Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

2013-08-30

2013-08-30 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
2013-08-30
Votey panel for 2013-08-30
This explanation is incomplete or may contain errors. It was generated by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human editor.

Explanation

This is a longer comic depicting a superhero scenario. A villain attacks and a female superhero responds. The comic appears to satirize the way female superheroes are depicted in comics, with the heroine'''s costume and posing being critiqued or commented on. The hero goes through various encounters where her appearance, costume, and presentation are the subject of discussion rather than her heroic deeds. One character comments on the impracticality of her outfit, and there are references to the absurdity of superhero costume conventions.

The comic builds through several panels exploring the double standards in how male and female superheroes are portrayed in comics. While male heroes get functional armor and intimidating designs, female heroes are often given impractical, sexualized costumes. The heroine in the comic seems to be dealing with this disparity, with various characters commenting on or questioning her outfit and presentation choices.

The votey panel shows someone asking "Why does he have a jetpack?" and another person responding "You know nothing of comics" -- flipping the script by suggesting that absurd male superhero accessories go completely unquestioned, while every aspect of a female hero'''s appearance is scrutinized. This is a pointed commentary on the sexism inherent in comic book culture and fandom, where impractical female costumes are defended as tradition while any deviation from convention is criticized.

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