“Marvel Divas” Debuts

Black Cat, Hell Cat, Firestar, and Photon will all join forces for a limited run series from Marvel called “Marvel Divas.” Think Marvel super-heroines meets “Sex in the City.”

Writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa says, “The idea behind the series was to have some sudsy fun and lift the curtain a bit and take a peep at some of our most fabulous super heroines. In the series, they’re an unlikely foursome of friends—Black Cat, Hell Cat, Firestar, and Photon—with TWO things in common: They’re all leading double-lives and they’re all having romantic trouble.”

Aguirre-Sacasa is working on the series with Tonci Zonjic. The limited run series will hit comic stores in July.

“The pitch started as “Sex and the City” in the Marvel Universe, and there’s definitely that “naughty” element to it, but I also think the series is doing to a deeper place, asking question about what it means…truly means…to be a woman in an industry dominated by testosterone and guns. (And I mean both the super hero industry and the comic book industry.) But mostly it’s just a lot of hot fun,” said Marvel editor Joe Quesada.

The series could be seen as a test for women-centric storylines in future comics. The comic book industry has been notorious for ignoring the criticisms of its female readership. This new series could be used as a springboard for more female-centered storylines in the future or as evidence that they won’t sell should the series not meet expectations.