I shouldn’t be the target audience.

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WARNING: This article is not about gaming, it’s about comics.

So, I’ve been reading the “New 52″, DC’s attempt to reboot their universe.

Not having been a fan of DC and its frequent “Crisis” stories, as well as a whole universe of Mary Sues, I was actually looking forward to reading this brand new universe of DC.

There’s been a lot of hubub lately, and not a lot of it good. First of all, you’ve got Catwoman, her boobs, and having sex with Batman. Fine and dandy. Read the comic, was unimpressed in general by it, and not just because Selena Kyle’s a floozy. Batman and Catwoman have no idea who the other is, and they’re going to have sex? I thought Batman was smart! Hope he has some Bat-Penicillin.

Then there’s Red Hood and the Outlaws. Jason Todd, a previous Robin, is somehow alive and acting as Red Hood. Also on the team? Starfire.

Now, I’ve never seen the Teen Titans. I’ve never read a comic with Starfire in it. So when I see a female character who they’re trying to pass off as a “sexually liberated alien” who will have sex with anyone, just… because… Well, it’s not really that unusual for the comics industry. The X-Men have been swapping around since the 90′s. It didn’t really phase me.

Me. A twenty-something white male geek. The main purchaser of comic books.

But that’s not who they were trying to draw in with their reboot, is it? The reboot’s purpose was to interest people who weren’t the standard comic book buyer.

Who should they be targeting?

Firstly, the younger generation. They’re going to be buying comics much longer than I am.

Secondly: Girls. The number of geek girls pales in comparison to geek guys, though their numbers are increasing. They are who should be appealed to. How many comics of the 52 are starring women? Six. Supergirl, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Batwoman and Birds of Prey. How many does Marvel have? None, I think. So good on DC for that.

However.

By setting up female characters as sexualized characters, you’re alienating not just younger readers, or women, but younger women. The evidence is right here.

Starfire is (apparently) a huge role-model for young girls from her days with the Teen Titans. Now? Well, parents aren’t going to let them read her new adventures. They’ve lost a huge chunk of their readership.

I’m not sure what DC could do to fix this. I’m not sure they can. What is done is done, unless they do another reboot. Starfire is stuck as a character unappealing to younger readers, and from what I’ve seen of the rest of the New 52, younger readers aren’t going to be reading the rest of DC either.