Lord love the superheroines who graced the covers of many a DC comic book. So colorful, so shapely, so fit, so ready to kick some ass. Louise Simonson – who, as a writer of many of them, knows a thing or two about these lovely ladies – pays tribute to them all in DC COMICS COVERGIRLS, a wonderful and wonderfully designed coffee-table book that serves as lessons in both history and art appreciation.
And – one can argue – female anatomy. After all, countless millions of young boys no doubt had their visions of early sexuality shaped by a Wonder Woman or a Supergirl. Some of those instances are forever burned on my brain, with particular thanks going to Black Canary in her underwear.
But enough of my twisted psyche. It’s easy to see why bosomy, scantily clad girls are featured on covers – sex sells, as the saying goes – but Simonson’s introduction carries it through the birth of the Comics Code Authority and beyond. Then she gets into the nitty gritty, divided up into six chapters: “Wonder Woman,” “Lois Lane,” “Supergirl,” “Gotham Girls,” “Vertigo & Beyond” and “New Generation.”
Wonder Woman has never been a character I liked so much, even though the ’70s TV show starring Lynda Carter no doubt helped hoist me to an early puberty. Her stories don’t appeal to me (except for that late-’60s run of Emma Peel-style hijinks), but her star-spangled pinup covers do. Simonson not only mentions Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston’s noted bondage fetish, but also points out the many undeniably phallic covers that colored her early years. Although that thing swimming toward Wonder Woman’s tied-up body may be labeled as a torpedo, it sure looks like something else!
Before the ’60s turned her into a feminist, reporter Lois Lane had little more to do than worry about her appearance and fantasize over marriage with Superman. As women’s lib kicked in, however, she grew into her own character. No weirder example exists than the cover of LOIS LANE #106, in which a body mold turns the intrepid journalist into a living experiment in social sciences: “It’s important that I live the next 24 hours as a black woman!” It’s also worth noting – as Simonson’s spread cover selections make apparent – how much her face changes, whereas her boyfriend’s just stays the same.
Similarly, Supergirl also was a passive character upon introduction, fretting about getting a date, trying to choose a costume and flying around with Streaky the Supercat. More recent titles have given her purpose, identity and attitude. Female heroes and villains both populate the “Gotham Girls” chapter, which encompasses the characters of Batgirl, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn and others. Some of the book’s most visually pleasing examples of Pop Art can be found in these bat-pages.
“Vertigo & Beyond” is most interesting in that the harder-edged, more adult-oriented comics of the mid-’90s weren’t afraid to portray ugly women – up close and in your face, even. For proof, check out Brian Bolland’s cover of THE INVISIBLES #7, with a hideous looking woman dressed in a leather court jester’s outfit, pulled down because she’s sitting on the toilet. It’s a far cry from the voluptuous fantasies of decades previous. And while Vertigo titles often made for some excellent comics (i.e. SWAMP THING, THE SANDMAN), their covers were more often too overtly arty and esoteric for their own good, as if they were trying too hard. Exceptions can be found in James Jean’s continuing work on FABLES and the retro look of Alan Moore’s various America’s Best titles.
Finally, the likes of Zatanna and the various BIRDS OF PREY flock to the final chapter, “New Generation,” which acknowledges that while comics have changed drastically over the years, the use of finely drawn women to move copies will continue on. Whether reprinted in stamp-sized snippets or in full-bleed close-ups, those images are indelible, making for a beautiful presentation in more ways than one. –Rod Lott
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Haha I’m sure this would have made a fun read. The artwork alone would make it worth it.