Issue Details Comments ›
Black Ice #8
Published by ComicMix, May 2008
Explaining the way things work... on all sides.
Credits: Bob Pinaha (Letterer), Lee Oaks (Artist), Matt Webb (Colorist), Mike Baron (Writer), Mike Gold (Editor), Nick Runge (Artist)
More: Black Ice
Comments (2)
Russ Rogers (6:21 PM on Thu May 1, 2008)
"Oh dear. I apologize. I was too hard on the girl." (page 41)
That comment is laced with menace. What does it mean? Is the girl dead? Beaten? Raped?
This is all in stark contrast to the scenic splash page of the castle and port town.
ComicMix contributor, Alan Kistler did a recent blog about the recent apparent abuse of women in Marvel Comics.
http://alankistler.squarespace.com/journal/2008/4/5/kistl...
Kistler wrote that some of the writing seemed lazy. He said, "Like putting a rape scene in a crime movie because it's the easiest way to get people to hate your villain." Is that what has happened here?
Has Baron had his villain abuse a female character just to quickly establish that he is evil and the society he is working for is evil too. Prince Orum has treated this woman as entirely disposable. Will we see Suki again? Will Suki (or her death) have some impact on the story other than establishing Orum as evil? Or did Baron just create an entirely disposable character?
Did the abuse of Suki take place off camera to heighten the dramatic effect, or was it done because it's easier to draw a landscape than a rape scene?
Finally, how does the sage know that Orum stole the device and has now joined Helmut? Is this because his body wasn't recovered along with the motorcycle? Just a few pages earlier, the sage was being portrayed as a comic fop. How did this sage gain insight into Prince Orum's schemes?
EmilyB (4:07 PM on Wed May 14, 2008)
Along similar lines, I was confused as to why the lead male and female characters were suddenly kissing. I didn't see that build throughout, and I don't think it needed to be there. I'd like to see a male and female duo get along fabulously without there being romance.