Only a day after the cover was revealed, Marvel and Midtown Comics have decided to pull its retailer exclusive “Invincible Iron Man” #1 variant that portrays Riri Williams in what some interpret to be a sexualized depiction of the character. The cover, by J. Scott Campbell, drew some criticism from fans and creators for its portrayal of the teen hero.
Horror, Sci-fi & More! article writer Paul Campbell has chimed in with his own feelings toward this issue.
"There has been an uproar about the "now pulled" variant cover of Iron
Man #1. This isn't because there are obscenities plastered about or
something like that but for the fact that Riri Williams (15 yr old
super genius) is dressed arguably scantly clad. In comic tradition this
wouldn't normally be a problem but once again she is 15 yrs old, and in
laymen's terms, underage. If the problem
really comes down the over sexuality of a although fictional but
underage girl. The artist J.Scott Campbell is very well known for
constructing pin up models, which would explain his approach to the
initial cover. However, once the firestorm started, it was quickly
pulled with the agreement from Marvel and Midtown comics before anything
could be blown out of proportion. There shouldn't be a problem as long
as riri looks more like a superhero as she should and less like a pinup
model. As long as the artists draw the heroes as they are...heroes,
rather than models the overall purpose should be serviced and properly
represented."
