quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad: Quis, according to Bleeding Cool, "sources" say it is indeed Alan Scott as you've suggested. They're not calling it confirmation, but history tells me BC's sources are much more reliable than they are not.
If this is the case, I'm not really upset. However, it does likely mean no Jade or Obsidian as we've known them. Both have a faithful cult following.
Again, I don't think doing this with Alan Scott is all that seismic in terms of DC making a statement. Given the alternate Earth setting and his obscurity to non-comic fans and to even some actual comic fans, the choice seems pretty "ho-hum".
The more I think of it, the more I like your logic behind the character actually being Jimmy Olsen over Alfred. It would have been much braver of DC, IMO, than Alan Scott. If sources are correct...oh well.
Ya know ive been looking all night and besides delving in the "comments" section of the link you provided I have yet to read anything that quotes sources of any kind.
Can anyone link me directly to a "source" hinting or pretty much summing up that it is Alan Scott or anyone else for that matter?
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
While I'd love to see a major character turn out to be gay, I also hope it doesn't overwrite any GOOD established romances. We've already lost Clark-Lois and MJ-Peter in recent years.
When Obsidian was outed, I thought it was well-done because any heterosexual romantic relationships he did have were in the past. It's like if they turned Elongated Man gay - I'd hate it cause I love the Ralph-Sue marriage.
On the other hand, I've never relaly been a fan of Dinah-Ollie, so wouldn't mind Ollie turning gay (for example).
In any case, IF it is Alan Scott, and Obsidian is still extant AND gay too... that would make for some potentially good story-telling. Father-son bonding while checking other men out! Just as long as they bring Obsidian's boyfriend along. On a more serious note, Todd could be a mentor figure to Alan in a way - help him deal with being gay, if he hasn't gotten comfy with it yet.
Of course, since everything's being rebooted it's a pretty moot point but...
quote:Originally posted by Quislet, Esq: And don't count Jade or Obsidian out. Gay men have been known to father children. Although storywise, even if Alan Scott was heterosexual, he needs to have contact with the ring/lantern/starheart before any kids he fathers get powers. So, you would still be looking at 10-15 years before you could have Jade or Obsidian. Although, comic years don't match real life years as we all know.
Yeah, after I posted that, I realized that Alan being gay wouldn't preclude him fathering children, so that was stupid on my part. Gay parenting in a mainstream superhero book would actually be another step forward!
Don't feel too bad as I originally had the thought of "I guess that would mean no Jade or Obsidian". Gay parenting is still a novel concept even for some gay people.
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad: The goal to me should be for gay characters to be ordinary and accepted parts of popular fiction, not the equivalent of movies-of-the-week. Alan Scott being remade as a gay character and trying to get massive publicity for it sounds like a cheap afterschool special. Jimmy Olsen...well, that would've been worthy of all this hubbub.
I agree that gay characters should be treated as ordinary and that their being gay is just another part of their whole character. But I would say that in the context of superhero comics, being a superhero is pretty ordinary. And if DC was going to have an existing character suddenly come from your state (or have some characteristic that you identify with & hasn't been seen in comics) would you want that character to be the hero or the supporting character?
I don't think DC is doing this just for publicity (of course the publicity doesn't hurt), so I expect that the character being gay is for good story telling and showing more diversity; and not as a movie-of-the-week deal.
The one concern I have in this regard is the character becoming the Steven Carrington of comics. Steven Carrington was the gay son on Dynasty, who then became straight, and then went back to being gay and then was straight again.
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by MLLASH's back: One of the Marvels would really be cool though!!!!
Captain Marvel Jr wouldn't be a surprise though ...
Neither would Uncle Marvel or Talky Tawny.
Althought you could add a fourth Lieutenant Marvel. Hill Billy, Tall Billy, Fat Billy, and Gay Billy
Hmmmm.... Gay Billy. Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah!
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad: The goal to me should be for gay characters to be ordinary and accepted parts of popular fiction, not the equivalent of movies-of-the-week. Alan Scott being remade as a gay character and trying to get massive publicity for it sounds like a cheap afterschool special. Jimmy Olsen...well, that would've been worthy of all this hubbub.
I will say this for Marvel: them having a gay character, however obscure, get married is at least a viable political statement in a time where the topic is hot and in the headlines every day. If DC is simply reimagining Alan Scott as gay, how can that compare? It's just a cheap move on their part to say, "hey, we're LGBT friendly, too!"
Funny, I see this exactly the reverse. My guess is that James Robinson decided months ago that Earth-2's Alan Scott would be gay. No big deal, just one aspect of the character. Exactly in line with what you said above: ordinary and accepted.
Meanwhile, I see Marvel doing the calculation "hey, gay marriage is a hot-button issue right now, how can we capitalize on that to get some publicity?" and coming up with "well, we haven't made a big deal out of Northstar's queerness lately, let's hitch 'im up!"
After that, Didio's announcement was probably a typically tone-deaf response to Marvel's, making public an artistic/editorial decision that was already in the works. Maybe subsequent events will prove me wrong, but I doubt that, if it's Alan Scott, it happened because Northstar got married.
If either company is trying to exploit the issue, it feels more like Marvel to me.
From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
I will say this, though: the Northstar storyline has been very good. They seem to be handling the relationship with tact and sensitivity, whatever their possible motives for writing it.
From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
It still strikes me that they'd be a lot better off taking a previously existing gay character (e.g. Obsidian) and working to make him an Icon rather than taking a previously existing Icon and making him gay.
Even sticking to classic JSAers, why not use someone whose orientation was less firmly established (I'm looking at you, Dr. Mid-Nite!)?
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad: The goal to me should be for gay characters to be ordinary and accepted parts of popular fiction, not the equivalent of movies-of-the-week. Alan Scott being remade as a gay character and trying to get massive publicity for it sounds like a cheap afterschool special. Jimmy Olsen...well, that would've been worthy of all this hubbub.
I will say this for Marvel: them having a gay character, however obscure, get married is at least a viable political statement in a time where the topic is hot and in the headlines every day. If DC is simply reimagining Alan Scott as gay, how can that compare? It's just a cheap move on their part to say, "hey, we're LGBT friendly, too!"
Funny, I see this exactly the reverse. My guess is that James Robinson decided months ago that Earth-2's Alan Scott would be gay. No big deal, just one aspect of the character. Exactly in line with what you said above: ordinary and accepted.
Meanwhile, I see Marvel doing the calculation "hey, gay marriage is a hot-button issue right now, how can we capitalize on that to get some publicity?" and coming up with "well, we haven't made a big deal out of Northstar's queerness lately, let's hitch 'im up!"
After that, Didio's announcement was probably a typically tone-deaf response to Marvel's, making public an artistic/editorial decision that was already in the works. Maybe subsequent events will prove me wrong, but I doubt that, if it's Alan Scott, it happened because Northstar got married.
If either company is trying to exploit the issue, it feels more like Marvel to me.
DL, there's little doubt in my mind that, assuming it's Alan Scott, it was probably originally a creative decision by James Robinson. But it just feels like DC felt they had to tease this the way they have in advance because of what Marvel did. Otherwise, they probably would have just let it unfold and allow fans to react after the fact. To me, the most important LGBT character in comics is still Kate Kane, so if DC really wanted to legitimately toot their own horn on the subject, they could always point to their Batwoman book.
As far as Marvel being worse for what they've done with Northstar, I'll differ again. Northstar has been out for well over a decade and was intended to be gay by his creator John Byrne, though editorial policy o the time wouldn't allow Byrne to explicitly show this on-panel. Further, Northstar's relationship with Kyle has been shown for some time and was really front-and-center during the recent Alpha Flight series. Yeah, maybe it feels exploitative given current headlines, but it didn't come completely out of nowhere. So I respect Marvel for that.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
posted
I'll add to Lardy's comment that it would be weird, maybe even off-putting, if Marvel wasn't hyping Northstar's impending marriage. Hoopla around superhero marriages is common for both The Big Two. Why wouldn't they hype this one, just as they have all the others?
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From: Vanity, OR | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
I agree with Lardy that Earth-2 and confusion with the main GL disfavor Alan Scott.
I still think Atom makes the most sense.
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: Dec 2003
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cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
posted
quote:Originally posted by Dev - Em:
quote:Originally posted by Quislet, Esq: Apparently the One Million Moms group has heard about this and Northstar's upcoming wedding and are none too pleased.
Yeah...1 million if you count each of them a couple hundred times.
A shopkeeper in CA has contacted the Angry Mommy Brigade and requested that they specifically picket his shop. He thinks it'll be good for business.
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From: Vanity, OR | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
I would SO do that too if I had a comic shop!
Years ago I said I wouldn't bother to write a book unless someone promised me in advance to ban it.
From: Manhattan, NY | Registered: May 2011
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cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
posted
Shining Son, just pick a local bakery or used car lot that you want to drum up business for, and send that address to the Angry Mommies. It's not as if these people know anything about comics anyway, so I'm guessing they'll just show up there without bothering to research first.
Hijinks ensue.
-------------------- Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on flickr. Drop by and tell me that I sent you.
From: Vanity, OR | Registered: Dec 2008
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On a more serious note, Todd could be a mentor figure to Alan in a way - help him deal with being gay, if he hasn't gotten comfy with it yet.
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