Diversity In The Comics Industry

About time Change is sweeping through today’s superhero comics and artists are rising to the challenge, discovers Garrick Webster.

- Garrick Webster

Comic books have always aimed to surprise. Sometimes through sheer weirdness and offbeat humour, like Guardians of the Galaxy. Sometimes through brilliant storytelling, such as The Dark Knight Returns or Grant Morrison’s run on Batman. But the past few years have seen more experimentation than ever before.

Eight issues into Marvel’s reboot of The Mighty Thor, the character disappeared and returned as a woman. Soon after, Wolverine also turned female. Captain America’s shield is now held by an African- American character, black teenager Riri Williams wears the Iron Man suit, and Ms Marvel’s alter ego is now Pakistani- American Kamela Khan.

In DC’s books, Batwoman is a Jewish lesbian, Catwoman is bisexual and there are dozens more examples we could mention. Despite the recent rise of populist politics and a lurch to the right, comics have embraced diversity more than ever before.

“If you ask me, I say, ‘Yes, this is cool,’” says Italian artist Stefano Caselli, who draws the Invincible Iron Man, which is written by Brian Michael Bendis.

“I was kind of shocked when I found out that Riri Williams would replace Tony Stark, but once I heard that Brian was writing it, I relaxed. He’s the best at writing about teenagers.”

CULTURE RESEARCH