Marvel's On The Right Track, Baby

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.