Cosplay 2

Superheroines in the Living Room: Comics

Weight on the ball of her right foot, inky
wedge heel just barely brushing the tiled floor,
the woman's left toe thrusts forward. Boot shaft
climbs from ankle to knee. A dark extension
reaches mid-thigh, where purple unitard
emerges, sparkles past fingers enclosed
in black gloves that sheath forearms, elbows.
Light bouncing from the lamp stand on her left
rims her near breast, casting shadows across
her chest. Draped over her slanted shoulders,
brunette ponytail merges with the dark.

Face half-hidden, Catwoman regards us
with a cool challenge, but portraits climbing
the wall behind her reek of normalcy:
toddlers, family groups, senior portraits.
The decor is tastefully restrained:
potted plants, blue-and-white vase in fish-shape,
its mouth gaping. This is hardly the lair
of a villain. And why would she bother
to trespass in such a place with no jewels,
diamonds, super-secret weapons to steal?
She couldn't be the daughter in one of those pix.
Antiheroes don't spring from such plain roots.

Copyright © 2011 by Anthony W. Artuso

Cosplay 1

Blair Dame*

Usually confined to an arcade screen,
you kick, pummel bad guys, but here you are,
in the flesh, showing us dimpled shoulders,
which overflow the hem of your white top.

Black bands on biceps bulge. Sheathed in fingerless,
thumbless gloves, your hands -- ivory nails perfect
though you throw punches -- rest, arms akimbo
atop your hips, which, spreading wide inside
flesh-colored tights, make your leotard a thong.

Thick thighs descend into black over-knee
boots that end in wickedly pointed heels.

We see your face in profile, framed by blue
cascade of curls tumbling past your ears, cheeks.
With the corner of your eye, you dare us
to mistake you for a plump teenager.

* video game character found in the Street Fighter EX series developed by Arika.

Copyright © 2011 by Anthony W. Artuso