Fans left the comic book shops with more questions on this new comic book day. The free DC Comics June Previews was available at stores with big updates on the DC Comics Rebirth titles launching in June and beyond.
The magazine includes bonus, behind-the-scenes details, including a foreword/introduction from DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer and Rebirth “architect” Geoff Johns, details on his DC Universe: Rebirth Special.
2012 was a big year for GLBT comic book characters. X-Man Northstar got married. New Mutant Karma became the star of a major storyline. The Buffyverse welcomed Billy the Vampire Slayer. Batwoman kept kicking butt and teamed up with Wonder Woman. Green Lantern Alan Scott is gay on a reborn Earth 2. Archie Comics star Kevin Keller met George Takei.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their portrayal of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #14 courtesy Dark Horse Comics
In Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Season Nine #14 Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg will introduce a new slayer. Billy is a new character who trains himself to fight like a slayer. As revealed in OUT Billy is openly gay.
Editor Scott Allie tells Comic Book Resources part of Billy’s introduction is tied to the wedding of Northstar in Astonishing X-Men and revelation of Alan Scott in Earth 2.
“It’s funny. When we started seeing what Marvel and DC was doing, we thought, ‘Damn. They’re racing to get these stories out one after the other, so it’ll look like we’re chasing them. But we’d had this story planned for quite a while,” Allie said. “But I think you can see this as a natural extension of stuff Joss has done all along. Getting a gay male character doesn’t seem unusual for ‘Buffy.’ And it wasn’t so much that we wanted to get a gay character out in the mainstream for whatever reason. It was more that this is a story that Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg wanted to tell. When you read the story, you’ll see that it’s responding to things in the culture beyond just representing gay male characters. There’s a bit of a response to the whole ‘It Gets Better’ campaign in a way that’s more than subtext. For Jane and Drew in particular, with the kinds of stories they’re used to telling and what they care about, the Buffy mythos was an extremely appropriate place to empower this young guy who needed to find a way to stand up for himself.”
It feels appropriate that Earth 2 #3 comes out the same week Anderson Cooper officially came out. Alan Scott is gay. Let’s move on. The creative moves on in a big way with this third chapter.
James Robinson picks up right after last issue’s cliffhanger with Alan Scott becoming the Green Lantern and learning that an evil greater that Darkseid is coming. This Green Lantern is Earth’s champion but not in a cosmic way like Hal Jordan. Alan’s mission is directed from the planet itself.
Gay and organic? This hero would be perfect for my progressive and earth conscious home of Seattle.
Jay Garrick is still not called the Flash yet. Garrick is confronted and tested by Hawkgirl who says fate led her to him. The two soon witness how the planet is under attack.
WARNING
SPOILERS
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW KEY EVENTS OF THIS ISSUE STOP READING
SERIOUSLY
HERE IT COMES
Earth is under attack from The Grey of Swamp Thing. Alan Scott is Nature’s champion. The Grey unleashes it’s champion in the final pages.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the death of Sam. We just met him last issue so how could a reader get that invested? I felt Alan didn’t grieve enough for the loss of the man he just proposed to but was that to prove why he was chosen as champion? Sam will always be part of the story as the engagement ring becomes the symbol of Alan’s power.
I loved Nicola Scott’s art. I was surprised that Alan Scott’s costume didn’t play at least little homage to his Silver Age counterpart. I still really love Jay Garrick’s uniform and she draws him using his power. There are two scenes of death of rebirth. Early in the book Scott becomes an Emerald Warrior among the ashes of the disaster. In the final pages the Grey’s champion claws out of the ground. Scott captures both brilliantly.
Avengers Vs. X-Men #7Cyclops declares “No More Avengers!” What does this mean for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? If the Phoenix Five can destroy and remake entire planets how can Captain America and his allies hope to escape?
Earth 2 #3 DC Comics reintroduced Silver Age favorite Alan Scott as an openly gay man. This issue shows us how he becomes the Green Lantern. Plus, the Flash hunted by Hawkgirl?
Knights of the Living Dead Volume 1 Full disclosure – I’m picking this just on the title alone. I have not read a single issue but come on – a mashup of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and zombies!
Peanuts Volume 1Snoopy, Charlie Brown and whole gang are back in brand new stories and classic Sunday strips from Charles M. Schulz. This volume collects the first four issues of the series.
Wolverine #310 courtesy Marvel.com
Wolverine #310 No head, no problem. Logan decapitated his archenemy. How is Sabretooth back? The creative dream team of Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi return with sequel of one of Wolverine’s most epic stories.
Warning – you may not want to read this poist if you haven’t read Earth 2 #1 and #2. You may consider some of my points spoilers.
James Robinson and Nicola Scott destroy and give birth to a new world of heroes in Earth 2. This is part of DC Comics The New 52 Second Wave. I admit – I bought #2 because of the reintroduction of a gay Alan Scott/Green Lantern got my curiosity and now I’m hooked on the future of this parallel world.
The debut issue immediately dropped us on an Earth under siege. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman valiantly struggle against overwhelming odds from Apokolips. These battle scenes are a perfect example of why I believe Warner Brothers should make an epic film about DC’s Holy Trinity against Darkseid instead of full on Justice League movie.
Back to Earth 2 – A world without heroes is rebuilding. Alan Scott is a successful jet setting CEO and Jay Garrick is young guy who just got dumped by his girlfriend reevaluating his life when fate crashes into his pity party.
Earth 2 art courtesy DC Comics
The mainstream media is talking about the introduction of an openly gay Alan Scott in issue 2 this week. Robinson and Scott show us Alan and his boyfriend and their glamorous life but next issue promises to be where the relationship takes back burner and the action kicks in. Is Scott already the Green Lantern or has this happened yet?
You might be buying issue 2 for the curiosity about Scott but I really enjoyed seeing how Jay Garrick becomes this world’s Flash, test runs his new power to save lives, learns a threat scarier than Darkseid is heading for this world and becomes the prey for a character I’m really excited to see – Hawkgirl!
Mister Terrific blasts from his cancelled solo series into Earth 2 this issue and immediately encounters an enemy who is out to cancel Michael forever.
I’m really impressed with Nicola Scott’s art – especially the war ravaged Trinity and world against a legion of parademons in issue one. The revamped world and new soon to be heroes are clean and crisp and I particularly loved how Scott portrays Jay’s Flash effect and the new costume!
Earth 2 #2 courtesy DC Comics
This is a new origin for what I think will be this world’s Justice Society. I praise Robinson and DC Comics for including Alan Scott and the upcoming debut of another GLBT character. Come for the curiosity factor but you’ll stay for the great art and storytelling.
The mystery is over now let the speculation begin…again! Who is coming out next?
Golden Age Green Lantern comes out in Earth 2 #2 next week. DC Comics revealed Alan Scott will be reintroduced as a gay man as part of The New 52 Second Wave relaunch. Writer James Robinson says Scott will not be the only gay character in the series.
“There is another character down the line, but that character won’t be appearing for some time, so it’s probably a bit too early to talk about that,” he told the gay and lesbian magazine The Advocate, “but this book will definitely have a diverse cast. Alan Scott won’t be the only gay character in Earth 2, I promise you that.”
Will is be a hero, villain, sidekick? Could it be another hero (and teammate of Scott’s) from the Justice Society era? Wildcat and Doctor Fate have not be reintroduced yet.
The speculation is over. One of DC’s Golden Age heroes is coming out. DC Comics revealed that original Green Lantern Alan Scott will be gay when he’s reintroduced in DC Comics The New 52. Earth 2 #2 by James Robinson out next week reveals Scott as the only Green Lantern of Earth 2. Today DC Comics revealed the new Alan Scott and a kiss with his boyfriend.
“I’m very proud to be introducing Alan Scott into DC COMICS-THE NEW 52,” said series writer James Robinson. “He was my favorite Golden Age character and one I’m very familiar with so I’m really excited to be updating him for a contemporary readership. However, I think old-time readers will be pleasantly surprised by how, in some ways, I’m trying to show the ‘classic’ Alan Scott at the same time. He’s still the same dynamic, heroic guy he was. He’s still the head of a media empire like he was in his prior version, but of course with the form of media changing and evolving with the times. And in many ways, his origin mirrors the original one also. Oh, and on Earth 2 there is only one Green Lantern, so Alan’s title is The Green Lantern. Alan’s sexuality is just one facet of him, along with his innate goodness, valor, charisma and skill at leadership that makes him the perfect man to wield the power of the green light in the world of Earth 2.”
Earth 2 art courtesy DC Comics
“Before starting work on #1, the first document I had to work from was the character breakdowns for our primary players,” continued EARTH 2 artist Nicola Scott. “With Alan the brief was very clear. He needed to be a big, strapping, handsome man that everyone would instinctively follow and love. No short order but right up my alley. Alan strikes me as an incredibly open, honest and warm man, a natural leader and absolutely the right choice to be Guardian of the Earth. His sexuality is incidental. Every time I draw him I love him even more.”
Alan Scott was the Green Lantern of the 1940’s and 50’s and a member of the Justice Society. James Robinson chronicled a gay super hero before. Starman in 1990’s was a groundbreaking series for having a homosexual lead character. Judd Winnick wrote Green Lantern in the 1990’s starring Kyle Rayner with a gay intern named Terry Berg, who became a victim of gay bashing in the storyline.
The original Scott married a woman (Rose and Thorn were her dual identities) and they had two children who grew up to be Jade and Obsidian (a gay character) of Infinity Inc. Scott and other Golden Age heroes returned to the present to train the next generation of heroes in JSA.
Justice Society of America #48 courtesy DC Comics
Ladies man Hal Jordan (played by Ryan Reynolds on the big screen) is still the official Green Lantern of the main DC Comics or Earth 1.
