I did not come to New York Comic Con (NYCC) to find men—but men found me, demanding my attention with baby pikachus on their shoulders, shiny padded armor, and red eyes that stared into my soul. Many of these guys came with their girlfriends, both of them embodying their favorite characters. Others came in groups with other young men, and some traveled solo. All represent a future more hopeful, and far more palatable, than the vile versions of masculine identity we see men costuming every day—from Twitter, to college campuses, and onstage at the presidential elections.
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One note: There was an overrepresentation of neo-Joker and Harley Quinn à la Suicide Squad on Thursday, the convention's first day. In line for a panel that evening, one teenage girl remarked to another: "There were 87 Harley Quinns. I counted." It is Broadly's opinion that the new imagining of Joker and Harley Quinn would like to become a new archetype for boring gender norms that characterize an unhappy relationship between aggressive and dominant masculinity juxtaposed beside a sexualized and subservient femininity. Thus, despite their popularity, these characters are intentionally underrepresented in these images.Over the next seven days, Broadly will be providing our readers with in-depth coverage of the most important issues at NYCC this year—from women in comics, to gender bending cosplay, and child Jedis. There will be more men, as well.Photos by Leah James.
