Reviews, essays, a couple of top tens, and tons of opinions, these are the top twenty, most read WWAC articles of 2014. This list is more diverse in authorship and topic than last year’s, with several of our newer writers cracking the top ten — and one, the top five. Among them are some of our most fun and best written articles. You guys have good taste. (I mean, obviously.)
Well, are you ready? Let’s do this.
20. Captain America vs. Superman: Who Would Win as a Role Model for my Daughters?, by Wendy Browne
This one caused some controversy. Heads up: Wendy did not come out of her investigations a Superman fan. Instead, she decided Cap’s Greatest Generation gumption was the way to go.
19. [TW] No More Free Passes: Why I’m Done Watching Game of Thrones, by Ivy Noelle Weir
Ivy wrote this after Jaime Lanister raped his sister, a creepily sexualized scene that was made even more disturbing for TV. She expected some blowback, but instead enjoyed huge support.
18. Sexy Times with Dice: 10 RPGs That Deal with Sex and Sexuality, by Sarah Richardson
I don’t think of RPGs as being all that sexy — romantic, sure, but not sexy — but Sarah convinced me with this piece. Very interesting is how game designers dodged explicit sex with gameplay.
17. Abby SUCKS: An Argument So Weak It’s Gotta Be A Joke, by Lana Jaeger
Lana defends the Tumblr comics and illustration community’s increasingly diverse aesthetic against a PC Police/Diversity Is Boring type argument.
16. [TW] Rat Queens Artist Roc Upchurch Arrested, by Megan Purdy
This was a hard post to write.
15. Review: Steven Universe: “Mirror Gem” & “Ocean Gem,” by Kayleigh Hearn
Kayleigh is ABOUT Steven Universe and it shows in these reviews, which she somehow managed to get out right after the episodes aired, quick quick quick.
14. Top Ten Days of Future Past Homages, by Kayleigh Hearn and Jamie Kingston
I don’t even understand how Kayleigh and Jamie remember these things but within two emails on our internal list, they had a solid list of DoF homages and were well on their way to finishing this piece.
13. The Power of Tank Girl: One Girl’s Personal Diary, by Claire Napier
Once again, Claire demonstrates the power of going personal. She keeps telling us to write about what we’re passionate about, and with truth and spirit, and … this is that. Things Claire loves: punky, rebellious girls; a unique and fully developed aesthetic; nipples.
12. Review: Judge Dredd: Year One Omnibus, by Kelly Kanayama
I was surprised — but so pleased! — to see how well this review did. It’s about the novelization, not the comic, and the book had been out for a bit. But hey, Kelly’s always got an opinion and this list proves you love that kind of thing.
11. Another Day, Another White Guy at Marvel: Benedict Cumberbatch to play Dr. Strange, by Desiree Rodriguez
Desiree stands firm: not only was Dr. Strange a missed opportunity to introduce more diversity in the MCU, but it was a necessary one for a character built on exoticism and appropriation.
10. Chew On This: The Transmisogyny in Layman and Guillory’s Indie Darling, by Rachel Stevens
Rachel fearlessly calls out harmful imagery — intentional or not — and in this article, she pointed to a trend of transmisogynistic jokes in Chew.
9. Shocking Twist: Data Show #GamerGate Is About Harassing Women, by Megan Purdy
We wrote a lot about GamerGate this year, but this post, more than the others, seemed to strike a nerve. “But but but- his methodology!”
8. Hey, Be A Buddy & Don’t Do That: The Surprise Dick Pic, by Ivy Noelle Weir
Thinking about sending a dick pic? Not sure if it’s appropriate? Ivy’s got you covered.
7. The Wicked, The Divine and The Mythology: The Morrigan and Baphomet, by Carolina Mello
Part Two of Carolina’s look at the mythology behind Gillen and McKelvie’s monster hit, The Wicked + The Divine. I don’t know why this is the most popular in the series, but… death gods? Always fun.
6. On IDW’s Transformers: The Robot Politique, by Rachel Stevens
This was Rachel’s first post for us, and the first in her series examining the ideas, politics, and representations in the Transformers franchise.
5. Frozen: that Disney Magic Works With Sisters , by Jamie Kingston
We’ve started calling Jamie our Cartoon Queen. But Frozen: she liked it. A lot.
4. Football Comics! Bad Machinery V.1, by Claire Napier
Bad Machinery is about sport, football specifically, and shenanigans. Two of Claire’s favourite things.
3. Throwing Popcorn: Gravity Falls, by Jamie Kingston
Race and gender in popular cartoons — rough waters! But Jamie’s reviews are always even-handed, pointing out the good, the bad, and the problematic.
2. Ghost in the Shell: The Major’s Body, by Claire Napier
The first in a many parts series (Claire promises me the next ones are coming soon) about Major Kusanagi from the Ghost in the Shell franchise: how she’s been represented, how everything from clothes, to prosthesis, to posture contribute contain messages.
1. Disappointment Again: Batgirl #37 is Transphobic, by Rachel Stevens
By far our most popular post of 2014, Rachel’s analysis of Batgirl #37 is clear and firm. Not mean, but not merciful either. Stop playing around with these tropes, she says, they do harm. If you haven’t already read it (I mean, I think you have), do so now!
Such a great cross-section!