Objectification of Women in Comic Books

The above character is the Female (of the Species) from the comic The Boys. Unlike most female superheroes, she is not drawn to be a sex symbol. Instead, she is a striking contrast to many of the other female characters in the series (and comics in general).  In the above picture, she’s shown sitting on the floor meditating which shows her inner focus and concentration. Her facial expression shows almost no emotion as she looks downward in contemplation. Her pose is completely unlike the overly sexualized stances of the modern female superhero. The Female is fully clothed and her outfit is practical and nonrestrictive. Her solid black outfit gives only a hint of the muscle tone underneath it. The only real definition to her clothing is in the tear in her pants and the lacing on her boots. The tear in her pants could be from a fight or even a sign that the character doesn’t care about her appearance. In contrast to the video which mentions female superheroes having long, lustrous hair the Female’s hair seems limp and dull. The artist gives only the slightest outline of her body shape, showing a realistic looking fit woman with only the slightest definition to her chest. The Female is almost the antithesis of the modern female superhero on the premise of aesthetics.