Vixen Appreciation 2021

[lemonpeace]

What are everyone's thoughts on Vixen: Return of the Lion mini? Must-read? Good? Bad? Trash fire? Do you feel it did justice to the character? How does it hold up to other takes on the character?

I read it a long time ago (coincidentally, I had just started digging heavily into my culture and africana/afrocentric stories at the time) and I ultimately found it underwhelming which made it doubly disappointing when I realized that was just about Vixen's only solo series. i legitimately can't think of anything that happened in that story besides bald Black Lightning in a dashiki. I'd say her appearances in Suicide Squad, Animal Man, JLA, JLI, and (despite no longer having much faith his take on Vixen in anything longform) Throne's short in Truth & Justice are far more essential to Vixen as a character than Return of the Lion, but since it is one of the woefully few solo adventures for her it's "essential" by default.

[lemonpeace]

Thinking about Vixen taking out people with Godzilla's atomic breath

If Vixen ever steps into the Godzilla universe, she would become one of the strongest heroes DC's ever seen. EMP pulse, radiation empowerment, reincarnation, hyper sonic flight so fast and powerful it decimates cities, nuke-level durability, atomic breath, and goddamn GRAVITY BEAM!?!?! Vixen would be King of the Monsters! yes I said King, she ain't Mothra, she taking Godzilla crown and ain't nobody tryna correct her.

DC has an island full of kaiju, we need an adventure with Vixen on Monster Island battling kaiju ASAP.

I do wonder who Vixen would root for in the whole "Godzilla vs. Kong" thing. Maybe she'd be neutral. And I would love it if the opening theme from the 2014 Godzilla movie was Vixen's superhero theme:

I would imagine she'd root for Kong purely because he seems more concerned with humanity as opposed to Godzilla who's only really concerned with anything threatening his crown. I imagine Vixen would more likely be forced into fighting Godzilla rather than rooting for him.

so I got flack for proposing the Bombardier Beetle, but y'all are cool with Vixen channeling Gonorrhea?

I'm not even going to say anymore

I don't remember downing that idea but let me be clear; I am 100% on board of Vixen booty/coochie blasting (or like with her hands or mouth of something I guess, IF YOU'RE A COWARD) a baddie with a bombardier beetle acid attack.

[Incognito]

If Vixen ever steps into the Godzilla universe, she would become one of the strongest heroes DC's ever seen. EMP pulse, radiation empowerment, reincarnation, hyper sonic flight so fast and powerful it decimates cities, nuke-level durability, atomic breath, and goddamn GRAVITY BEAM!?!?! Vixen would be King of the Monsters! yes I said King, she ain't Mothra, she taking Godzilla crown and ain't nobody tryna correct her.
.

Animal Man would be the King of monsters but Vixen can be the Queen of Monsters.

[lemonpeace]

Animal Man would be the King of monsters but Vixen can be the Queen of Monsters.

I said what I said, and I meant what I said; and what I said was Vixen, Mari Jiwe McCabe, would pull up on Godzilla and would take the crown of King of the Monsters. Animal Man was not mentioned because nobody talking about Animal Man right now, nor was I checking for him.

[skyvolt2000]

I read it a long time ago (coincidentally, I had just started digging heavily into my culture and africana/afrocentric stories at the time) and I ultimately found it underwhelming which made it doubly disappointing when I realized that was just about Vixen's only solo series. i legitimately can't think of anything that happened in that story besides bald Black Lightning in a dashiki. I'd say her appearances in Suicide Squad, Animal Man, JLA, JLI, and (despite no longer having much faith his take on Vixen in anything longform) Throne's short in Truth & Justice are far more essential to Vixen as a character than Return of the Lion, but since it is one of the woefully few solo adventures for her it's "essential" by default.

Just be aware that Willow Wilson's book had an issue removed from that mini. That was a 6 issue series not 5. Depending on what copy you have some say 1 of 6 and others say 1 or 5.

My copies say 6 issues.

http://solarey.net/wp-content/upload...s-Vixen-01.jpg

[Vordan]

What are everyone's thoughts on Vixen: Return of the Lion mini? Must-read? Good? Bad? Trash fire? Do you feel it did justice to the character? How does it hold up to other takes on the character?

Pretty much the embodiment of “ok”. Read it once and haven’t had any real desire to go back to it since.

[lemonpeace]

Just be aware that Willow Wilson's book had an issue removed from that mini. That was a 6 issue series not 5. Depending on what copy you have some say 1 of 6 and others say 1 or 5.

My copies say 6 issues.

http://solarey.net/wp-content/upload...s-Vixen-01.jpg

that problematic and all but that don't think one more issue would've made that series any significantly more memorable nor make the fact of her having so few solo adventures any less disappointing.

[skyvolt2000]

that problematic and all but that don't think one more issue would've made that series any significantly more memorable nor make the fact of her having so few solo adventures any less disappointing.

Depends on what got cut out.

Especially if it was done without the writer's input. Which is probably the reason she left for Marvel. I know the same thing happened to Priest. He got it WORST-his mini went from 5 to 1 issue. Batman The Hill.

[BlackClaw]

I said what I said, and I meant what I said; and what I said was Vixen, Mari Jiwe McCabe, would pull up on Godzilla and would take the crown of King of the Monsters. Animal Man was not mentioned because nobody talking about Animal Man right now, nor was I checking for him.

Vixen could be one the DCU’s biggest heavy hitters with just the powers of regular animals alone. But she would easily be in the same tier as Superman or Wonder Woman if she copied the abilities of mythical animals like dragons (especially eastern dragons), thunderbirds, the leviathan or behemoth.

[lemonpeace]

Vixen could be one the DCU’s biggest heavy hitters with just the powers of regular animals alone. But she would easily be in the same tier as Superman or Wonder Woman if she copied the abilities of mythical animals like dragons (especially eastern dragons), thunderbirds, the leviathan or behemoth.

we're not taking about Vixen on DC's earth, I was talking about Vixen in the Monsterverse; thus having access to their wildlife i.e the Titans. on the DC earth however, I think Vixen should have some kind of additional cheques and balances on accessing overtly mythological/magical beast. my personal headcanon is magical animals technically derive from the god's sphere (the source of magic in the DC universe) so she'd have to be on or at minimum in close proximity to the lands of the god's sphere to access their powers. that way it leaves room for her to still have access to cryptids and more grounded mythological species, without conjuring up a random enchantment by accessing dwarves or an eastern Dragon. I fear with certain mythical creatures (like Dragons, The Idiok, Hydras, Mermaids, etc.) it has the potential to slip into lazy workarounds like with certain Aliens and the idea accessing metahuman powers through "human". I mean in this very thread we've already demonstrated the diversity of her abilities through regular exotic animals, from producing an iron shell, to bone claws, photosynthesis, duplication, acidic coochie and/or booty blast, air bullets as hot as the sun, the list goes on; so I think it goes without saying that she is the most diverse heavy hitters in DC's catalogue.

it's always been a matter of needing more lore on her connection to the red and magic to more firmly set the perimeters for her abilities.

[lemonpeace]

Depends on what got cut out.

Especially if it was done without the writer's input. Which is probably the reason she left for Marvel. I know the same thing happened to Priest. He got it WORST-his mini went from 5 to 1 issue. Batman The Hill.

having her total of headlining titles go from approximately six to approximately seven, in 40 odd years, ain't doing nothing for me my guy. and even if the last issue was some masterpiece (which, probably would've stopped DC or the creative team from cutting it) it's not going to make up for 5 issues of a meh, superficially "african" story that I can barely remember outside my disinterest in it.

comparing this to The Hill is intellectually dishonest because it's an apples to oranges comparison; so I'm not even sure why that's being brought up here. is it because Priest is black and Vixen is black? what Preist did in that 1 issue with The Hill was actually compelling and indicative that it could've went somewhere, so it was nonsensical that DC cut him short. meanwhile Return of the Vixen had 5 issues to be interesting and wasn't. despite it being annoying that they took an issue off of few and far between times they focus on their biggest black female hero, having an exta issue more than likely wasn't gonna change the fact that it wasn't compelling. The Hill attempted to center the black experience, under the pen of a black creator, and that likely was a factor in why DC felt comfortable (at that time) gutting his run. Return of the Lion was an attempt at an african centered story using tired african tropes CLEARLY filtered through a white lens (which is not a knock of Willow Wilson) and that's probably why they only trimmed it. likely so they can still get them clout tokens for diversity by having a female writer on a black female led book, despite how the mediocrity the product ended up.

[John Venus]

I read it a long time ago (coincidentally, I had just started digging heavily into my culture and africana/afrocentric stories at the time) and I ultimately found it underwhelming which made it doubly disappointing when I realized that was just about Vixen's only solo series. i legitimately can't think of anything that happened in that story besides bald Black Lightning in a dashiki. I'd say her appearances in Suicide Squad, Animal Man, JLA, JLI, and (despite no longer having much faith his take on Vixen in anything longform) Throne's short in Truth & Justice are far more essential to Vixen as a character than Return of the Lion, but since it is one of the woefully few solo adventures for her it's "essential" by default.

I remember reading it when it came out. Not blown away by it but still solid. I checked it out recently and didn't find myself as invested in it as before.

I admit, my perspective is affected b having read Truth & Justice Vixen as it moved my expectations of the character.

[MoneySpider]

Vixen's greatest fights, according to CBR: (the article has a few typos). Also, I don't think I've ever heard of the Tantu Totem also being called the Anansi Amulet.

https://www.cbr.com/dc-vixen-greatest-fights/

[Rac7d*]

Vixen is descended from gods not blessed ?

[John Venus]

Yeah. It was revealed in the Vixen's mini arc in 'Truth & Justice'. She is a descendant of Anansi.