IF IRRITATION is the sincerest form of flattery, then DC Comics is pulling out all stops to flatter Asian Americans.

In mid-June, comic-book readers were treated to the introduction of the DC universe’s newest superhero team, the all-Chinese group known as “The Great Ten.”

Say hello to exotic characters such as the slinky Ghost Fox Killer, the heroic Celestial Archer, the kung fu-fighting Seven Deadly Brothers and the amazing Accomplished Perfect Physician, who uses sound to cure cancer and promote healing (sure to be a favorite of Asian American parents everywhere). We also get Immortal Man in Darkness, Socialist Red Guardsman, Thundermind and August General in Iron.

But the character most likely to generate controversy is Mother of Champions, whose super-ability is giving birth to 25 super-soldiers every three days. Apparently all men, they only live to the age of 25 and look awfully alike. (No mention of Father of Champions yet; China has mastered asexual reproduction, it seems.)

The Great Ten debuted in June in issue No. 6 of “52,” a massive, yearlong crossover Event among all the DC universe titles that is scheduled to release one issue a week. There’s no word yet on how often they’ll appear in the DC universe, but being in “52” means they’re part of the regular continuity just as much as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a new, lipstick-lesbian Batwoman (not to be confused with Batgirl, the half-Asian master assassin Cassandra Cain). Apparently, the Japanese have a parallel team called Super Young Team, although no one’s seen hide nor hair of them yet.

Though the Chinese superheroes might seem to be flat-out racist and xenophobic caricatures to some, there hasn’t been a tsunami of criticism from readers. The Great Ten’s creator, Grant Morrison, is a respected comics writer known for his inventiveness. And because the heroes have only recently appeared, DC’s flacks are busy encouraging everyone to maintain an open mind, saying good characters take time to evolve. The most complaints so far, in fact, are about the cumbersome names of the team members, rather than the hackneyed cliches and subtle xenophobia the Great Ten seems to embody.

Comics, like any other form of cultural expression, reflect contemporary prejudices and limits of knowledge, as well as frequently capitalizing on other trends in popular culture. Marvel Comics demonstrated this, decades ago, with the creation of characters like Luke Cage, Blade and Black Panther when blaxploitation films were in vogue.

But ethnic stereotyping in comics was at its crudest and most egregious before the 1960s. Back then, Asians were generally portrayed as coolies, dragon ladies, or Fu Manchu-style androgynous masterminds who sucked on opium pipes and plotted to bring down the white race. Black characters were most commonly portrayed as if they’d stepped out of a minstrel show or a frame of Gone with the Wind, wearing plantation clothing (one such character, sidekick to the Spirit, was saddled with the name Ebony White). During World War II, comic-book xenophobia went into overdrive. Italians and Germans hardly fared well, but the Japanese were portrayed (in both comics and in government propaganda posters) either as buck-toothed, myopic dwarfs or as scarcely human, with bright-yellow skin, pointed ears and fangs.

Over the years, DC Comics has introduced several Asian heroes and villains, such as Katana, a woman who runs around in a bright-red outfit swinging her samurai sword, or Wonder Woman’s nemesis Egg Fu, an evil robotic egg with a prehensile moustache and “so solly” dialogue. The Yakuza also make frequent appearances as stock villains, as have Lady Shiva and Shado, both beautiful, deadly Asian assassins who tangle with heroes like Batman and the Green Arrow.

No one would argue that the Great Ten surpasses World War II’s level of outright racism, but some might argue that something of the spirit of Fu Manchu and Egg Fu live on, subtly, in characters like the Seven Deadly Brothers, a single martial-arts expert who can divide into seven separate bodies and looks like a refugee from Wuxia movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or House of Flying Daggers.

Other characters, like Celestial Archer and Thundermind, seem designed as nods to a Western view of Asian mythology. Thundermind is a bodhisattva (Buddhist saint) who wears a yellow and saffron-colored costume. DC Comics swears an explanation is forthcoming as to why, exactly, a bodhisattva is hanging around helping a Communist nation that tends to frown on religion. Then again, comics have always invited the suspension, if not outright levitation, of disbelief.

Then there’s Socialist Red Guardsman, a radioactive being who’s forced to live within a special containment suit. We mustn’t forget Immortal Man in Darkness, who gives off dark, swirling vapors, no doubt silent but deadly, that can form into useful objects. August General in Iron once prevented Shaolin robots from bringing back imperial rule. It’s not clear yet whether the Great Ten’s greatest enemy, besides the Shaolin robots, is going to be the confounded Chinese bureaucracy, which must approve everything in triplicate before the heroes can proceed.

The Great Ten places Asian American comic-book readers in a difficult position. If we don’t buy it, DC might say Asian and Asian American heroes aren’t popular. If we buy it, DC may assume readers want more of the same. Yet it’s hard to imagine Asian American children in the future pestering their parents to dress up like Mother of Champions for Halloween.

If the Great Ten characters turn out to be written well, one might be tempted to think there’s little reason to object. But given the track record of U.S. comics, Asian American readers would do well not to hold their breaths for the Great Ten becoming anything more than occasional novelty guest stars. Of course, there’s always the off chance that the Great Ten could face off against a superhero team based on Asian stereotypes of Americans. Just imagine: China’s greatest heroes going toe to toe with the Gung-Ho Cowboy Sex-Crazed Overweight McDonald’s Pre-emptive Invasion Force.

•

Bryan Thao Worra is a Laotian American writer living in Minnesota. Since he wasn’t selected as a candidate for The Great 10, he has to keep his day job and maintain his website at http://members.aol.com/thaoworra.