I’ve thought a lot about how to bring comics into newer times, and I really think there needs to be some casting changes. Now I’m not saying we have to ditch the ionic characters, but it’s time to see other characters stepping up and becoming icons themselves. Not to mention, this might start attracting a bigger audience.
Six Minor Characters I’d Elevate into Iconic Character Roles
Pepper Potts as Rescue (Iron Man)
Comic book reviews for Batman Annual #27 and Detective Comics Annual #11 by Fabian Nicieza and backup story Darker Than Black, Part 1 and Part 2 by Mandy McMurray
Comic book reviews for Detective Comics #858, Detective Comics #859, and Detective Comics #860 by Greg Rucka
Comic book reviews for Detective Comics #855, Detective Comics #856, and Detective Comics #857 by Greg Rucka
I’ve had a lot of fun doing this series, and here’s the entire list of the LGBT characters who graced my comic blog for LGBT History Month.
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Maggie Sawyer first appeared in John Byrne’s Superman Vol. 2 #4 in April 1987, which was the same year the Comics Code Authority dropped its ban on LGBT characters in comics. She’s a no-nonsense detective who started out on the Metropolis PD and has since moved to Gotham. And Maggie’s just awesome enough to ride out on a horse in her formal wear from a biodome being poisoned by a bad guy (long story).
In the introduction for Gotham Central: Half a Life trade paperback, author Greg Rucka writes, “Ordinary people have secret identities, too.”
Today is National Coming Out Day. As both a queer woman and an English major, I’ve read a million and one coming out stories. There are entire anthologies devoted to real life coming out stories and almost every LGBT fictional or biographical book has an embedded coming out story.
This is not to say that coming out, especially the first time(s) and to authority figures, isn’t a big thing. In fact, being out is a privilege that not all queer people have. However, in literature, this type of story becomes cliche or a safe tale to tell about the gay experience.
Then came along Renee Montoya and her coming out story in Greg Rucka and Michael Lark’s Gotham Central: Half a Life. It rocked my socks.
The D.C. Comic’s PR machine certainly hyped the new Batwoman, specifically the fact that Kate Kane is a lesbian. Before Kate made her first appearance in 52 #7, everyone had an opinion on this lipstick lesbian who was fighting crime in high heels and a cape. However, unlike many who brushed Kate off as a publicity stunt, I’d actually read Greg Rucka’s writing before and trusted him to created a solid background for Kate. For better or worse, 52 was the first DC book I really picked up on my weekly pull list.
Like her male counterpart, Kate comes from a wealthy family and is a socialite. It’s revealed that she’s the ex-girlfriend (in something of an off-and-on again relationship) with detective-turned-superhero Renee Montoya. However, Renee is not the reason that Kate takes up the cowl. (more…)
Today was my boyfriend’s and my one year anniversary, so we went comic book shopping. Okay, I really wanted to go couch shopping…
Spoilers for Birds of Prey #91, Wonder Woman #25, The Invincible Iron Man #6, Final Crisis: Revelations #3, Avengers/Invaders #5, and I Was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space!!! #3.
Time to stop asking where all the women reading comics because here's one, right in front of you. Reviews and general comic book squeeing by Erica McGillivray (and a few others). I love She-Hulk, tiny baby polar bears, and a good book.
