Nightwing #21 courtesy DC Comics
Nightwing is leaving Gotham City for Chicago! At the DC All Access Panel at Chicago’s C2E2 writer Kyle Higgins talked with fans about the new mission and new home for Dick Grayson:
“The idea is that Tony Zuco – the man that killed Dick Grayson’s parents – is still alive and living under an assumed identity in Chicago.” The high concept of masked heroes and villains all being outlawed in the city even as a new masked version Continue reading
Astonishing X-Men #51 courtesy Marvel
An X-Man got married to a Man. A gay Green Lantern was born. A Riverdale teen met his geek (and gay) icon. A twist on who was a Slayer in Buffyverse. Those were just some of the GLBT characters and storylines that made mainstream headlines, boosted comics and possibly helped change our culture.
GLAAD revealed their nominees for Outstanding Comic Book. Congratulations to the writers/artists/editors and publishers for the recognition. The nominations reflect on the big year for gay characters in comic books and the impact they have on society.
Astonishing X-Men, Earth 2, Kevin Keller, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Batwoman are great books by talented creators but which book should win and why?
Op/Ed:
Do I have a favorite? I admit I have a X-Men bias but it was my first comic book.
I have go to with Astonishing X-Men. Northstar’s wedding to Kyle Jinadu was not just a one issue stunt. Jean-Paul has been out since 1992. Jean-Paul an Kyle’s romance developed in earlier volumes of Uncanny X-Men and the most recent Alpha Flight series.
Astonishing X-Men #51 variant courtesy Marvel
In Astonishing X-Men #51 Jean-Paul and Kyle got married in New York’s Central Park surrounded by teammates. Marvel even gave the book 2 variants: one with Jean-Paul and Kyle kissing and one with the happy couple on the cover with some of Marvel’s most famous couple’s on their big day. You may call that smart marketing. It is. By looking at this special cover it sent a message that Jean-Paul and Kyle’s ceremony and relationship was the same as Reed and Susan Richards and other Marvel super couples. (Let’s hope they turn out better than Scott & Jean, Storm & T’Challa or Quicksilver & Crystal!)
The wedding was not the end of Kyle’s screen time in the book. After the honeymoon Marjorie Liu continues to explore the complicated life of being married to a superhero in every issue. Who would have thought Wolverine would be giving a guy relationship advice about his husband? Remember when Jean-Paul couldn’t come out?
Astonishing X-Men #54 courtesy Marvel
Northstar wasn’t the only GLBT character featured in this book. Former New Mutant Karma was central to the storyline of Liu’s thrilling arc. Liu didn’t touch on Karma being a lesbian just a conflicted character who showed why she’s a great hero and mother figure to her younger siblings. It didn’t matter than Karma was a lesbian but perhaps Shan may find love now that she’s survived the villain of Liu’s first arc.
By Editor
By Editor
Astonishing X-Men #51 courtesy Marvel
It was the comic book wedding of the year that made mainstream news. Openly gay X-Man Northstar married Kyle Jinadu with the X-Men and Alpha Flight watching in New York’s Central Park. The road to the altar was sidetracked with human and superhero drama – including the return of the Marauders.
Astonishing X-Men: Northstar collecting the first arc of Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins on the book. An elite team of X-Men (Gambit, Northstar, Wolverine, Iceman and Warbird) are in New York City when a new version of the Marauders attack. This arc brought back Cecelia Reyes and Karma. The New Mutant’s return came with a plot twist that’s still turning in the title.
The gay wedding made huge news, inspired a short-lived protest and inspired some gay X-men fans to tie the knot…in a comic book store on the day of the wedding issue’s arrival.
Here’s a link to Astonishing X-Men: Northstar if you missed the issues or would like to have the entire collection in this hardcover edition.
By Editor
Now this is true love and true comic book love…
Northstar’s wedding inspired a real New York couple to tie the knot in a famous comic book store. X-Men fans Scott Everhart and Jason Welker were selected from more than 50 applicants to get married in New York City’s Midtown Comics in honor of Astonishing X-Men #51 which features the wedding of Northstar to his boyfriend Kyle. The photo from the Midtown Comics Tumblr site.
Marvel Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso said the plans for Northstar were inspired by New York’s legislation of marriage equality. Congrats and good luck Scott and Jason.
Thanks to Towleroad.
By Editor
Astonishing X-Men #51 courtesy Marvel
Astonishing X-Men #51 The wedding of Northstar and Kyle Jinadu will make comic book history this week. The first openly gay X-Man is getting hitched but he’s also a target. Who is the mystery woman behind the recent attack by a new team of Marauders? Northstar’s nightmare of the X-Men out to kill him is coming true. Could the wedding be just a dream too?
Avengers vs X-Men #6 Five of the most powerful X-Men are now possessed by the Phoenix Force. Earth is being radically changed. The Scarlet Witch enters the war but on whose side?
Nightwing #10 Dick Grayson is recovering from the shocking revelation from Night of the Owls when he checks out a double murder in Old Gotham. The evidence points the finger right back at….him? DC introduces a new threat to Batman’s battered ally. Who is Paragon and his Republic of Tomorrow?
Saga #4 An against all odds love story amid a galactic war. Two soldiers from enemy races fell in love, had a child and are now running for their lives. This issue introduces a distant planet where darkest fantasies can come true. Will this the runaway family’s safe haven or hell?
True Blood #2 A new comic book will help satisfy your craving for Sookie, Bill, Eric and all the other sexy scary characters from Bon Temps. Alan Ball, Ann Nocenti (Daredevil, Longshot) and Michael McMillan create a perfect companion to the HBO series.
Alpha Flight Volume 1 courtesy Marvel
Northstar gets hitched in Astonishing X-Men this week but before Jean-Paul rejoined the X-Men he was part of Canada’s premier super team. Now you can relive Alpha Flight’s short-lived comeback.
Guardian, Vindicator, Shaman and Marrina are resurrected from the dead to join Northstar, Aurora, Sasquatch and Snowbird. The reunited champions are branded traitors and fight a conspiracy within their own government in the aftermath of Fear Itself.
For Northstar and Kyle fans – this collection is a great way to see their back story. Kyle becomes collateral damage as the team fights the manipulations of the Unity party. A theme that continues as the couple have relocated to New York City and the X-Men.
Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente’s Alpha Flight Complete Series is collected and available in comic book shops and here’s the Amazon link. Ben Oliver and Dale Eaglesham provide the art with Phil Jiminez on covers.
Alpha Flight’s loss is the X-Men’s gain. From the previews for Astonishing X-Men #51 is appears Jean-Paul’s teammates will be there for the wedding in New York City. I’m big fan of John and Heather Hudson (Guardian and Vindicator) and hope Marvel could find a storyline for them.
By Editor
Astonishing X-Men #51 courtesy Marvel
Mainstream media hype hit. Protests came and went. All because a man proposed to the guy he loved. The man is an X-Man. The wedding is the week in Astonishing X-Men #51.
Northstar and Kyle Jinadu tie the knot in New York City just days before many American cities are celebrating gay pride. To the non-comic book reading world this may seem radical but the X-Men have always broken barriers with socially relevant stories and characters.
Marvel’s first openly gay hero, Jean-Paul Beaubier proposed to his boyfriend Kyle Jinadu in issue #50. Creative team Marjorie Liu, Mike Perkins and Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso talked about the landmark issue on Marvel.com.
“The Marvel Universe has always reflected the world outside your window, so we strive to make sure our characters, relationships and stories are grounded in that reality,” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Editor in Chief. “We’ve been working on this story for over a year to ensure Northstar and Kyle’s wedding reflects Marvel’s ‘world outside your window’ tradition.”
Astonishing X-Men #51 variant courtesy Marvel
“The story of Northstar and Kyle is universal, and at the core of everything I write: a powerful love between two people who have to fight for it against all odds,” said writer Marjorie Liu. “This is the quintessential Marvel story, one that blends the modern world with the fantasy of super heroes in order to tell an exciting story that begins with a wedding—and continues in ways you can’t imagine.”
“As a long-time fan of the X-Men, it’s not only a true honor to be part of such a historically significant story but also a complete joy,” said artists Mike Perkins.
Northstar was born in Quebec and a member of the Canadian team Alpha Flight when he premiered in Uncanny X-Men #120. John Byrne wrote and drew the Alpha Flight original series and hinted as Jean-Paul’s sexual orientation. It wasn’t until 1992 when Northstar came out in an Alpha Flight #106 by writer Scott Lobdell. Northstar was recruited by Professor X to join the X-Men. Cyclops asked Jean-Paul to join the team when they moved to San Francisco. Kyle manages Northstar’s winter sports event company. The couple have been together since 2009 and recently moved to New York City after Wolverine invited Northstar to be part of his new school for mutants.
As a longtime X-Men fan it’s amazing to see how the story of mutants has evolved with the political and cultural times. When Northstar was first introduced in the 1980′s it was against editorial policy to have a character be gay. Northstar’s coming out in 1992 was controversial. Now we’re about see the wedding of a gay hero. Maybe Northstar will appear in a future X-Men movie?
Astonishing X-Men #51 variant courtesy Marvel
Astonishing X-Men #51 arrives with two variant covers. Marko Djurdjevic created an intimate cover as Jean-Paul and Kyle embrace. What I think is more symbolic: the Create Your Own Wedding Album cover by Phil Noto. It’s important that Jean-Paul and Kyle’s ceremony in featured on the same page as Storm and the Black Panther, Reed and Susan Richards and other famous Marvel couples on their special day.
Northstar and Kyle’s relationship is just one element of Marjorie Liu’s early run on the book. The mystery woman behind the new Marauders, Warbird’s potentially lethal attraction to Iceman, the return of Karma and Cecelia Reyes are all intriguing reasons to enjoy the book.
Mutants are the evolution of the human race in the comic books. This week’s wedding is a sign how humanity is evolving to greater equality. The fight for equality is far from over. A comic book wedding may or may not change someone’s view on marriage equality. Seeing an openly gay superhero get married with the support of one of the world’s most popular teams may give someone hope that it does get better.
By Editor
Northstar’s upcoming wedding in Astonishing X-Men next month and the reintroduction of a gay Alan Scott Green Lantern inspired my story X Marks Diversity – which looked back at how the X-Men have always been groundbreaking when it comes to characters of different races, cultures, religions and sexual orientation.
X-Statix Volume 1 courtesy Marvel.com
I made a glaring omission. As I was reading today’s Axel-In-Charge column on Comic Book Resources CBR’s Kiel Phegley reminded us that current Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso was editor of the Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather. This Marvel MAX series relaunched the Wild West hero as open and flamboyantly gay drew criticism from anti and pro gay groups more than a decade ago. This led Alonso to remind us of two other gay heroes.
“There are plenty of gay characters in Marvel Comics that fly under the radar. Take Phat and Vivisector, for instance: teammates on the [Peter] Milligan/[Mike] Allred X-Force/X-Statix series that were also lovers. I don’t remember them provoking any controversy and I don’t think Rawhide Kid paved the road for them or any other gay characters; the opportunity was always there. Whenever you create a new character, the details of their interior or private life – stuff like their sexuality – will at some time become relevant.”
Northstar’s proposal is Marvel history now. Alonso revealed how recent events affected the storyline.
”Our best stories reflect stuff that happens in the world outside your window. When the Twin Towers fell, we did the Spidey black cover issue [“Amazing Spider-Man #36”]. when New York State legalized gay marriage, we wondered how Northstar – an openly gay super hero who’s in a long-term monogamous relationship – would respond to that development.
The world outside New Yorkers’ windows is one where gay marriage is recognized. But remember: For Northstar and Kyle, getting married is just the beginning of the story – the easy part. Marriage isn’t about the week’s vacation in Tahiti – it’s about the weekend trip to the K-Mart. A year from now, who knows – we could be looking at the historic divorce issue!” [Laughter]
For more of today’s column – a Friday must for me and I recommend for Marvel fans- here’s the link.
I complete forget this mutant couple and this X-Force reboot from two gifted creators! The title was so different at the time – I always thought of it as an X-Men book by Vertigo.
By Editor
The wedding of Northstar and Kyle was a reason to celebrate for supporters of gay marraige. The first gay wedding of the Marvel Universe hit mainstream media. My stories made the front page of KOMONEWS.COM and the story was picked up on KOMO News Radio. Thanks for all the shares and comments – even the negative ones!
The announcement of Northstar’s nuptuals in Astonishing X-Men #51 by Marjorie Liu were followed by a variant cover by Marko Djurdjevic then a special “create your own wedding album” cover by Phil Noto.
Astonishing X-Men #51 preview courtesy Marvel, a CBR exclusive
Now you can see some interior pages by artist Mike Perkins in an exclusive Comic Book Resources preview. It’s great to see Jean-Paul’s sister Aurora happy and sane – maybe she’ll join one of the X-teams?
Astonishing X-Men #51 courtesy Marvel, a CBR exclusive
By Editor
Astonishing X-Men #51 variant by Marko Djurdjevic courtesy Marvel.com
The first openly gay X-Man will make Marvel history next month by marrying his boyfriend Kevin Jinadu in Astonishing X-Men #51. Marvel revealed a Create Your Wedding Album variant by Phil Noto cover in which you can add your photo to Jean-Paul & Kevin, Luke Cage & Jessica Jones, Reed and Sue Richards and more famous Marvel superheroes.
Today Marvel.com revealed this more intimate variant cover of the happy couple by Marko Djurdjevic.
I appreciate all the positive response to my X Marks Diversity story. I’ve been a fan of this Canadian mutant since Alpha Flight and it’s cool to see Jean-Paul be part of a historic moment.