In Fiction: Batgirl, Batwoman Become Priorities
Source: IGN.
I haven’t spent much time looking at heroic women in fiction (outside of Eve herself, of course) since we launched Eve Is My Hero, so perhaps this is a fitting introduction.
In the world of comics (to say nothing of movies, television, etc) men have always dominated heroic roles while women stayed largely on the sidelines. There’ve been exceptions, of course, and more than once there have been characters such as Batgirl, Supergirl and so on, but they’ve rarely been priority characters, nor particularly breakout kinds of characters. As a rule, they tend to play second-fiddle to their male counterparts.
Things are apparently about to change. This coming fall, DC Comics will revamp their entire comics lineup, taking all their character books back to Issue #1 status, effectively “resetting” the world. As the new world begins, some of the major changes taking effect include the new prioritization of female characters, beginning with Batgirl and the all new Batwoman, who packs a surprise or two of her own.
Heroic Women in Fiction: Buffy
Whatever else Eve is my Hero aims to be, a “deals blog” it is not. Nevertheless, seeing this Amazon Deal today reminded me of one of my first and most favorite fictional female heroes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Right now the complete series, 7 seasons of amazing storytelling and character development, is on sale for only $69. I paid around $50 per season, and consider myself to have gotten a bargain. At this price it’s very nearly theft.
So what is it that makes Buffy so incredible? First, it’s about subverting tropes of all sorts. Buffy herself is the typical little cheerleader you’d expect to be the “Damsel in distress,” waiting for some well-heeled jock to come save her–but instead of being that, she’s the hero of the whole damn story. She’s smart, sassy, strong (literally–she’ll kick the crap out of said jock if he messes with her), a natural leader, and the quintessential, classical “hero” in the sense that she always ends up doing what’s right.
But she’s also very grounded, in spite of the fantastical world in which she lives. She copes with the same pains we all do–relationships that turn sour unexpectedly, friendships that don’t always align well, conflict with family, illness, money troubles and so on, and she deals with these within the framework of metaphors that align with the real life versions of problems we all face. She does all this believably, growing from the innocent and hopeful girl to the tough adult and leader of an army she eventually becomes.
If you’re a lover of heroic tales of any kind, Buffy is for you. And the good news is, it has enough humor, fun, action and drama to appeal to just about any audience.
Overheard