Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities The HIV-Positive Superhero Sidekick

I'm sorry for the language, administrators, but BULLSHIT! Anyone with a history of comics knows that it was in THIS VERY BOOK. when it was known as Green Lantern/Green Arrow, dealt with lots of serious subjects. The famed "hard travelling heroes" stories of Denny O'Neill and Neal Adams were among some of the best comic stories ever produced. These stories dealt with drug addiction (specifically heroin addiction), racism, poverty, and class struggle in ways that no comic before, and damn few since, have had the vision or courage to. HIV is among one of our biggest "quiet" problems. Because of some advancement in treatment, many people think the disease has just "gone away" and poses no real danger to them. Comics aren't always for our entertainment, and socially relevant stories are just as necessary as superhero mega-fights.

Andy S: thank you for the information posted. The private pathology company i work for sends out it's results with the proviso that a test within 30 days of suspected infection may not show the virus and that a follow up test is recommended 60-90 days later to eliminate, in the wondrously euphimistic phrase, 'false negatives'.

There are also the legal complications of needle stick injuries that try to balance the rights of patient rights and the poor bastard that just got pricked. You cannot immediately check the sample of the patient's blood for HIV. permissions must be sought, Having dealt with intravenous drug users (who are buggers to find a workable vein in) who, even in the obvious cases, swear they hain't never done that sort of thing it adds to the problems.

i apologise for not replying to ferroboy and all for not replying sooner, but i didn't know the situation stateside and figured it was better to let it pass lest it become one of those arguement threads.

and after saying all that, if Winnick story turns out to be about some-one faced with the problem and finds they have to face realities about the condition then i'll retract my opinions.

If it's an 'You can overcome all obstacles including the HIV + sharp objects + other people' story then i'll let it stand.

TOTALLY late in the day -- i just picked up the issue this week along with lots of other things i had missed in a very good shop (wish it was closer to me, but it's all the way in Culver City by Sony studios)

wow

yes it shook me up

winick nailed a lot of the whole experience