Girls read comics?

Wait, I think that the title of this post should have had an exclamation point rather than a question mark as the concluding character. Still, it seems that Marvel just discovered that girls read comics, and is now coming out with a comic targeted for “girls.”

Yes, you read that right, “girls” not “women” or “females” but, you know, “girls.” Before you react, you must keep in mind that this comes from the same editorial team the decided that having Spidey make a deal with the devil to end his marriage did so because they felt that if Peter got divorced it would make him “too old” for the reading audience. (As if the “kids” reading Spidey were 10 years-old.)

Seriously, have you ever been to a comicbook shop? Ever see “youngsters” in the shop that aren’t there with their fathers (and fidgeting to get out and go someplace cool, like a candy store or a videogame shop?). Granted, I’m half-a-century-and-counting, but most of the folks I see at comic shops and comic conventions are closer to my age then they are their pre-teens. And no, I’m not the only one who thinks it is a bad idea either.

Now I don’t object to a comic targeted to the fairer sex (Hell, I LOVE Spider-Girl by Tom DeFalco), but calling it “Girl Comics” or “Her-Oes” is not only patently ridiculous, but borderline insulting as well. One can only imagine that this brilliant marketing strategy will be followed by Black Comics, Hispanic Comics, and ugg, I can’t even continue.

Am I the only one who remembers when Marvel used to actually BE the House of Ideas?