Yes, Vicki Vale's talking ass is but only the most prolific example. Yes, I still love comics but it's hard when there's basically a "No Girls Allowed" sign posted on the door. It's so difficult to muster enthusiasm when your entire gender is treated with casual indifference at best and at worst, outright hostility by the very people who make the product you're trying to enjoy. So why do I continue in this Sisyphean task? Why do I keep banging my head against the proverbial brick wall? It would be so very easy to say "Fuck it" and just leave, to let the status quo prevail.
But I don't. I stick around, first and foremost because as I already stated above, I love comics. They're a huge part of my childhood and some of my fondest memories are of pawing through the stacks at my local comic book store and eagerly anticipating the next thrilling issue. I stick around because comics can and do tell some pretty powerful stories (like Doctor Strange: The Oath [seriously, check it out]). Most of all, I stick around because I think the medium is worth the effort and I want my future sons and/or daughters to be able to read stories where women are treated like actual human beings and viable characters instead of eye candy or cannon fodder.
Marvel: Keepin' it Classy or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Tentacle Pr0n
Guess what guys? Girls DO read comics and we're not happy with what we're seeing. Seriously, I don't think it's asking for much by asking for female characters to be treated with some respect instead of as glorified set dressing. Give us some good characters and a good story and we will buy it. Hell, you might even gain some new readers in the process so what have you got to lose?
-Monchhichi
The Geekess Supreme
EDIT: Added some relevant links that I forgot the first time around.
