Maxima Appreciation

[K. Jones]

New 52 Maxima redesign is pretty stellar. I'll agree about that big red Irish-style hair being missed, but generally hair is like the most "artistic license" aspect of any given character. I mean if Phil Jimenez were to do a variant cover, I bet you'd see it go big again, right? Anyway I'm digging the costume. The gold. The green. The slightly more sci-fi armor look contemporizes it but it's not overdone. It ditches the open-belly and somewhat male-gazey 80s/90s look in favor of something that looks more regal and utilitarian - a little more Star Wars, less Barbarella. But she's still treading that line of super-hero archetype, that brash, bold, tropish bit where alien humanoid female royalty are always wildly confused at the prudish human desire to not flaunt one's body (Starfire, anyone?). That weird grey area where bold feminism and male artist sex fantasies criss-cross. But that's okay for Maxima, I think. Because she's basically Space Red Sonja.

I always liked Maxima but as for reading this title, I probably self-identify with Kara the most - although now that Comet's here, and he's one of my faves, that might change. But I'm hoping this book really makes me into a big Maxima fan.

I'm also glad they "alien color skin-toned" her a little more. No sense confusing her with Mera. Although I'm not sure if it's "alien orangey" skintone akin to a Starfire type, or if they just generally tanned her up to be a darker skinned girl representative because Kara's white as a ghost and it's a very sensible choice. But either way, I dig it. She looks great.