New Brevoort Formspring

The lovely Kelly Sue sent me over and I’m glad she did.  I’ll admit I’m not always pleased with the decisions Marvel makes.  I’m not always pleased with the way certain stories pan out.  However I have been thoroughly pleased with how inclusive Marvel has become since it’s entered its Marvel Now stage.  I’ve loved comics since I was a kid, but they didn’t often reflect me as a person. I didn’t get to see a lot of characters that had my culture or looked like my mother. Characters who shared my sexuality were rarer still.  So having characters like America Chavez, Annabelle Riggs, and Billy Kaplan mean a lot to me personally as a reader. 

The purpose of comics truly of any form of fictional media, I’ve always believed, is to create a safe space where we can live out dreams and escape the harsher forms of reality.  The escape is easier when you have a character or characters, or even a set team, that you can truly connect and relate too.  I’m so thoroughly happy to see more characters that not only I can relate to, but many other minority groups can relate too.  It means a great deal that Marvel is trying.  Could things be better?  Well of course, however the fact that Marvel as a company is trying does means a lot.  It’s appreciated, what’s more is that the increased presence of writers like Kieron Gillen, Kelly Sue, Bendis, Cullen Bunn, Matt Fraction, Al Ewing, and their interactions with fans as people willing to listen means a lot as well.  Plus it makes the fandom more fun to be respected and listened to by the writers of comics we love and enjoy.  Even if we don’t always love and enjoy them.  

Marvel Now! has just been a great ride so far.  It’s far from perfect, I must admit I was thoroughly disappointed with the cancellation of Fearless Defenders, and haven’t enjoyed events such as Avengers vs Xmen: What If?, or Age of Ultron as much as I would have liked.  Yet I loved Fearless Defenders for creating a team of women who were of different races and sexualities.  For bringing to light now fan favorite Annabelle Riggs.  I can’t tell one how much I’ve enjoyed reading the adventures of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel and watching her relationships with women such as: Jessica Drew, Monica Rambeau, the Banshee Squad, and other women in the book have such a level of importance.  It means a great deal to see America Chavez be so well loved in Young Avengers.  Be portrayed so wonderfully and that her and Kate Bishop are such important characters in the book.  That the book has three (four if you count Loki now) queer characters and one of them is a POC, is fantastical.  That books with teams across the board are working harder to be more inclusive is just a joy and wonder to see and read.  

Originally this was suppose to be a mere ask that would no doubt get lost amongst your many other asks.  Something to say a simple thank you at the bequest of Kelly Sue over the newest announcement of Kamala Khan as the new Ms Marvel. Horribly so this has now become a rather large tangent with my only point being, representation is important.  So thank you Marvel, for trying and hopefully in the future continuing to try and be as inclusive as possible.  It is very much appreciated.  Apologies for taking up your time.