Marguerite Bennett | |
---|---|
Born | October 21, 1988 34) Virginia, U.S. | (age
Area(s) | Writer |
Notable works | DC Comics Bombshells , Batwoman , Angela , Josie and the Pussycats , InSeXts, Animosity |
Awards | GLAAD Media Award nominee 2016, 2017 |
evilmarguerite |
Marguerite Bennett (born 1988) [1] is an American comic book writer. She has worked on Bombshells , Angela , Josie and the Pussycats , and her creator-owned books InSeXts and Animosity. Her work has been recognised for her depiction of female relationships, [2] and her representation of LGBTQ stories and characters earned nominations for a GLAAD Media Award in 2016 [3] and 2017. [4]
Marguerite Bennett was born October 21, 1988, in Virginia, [1] [5] and graduated Maggie L. Walker Governor's School in 2006, [6] the University of Mary Washington in 2010, and Sarah Lawrence College, completing a two-year MFA writing program, [5] where her work included working on prose, including children's literature and horror [7] and left with a "couple of finished novels and a collection of short stories". [5]
Her first exposure to comics was through Batman: The Animated Series which she saw in daycare, aged around 6, and recalls it had a 1930s feel with Batman looking like a villain who "had been a bad guy and so was now catching other bad guys in order to be a good guy again". [8] As she grew up, she also drew on characters' depictions in video games and books she obtained through relatives and others and continued to dip in and out of comics while juggling academic study and other commitments as she grew up and moved into college. [7] Bennett states she developed a deep appreciation from an early age of how text and art work together in comics and how they enable storytelling to take risks and developed powerful stories which leave "lasting impressions on readers". [6]
She currently lives in Los Angeles. [6] She has stated that Batwoman is her favorite DC character, Quasimodo is her favorite literary character, Belle is her favorite Disney character, and The Fall is her favorite movie. [9]
While at Sarah Lawrence College, she took Scott Snyder's graphic novel writing course during her second semester in 2013. [7] This led to her debut in comics, after being approached by Snyder to ask if she wanted to work with him on a Batman Annual. After completing this, while finishing her MFA and working two jobs, she continued to work with DC and wrote single issue stories for Lobo , Batgirl and Talon in 2013 and 2014. This led to being part of the writing team for the 26-issue weekly Earth 2: World's End , starting at the end of 2014, with Daniel H. Wilson and Mike Johnson, with art by Ardian Syaf, Danny Miki, and Jorge Jimenez. [10]
At Marvel Comics, Bennett completed single stories in the Amazing X-Men Annual, the Death of Wolverine series, and Nightcrawler . Her first ongoing series was Angela: Asgard's Assassin in 2015, [11] followed by two limited series starring the same character, one of which was in the 1602 Universe as part of the "Secret Wars" storyline. Also tying in with that story, Bennett wrote the five-issue limited series Years of Future Past with artist Mike Norton.
Bennett worked with writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Jorge Molina to launch A-Force in 2015, featuring Marvel's first all-female team of Avengers. [12] Bennett said there was no validation or event as to how the women were in charge, but that "they were the best fit for these roles and demands of their world". [13]
Back at DC, Bennett was a vocal fan of the DC Bombshells character designs – and following the positive reaction to the 2014 variant covers used across DC titles, she was approached by editor Jim Chadwick about the possibility of making a comic. [14] The resulting series, DC Comics Bombshells , is set in an alternate history around World War II. Bennett explored traditional genres and mediums of the 1940s such as radio shows and propaganda films to provide a realistic history for the Bombshells franchise. [15] Key to the characters is that none of the women are derived from a male version or counterpart and states that she wanted a cast representing the experiences of all women – "queer characters, women of color, women of different faiths, women of different nations, women of all ages and from all places in life" [16] – but without overt or tokenistic labelling. Acknowledging the importance of these aspects, she explains that "We were able to complete this whole new world that wasn't just one thing because no woman is just one thing. So they each got to have a distinct voice, a distinct personality". [15]
The run has been noted for its female core cast, but also the portrayal of LGBT characters and depicting of the nuances of female friendship, family and relationships, [17] rather than stereotypes. She reflects on this, saying "If you write stories that tell folks that queer people can live without shame, they just might grow up believing it". [2] Bombshells will run for 100 "digital first" installments, and be followed by a sequel series in fall 2017, Bombshells United, focusing on the same core cast in an alternative World War II history. [18]
In addition to her work on the character in Bombshells, Bennett wrote the Batwoman character in Detective Comics issues 948 and 949 in 2017 as part of the DC Rebirth relaunch, co-writing with James Tynion IV with art by Steve Epting, followed by a regular Batwoman series. She describes working on the character as a "literal dream come true", [19] describing her as her favourite heroine.
As well as the ongoing Bombshells and Batwoman, Bennett has written one-shot stories of female characters in the DC universe, including Lois Lane – a character she finds has great "audacity in the face of danger" [1] – and a new version of the Joker's Daughter.
Outside of Marvel and DC, Bennett has worked on some well-known characters with other publishers. For Dynamite Comics' 2015 "Sword of Sorrow" event, Bennett wrote a three-issue series featuring Red Sonja and Jungle Girl. [20] She then wrote the first six-issue arc of Red Sonja in 2016, [21] entitled "The Falcon Throne". As part of Archie Comics' New Riverdale relaunch, she wrote the second volume of Josie and the Pussycats with Cameron DeOrdio with artist Audrey Mok. Bennett admires how all versions of those character emphasise their friendship as the "foundation of their journey, music, and story". [22] Following the events in BOOM's Shattered Grid Event in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic, Bennett will be taking over, starting a new series called "Beyond the Grid" featuring a team up of Rangers from different franchises. [23]
Bennett has also moved into creator-owned comics work. InSeXts was launched by Aftershock Comics in 2015 and saw Bennett collaborating with artist Ariela Kristantina. Building on a story she contributed to Rachel Deering's 2014 anthology In The Dark, Bennett describes it as erotic horror involving a pair of lovers, with insectoid transformations and body horror themes. It is set during Victorian times, a period she states she is preoccupied and fascinated with, albeit without a love of the period. The series is ongoing and has multiple arcs planned. [24]
Bennett's second creator owned work, Animosity, launched in 2016. It explores the effects of animals gaining the intelligence of humans, centered on a young girl and a dog. [25] This ongoing features art and colour by Rafael de Latorre, Juan Doe and Rob Schwager. An associated limited series, Animosity: The Rise started in early 2017 and with art by Juan Doe. [26] A companion series, Animosity: Evolution will launch in October 2017 with art by Eric Gapstur. [27]
Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in 1961 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff as Bat-Girl, she was replaced by Barbara Gordon in 1967, who later came to be identified as the iconic Batgirl. The character debuted in Detective Comics #359 by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino, introduced as the niece/adoptive daughter of police commissioner James Gordon.
Barbara Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino. Dozier, the producer of the 1960s Batman television series, requested Schwartz to call for a new female counterpart to the superhero Batman that could be introduced into publication and the third season of the show simultaneously. The character subsequently made her first comic-book appearance as Batgirl in Detective Comics #359, titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" in January 1967, by Fox and Infantino, allowing her to be introduced into the television series, portrayed by actress Yvonne Craig, in the season 3 premiere "Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin", in September that same year.
Stephanie Brown is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #647, and was created by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle.
Gail Simone is an American writer best known for her work in comics on DC's Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja, and for being the longest running female writer on Wonder Woman to date. Other notable works include Clean Room, Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool.
The New Batman Adventures is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it is a continuation of Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), serving as the third season of the show and the third series in the DC Animated Universe. It was followed by Batman Beyond (1999–2001). The series had a revamp, replacing the previous art style of its predecessor with streamlined designs for more consistent animation, and to maintain similarity with the simultaneously running Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), with episodes airing on Kids' WB under the title The New Batman/Superman Adventures.
Duela Dent is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Suicide Squad, the Teen Titans and its counterpart, Titans East. Introduced under the alias of the Joker's Daughter, she has also used aliases: Catgirl the Catwoman's Daughter, Scarecrone the Scarecrow's Daughter, the Riddler's Daughter, the Penguin's Daughter, the Card Queen, and the Harlequin. She first appeared in Batman Family #6.
Batman Family is an American comic book anthology series published by DC Comics which ran from 1975 to 1978, primarily featuring stories starring supporting characters to the superhero Batman. An eight-issue miniseries called Batman: Family was published from December 2002 to February 2003.
Originally created in 1967, the fictional comic book character Barbara Gordon has been adapted into various other forms of media. The character has appeared in both live action and animated television series and films, as well as in video games in her alter-egos as both Batgirl and Oracle.
"Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin" is the first episode of Season 3 of the Batman television series, first aired on ABC September 14, 1967 as its ninety-fifth episode. It guest starred Burgess Meredith as The Penguin, and also was the first appearance of Yvonne Craig as Police Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl.
Gay interpretations have been part of the academic study of the Batman franchise at least since psychiatrist Fredric Wertham asserted in his 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent that "Batman stories are psychologically homosexual". Several characters in the Modern Age Batman comic books are expressly gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
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The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC cancelled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series in September 2011. Among the renumbered series were Action Comics and Detective Comics, which had retained their original numbering since the 1930s.
Batwoman is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is the first DC character to bear the name "Batwoman". She was created by writer Edmond Hamilton and artist Sheldon Moldoff under the direction of editor Jack Schiff, as part of an ongoing effort to expand Batman's cast of supporting characters. Batwoman began appearing in DC Comics stories beginning with Detective Comics #233 (1956), in which she was introduced as a love interest for Batman in order to combat the allegations of Batman's homosexuality arising from the controversial book Seduction of the Innocent (1954). When Julius Schwartz became editor of the Batman-related comic in 1964, he removed non-essential characters including Kathy Kane, Bat-Girl, Bat-Mite, and Ace the Bat-Hound. Later, the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths retroactively established that Batwoman's existence was on an Earth separate from DC's main continuity.
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Bluebird is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily in association with Batman. Harper Row was created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, first appearing in Batman #7, before debuting as Bluebird in Batman #28. Harper Row's Bluebird identity was designed by artist Dustin Nguyen. Within the fictional DC Universe, Harper Row officially joins Batman's group of allies during the events of Batman Eternal, a year-long weekly maxiseries.
DC Comics Bombshells refers to a line of figurines released by DC Collectibles depicting DC Comics superheroines in a retro 1940s look based on designs by Ant Lucia. The line has further expanded to encompass variant covers of DC Comics and licensed memorabilia such as art prints, T-shirts, mugs and their own ongoing comic book.
Marguerite Sauvage is a French illustrator and scriptwriter. She has provided illustrations in press, publishing and advertising.
Victoria October is a fictional character in the Batman comic books, created by writers James Tynion IV and Marguerite Bennett and by penciller and inker Ben Oliver. A transgender bioweapons expert and physician, she first appeared as an ally to Batman in March 2017 in Detective Comics, published by DC Comics. The character has generated positive critical commentary and academic interest.
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Stephanie Hans is a French illustrator and comics artist. She is best known for co-creating the series Die, a three-time Hugo Award-finalist, and British Fantasy Award winner, with writer Kieron Gillen. Hans has worked with Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Image Comics as an artist and series creator.