Amanda Waller: A unique presence in comics
Despite the fact that she’s murdered people, illegally sent people to prison, black mailed people, run a covert government organization that resulted in people being killed, I have great love for Amanda Waller. Amanda was different than other female characters. She had power. She never played by the rules. She had her own agenda and did not suffer fools gladly. And she is a patriot who loves her country. But it’s a tough love. The kind of love, perhaps, one learns after having as tough a life as Amanda Waller. How many other characters in comics are widows who move out the Cabrini-Green projects and end up working for the president of the United States?
But the main thing that was great about Amanda was that she looked like no else in comics. Women of color are rare enough. Women leading teams are rare enough. But a black woman in power old enough to have grown children and who was not thin like a supermodel ? That was groundbreaking.
That’s why I, like many other people, was taken aback to see the Amanda Waller in the new 52 yesterday. Here she is again in case you didn’t read this:
Below are some thoughts on “the Wall.”
A great read. I think the Amanda Waller redesign is the first DCnU change I was seriously unhappy with. She was one of my favorites in JLU and I loved when they released an action figure of her even though they couldn’t use the generic animated female figure mold.
I can deal with Harley in a trashy outfit because she tended towards short skirts/shorts already and I could see her legitimately going the direction of the redesign if she was trying to change her image or shed the “cute” motif. It’s something that could easily work in the context of the story. There’s no such justification for sexified Waller.
I used three adverbs in this post. That’s how upset I am.
