"No Boys Allowed"
Writer: Jai Nitz
Artists: Ethen Beavers, Heroic Age(c)
Publisher: DC
When Princess Xenobia doesn't show up for a gal-pal ski trip, Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl and Saturn Girl decide to investigate. Xenobia is a princess of New Themyscira, the Amazon planet. Such knowledge inspires Lightning Lad, Bouncing Boy and young Superman to accompany their teammates, or to put it more succinctly:
"Planet of the Babes!"
Thanks to Brian Bendis' inability to convincingly write female characters, sexism has been on the minds of many comic book readers this past week. He would do well to study this humble, all-ages Legion of Super-Heroes story. It could have been an outstanding example of sexism in super-hero writing, but Jai Nitz balances everything out, and he shows ultimately how smart the female contingent of the Legion is.
New Themyscira is a brilliant creation. It makes sense that the Amazons would watch the progress of the earth and decide to travel into space to seek out new territory. The rules are still the same. Men are verboten on the island (planet). Artist Beavers further acknowledges the animated DCU, by placing a statue of Wonder Woman in the city.
The descendent of Circe, or perhaps the witch her own badself, now rules New Themyscira. The fact that she rules openly suggests that she's a descendent. In any case, her true colors quickly seep through any visage of propriety. Fans of Wonder Woman and/or the animated incarnation of the Justice League know of Circe. Nitz however makes her intent clear in her psychologically probing dialogue that she is far from beneficent. To compliment her verbal trickery, Beavers gives her a sharper countenance, and her facial expressions are those of pure trickster malevolence.
Circe's dialogue pricks the Legionnaires' camaraderie, and here's where the reader may feel a little uncomfortable. She starts off by suggesting that Saturn Girl has to consciously make an effort not to read minds. She then goes to a more personal level of betrayal between Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl; there's a nice joke to be found in Triplicate Girl's multiple reactions. Then she extracts an invasion of privacy in the borrowing of other peoples' possessions.
What I've done is reduce the acts to their primal level, but Nitz on the surface seems to be having the girls focus on gossip, boys and clothes, the classics. If that was the sole extent of what he was doing you could get a nice sexism and stereotyping argument, but the story goes on to clear that particular hypothetical slate. Circe is dividing, conquering and ambushing the Legion. The important thing is that the Legionnaires end up squabbling among themselves and gives Circe the opportunity to cast her spell.
Nitz next cuts to the boys who are still stuck on the ship. Lightning Lad convinces the others to take a wander. It's the end of their sojourn that weighs heavily in Nitz's favor.
SPOILER AHOY!
The boys crash Aphrodite's temple where they find some Amazons lounging about. Aphrodite is the goddess of lust and love, and Nitz appears to be laying out breadcrumbs for the reader to follow. The lovely blonde, blue-eyed Amazon turns her head to see "Men!" Her eyes grow wide, and she positively beams, almost in an homage to the way women behaved in fifties B-movies. The reader groans, but when you turn the page, you discover the reason why the Amazon is so happy to see "Men!" In fact, her sisters, who between panels pick up swords, also feel the same lust toward men. Bloodlust. Nitz very neatly anticipates the reader's reaction and uses that reaction to surprise and amuse.
SPOILER ENDS
After extricating themselves from the Amazon war party, the boys fly to the rescue to the girls, and they won't let them hear the end of it. While the others gloat, Superman sights Xenobia, and Beavers creates a very plausible moment of love at first sight. Before the boys can enjoy the girls' predicament too much, Circe falls back on her ancestor's old tricks to overcome the lads. This time, Nitz and Beavers show off the girls' powers.
Circe is no lightweight villain, and we cannot expect her descendent, if indeed that is a true inference, to be any less of a threat. It takes all six Legionnaires and the Princess Xenobia to defeat her. In the end, Paradise Planet's no men law will still be enforced, although under a new ruler.
What makes this story palatable is that the girls settle their differences and reconcile. The boys do not get anywhere with the Amazons, which stay true to their historical characterization. True love wins out regardless of gender. Nitz preserves all the Legionnaires' powers, experience and intellects. Indeed, the conclusion depends on these elements. So, if you are a comic book writer, and you believe that your plot cannot function without the inexplicable stripping of a female character's super powers and her blouse, I suggest you take a moment to read this issue of Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century. You just may very well learn something about how to craft a tale where everybody has intelligence, everybody has super-powers and through the teamwork of men and women good triumphs over evil.
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