Women In Refrigerators.... Or City Go Boom

#1 Edited by Final Arrow (24295 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

So over the years we have had several different ways to push the plot of a male hero, perhaps the most famous of all is the Women In The Refrigerators syndrome which was keyed by Gail Simone describing how a female characters where used by injury or death as a plot device to push the plot of a male hero. Of course the most famous of all being the one where the concept sparked from (Kyle's girl friend being stuffed in the fridge.) Now obviously there is arguments for and against the use of female characters like this but recently I have noticed that a new trend has been taking over DC in particular...

Oh no my City I must now Push my Story because im in so much pain ....

I don't know if this is because writers are trying to step away from portraying women as a plot device, well I rather doubt that to be honest. But now we have this newish trend of destroying cities to push characters mostly male again but there are more male characters in the last few years alone, we have had No Man's Land, Bludhaven and Star city TWICE (it even had it's own little no man's land story going on). So what is it that we are trying to achieve because if we keep heading this way there is going to be no more cities left to allow the story to continue. Are writers just looking for the fastest and easy shock to shake up a character or are their hands so tied with what they can do that this is all they can think of! If you really think about it there is more then the ones I have listed as an example.

So really is there a need for it can writers become so set in the ways of a company that they simply know no better!!! Or is it just easier to de-power women to feed the story or simply make something go boom!!! I personally think there is so much more you can do to a character to push their story and I really hope some writers notice that to.

#2 Posted by ComicMan24 (146836 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

How many times can you kill a hero's girlfriend? I mean it has been made so many times that it no longer causes shock. About the cities, I don't like that recent trend. I would like for the wrietrs to find new and original ways to push a character's story although I understand that something like this is not so easy.

#3 Edited by Video_Martian (5631 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

I HATE these stupid-ass concepts in comics...plus, the "city go boom" thing kinda ruined the character of Hal Jordan for me! =(

#4 Posted by Edamame (26191 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

LOL at the title of the thread.

#5 Posted by Final Arrow (24295 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@mr.obvious: I know there was so many other things they could have done to Hal at that point in the comics.

@ComicMan24: I think it is easier then we give them credit for, but I also wonder how many times has a writer come up with a shocking idea to push a plot and then been told no by the editors!!

#6 Edited by ComicMan24 (146836 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@Final Arrow: It's true about the editors. I remember reading about this in a lot of interviews about how editors have rejected interesting ideas all these years.

#7 Posted by Final Arrow (24295 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@ComicMan24: I suppose the fear is allowing a writer to change a character in away they can't really move on from without annoying the readers more. I guess Spiderman OMD is proof of that. It would just be interesting to see something outside the box that fitted with the character as well as gave them a push into a story. Sometimes I also wonder if writers and editors are too scared to place their character in a darker situation, like instead of a girl friend dying we see a characters reaction child abuse and how they have to deal with that. I sometimes feel that they step away from topics like this and go for the easy story, like Spiderman facing another sinister six, but then also where do we draw the line with kids reading these things, it's a hard call I just feel the go for the easy option to fast/

#8 Posted by ComicMan24 (146836 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@Final Arrow: I agree with what you are saying and I would like to see more sensitive matters in comics. But I do feel that readers are a bit responsible. I mean how many times readers have complained that characters don't change and when a change happens, they are not happy with it, without giving this change any chance.

Women in Refrigerators

A term that was created by Gail Simone. Women in Refrigerators (WiR) refers to comic book women who have been depowered, raped, murdered and/or had their lives ruined specifically in order to fuel the stories of men.

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