A new Spider-Girl series just started last week, so I did something I haven't done in four years. I bought an issue of a comic. At $3.99 this was a pretty serious decision, but I couldn't wait. Why all the excitement? Well there was quite a bit of buzz about the look of the new Spider-Girl, otherwise known as Anya Corazon. It's not secret that females in comic books are usually represented with humongous breasts and they seem pretty ditzy. From what I've read, the artists and writers working on the new Spider-Girl tried to make Anya look like a normal teenage girl (she pretty much does, no huge boobs here) and act like a normal teenage girl (I would actually say she seems more mature than the normal teenage girl). As someone interested in comic books, reading, and feminism, I was all over the new Spider-Girl.
Anya is your average teenage girl, except for the fact that she is a superhero which makes her late for class and gets in the way of her homework and social life. Anya isn't a superhero in that she has superpowers (something a lot of Marvel fans are complaining a lot). Rather, Anya seems to have decided to become Spider-Girl, which is something this issue explores. I really like Anya for this because her decision to me makes her seem like she has a higher calling and that she wants to be dedicated to helping others--something I think a lot of people around me are interested in as well. Her father is a reporter who mostly works with the Fantastic Four in this issue, and at the beginning of this issue they are just moving into their new apartment together. Anya is struggling to find her place as a superhero amongst the big names her father works with, but that doesn't stop her from doing everything she can to fight crime.
Most comic books have a running story and dialogue in most panels. Spider-girl has both of these things and you can read Anya's texts and Tweets along with the story. I really loved this aspect of the comic book as someone obsessed with social media. You can even follow The_Spider_Girl on Twitter to see what's she up to in between issues. As a comic book I think this represents the present generation pretty well. Overall this was a great experience-- the artwork was interesting and active, and the story line was complex enough to carry me through the entire issue without feeling bored, but not so complex I ended the issue confused about what just happened. If you're looking for a start into comic issues, this might be a good one to start with.
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