Without having read :shudder: Her-Oes or Marvel Divas, obviously, it's impossible for me to judge their quality. Here's the thing about trying to get girls into comics: Doesn't it really just boil down to quality storytelling, art, and good characters? I mean, why do the Big Two think that just creating a team book with all female characters automatically makes it appealing to readers (of the non- or less-than-too-creepy-pervy kind) of either gender? Her-Oes, even with its good intentions, just looks cynical. Did Hawkeye and Vision go to different high schools than the girls? If it's pronounced "he-roes" not "her-oes" why not just title the damn thing Heroes (legal reasons notwithstanding)? I'm assuming this book won't be in-continuity, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but why does the cynical, marketing driven "girl" book automatically go outside of normal Marvel continuity? It's all just so very... un-understandable...

Now, having said that, Birds of Prey is not like this. Birds of Prey is a natural development in the Bat-World of the DCU. It may have started in some board meeting similarly-- Hey, let's get chicks to buy more comics!-- but it's a series that makes sense AND it's in-continuity. After that, the quality of the stories is what keeps people coming back for more, not simply how many boobs are in each panel.

I completely agree with the RobP.

I had one friend who once got into with me because she was so adamant that their should be more female comics because only a female can know what other females want to read.

To the same degree that there needed to be more female characters. My argument was simply this.. does Stephen King need to be a serial killer or some gun slinger in order to write a good gun slinger or murderer book?

These books like Her-oes are silly. Just write a good book and you'll get both readers. Did Y: The last man have to pander to women? No, it was part of the story but it had appeal to both genders because it was, above all else, a good book.

I loved Birds of Prey, but then again, you can't deny that in its hay day it was filled with cheesecake. I liked the story and as a long time fan of Babs, I enjoyed her in a book as the main lead.

The answer. Just write a good book and you'll get both genders reading it. You don't have to make a romance novel in order to appeal to the ladies.

Her-Oes sounds like a breakfast cereal.

I'm a guy, I read Nightwing, Batman, Superman and the like - BUT I've always deeply enjoyed the Birds of Prey series. I'm always going to have an image in my mind of Big Barda being shown a 'pokemon-esque' card by a child and being fascinated by its strategic merits. When my fiance (not a comics reader at the time) asked me to sum up what I was reading I tried to make the best parrallel I could at the time. Misfit was on the team, they'd moved to new digs and Huntress was playing teacher. I told her it felt like reading the best Buffy episodes ever. Three days later she'd read all my back-catalogue and brought the graphic novels. Good writing, deep characters and interesting subplots (their early material with Ted was excellent on all levels). The Buffy parallel wasn't great, but it did the job at the time to explain the feel I got when reading the bouncy dialogue. It DOES however look like a template for Marvel's new project - with a highschool and super gals all over the place. The question really should be 'is this all they have for a premise?' and 'what do they actually plan to DO with these younger characters?'

I couldn't agree with more regarding Birds of Prey. I read it from the mini-series get-go and was heartbroken when it ended. I had no idea it was coming back, much less with Gail at the wheel (which is exactly how it should be; sorry, Tony), so thanks for brightening my week with that bit of info.

I have a dear friend whose 10-year old daughter had been curious about comics. I had given her a copy of the Complete Bone to read, which she loved. Next, she wanted to try superheroes, but female superheroes in particular. I gave her a copy of "Who Is Wonder Woman?", which she also enjoyed, and then the last couple of issues of Batgirl to try. When this HER-OES article popped up, I forwarded it to her mom for her daughter to read. She thought the concept sounded really cool, just as simple as that.

Sometimes a comic book is just a comic book.

The title may not be ideal, and the concept of this all-ages title seems off-putting to many a 'hardcore' main DC/Marvel reader, but it indeed should have it's place. I've noticed a lot of adult males online sounding off on this particular book, questioning its agenda and Marvel's, (which is funny in of itself), with almost a seething hatred that such an aberration should exist to cater to a seemingly female audience. Personally, I think it's all a bit of an overreaction, myself.

Brian, I don't think anyone here was saying a comic shouldn't exist to cater to a female audience. We're just confused about how the way they go about doing it. I honestly hadn't considered YOUNG readers in regards to this, and, you know, in that sense I definitely get the appeal and the decision to create the book.

Marvel Divas, on the other hand, was just dumb by all accounts. Especially considering the covers seemed geared toward teenage boys, when the stories clearly weren't...

When you're friend's daughter is a little older, you should introduce her to Strangers in Paradise, among other titles. Fifteen/Sixteen is probably the right age for that book.

You're absolutely right RobP, it really does boil down to quality storytelling, art, and good characters. Gimmicks are just that.

"You don't have to make a romance novel in order to appeal to the ladies." Thank you Xavier!

@Ben, sometimes all it takes is someone who knows said female and what she likes to find a comic they will like. There's really something out there for everyone.

@Brian, might I suggest "Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade" for the 10-year-old? I think she'd like it.