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Batwoman: comic book's gay crime-fighter with a sexual preference
by : Brian Holmes
Date : Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:06:00 GMT
“If 'Brokeback Mountain ' could reflect the changing attitudes in society then why cannot comic books do the same?” That seems to be the argument in a debate sparked off by the latest comic book crime-fighter Batwoman. lt;br / gt;
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Batwoman is the first comic book superhero to make her sexual preference known: the lady is a lesbian. Publishers DC Comics said Batwoman is part of an effort to make comic book creations reflect contemporary society, which meant one can now expect more ethnically and sexually diverse characters in comic books. lt;br / gt;
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May Wesley, 28, school teacher and a lesbian herself, said the effort “is in the right direction” as it would broaden the perspective of 8-10 year-olds who read comic books. lt;br / gt;
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The character of Batwoman is brought back to life after being killed in 1979 in one of the comic books. The new character begins with a new story in a completely new series '52 ' which will feature a diverse set of characters very much in line with current perceptions of society. Dan DiDio, vice president of DC Comics said 52 will soon have superheroes and characters of African-American, Asian and Hispanic origins. The effort is aimed to “get a better cross-section of our readership and the world” the VP said. lt;br / gt;
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In the Batwoman story, the curvy, spandex-suit clad crime-fighter 's alter ego Kathy Kane is a 5 '10” socialite who has a past love affair with another lead character Renee Montoya, ex-police detective. The character 's creators “wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family.” lt;br / gt;
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Parents of children who read DC comics are expected to fuel the debate further. Already many have criticized the DC effort on Internet message boards and in customer opinion books in stores. lt;br / gt;
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The comic book will be first published in the UK in July as a graphic novel.
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