Get Your Cape On! – DC SuperHero Girls

Too many factors! There are so many factors, I don’t know where to start!

If you’re wondering, I’m talking about the latest line DC released: DC’s Superhero Girls.

DC has been busy, and in a good way! From the We Are Robin comics to the new issues of Batgirl, DC seems to be trying for a more…should I say, hopeful? optimistic?, angle in their new releases. DC’s new Superhero Girls seems to be a stretch from their usual style, but with 3 episodes in, it feels like they can make this work!

The general premise is this: The Superheroes are teenagers that attend SuperHero High.

Personally, I still have some beef over the cancellation of Young Justice, but that’s just me! Obviously, the target audience for DC SuperHero Girls is not the same as the target audience for Young Justice. It’s shown in the art-style, the language, and the merchandise. And by merchandise, I mean DC has partnered up with MATTEL for a line of dolls to be released in Spring 2016. In fact, a lot of buzz has been going on with the creation of these MATTEL dolls alone. Carolyn Cox from themarysue.com writes about the creation of new DC SuperHero Girls doll line and how it would appeal to fans:

“Over at Bloomberg, Mattel toy designer Christine Kim and Mattel Chief Operating Officer Richard Dickson explained how they helped design dolls that would showcase the characters’ strengths and appeal to fans of all genders. Bloomberg explains,

“Researchers found that girls didn’t want the superheroes to be too girly, a problem with the first round of dolls that Mattel developed. One girl complained that the toys looked “more pretty than superhero,” and another pointed out that Poison Ivy’s scarf would only get in the way during a fight. Wonder Woman, meanwhile, was too skinny and not athletic enough.

Kim, the toy designer, instructed her team to use gymnasts, dancers, and basketball players as primers for sculpting more muscular versions of the dolls and action figures. “We wanted to have this very strong, toned body, but keeping in mind that they are still in high school, so they’re not fully mature yet,” Kim says. “But they still look like they can save the day instead of being saved.” They also stuck with existing colors, leaving Supergirl’s cape red instead of shifting to pink.””

Now, why MATTEL ever even considered changing SuperGirl’s cape to the color pink, we will never know. But It seems SuperHero Girls is focused on a younger audience, maybe about ages 12 and below? And according to the official website, the goal of the line is to “empower kids to shine with confidence, courage, and friendship.”

The cartoon features a rather broad array of iconic heroes and villains, but main characters of SuperHero Girls, as featured on the intro, are Wonder Woman, SuperGirl, BatGirl, Bumblebee, and surprisingly, Katana, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. The official website www.dcsuperherogirls.com has character profiles of the cast, along with the episodes released and a lyric video.

To my dismay as I watched, each episode was no longer than 4 minutes. Some were even less! But will there be full-length episodes in the near future? Winx Club has proven that it’s possible to have full-length episodes, 3D animation episodes, and a movie if you have a successful  doll-line, so we’ll see in the future.

To be realistic, if it was the regular DC Universe, all of these girls would have started combat on sight. But this isn’t the regular universe. (I’m talking to you, teenager upset about this cartoon for kids!)

Actually, think about it this way: Instead of exposing a 4-year old to watching the Batman beat up the Joker and deal with the poverty of Gotham, wouldn’t it be better to introduce these characters in a more-child appropriate way until they turn 13, and then they can watch all the death and suffering of their favourite characters as much as they want! But before they get to that age, they’ll know what “Kryptonite” is, and the difference between Starfire and Miss Martian.

So chin up, upset adult! The world is bright, the birds are chirping, the kids are on their iPhones, and maybe… just maybe, you’ll also want to Get Your Cape On.