Power Girl
Zatanna

If you included Vertigo I'd add 2 more House of Mystery & Fables to DC totals.

It's also interesting to note that both Spider-Girl & X-23 are brand new while at least half of the DC series are well established and have been published for years

[lithera.livejournal.com]

OKay. I need to fix Knight and Squire, then. I think I'd keep Vertigo seperate. I'd be interested to look at Image and Oni and a few others as well.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

I really need to get back in to comics at some point :( I have three months worth of books in a drawer that I keep adding to but never get around to reading. Admittedly its only Wonder Woman, but still. #Arianfail.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I would be very interested in hearing what you thought of the new WW?

[samy.livejournal.com]

I think one shouldn't make any conclusions based on just one solicitations. There can be any number of factors at play in a single month that can skew the results.

Ideally I'd like to see this same exercise done for, say, ten solicitations at half year intervals, for a total time span of five years, and average the results.

I'm not saying it's not the case that DC tends to have more female books out than Marvel, I'm just saying one solicitations doesn't prove anything.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Good point. When I have a moment, I'll to the same from October, November and December too. I started this in the first place due to me noticing my buying habits.