After literally hundreds of negative reviews of Starfire’s portrayal in Red Hood and the Outlaws #1, DC Comics has finally responded to the controversy with this tepid statement on Twitter:
We’ve heard what’s being said about Starfire today and we appreciate the dialogue on this topic.We encourage people to pay attention to the ratings when picking out any books to read themselves or for their children.
Pay attention to the ratings? That’s IT?
I didn’t expect DC to acknowledge the terrible storytelling, artwork, or dialogue, but a rating on the cover doesn’t excuse the ugly stain that this title has put on DC and the New 52.
This is one example of why ratings systems are pointless: they serve as a convenient excuse for content providers (in comics, videogames, movies, etc.) to say, “Look at the rating! This is what you should be expecting, Stupid! It’s a Sex-and-Violence Meter! (Quality? What’s that?)”
The T rating (which also means DC Comics include these scenes) says it’s for readers 12 and up. It doesn’t say it will most likely offend a statistically significant chunk of its readership.
I’m REALLY not looking forward to this issue reaching the mainstream media, which it probably will (except for DC parent company Warner Brothers’ Entertainment Weekly). Because at that point, the Starfire/Catwoman problem will be a black eye for all of Comics.
Well, this is hardly the first time that DC has screwed up its public image. This may be the New 52, but it’s the Same Old B.S…. Maybe DC needs to start a real dialogue with its audience, as many other publishers have done successfully, instead of continuing to talk down to it.
Any thoughts, readers?
Related articles
- Lots o’ Links (DC New 52 Edition): Catwoman #1 and Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (alldaycomics.com)
- The DC New 52: Pimps ‘n’ Hos Up in Here (alldaycomics.com)
- The New 52 – A Closer Look (chyrondave.wordpress.com)
- A 7-year-old girl responds to DC Comics’ sexed-up reboot of Starfire [Comics] (io9.com)
- 7-Year-Old Girl Responds To Absurdly Sexual Remake of DC Comics Female Superhero (thegloss.com)
- Comics Commenting on Comics of the Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)
- The New 52: Paul Picks Up DC’s “New” Female Characters (wegotcomicissues.wordpress.com)
- Dear DC Comics: Why Are You Actively Trying to Drive Me Away? (GeekDad Weekly Rewind) (wired.com)
- Dear DC Comics: Why Are You Actively Trying to Drive Me Away? (wired.com)
- Around the Tubes (graphicpolicy.com)
- 7-year old’s analysis of Starfire reboot (tobiasbuckell.com)
I’m telling you. they Want all this conrtroversy! It sells books!
Its all been very good for the most part. Some issues I have picked up and read I thought ehhh I wont get the next one. However thats how all comics have been since I’ve been reading them and if they havent changed that in 25+years and the business is still around…I think they know what they are doing. They reach out to all readers..you might disagree with some issues while Joe Shmoe over here starts likng it BECAUSE of those issues..It all turns back around eventually. Just like it or wait to buy another one until you read reviews.You can read reviews before you buy anything so dont complain because you didnt do your homework first.