Self-isolation means it’s a good time to catch up on female and non-binary creator representation at the Big Two! Before we do, though, we should all remember that our local comics retailers are facing difficulties during this period. If you’re looking to buy the great titles listed below but are avoiding public spaces, check in with your local shop. Some offer mailing options or even curbside pickup, which is a great alternative to conventional shopping. The comic shop business is a tough one, so support your retailers however you can! And now let’s dig into who’s doing what at DC Comics this April:
- Amanda Conner: Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey #2 (co-writer, interior art, cover)
- Amy Reeder: Amethyst #3 (writer, interior art, cover)
- Aneke: Catwoman #22 (interior art)
- Ann Nocenti: Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 (co-writer)
- Bilquis Evely: The Dreaming #20 (interior art)
- Carmen Maria Machado: The Low, Low Woods #5 (writer)
- Cecil Castelluci: Batgirl #46 (writer)
- Dani: The Low, Low Woods #5 (interior art)
- Emanuela Lupacchino: Catwoman #22 (cover), Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 (interior art)
- Jessica Dalva: The Dollhouse Family #6 (cover)
- Jody Houser: Supergirl #41 (writer)
- Joelle Jones: Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 (cover)
- Kami Garcia: Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity #4 (writer)
- Kelly Sue DeConnick: Aquaman #59 (writer)
- Laura Marks: Daphne Byrne #4 (writer)
- Marguerite Bennett: RWBY #7 (writer)
- Michelle Delecki: Metal Men #7 (interior art)
- Mindy Newell: Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 (co-writer)
- Mirka Andolfo: RWBY #7 (interior art)
- N.K. Jemisin: Far Sector #6 (writer)
- Nalo Hopkinson: House of Whispers #20 (co-writer)
- Paula Sevenbergen: Catwoman #22 (writer)
- Rachael Stott: Supergirl #41 (interior art)
- Reiko Murakami: Basketful of Heads #7 (cover)
- Sarah Stone: RWBY #7 (cover)
- Tasia M S: DCeased: Unkillables #3 (variant cover)
- Tiffany Turrill: Lucifer #19 (cover)
- Tula Lotay: Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 (interior art), Lois Lane #10 (variant cover)
- Yasmine Putri: Batman #92 (variant cover)
All together, there are 29 different female creators set to work on 21 different comics books this April, three more creators on two more books than in March. As best I can tell, there are no non-binary creators listed in this round of solicits. Small gains in both categories look good at first glance, but we need to take into account how many books DC is putting out. The publisher’s output jumped from 56 books in March to 65 books in April, which changes the equation somewhat. Female creators on 21 of 65 books equals representation across 32% of the line, a slight drop from March’s 34%.
In terms of new names, Paula Sevenbergen is going to write Catwoman this month. It looks like Joelle Jones is moving on from the title, and I’m curious to see what she’ll be doing next. We’ve also got Tasia M S doing a variant cover for DCeased: Unkillables. There are a bunch of returning favourites we haven’t seen in a while on the Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular as well, including Ann Nocenti, Mindy Newell, and more.
The Catwoman special is the only new title to feature a female character in a prominent role, and the book has an array of great female creators in the mix. The Joker is getting a similar special in April, too, with nary a female or non-binary creator to be found within its one hundred pages thus far. You’d think there’d be a bit of representation in such a big book, but not so much.
Overall, April looks to be a pretty average month for creators of marginalized genders at DC. The percentage is down slightly, but the numbers are in the publisher’s typical range. Things have been better, and things have been worse. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the months to come now that Dan DiDio has left DC. He was a champion of several different female creators but he also fostered an environment where many female and non-binary creators felt unwelcome. It’ll be a few months until we start to see these changes, and you can be sure we’ll be all over tracking them should they come.
TIM HANLEY 