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.
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.
After seeing Prometheus a second time I went back to a casting dream for a possible Avengers sequel. Seeing Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace together a second time made be think how perfect they would be as the Vision and the Scarlet Witch. This is just the musing of a geek – I have no knowledge and assume Fassbender would not want to play another android.
Avengers Origins: Vision from Marvel.com. Cover by Marko Djurdjevic
Prometheus still of Noomi Rapace courtesy 20th Century Fox
I posted before how both actresses who played The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo could play Wanda on-screen in an X-Men: First Class (Rooney Mara)sequel or Avengers (Rapace) sequel.
Avengers Vs X-Men #6 variant courtesy Marvel
Again – I have no power or knowledge and will probably enjoy what Marvel decides but it’s fun to dream and play casting director!
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing
Now this is an assimilation you might enjoy! Doctor Who, Amy and Rory are about to meet the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise! Star Trek: The Next Generaton/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 is a new comic book from IDW Publishing. Issue #1 featured an attack on a Federation world by Borg with Cybermen.
io9 has a first look at issue #5. Amy Pond, Deanna Troi and Dr. Beverly Crusher share one cover. The Time Lord and Captain Picard are seen peering out of the Tardis on another.
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing
Here’s the official description: The two greatest science-fiction properties of all time cross over for the first time in history, in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION²! Captain Jean-Luc Picard faces one of the most difficult decisions of his life, but the fate of the galaxy may depend on it! Can the Doctor convince him to make the correct choice?
Seattle’s self-proclaimed super villain Rex Velvet is sporting new glamour shots on his Facebook page following his latest shot of mainstream exposure this week. YouTube sensation Velvet was the cover story of the Seattle Weekly.
Ninjak is back! Valiant Entertainment reveals Ninjak will take on Aric in X-O Manowar #5 this September. This will be the first chapter of a new arc by Robert Venditti and Lee Garbett.
From the publisher:
“X-O Manowar has landed on Earth – and now the world’s most lethal intelligence agent has a new target. But who is the operative known as Ninjak? And who – or what – has marked Aric of Dacia for death by his blade? Find out when the all-new, all-ruthless Ninjak makes his shocking debut – and cuts his way to the forefront of the Valiant Universe!”
X-O Manowar #5 courtesy Valiant Entertainment
Mark Moretti and Joe Quesada created Ninjak in the Bloodshot series but the character became so popular he got his own series. Colin King is the rich son of a British agent raised in the Far East where he was an outcast. After his father’s murder King became a martial arts master to bring his father’s killer to justice and later a master spy.
X-O Manowar is a popular choice and book of the month with my Comic Book Reading group!
Here’s a lesson one kid won’t forget. If a superhero comes to your school don’t ask if you can punch him as hard as you can! Superheroes wear heavy costumes that can take a beating for a good reason!
Seattle is the home of costumed crime fighter Phoenix Jones. A local school invited Jones to discuss bullying with the kids. The costumed guest speaker also showed off his uniform – his rubberized, armored, bulletproof uniform.
Denise Weinstein told KOMO NewsRadio. “My child gets up in front of him and (Phoenix) says to him, ‘OK, give me all you got…give me your best punch, but wait, but don’t do it too hard, you might get hurt.’ ”
Noah now has a broken finger, is in a soft cast but with a lesson learned.
“I shouldn’t punch a superhero as hard as I can,” he said.
From "Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film" at EMP Museum, photo by ComicsBlend.com
If Prometheus has you longing for the original Alien then set course for the EMP Museum in Seattle. Icons of Science Fiction just opened featured some of the most memorable artifacts of favorite films, television shows, novels and comics. You can see part of Michael Biehn’s uniform from Aliens. Ridley Scott is among the titans on Science Fiction Hall of Fame altar.
