Off-Duty Hero

In the new live-action Disney movie, the Fairy Godmother gives Cinderella glass slipper in exchange for several of her ribs.

We’re getting in the giving spirit here at The Mary Sue, and we want to give you some sweet, limited edition Marvel merch courtesy of ReedPOP! Because ain’t nothin’ like this Rocket Raccoon plush ‘cept the mere 1,500 other ones that were produced. Want to get your furry paws on that Rocket plush and a super cool Marvel prize pack?

To enter: You must live in North America (if you’re able to have your prize shipped to someone in NA who will then ship it to you, be our guest), follow us on Tumblr, and reblog this post between now and Friday, December 5 at 12PM (noon) EST. Yup. That’s it—the whole plan. Way better than 11% of a plan. We’ll pick one winner at random and contact them via Tumblr Fan Mail, so make sure you’re watching your inbox! Check out all the prizes and rules on The Mary Sue.

A fan-made poster showing Katee Dackhoff as Captain Marvel.

One of the hardest things about reading comics is knowing where to start. Comics shops carry hundreds of titles and get dozens of issues in every week on new comic-book day. On top of that, many comics have complex mythologies and backstories that make it hard to just pick up any random issue and have a clue what is going on.

That’s why Heroic Girls recommends comics every week that are excellent “jumping on” points for new readers. Grab these issues and you won’t be lost — we guarantee it. Without further ado, here are our picks for the week of November 5, 2014.

Amazing Spider-Man #9

Amazing Spider-Man #9

Marvel is launching one of their giant events with this issue, The Spiderverse. When a supernatural force of evil is killing every spider-themed character across multiple dimensions, “every Spider-Man ever” bands together to fight the menace. And my every Spider-Man, we also mean “every Spider-Woman.”

One of the teases for this series introduced “Spider-Gwen,” from an alternate universe where Peter’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy was bit by the radioactive spider and became Spider-Woman. She was such a hit that Marvel caved to fan pressure and announced that she will be getting her own series.

While not a true number one, we’re guessing that most people are familiar enough Spidey’s background to make this an enjoyable read.

Elektra Vol. 1 – Bloodlines

Elektra Bloodlines TPB

This trade paperback collects the first five issues of the recent Elektra reboot. While a bit violent for younger kids (she is an assassin), this is one of the most beautiful books you will find on the shelf. Artist Mike Del Mundo creates gorgeous layouts and designs with a painterly feel. Writer Haden Blackman creates a wonderful world of killers where every moral choice is a different shade of grey.

It’s a world that gives us license to root for someone like Elektra. A world where she can be a hero. The story is quite good, but we’d secretly buy this just for the art. I’d say this is a PG-13 book — but flip through it and make your own judgment if buying for a kid.

Fairy Quest Outcasts #1

Fairy Quest Outcasts #1

Outcasts tells the story of Red and Mister Woof. In Fablewood, all the stories that have ever been told live side by side. But it is an evil land, ruled over by the the cruel despot Mister Grimm and his footsoldiers the Think Police. Red and Woof want to escape to a place where their friendship is not forbidden, but the path leads through the foreboding Dark Forest.

A passion project for Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos, the creative team behind Spectacular Spider-Man, this Kickstarter-fueled series has the feel of modern stories such as the excellent Fables or Once Upon a Time on television.

Penny Dora & The Wishing Box #1

Once upon a time, on the day before Christmas, a young girl named Penny Dora found a mysterious box on her front doorstep. A magic box with the power to grant wishes. But what she’s about to learn is the true (and creepy) meaning of ‘be careful what you wish for.’

Costumes So Cute, It’s Scary

We went to the local Halloween superstore for some supplies. While we were browsing, my wife Patti noticed they had a “Boys Career” section, complete with doctor, fireman and astronaut costumes.

We thought it would be interesting to compare the boys’ choices with the choices the girls were given in their career section. Would the girls get equivalent options?Or would they be offered nurse, secretary and cheerleader instead?

The good news is that I was wrong. The girls were not saddled with nurses and secretaries as their only career paths. The bad news is there was no “Girls Career” section at all. None.

They did, however, have an entire section – I am not making this up – labeled “Flutter Fairy”. This was separate from the regular fairy section. I’m guessing because there is more “fluttering” involved.

What message does that send to girls about who their heroes are? About whom they should aspire to be?

Girls Read Comics – October 22, 2014

BY JOHN MARCOTTE · OCTOBER 21, 2014

One of the hardest things about reading comics is knowing where to start. Comics shops carry hundreds of titles and get dozens of issues in every week on new comic-book day. On top of that, many comics have complex mythologies and backstories that make it hard to just pick up any random issue and have a clue what is going on.

That’s why Heroic Girls recommends comics every week that are excellent “jumping on” points for new readers. Without further ado, here are our picks for the week of October 22, 2014.

Catwoman #35

After the events of Batman Eternal, Selina Kyle is no longer a mere jewel thief, she is the new crime boss of Gotham City. Is her relationship with Batman shattered beyond repair? And if Catwoman is running the mob, who is the new prowler running the rooftops of Gotham? This is a great “jumping on” point with a new creative team of novelist Genevieve Valentine and Garry Brown (Five Ghosts, Iron Patriot) and a pretty cover by Jae Lee. Also comes with a “monsters” variant cover by Joshua Middleton.

Gotham City Sirens — TPB Book 01

Gotham City Sirens TPB, Vol. 1

Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are tired of being shoved around by Batman, the Joker and the police — so they team up to take Gotham by storm. They might even end up ruling this town — if they don’t kill each other first.

Written by industry legend Paul Dini, the creator of Harley Quinn and the man behind Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Tiny Toon Adventures, Gotham City Sirens is a fun book that lets you root for the bad guys — er girls.

This trade paperback collects issues #1-#13 of the original series, and features the pre- New 52 Harley Quinn who was better in every conceivable way.

The Last Unicorn TPB

The Last Unicorn TPB

Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn is a fantasy classic. Adapting it to another medium is a daunting task, but writer Peter Gillis and artist Renae DeLiz prove more than up to the task. The illustrations in particular are wonderful and ethereal.

The Last Unicorn is a tale for any age about the wonders of magic, the power of love, and the tragedy of loss. The unicorn, alone in her enchanted wood, discovers that she may be the last of her kind. Reluctant at first, she sets out on a journey to find her fellow unicorns, even if it means facing the terrifying anger of the Red Bull and malignant evil of the king who wields his power.

Batgirl: Year One

The Trouble with Barbie

BY JOHN MARCOTTE · OCTOBER 16, 2014

I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with Barbie. As a male, she represented the “pink” aisle — a literal “no man’s land” in the toy department where most boys fear to tread. As a father, she epitomized a package of narrow, rigid gender stereotypes that I was afraid would limit my girls’ choices rather than broaden their horizons.

The record of how Barbie has been merchandised to girls is spotty at best. From her unrealistic body image, to the book “How to Lose Weight” that was included in the 1963 version. (The advice given? “Don’t eat.” It also came with a scale permanently set at 110 lbs.) Or the 1992 version that perkily exclaimed, “Math is hard!” Or the 2009 “Totally Tattoo Barbie” that came with two tramp stamps — one for Barbie, and one for the little girl who bought her.

Over and over again, Barbie has stuck a bubble-gum-pink high-heel in her mouth, sending bad messages to little girls wrapped in a cheerful “girl power” package. Sure, she showed girls that they could be doctors or astronauts — but only if they were also 5’9″ blonde Amazons with flawless makeup and breasts the size of volleyballs.

Psychology professors Aurora Sherman of Oregon State and Eileen Zubriggen of UC Santa Cruz shared many of the same reservations about Barbie. The wanted to investigate how playing with sexualized dolls affected young girls. But rather than focusing on how it affected their body image, as many studies have done before, Sherman and Zubriggen studied how the dolls affected their career aspirations.

From the press release regarding the study:

Thirty-seven girls between four to seven years old from an Oregon college town were randomly assigned to play for five minutes with either a sexualized Doctor Barbie or Fashion Barbie doll, or with more a more neutral Mrs. Potato Head doll. The girls were then shown photographs of 10 occupations and asked how many they themselves or boys could do in the future.

The girls who played with a Barbie doll – irrespective of whether it was dressed as a fashion model or a doctor – saw themselves in fewer occupations than are possible for boys. Those girls who played with Mrs. Potato Head reported nearly as many career options available for themselves as for boys.

The two Barbie dolls were identical except for clothing, with unrealistic bodies, extremely youthful and attractive faces, and long full hair. The researchers believe that the doll itself trumps the role or career aspirations suggested by its costume.

“It’s sobering that a few minutes of play with Barbie had an immediate impact on the number of careers that girls saw as possible for themselves” Zurbriggen said. “And it didn’t matter whether Barbie was dressed as a model or as a pediatrician, suggesting that the doll’s sexualized shape and appearance might trump whatever accessories are packaged with her.”

“Perhaps Barbie can ‘Be Anything’ as the advertising for this doll suggests,” said Sherman. “But girls who play with her may not apply these possibilities to themselves.”