If Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected president next year, it will be a case of life imitating art – specifically, comic books.
Ms. Marvel is the bodacious leader of the Mighty Avengers.
Marvel and DC have both recently elevated blond women to their most prominent leadership roles.
In last week's Justice League of America No. 7, the issue in which the team's roster was finally settled, the chairperson's gavel went to Black Canary (right) – despite the JLA being packed with such heavyweights as Superman, Green Lantern and Batman.
"She's got the power, the sense of strategy," another female hero, Vixen, said of Black Canary. "Plus she won't let Bruce [Batman] push her around."
DC published that story a month after Marvel released Mighty Avengers No. 1, in which Iron Man – who's in charge of all Marvel heroes not running from the law – offered Ms. Marvel the top job.
"I have a job," she insisted.
"Now you have the one you should have," Iron Man told her. "You'll be running the Avengers."
She and Black Canary are just the latest additions to the ranks of female leaders. Power Girl is in charge in Justice Society of America . Rogue is the boss in X-Men. Nico guides the kids in Runaways.
If Clinton is smart, she'll take her campaign to comic book conventions. To fanboys, a female commander-in-chief sounds about right.
Dan can relate to the Avengers and Justice Leaguers because his editor is a blond woman. E-mail him at dkoller@quickdfw.com.
Justice League of America Written by Brad Meltzer. Drawn by Ed Benes. Eighth issue due in stores next week. $2.99
Mighty Avengers
Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Drawn by Frank Cho. Second issue due in stores next week. $2.99
LEARN FROM LOCALS
Emily Edison writer David Hopkins (right) and La Reunion are hosting a writing workshop Saturday at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. "To my knowledge, it's the first-ever full-day workshop dedicated exclusively to comic book scriptwriting," Hopkins said.
La Reunion is a not-for-profit organization that hopes to establish an artist residency program in Oak Cliff. When he's not writing comics, Hopkins is an English teacher. He'll be assisted by fellow writers Robin Gillespie (The Burning Man) and Rob Osborne (Sunset City) and Viper Comics assistant editor P.J. Kryfko. Get info at www.antiherocomics.com/workshop.
