What do you guys think about Mantra? I love that comic, dodgy art aside

What do you guys think about Mantra? I love that comic, dodgy art aside.

I enjoyed the the Ultraverse generally and Mantra in particular. Looking back though I think it's fair to say the book hasn't aged well

That's true, but I think it's mostly the XTREME artwork and tropes.

Warstrike is a particular offender, he's pretty much the dictionary definition of 90's comics

So is Prime, really.

I imagine, these days, tumblr would be all over this for its trans message.

True but at least Prime has some justification for it, his appearance reflects what the kid thinks a hero should look like. It's a whole meta-statement

Maybe or they'd throw a fit over fetishising and appropriating trans experience.

If it was mildly changed it'd be popular. Right now it reads like another Mike W. Barr sex change fetish comic of which there are a few.

Really Mantra's understanding of gender is pre-trans. It treats male and female as mainly anatomical categories that can only be crossed between in fantasy.
That is its own problem, but it's not really saying anything negative about trans people specifically outside of ignoring the fact that they exist.
The bigger problem, I'd say, is that it's trying to portray empathy for women but it comes out more like pity.

Definitely, I'd like to see the basic concept retooled for modern readers like they did with Ghost a while back

Even at the time I thought Lukas was being kind of a pussy about the whole thing and there are a couple of times other characters call him out for acting like being a woman is a fate worse than death

it follows the old cliche of womanizer becomes hot chick and oh the pain and suffering until he discovers that being a chick is awesome

it really isn't much more than that as a story

Maybe so. Even granting that the reader is expected to disagree with Lukasz's perspective, he never really learns his lesson. His perspective isn't changed at all by living as a woman. It's a pretty lousy way to tell that kind of story.
It didn't help much that Mantra's arch enemy only wanted to get her pregnant

>It didn't help much that Mantra's arch enemy only wanted to get her pregnant

To be fair who didn't? I know I did.

Oh yes there's that too

It's okay. One of the better Ultraverse books. Rune was the best one and is pretty much the best corporate-owned superhero comic of all time.

What is up with that ridiculous outfit?

I dunno about you but if I got turned into a girl I'd be wearing much worse.

It was created by an evil old pervert to boost the magical power of his harem

I think it looks pretty good honestly.

Mantra (and other such characters like Shocking Suzy) is a concept I wish were more explored than just LOL GOT BOOBS NOW... And if that means taking on trans writers/artists than so be it...

It was the 90's... Companies were committed to appealling to the horny teen demo above all else