Why We Need Super Heroes for Girls

If you wanted to be completely cynical, you could say that the introduction of DC Super Hero Girls Collection is just a slick marketing move. After all, everything super hero is huge business whether you're talking Marvel or DC Comics. The toys and merchandise are generally targeted at boys. So why not bring some of that magic to the girl's aisle? And while that may be the driving force, it's still a positive trend.

Depending on how old you are Wonder Woman holds a special place in your heart. Some of us may think of Lynda Carter from the 70s (that outfit, that hair!)

This generation of young girls may think Katy Perry started it all. The character was actually created in the 40s which is why she has such a wide generational appeal. We'll have to see if the new Wonder Woman movie scheduled for this summer creates a new fan base.

Wonder Woman and her friends (Super Girl and Bat Girl) are important now more than ever. They encourage girls to act out powerful story lines of their own. Honor and courage are not the exclusive domain of Batman and Superman. The story line for DC Super Hero Girls is that they attend Super Hero High because you also need to be educated. The dolls are available from Mattel (and oh, by the way, Wonder Woman now wears pants with kick-ass boots). We also like that this collection looks more like girls than women with bustier tops.

It's been a hard year for women. Having some of our own Super Heroes in our corner feels empowering.