But then again, I find today's comics aren't so much about telling a good and entertaining story, as they are about creating a buzz through shock and awe.

However, I am curious to see how different artists are going to depict those 4 scenes. For example, I think showing Harley in a whale's mouth, tickling him with a feather, is going to pretty challenging to convey in one small panel.

They seem to not see it as an image problem and target consumers who also don’t see it as any kind of problem.

.....

Obviously a reference to Kyle Rayner's dead girlfriend. The incident was an attempt at creating an Uncle Ben for Rayner.

Obviously a reference to Kyle Rayner's dead girlfriend. The incident was an attempt at creating an Uncle Ben for Rayner.

That may have been the "attempt" but the result sparked a meme and protest of how female characters were treated in comics, going from being damsels to be rescued to being murdered, tortured, etc for drama and presented in somewhat graphic ways. We don't see her actually being killed but it's still done in a way to shock and outrage. And, in the process takes a super-villain into darker territory that is difficult to move the character beyond. She became the poster-child for the fates of characters like Gwen Stacey (death), Mera (insane), Kathy Kane (death), Tula (death), Lori Lemaris (death), Supergirl (death), Barbara Gordon (crippled), Black Canary (tortured, possibly raped in "Longbow Hunters" didn't read the mini, so not really sure how far it went, but she lost her sonic scream as a result).
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I haven't read a DC title in years. How exactly are they portraying women and minorities that's so wrong?\

Mind you, I think DC has a problem with how it treats many of their characters. How many minority characters are created as knock-offs of caucasian male characters, who are often killed off? Former heroes turned into mass murdering super-villains? Green Arrow who was in a committed relationship longer than most heroes turned into a philanderer who cannot resist any woman that comes on to him and will even sleep with a team mate's wife.

But, even before Nu52, you had Identity Crisis that took Sue Dibney, a supporting character that actually had been used prominently in the Giffen and DeMatteis Justice League years, turned her not only into a rape victim, but then murdered by another long supporting female character all in an attempt to win back her ex-husband.  There was Hal Jordan telling Oliver Queen about a threesome he had with a female superhero. Artistically, Birds of Prey, a book featuring strong female characters, to one that featured quite a bit of cheesecake. Mary Marvel going dark and into bondage attire.

After Nu52, you had in the first issues, thus setting the tone... Voodoo working in a strip club (for sake of story, this could have easily been any bar, restaurant, etc), we find out Wonder Woman sleeps in the buff and helps a woman who's in her underwear and there's just not enough time to get her covered up over a couple of issues, Batwoman and Bette Kane have a nice heart to heart conversation while getting dressed so you get to see them in their underwear, Starfire's feats of strength are done off camera but you have space enough to find out she's now a slut who will sleep with any of her team-mates, the change of outfits for Harley. Keep in mind that comics featuring or starring male heroes outnumber those about 3 to 1. However, there are not comparable scenes with Grifter working for Chippendale dancers, Superman sleeping in the buff and then flying around with a half naked attractive looking man for a couple of issues, Batman and Robin walking around and discussing things while posing for the reader in stages of undress, etc. It's treating female characters as objects of voyeurism, even when trying to seem progressive.

DC absorbed Milestone, but other than Static, there hasn't been sign of the characters used in prominent ways since the relaunch. Yet, we have various Wildstorm characters and concepts popping up in different places. Where's Hardware, Icon and Rocket, Xombi, Shadow Cabinet, etc?

So, this stunt doesn't strike me so much as keeping in character with the character involved, but keeping in character with the pattern of behavior that DC has had, especially since Didio has headed them up.