I can’t believe I’m already at 100 posts! Thanks to everyone who has viewed and shared my new blog! Safe travels to those of you on the road to see family. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Will
Happy Anniversary Fantastic Four
Congratulations to Marvel’s First Family! Fantastic Four #600 is released today. The 50th Anniversary of The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine. Thanks to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for giving us Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny. I guess we should thank them for Doctor Doom too. A great super team deserves a great villain.
Comics, cartoons or movies – the Fantastic Four have entertained us for decades. If you haven’t picked up an issue in a while, here’s an update on our heroes.
SPOILER WARNING:
Johnny Storm apparently sacrificed himself to stop an invasion from the Negative Zone. Spider Man joined the team. Reed renamed the group the Future Foundation.
Spider Man is just the latest in the long line of guest members including Storm, Black Panther and She-Hulk. Reed, Sue, Ben, Johnny, their extended family and Johnny and Ben’s girlfriends have been through cosmic clashes and emotional dramas.
One of my all time favorite covers is Fantastic Four #236. This was the 20th Anniversary issue drawn by John Byrne. Not since the early days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby has a creator captured the spirit of the Fantastic Four than John Byrne on his epic run.
Jonathan Hickman is now chronicling the FF with innovative concepts but always staying true to the core of what makes this book great. The Fantastic Four is always about big adventure and family.
Happy Anniversary! Here’s to another 50 years (and maybe a new movie?)
Bunker Was Born This Way!
A new gay superhero debuts this week at comic book stores. Bunker joins the Teen Titans with issue number three out this Wednesday. DC’s New 52 relaunch is an effort to create a more modern comics universe. When the new character was introduced online creators said Bunker would be openly gay and flamboyant. The teaser sparked scorn, praise and controversy. This week you can grab the new issue and decide for yourself.
Bunker is a Mexican teen named Miguel Barragan with the power to build brick like force fields and he likes to wear purple. Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth created this new character to join established DC teen heroes like Red Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash.
Scott Lobdell knows how to write young heroes. He co-created the teen mutants of Marvel’s Generation X. Lobdell wrote storylines with a mix of action, teen angst and captured the awkwardness all teens feel trying to fit in and find themselves. Scott Lobdell is noted for writing the issue when Canadian super hero and future X-Man Northstar came out in Alpha Flight # 106 in 1992. Comic Book Resources has a more detailed interview with Lobdell about the creation of Bunker.
Bunker’s creation has sparked a lot of debate of the state of gay characters in comics. I’m working a post for later this week on some of most memorable LGBT characters. I’d like to know what you think of Bunker – I still don’t get the name.
Top 5 Comic Picks Week of 11/23/11
Top 5 Comic Picks Week of 11/23/11
Wolverine and the X-Men #2
Logan rebuilt the X-School in Westchester but will it be destroyed the first day of class? The new Hellfire Club leaves a nasty surprise underneath the academy. Issue 1 was full of surprises with a heavy dose of humor and fun. It looks like the action kicks in this issue as the smarmy Black King of the Hellfire Club unleashes a monster that looks an awfully lot like Krakoa, the mutant living island from Giant Size X-Men #1. Krakoa’s capture of the original team was responsible for the formation of the “new” X-men including Wolverine.
Fantastic Four #600
The 50th Anniversary of Marvel’s First Family. Fans have seen big changes to the book and team during Jonathan Hickman’s run. With the Human Torch lost, Spider Man joined the team. Reed renamed the team the Future Foundation. No one stays dead in comics so could this celebration story arc lead to the return of Johnny Storm? There’s another way to celebrate the milestone with the recently released Fantastic Four Omnibus showcasing the legendary run of writer/artist John Byrne. Current writer Jonathan Hickman and Byrne both were masters at capturing the sense of adventure. Both writers were not afraid to shake up the team dynamic.
Batman Dark Knight #3
Fear takes over Gotham City after a toxin boosts the powers of its most notorious villains. Batman’s brawl with a supersized Two-Face last issue was brutal. This issue a hero becomes infected and the trail leads to the sexy White Rabbit. Is this new temptress behind the plot that’s making Batman’s Rogues Gallery more powerful and dangerous than ever?
Astonishing X-Men 4
Storm sporting her former Mohawk and locking lips with Cyclops – it was the teaser cover that got fans buzzing about Greg Pak taking over the title. Pak is known for his epic Planet Hulk and X-Men: Phoenix: Endsong epics. With Storm in her late 1980’s look, I’m suspecting this will be another cross-time adventure with X-Men from different timelines. It’s been done. But Pak knows how to tell action packed stories with a science fiction edge so I’m in!
Teen Titans #3
A new gay superhero debuts this week. Bunker joins the Teen Titans with issue number three. When the new character was introduced online creators said Bunker would be openly gay and flamboyant. The teaser sparked scorn, praise and controversy. This week you can grab the new issue and decide for yourself.
Bunker is a Mexican teen named Miguel Barragan with the power to build brick like force fields and he likes to wear purple. Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth created this new character to join established DC teen heroes like Red Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash.
Gay Heroes in Comics
Bunker debuts in Teen Titans #3 this week. Creators say the Mexican teen is openly gay and flamboyant. The online teaser sparked debate, praise and some scorn. Robot 6 has a good post about the early reaction.
Comic book universes are still dominated by white males in the pages of comics and behind the scenes. Bunker is the a new creation as part of an effort to make the DC universe more diverse. Bunker’s arrival made me think of the GLBT heroes that I’ve followed over the years.
I would have to say that Marvel has taking the lead when it comes to creating gay heroes. Northstar of the Canadian team Alpha Flight was created in 1979 but finally came out in 1992. With news of Alpha Flight being cancelled I’m hoping Northstar will return to the X-Men. In last week’s post I made my case for Jean-Paul joining Wolverine’s new school and team.
The X-Men family of books have always has a theme of diversity and anti-discrimination with several GLBT characters. Rictor and Shatterstar are boyfriends in X-Factor. Karma is a lesbian member of New Mutants. Anole and Graymalkin are young mutants still in training to be be potential X-Men.
One of my favorite titles is the Young Avengers. Hulkling and Wiccan are boyfriends but being gay is the least of their family troubles. Hulking is an alien wanted by two enemy races. Wiccan may be the long lost son of the Scarlet Witch. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade may reveal the truth about Wiccan’s parentage.
DC’s most famous gay characters are Apollo and Midnighter. The duo was created in Stormwatch which morphed into The Authority under the Wildstorm banner. Imagine Superman and a Batman/Wolverine hybrid as a gay couple and you have Apollo and Midnighter. I would say The Authority is for mature readers for the graphic violence. The two heroes were married. Apollo and Midnighter are members of the new Stormwatch.
DC is the only publisher to feature a lesbian as the star of her own series. When Batwoman was revamped a few years ago, Kate Kane came out and has been kicking butt in Gotham City. Batman’s home turf is the home to another lesbian character. Detective Renee Montoya was introduced on Batman the Animated Series but when she joined the book Gotham Central she was made a lesbian and made more butch.
Teen Titans #3 could be a book to buy for historical reasons. As far as I know, Bunker will be the most flamboyant openly gay character in a mainstream title. As for how out there, we’ll have to read and see. If you know of other gay heroes and heroines I may have left out – I want to hear from you.
Fans Come to the Rescue of Superman Collector
This is the kind of story that makes you just feel good. Fans around the world rally to help a devoted Superman fan rebuild his collection and make sure justice is served.
Huffington Post reports that thieves took advantage of Mike Meyer and stole 1,800 of his comics. Meyer has been collecting since he was 10 years old. He tells Fox2now how it felt to have his treasured collectibles stolen.
The story of this injustice spread around the world and soon donations were flying in from fans as far away as China to Meyer’s home in Illinois. Meyer was surprised by a call of support from Brandon Routh, who played Superman in the Superman Returns. ABC News/AP also reports that Meyer was treated to a tour of Jerry Siegel’s childhood home. Siegel is the co-creator of the Man of Steel.
This story demonstrates what a collection means to those of us who collect. It’s more than issues in plastic sleeves. Our collections are something that grows with us as we grow up. Mike Meyer’s happy ending shows that heroes don’t always have to sport spandex and capes.
Comic Creators Featured in OUT100
The creators of an anti-bullying comic book are part of OUT100. Zan Christensen and Mark Brill are featured in Out Magazine’s annual salute to the most inspiring people of the year.
Disturbed by stories of bullied gay teens committing suicide, the writer and artist created The Power Within. It’s the story of a gay teen picked on at school who is protected by his superhero alter ego. Comic Book Stars Phil Jiminez, Gail Simone, Greg Rucka made contributions to the issue.
The Power Within is published by Northwest Press. Christensen’s company publishes comic collections and graphic novels with gay characters and themes.
Thanks to Halley Griffin of KOMONEWS.COM for her features on the hometown creators and their inspiring project. I was lucky to have my copy autographed by Mark at the Jet City Comic Book Show. Congratulations Zan and Mark.
Death of Phoenix Page Sold For $65,000+
Story:
An original page from Uncanny X-Men #137 sold for $65,725! That 1980 issue features the death of the Phoenix/Jean Grey. The art is by John Byrne and Terry Austin. This issue is the final chapter in the Dark Phoenix Saga. The panels show Jean begging Scott Summer/Cyclops to kill her before she loses control and the Dark Phoenix takes over. Thanks for Robot 6 for this scoop. There’s a very rich X-fan out there.
Opinion:
The Dark Phoenix Saga is the greatest X-Men and comic book story ever told. Claremont and Byrne weaved an intergalactic, action packed epic filled with emotion. I swear I didn’t cry. I still have my issue #137 and every few years I reread the whole saga and sometimes the entire Clarement/Byrne era.