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Chad Carter
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 5:42pm | IP Logged | 1  


With this reboot nonsense, I had the idea that if DC Comics had really and truly wanted to make a resonant splash, they should have made Superman homosexual.

I'm not being flippant, because I love Superman. But considering everything, how would a homosexual Superman be different than the one who spent half his 75 year existence running from Lois Lane and Lana Lang (acting like a perpetual nine year old, which was fine because that's who should be reading Superman comics) and the other half of his existence married to Lois Lane, which added utterly nothing to the Superman mythos, since it wasn't like he was going to start having kids with her, and have a Superman family of super-powered kids of his own, John Byrne's GENERATIONS aside. 

I mean, wouldn't Superman as a homosexual--and I hesitate to say "gay" because I think the word annoys me, probably because "gay" implies ostentatious gay clowning, the gay man as A+ media personality*--even provide a subtext for alienation DC is looking for for the character? Wouldn't this ensure Superman is not only a minority of one: Kryptonian, but also a minority in American social life? 

Look, to me one of the problems with Superman in an adult world--and that's the problem with all these superheroes these days, removed from their proper place as role models for kids--is that there's nothing worse than a big tall good-looking Caucasoid spewing Equality, Truth, Justice and so on. It shouldn't matter, but to me it's one of the faults with Superman when he's used for social relevance. The "Big Blue Boy Scout" bullsh*t. Superman is everybody's worst pretentious archetype, slumming it occasionally to show he cares. Again, I hate that view, summed up by wrong-headed assertions by writers like Frank Miller, but outside of making Superman a black man or a woman, he will always be viewed by the public as a white man's greatest guilt-quencher. 

*I've known many homosexual men in my time, most of them more Man than I'll ever be. None of them did the "gay" shtick. Oh, I was invited to plenty of lakeside parties, and I was flattered. But these men didn't seem to think it was very important that they talk like bitchy teenage girls and wear eye make-up and make sure every knows a LOOK LOOK LOOK GAY GAY GAY IS IN THE ROOM. Personally, as with many of society's idiot masses and their "culture," the Gay Cliche is one of the most onerous, right up there with the Hipster, the Guido, the Rap Gangster, the Soccer Mom, ect. I'm just clarifying that while I'm the one saying Superman should be homosexual (or bi-sexual), there wouldn't be a need to clarify if Americans didn't have a giant dong up their a** about sexuality to begin with. They're uncomfortable with the idea of Superman holding another man tenderly, but every grotesque, disgusting, inhuman sexual perversion on this planet is one Safe-Search "Off" Google image away from "educating" all your teenagers on what "love" is. 

Superman as a homosexual Man would be good for the culture, especially a horde of human beings who can't tell the difference between their twisted fantasies and the real world to begin with. If, at least, there's a Top Five world icon representing true love, regardless of gender, then maybe you can educate more than titillate. 


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Marcel Chenier
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 6:12pm | IP Logged | 2  

I'm happy that there's enough room in comics to include Gay
characters. While it's a controversial move, we're seeing more 
and more frequently how younger people are being represented 
and participating in the 'It Gets Better' campaign.

If a Gay character can save one kid from feeling outcast, or give
him or her the confidence to walk through school with head held
high so as to avoid being targeted, then I'm all for Gay comic book
characters.

While it may, in actuality, be a money-grab for DC, it stands to reason
that there may just possibly be some great consequences for the
our younger Gay generation.
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Brian Hague
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 6:24pm | IP Logged | 3  

Interesting, Chad. I'm not sure, but I think I even agree with you... With the marraige, DC has shown that they're not interested in keeping any of the themes or tropes that got the character this far. Why not go in entirely different direction altogether? Hm... Something to think about...

DC has experimented with this sort of reveal before, with little real success.

Batwoman is obviously their most prominent gay "transformation," taking a character left largely unused since her heyday in the 1950's and making her a headline grabber for all of a week or so. Renee Montoya, originally a character from the Animated continuity, with some hints of romantic ties to her male partner, was imported into mainstream continuity as a lesbian, following in the footsteps of JB's Maggie Sawyer who showed us that a good cop can be shown as gay in comics without raising the ire of the conservative set. When DC decided to try the reliable "guy character is now a gal" trick with the Question, they had Renee take up the mantle and thereby made that character a would-be icon to the LGBT community. But it's been awhile since then so it's time to give it another go...

JB mentions this idea being "so 1986," and I agree. 1986 was when the Mindy Newell 2 issue (originally scheduled to be 4) Lois Lane mini-series came out. That mini dealt with the difficult social issue of missing children and was successful enough that DC was willing to entertain the idea of another such mini, one dealing with the then highly controversial topic of AIDS. Newell turned in a proposal for a series that would "out" Jimmy Olsen and put him in danger of having contracted the virus. The Superman office reportedly nixed the idea, but DC Editorial was still keen to do something hard-hitting on the subject of AIDS and reveal one of their own characters as closeted. After much debate, the choice was finally made... Ralph Dibny! Married, so clearly in denial or hiding, but think of the drama that would entail. Yes, Ralph Dibny was the perfect choice... It apparently took some doing to explain to those in charge why it might not be the best idea to lead the charge into publishing mainstream gay comics with a character known as "the Elongated Man." The AIDS awareness comic concept foundered and faded.

Legion fandom has a long history of slash fiction and speculation as to which characters might be gay. Element Lad was long thought to be a candidate, but the title's creators decided to "twist" the story and have his girlfriend instead be someone born male who uses a drug to become female. When she loses access to the drug and reverts to her original form, Element Lad stays with her. Speculation runs heavy on a romance having taken place between Invisible Kid and Chemical King (oddly characters who were both "destined" to die.) A lesbian relationship was established between the flighty Light Lass and Shrinking Violet, who became a surly, gun-toting, battle-scarred soldier during the "Five Years Later" storyline.

Wonder Woman herself side-stepped the question directly but stated clearly that the Amazons of Paradise Island fall in love. When asked with whom, she replies, "Why, with one another of course..." in one of the Perez/ Marrinan issues if memory serves. I believe it was implied that she herself has never enjoyed such a relationship as the Amazons all perceive her as being a comparative child and the Queen's little girl.

After Miller's Dark Knight in which the Joker is obsessed with the Batman on a number of levels, romantically being one of them, (It's implied that he may have raped Selina Kyle, so I don't believe the idea was that he was strictly homosexual)  the ever-flamboyent and theatrical Joker went wildly over the top most prominently in a Bill Willingham Justice League Annual in which he was very fey and wore a strand of pearls. It was soon decided by the Powers That Be that this course should be reversed and the Joker was given a female romantic lead in the Mime. That character went nowhere, but the Animated Series' Harley Quinn successfully turned the character around on the point, or at least altered the general perception of him enough that the question hasn't been raised much since.

Who else is gay in the DCU? The Pied Piper reformed and became a friend of Wally West's, soon revealing that he was gay. Again, not the best choice given the polka dots, pointy shoes, and the name's association with leading small children astray, but I'm sure everyone involved meant well. Ozymandias is strongly implied to be gay in the film at least, given that one of the folders on his office computer is marked "Boys." Stormwatch's Apollo and Midnighter, imported over from the Wildstorm universe, already represent the "rough trade" segment of the community, so I doubt the Martian Manhunter will be looking to satisfy his "Love J'onzz" in that title, but who knows?

As for who DC intends to "out" in the near future, I suspect it will once again be Jimmy Olsen. The new version with the bowl cut is visually different enough from his predecessor that DC can easily back-pedal and insist that Jimmy wasn't ALWAYS gay. Just this new guy is!  A bold, brave, easily retracted and distanced move only 25 years or so in the making...

The New DC. There's No Stopping Us Now!



Edited by Brian Hague on 21 May 2012 at 6:26pm
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Bill Guerra
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 6:45pm | IP Logged | 4  

If DC wants to make headlines and had the guts, they should reveal Batman as being gay. Think about it.

Also, it could coincide with the release of the new movie this summer, to maximize public interest!

Or, they can just create an all new, interesting character and use them wisely...

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Nathan Greno
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:13pm | IP Logged | 5  

Avatar"If DC wants to make headlines..."

---

I wish the focus was on storytelling... not gimmicks to sell books.




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Paulo Pereira
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:15pm | IP Logged | 6  

 Bill wrote:
If DC wants to make headlines and had the guts, they should reveal Batman as being gay. Think about it.

I can just see Grant Morrison's self-satisfied smirk right now. Please, no.
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Nathan Greno
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:17pm | IP Logged | 7  

I feel Archie Comics handled this subject really well...!



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Glen Keith
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:25pm | IP Logged | 8  

I doubt it will be Batman. For one thing, he's already had on panel sex with Catwoman in the Nu52. For another, Grant Morrison aside, DC has been trying to refute rumors of his sexuality for at least 30 years. I doubt they'll just acquiesce to the jokes now just for some temporary press.

Edited by Glen Keith on 21 May 2012 at 7:36pm
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John Byrne
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:42pm | IP Logged | 9  

…they should have made Superman homosexual.

••

As Larry Niven pointed out, there's not a whole lot of logic behind Superman being HETEROsexual. He is, after all, an ALIEN. Practically speaking, there's no reason any Terrestrial life form should be appealing to him. (Lois, for instance, would most likely look right, but all the chemical signals would be wrong.)

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Nathan Greno
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:47pm | IP Logged | 10  

Sigh.






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Brian Hague
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:54pm | IP Logged | 11  

See...? Y'see how right Morrison is? "He protests." "He seems angry..." The costumes stay on as they do it on the floor of his walk-in closet to Madonna's "Erotica..." *

*Community reference.

 

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Paul Gibney
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Posted: 21 May 2012 at 8:01pm | IP Logged | 12  

  Couldn't really be Superman; it would ruin the Lois Lane dynamic.  Also, it would be too gutsy for the DC that currently exists.  Not gonna happen.
  As for Jimmy, the Jack Larsen connection might be perceived as problematic.  Besides, the quote indicated that they were going to reintroduce someone; Jimmy is already there.
  So who is still out there to reintroduce?  Creeper?  Doc Magnus and/or the Metal Men?  Oh, I hope it's not one of the Challengers of the Unknown!
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