I hadn't intended on doing something
else about comics so soon after my thoughts on Flashpoint, but when
DC announced it was reintroducing one of its characters as gay, I
just had to say my piece.
Due to how much of a minefield the
discussion of sexual identity is, I want to start off by saying I
whole-heartedly support gay marriage, rights for the gay community
and I view them as being no less human than heterosexuals. In fact,
the heterosexuals that are so vehemently opposed to gay people in
general are the ones that are sub-human.
However, what concerns me is the fact
that DC felt the need to announce that one of their characters in the
relaunch was now gay. I don't care which character it turns out to
be, but DC, was it really necessary to make a big announcement out of
it? Like “Attention everyone! We have gays in the universe! Come
one, come all! We actually have a gay character!” Did it ever occur
to you to actually, y'know, write the character without worrying
about their sexual preference and just let the details shine through
the work?
By doing this, you're basically saying
“The first thing you need to know about this character in our
relaunch is that they're gay”. Why is that important? Are we
supposed to be impressed? Did you forget you've HAD gay characters
before (I say had because, besides Batwoman, have any of them
returned in the relaunch?) like Obsidian, Damon Matthews, Pied Piper
(OK, he actually has returned in the relaunch and maintains his
character traits from post-relaunch, so that I applaud), Renee
Montoya? Or, y'know, two of your main characters in The Authority,
Apollo and Midnighter?
Granted, not many of those characters
(if any) are known to the public at large but they've been part of DC
for years. Hell, Montoya was the goddamn Question for a time. And her
being a lesbian isn't one of the first things I'd use to describe
her. Any number of these descriptors would be among the first:
ex-cop, cynic, bitter, chain-smoker, determined, snarky, etc. And
most of this is based on 52, especially in the first two volumes and
a little of the third (also, I highly recommend reading all four,
even if their canocity is in question. I don't care if I've
recommended them before, I'll do it again. They are brilliant).
Point being, gay characters in DC is
nothing new. So, why is this being treated like it's an event? Are
you trying to boost sales this way? I'm surprised you haven't spun
John Stewart off into his own book and gone “Look! We have an
African-American superhero! We're so progressive!” And, much like
Montoya, John is much more than that. He's stoic, intelligent,
compassionate, a leader... and he also killed my fave Green Lantern
(yeah, spoiler alert). Yeah, I know the circumstances behind it and I
don't blame the writing, but damn it, Mogo's gone! Sniff
Or Ryan Choi, the successor to the
Atom. He's an Asian superhero, though he had his own book, The
All-New Atom. I read the first trade of that and I thought it was
pretty cool. But his heritage isn't how I think of him. I think of
him as curious, brilliant, noble, but most importantly, fun-loving. A
superhero who loves this gig? Yes! We need more of those! It's OK to
take your work seriously but lighthearted superheroes are great too!
Look at Plastic Man or Wally West (also, DC, another thing: Bring.
Wally. Back. NOW).
Oh but what did DC go and do,
post-relaunch? (Spoiler alert), they killed him. *Facepalms*
What the Hell?! Yes, I know he's alive again now (hey look, a
positive from the relaunch!) but he never should have died in the
first place.
I could go on all day listing various
“minorities” (I put that in air quotes because what exactly is a
minority these days? I mean, in media, it makes more sense. Like the
fact that you barely see any African-Americans throughout the entire
run of Friends, but in our world, is that still the term we use?),
but the point is, if the writing is strong, your character doesn't
need to fall back on things that don't matter in the long run.
Look at what Marvel's doing with one of
its long time characters, and most prominent homosexual character,
Northstar (for the record, his sexuality isn't the first thing I
identify about him, it's the fact that he's a member of the Canadian
superhero team, Alpha Flight or that he's a mutant ): he's getting
married to his boyfriend, Kyle, which Marvel is making a big deal out
of. Now, while people at this point are saying “So, what DC is
doing is a cynical sales boost but this is OK?”, I'd like to point
out that yes, this is OK, because marriages are often big deals in
comics, regardless of gender. Superman and Lois Lane, Cyclops and
Jean Grey, Green Arrow and Black Canary, Spider-Man and Mary Jane
Watson, just to name a few. But this is also Marvel showing support
of gay marriage, and for one of its long time “B-list” superheros
who hasn't been seen in much outside media. I don't know if many
newsagents down here will be getting the issue, but if they do, I
will be buying it, because I support what they're doing (for anyone
interested, it's Astonishing X-Men #51).
But Northstar's not the only gay
character in Marvel's canon. Others are fellow mutants such as Phat,
Karma, Vivisector, Bloke and Destiny. And some non-mutant gay
characters include Hulkling and Wiccan from the Young Avengers. The
latter two are characters I actually know a little about and again,
their sexuality is not their defining trait.
I'm sure I've lost a few people on the
way, so to sum up: DC is making a big deal out of a character's
sexuality now being different and expecting it to be some big
revelation, like it's going to play into how he's written.
Marvel is letting one of it's lesser
known but still well loved characters marry the love of his life and
treating it with the respect it deserves.
Marvel- 1, DC- O.
