March 2015 will see the release of a special variant cover series emphasizing the talent of the comic book industry’s female artists.
One of the erroneous assumptions that many make when looking at comics is that the medium is, overall, a boys club. It’s not hard to see why. Setting aside the fact that we’re still waiting for a good female superhero movie, the industry as a whole has had a somewhat troubled history when it comes to the portrayal of women in the comic books. That being the case, with March being Women’s History Month, Marvel is hoping to shed some further light on some of the comic industry’s best female artists.
To do this, it intends to release a new line of “Women of Marvel” variant covers showcasing the talents of female artists working in the industry. According to Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, the variants are being put together, in part, to celebrate the increased contribution of women and female characters to the ever-expanding Marvel Universe. “2014 was a huge year for Women of Marvel, both in our comics and behind the scenes,” said Alonso. “Marvel now has more titles starring female leads than ever before, the Women of Marvel panel is one of the most highly attended at conventions, and the weekly Women of Marvel podcast continues to grow. In 2015, we intend to continue that tradition, and March’s Women of Marvel variant covers – featuring 20 of the best female artists in the industry – is just the beginning.”
Inlcuded in the Women of Marvel variants will be covers for the following comics:
- All-New Hawkeye #1 by Sho Murase
- All-New X-Men #39 by Faith Erin Hicks
- Amazing Spider-Man #16 by Ming Doyle
- Ant-Man #3 by Katie Cook
- Black Widow #16 by Vanesa Del Rey
- Captain Marvel #13 by Aufa Richardson
- Guardians of the Galaxy #25 by Erica Henderson
- Inhuman #13 by Jill Thompson
- Legendary Star-Lord #10 by Sana Takeda
- New Avengers #31 by Sara Pichelli
- Rocket Raccoon #9 by Janet Lee
- S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 by Colleen Doran
- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #3 by Gurihiru
- Uncanny Avengers #3 by Amanda Conner
- Uncanny X-Men #33 by Stacey Lee
Variant covers have also been planned for Thor #6, Superior Iron Man #6, Ms. Marvel #13, Deadpool #43, Avengers #42 and All-New Captain America #5, though the artists working on those have yet to be determined. Marvel was kind enough to release a sampling of the some of the covers being released, all of which you’ll find included below. Take a look, let us know what you think and clue us into your thoughts on Marvel’s tribute to its female content creators. Is this enough, or could the comic maker be doing more?
Published: Feb 4, 2015 03:20 am