Terrible article.

I'm versed in comics. One of my good friends used to draw The Uncanny X-Men, used to draw Spawn. Studied under the serious muthafuckas like Juan Gimenez. I was repped as a comic book writer at William Morris (never got to write one, though). Know the founders of seven or eight different indie comic companies.

Here's the thing: DC estimates the entire comic-buying pubic at 250,000 people (as of 2009). Of the comic-buying public, "superheroes" are a small percentage of that. Superman and Batman and all the rest definitely have cultural cachet, but it sure as hell isn't from comics.

it used to be. There was a time when comics reached more people than movies, television and radio combined. "Responsible adults" got a bug up their ass and witch-hunted all the comics houses, though, so now that's done. And back then, their complaint was "morals."

Wanna see some sexist comics? Take a look: https://www.zenescope.com/ I know these guys. Almost did a book for them. Know what they're proud of?

The fact that more girls read their comics than any other publisher.

yeah, the art is sexy. That's related to the fact that 95% of comic book readers in the US are male. Thing is, if you've got a story in which women aren't objectified, the Zenescape readers, at least, are willing to put up with the art.

My cousin's kid draws anime. Went to school for it - makes money at it part-time. Anime is hella more sexist than comics - including superhero comics. Yet that's what the girls wanna draw - her husband doesn't even think it's weird.

Know what else objectifies women to a ridiculous extreme? Trucker mudflaps. Know which is more culturally relevant? Trucker mudflaps.

Could be. Frank uses a lot of sexy imagery in his comics. That's not his only selling point, though: back in the day, Frank knew his craft. http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_holiday_features_...

[Ctrf + F this and read from then on to know what I'm talking about: Whatever your opinion about Frank Miller's skills as a prose writer or crafter of plots, he was, at the very least, in tune with the mechanics of a comics page]

Superhero comics are a distinctly American notion.

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/17-03/...

Their basis is in pulp and luridness; however, when congress went after the comic book industry, the only two genres that escaped censorship were superhero comics and Archie.

http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Cent-Plague-Comic-Book-Changed-Ame...

They are light, indeed. The superhero subgenre as published by The Big Two (Marvel and DC) are definitely heteroerotic. It's hard, however, to make the case for the second.[1] There aren't many "pretty" superheroes out there. They're mostly bodybuilders with moustaches and impermeable body hair.

There are indeed other genres! I spend most of time on the superhero subgenre, however, so I couldn't give you a fair suggestion on what's out there. With that said, Top 10 is one of my all-time favorite superhero comics. It's about a police precinct in a city where everybody is a superhero. Think NYPD Blue meets The Justice League. And it's only twelve-issues long. And it doesn't have pointless titillation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_10_(comics)

There's also Ghost World, which is about the friendships of two adolescent girls. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_world

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[1]However, there is this. Some of those images are from the actual comic. And some are NSFW. http://fuckyeahdickgraysonsass.tumblr.com/

I never did either. I always wanted to but didn't. I read "elf quest" but I'm not sure that counts. It's more of a book and I only read it cause a girl I was really in to asked me to read it with her. We would lay in her bed (I'm 15 at the time) and read it after she got done with Pom practice. Dude, I couldn't tell you a damn thing about the plot but I'm pretty sure no other comic will ever arouse as much passion in me. Ever.