DC's New 52: Reviews and Discussion (Spoilers welcolme and likely)

[Admiral Buzzkill]

If one weren't determined to have a knee-jerk reaction and remembered the previously-released two-page preview showing Lois and her new boyfriend,* one might allow that rather than being a "token character" Ms. Izquierdo is quite likely a significant new addition to the Superman cast based at the Planet. Perry is seen there chatting familiarly with "Izzy," a woman who is almost certainly Izquierdo, in a way that suggests that they may be something close to peers in the newsroom.

When Perry boasts that he was right in his expectation that the Planet operation could move digs without missing a deadline, "Izzy" responds "I'd say we have the start of a beautiful friendship here, Perry."

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets...1/07/supe1.jpg

You read one panel out of context and react to it as the "injection" of a character who in your mind does just one thing - speak a phrase in Spanish. There is, in fact, no reason to assume that this is the extent of or representative of the character's introductory early appearances.


*(Or, failing that, were willing to, you know, read the actual comic before judging)

[Trekker4747]

We've obviously a difference of opinion on this issue and at this point I am going to agree to disagree. I'll know more about the character and the use of her when I have the comic and can read it.

Right now, from the panel(s) posted above it struck me as the writer(s) "trying to hard" to let the reader know the character was Hispanic. I think that could've been done in a better way than having her inject Spanish into her dialogue like she's a character on an alternate version of Firefly. Knowing and working with people who are Hispanic it's very, very rare for them to just toss in Spanish phrases when talking.

And yeah, I've never heard that last name before either and, again, struck me as "too much" but that's minor issue as well. Again, I'm not greatly familiar with Spanish surnames and that is one I had never heard of before and, again, struck me as going to an extreme to make the character not just Hispanic but very Hispanic. Similar to making every Russian character with a "-ov" after their name, or using of a "Mc" or "O'" before Scottish or Irish names.

It all struck me as laying it all on thick as all, but I'll obviously know more when I read the actual comic.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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I'll know more about the character and the use of her when I have the comic and can read it.

That much at least we can agree upon.

[Myasishchev]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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Similar to making every Russian character with a "-ov"

Bozhye moi!

It is pretty common. Well, for men. They eventually fixed the Black Widow's name, but I'm not sure when.

[Trekker4747]

Russia inwented last names, you know!

[Admiral_Young]

Whoever she is, she'll probably turn out to be a non important character. Has everyone spotted the Purple Lady in this week's books? I personally haven't bothered to go through every book looking for her...

[Icemizer]

427 results for Izquierdo in the New York White pages. So not an unusual name but its not Tony Hernandez either.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I haven't noticed her in a single one, because I haven't been looking.

[Myasishchev]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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Russia inwented last names, you know!

Indeed. In 1897.

I will say that "Romanov" is about the laziest Russian surname you could come up with. "Pyotr Rasputin" is not much better. I imagine both are often mispronounced too.

[Nerys Myk]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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I was obviously mistaken, not knowing who wrote the comic.

The name itself still sticks out as odd to me (it's not one I've ever heard or seen before) as is the character's use of Spanish in that manner struck me as odd as well.

The writer may be Hispanic but, in my opinion, that doesn't make the panel/page any less silly. It seems to be trying to hard to inject a Hispanic character into the story. Rather than making the character look Hispanic and leaving it at that they have to go all out and make the character practically say "Look at me! Mia Espanol!"

I may have been wrong about the intentions behind the author but I still find it a bit silly and "trying too hard" to diversify the comic's "cast."

There is no Hispanic look. They can have dark skin or light skin, curly hair or straight hair, be a blonde, brunette or red head. And yes, some do mix english and spanish when they speak.

[Myasishchev]

Hispanic is a cultural grouping and has little to do with race, yeah. I mean, I'm Hispanic and I'm white as the driven snow (I don't mix Spanish and English when I speak very often, though; usually only when I'm trying to talk to someone who speaks bad English in my bad Spanish.)

Speaking of Russian names, I wonder if there's a Rocket Red called "Semen."

[theenglish]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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I was obviously mistaken, not knowing who wrote the comic.

The name itself still sticks out as odd to me (it's not one I've ever heard or seen before) as is the character's use of Spanish in that manner struck me as odd as well.

The writer may be Hispanic but, in my opinion, that doesn't make the panel/page any less silly. It seems to be trying to hard to inject a Hispanic character into the story. Rather than making the character look Hispanic and leaving it at that they have to go all out and make the character practically say "Look at me! Mia Espanol!"

I may have been wrong about the intentions behind the author but I still find it a bit silly and "trying too hard" to diversify the comic's "cast."

I haven't read the comic yet, but I personally find it odd that so few non-white, Caucasian characters exist in comics, especially when so many of the stories take place in versions of New York where you can hear several different languages being spoken anywhere you go, or in any office.

Spanish has regional dialects and slang in every country in Latin America. My wife who is Colombian needed me to translate Guatemalan Spanish for her for the first two or three months we lived here because the terminology for many things is different than what she is used to, and I first learned my Spanish in Central America.

My four year old kids tell people they speak Canadian, Colombian and Guatemalan.

Myasihchev, my joke wasn't really criticising the name itself, but rather that she is Ms. "left" like Sinestro. Yeah, silly and dumb I know.

EDIT: Okay, I just read the bit. Yes, that is pretty bad dialogue, but all the way around, not just the Spanish.

[Nerys Myk]

My wifes background is Mexican and Italian. She's a blue eyed, pale-skinned redhead!!!

[Myasishchev]

Nerys Myk wrote:

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My wifes background is Mexican and Italian. She's a blue eyed, pale-skinned redhead!!!

It's surprising that some people find this sort of thing surprising. Iberians are Celts, Germans and Alans. The red hair variant of MC1R's gonna be swimming around all over Mexico. Iirc, Hernan Cortes had red hair. My sister too.

[Nerys Myk]

Myasishchev wrote:

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It's surprising that people find this sort of thing surprising. Iberians are Celts and Germans. The red hair variant of MC1R's gonna be swimming around all over Mexico.

People first guess is always "Irish". Even Hispanics tend to look at her funny when she says her background is Mexican.