In which I poke "international team" comics with a stick

[roseembolism]

So over on Comics Should be Good, the question has arisen over the decline of the internationally-themed group.  Using the Blackhawks as an example, the author notes it's a pretty simple concept; you have each character from a separate country.  In the case of the Blackhawls, it was all of the countries occupied by the Axis.  The author suggests that the stereotyping involved in those groups lead to their disappearence, except for a few international groups like The Authority.

As for me?

The inner cynic in my quietly points out that back in the day, it was probably easier to do an international team that was acceptable to american fan tastes: several white guys (and possibly one girl) from America or Europe, and one grotesque ethnic stereotype from a non-European country. Today one has to deal with the ever-increasing knowledge that a truly international team should really be mostly non-white; Even for hardcore comic fans it’s harder and harder to disguise the fact that America and Europe doesn’t comprise 90% of the world’s population. Of course the simple alternative would be to actually make a superteam that was largely non-white. Yeah, like THAT’S going to happen.

I mean, look at how far we’ve come: Original Blackhawk had several guys from America and Europe, and one Chinese guy. Contrast this to the international superteam Authority that was referenced above, which has…several white guys and gals from America and Europe…and one Chinese woman.

You’ve come a long way, baby.