DC Turns Vixen Into A Lesbian In Harley Quinn Comic Based On HBO Max Animated Series
DC’s retconning of a great many of their well-known characters as LGBT continues at a rapid pace, as now Vixen can be added to that growing list – albeit in an alternate timeline that’s not meant to be taken seriously.
Based on the HBO Max adult cartoon, written by Tee Franklin, and drawn by Max Sarin, Erich Owen, and Marissa Louise, issue No. 4 of Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill Tour sees Harley and Poison Ivy run into the spirit animal channeling heroine during a venture to Detroit.
While they are truly trying to do good and stop a sludgy villain named Mephitic, the pair of villains aren’t exactly welcome in the Motor City, as Vixen eventually learns of their presence on her turf and runs off to stop them.
However, that isn’t why the issue stands out.
The tie-in series caught social media’s attention when it took a turn for the subversive in the way just about everything does in Quinn’s bloody, raunchy adult-themed show.
At one point in the story, Vixen is seen leaving a fashion show performance and getting into a limo with a disabled female companion named Elle.
From there, Vixen – cartoonish heart eyes shooting from her eyes in order to really drive the point home to the readers – begins to channel a Giraffe and tells the driver to raise the partition as she makes a move on Elle.
Needless to say, this change has left more than a few readers confused.
“Wait, wait, hold up, hold up… Vixen is a Lesbian now…” @Fenrirtheicewo1 remarked, “isn’t her whole magical powers a bloodline thing that can only be [passed] from parent to child through the totem, do these people not understand the point, sigh… so I guess they’ll never be another Vixen after her then.”
Wait, wait, hold up, hold up… Vixen is a Lesbian now… isn't her whole magical powers a bloodline thing that can only be passes from parent to child through the totem, do these people not understand the point, sigh… so I guess they'll never be another Vixen after her then. pic.twitter.com/atvMTJ5RuC
— Fenrir the ice wolf (@Fenrirtheicewo1) December 20, 2021
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Fenrir would also question the issue’s art, wondering if it was supposed to look as weird as it does.
“Plus, what the hell is wrong with this artstyle everyone looks like a perverted psycho, hell even look at the driver right there,” he said. “What does that smile tell you?”
Plus, what the hell is wrong with this artstyle everyone looks like a perverted psycho, hell even look at the driver right there. What does that smile tell you? 🤣
— Fenrir the ice wolf (@Fenrirtheicewo1) December 20, 2021
RELATED: Arrow Star Stephen Amell Accused of Racism by Fans, Including Image Comics Author Tee Franklin
When it comes to the fact that Vixen’s totemic powers are carried on through her bloodline, another used pointed out that, though difficult, there are there are ways around that these days.
“Not sure how she’ll manage surrogate parency and bloodline training if she wishes to make kids, but what a weird comic page. Everyone with faces looks goofy,” wrote @HEROMANishere, while asking, “Plus why is Blondie looking worried in that last panel?”
https://twitter.com/HEROMANishere/status/1473022132380741635?s=20
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Fenrir replied, “Because my theory is Vixen is gonna use that Giraffe Avatar’s Penis to have sex with her or something of that nature.” He later admitted that the implications of such an act are hard to contemplate.
Because my theory is Vixen is gonna use that Girrafe Avatars Penis to have sex with her or something of that nature.
— Fenrir the ice wolf (@Fenrirtheicewo1) December 20, 2021
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Franklin, the series’ author, is described in her Wikipedia bio as the first “black, gay, disabled comic book writer” hired by Image Comics. She’s also credited as GLAAD Award-nominated and the creator of the hashtag “#BlackComicsMonth.”
Previously, Franklin made headlines after accusing Arrow star Stephen Amell of being racist for not, in her opinion, sufficiently condemning racism in the wake of the George Floyd riots.
“Racism is a systemic problem, but I’m not as familiar with it just because I haven’t seen it in action, personally,” said Amell during a 2020 episode of How’d You Do It? podcast when asked for his thoughts on the social climate at the time. “Although most of that, for me personally, has been overshadowed by gun violence. That’s the big thing that’s difficult for me to wrap my head around, moving to the States, simply because that doesn’t happen [in Canada]. At all. Ever.”
Later in the episode, Amell also pushed back against the widespread condemnation of all police officers, asserting, “Frankly, the majority of law enforcement should be celebrated, and they should be lauded, and they should be paid more than they’re paid, and I think it’s a real shame that the name of law enforcement and some of the vitriol that good police officers are having to deal with, male, female, black, white, brown, doesn’t matter, that aren’t part of the problem but are identified with the problem.”
As these comments began to make the rounds on social media, Franklin declared, “F–k @StephenAmell he’s been showing us his racist ass ways for quite awhile now. AND his wife”
Eventually, Amell attempted to extend an olive branch to Franklin, writing to her on Twitter, “if you need something or you want to help me better understand, hit me up and we can chat!”
In response, Franklin not only continued to baselessly accuse Amell of racism and having less-than-genuine ‘real intentions’, but disingenuously downplayed her own role in the entire conflict.
“Just to be PERFECTLY CLEAR,” declared Fraknklin. “The irony of @StephenAmell demanding a verified Black woman to EDUCATE HIM on the day that’s supposed to be about AMPLIFYING & SUPPORTING BLACK VOICES ain’t lost on me. Amell KNEW what he was doing. He had no intention on responding OR learning.”
Unsurprisingly, Franklin’s outrage over this event was not limited to Amell.
Following Bounding Into Comics’ publication of a report on the above incident, Franklin took to Twitter to attack the piece’s author, associate editor Spencer Baculi, with the same unfounded and paranoid rhetoric she had leveled at Amell.
“WOW,” exclaimed the writer in June 2020. “I canNOT believe how I was just painted with this Stephen Amell issue. I’m not gonna link y’all cuz f–k him, but The audacity of Spencer Baculi. Way to paint me as the angry Black woman for calling out racism. The micro aggression and stereotyping in this post.”
Continuing to spiral, Franklin further took issue with “the fact that I was chosen out of every other Black woman who’s said the same exact thing,” failing to realize that her opinion stood out amongst the crowd due to her current position as an active creator in the comic book industry.
“As it’s been since 400 years: Lily white is ALWAYS right,” she projected in conclusion.
Judging by the crutches on Vixen’s blonde date and Franklin’s noted disability, it seems like we have another case of a writer inserting themselves into a book, just as fellow DC writer Mariko Tamaki did with the main character of I Am NOT Starfire.
The fourth and fifth issues of Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill Tour are on sale now.
What do you make of Franklin’s LGBT take on Vixen? Let us know your thoughts on social media or in the comments down below!
NEXT: DC Comics and The CW Debut “Vixen” Trailer
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