It has come to my attention that your so-called “target audience” for the upcoming relaunch in September is males aged 18-34. Permit me to begin by throwing a few facts and figures in your general direction.

1.    Approximately 25% of comic book readers are women

2.    Approximately 40% of attendees at the 2008 Comic-Con International were women

3.    Approximately 85% of consumers (ie – general money-spenders) are women

4.    In the last five years, female comic readership has grown by approximately 65%

But hey, these are really just numbers. Let’s get down to the real crux of the issue.

From the get-go, the relaunch has been touted as a way to get in new readers, to find a way to draw more people into the wonderful world of comics. This is a noble sentiment to be sure, but a little bit of research and I discovered something very confusing.

 Aside from the fact that this has always been your target audience and will therefore achieve nothing; it would seem that your idea of “more people” seems to exclude the female population.

I’m not quite sure what it will take to get you to realise that by only targeting the same demographic you’ve always targeted, you will draw in one type of readership.

Exactly the same one you’ve already got.

How is it good business sense to exclude any portion of your market? How is it good business sense to specifically target the people who are already buying your product, instead of people who might want to pick it up for the first time?

What started out for me as an exciting time as I waited for the revamp of DC comics has fizzled into bitter disappointment and disgust. I no longer look forward to September with eager anticipation. Instead I find myself scanning the upcoming releases of rival publications. Other than Gail Simone’s work – and let’s face it, she is your saving grace in this – I will not be buying DC comics any longer.

It’s not just the DC characters that need a relaunch. It’s DC attitudes, and the attitudes of the comic book industry in general. Women readers have a voice. We’re growing in numbers.

And we will put up with your misogynistic bullshit no longer.