"NO!"
The debate rages on: Betty or Veronica? Betty has the lead, ever so slightly, as of this writing, so get in there and make your voice heard!
Er…not that there’s going to be a prize or big payoff or anything. It’s all just for laffs, kids, because sometimes in this cruel world, that’s all you get.
Anyway, I do want to touch upon a couple things in recent funnybook news, which I don’t do enough of (primarily because Tom and Dirk have got it pretty much sewn up), but that I feel slightly obligated to mention.
First, I know this is old news, but both my friend Cully and my own father will want to know this, and they’re not going to see this anywhere else: “HBO to do ‘Preacher’ series.” I wonder what the look was on the HBO executives’ faces when they heard “…And get this…God’s the bad guy!”
And then there’s the brouhaha regarding some full-frontal Spidey in Spider-Man: Reign #1, in which an “art error” resulted in Peter Parker’s naughty bits making it into the final printed product. Thus, Marvel is accepting returns from retailers on this first issue…which is a tad annoying, but only because we agonized over our orders for this comic, only to have it end up being returnable anyway. And it’s just as well, because it ain’t sellin’ like we thought it might…plus, considering what happened the last time a comic with some nakedtivity got into the wrong hands, nekkid Spidey is the last thing we need. Though, with no Spider-movie in the theatres, it’s not like kids are clamoring for Spider-Man right now anyway.
By the way, this press release from Marvel announces a “sell-out” on the first issue (really? I got plenty…let me know if you want one before I strip the covers and mail ’em back to the distributor) and a second printing:
“Marvel is rushing back to press with a new interior art variant cover [sic] by Andrews guaranteed to only increase the conversation swirling around this book.
I put a [sic] in there because I think “new interior art variant cover” is two different things being conflated. It’s “new interior art” (i.e. Peter will have some undies on, or a nice, big shadow across his Little Spidey) and a variant cover, because you can’t have a reprint without a variant cover. The press release doesn’t mention the…trouble regarding the first issue, which is the only real reason there’s any “swirling conversation” about it.
Another brouhaha is over Alex Ross’ statement about the DC character Obsidian in a Wizard interview:
“Obsidian being put into the JSA is a lot like—and I’m speaking for Geoff here, which he may not agree with – but it’s him grabbing a character that’s just going to get molested further in other writer’s hands. So he’s grabbing him and putting him in the group so he at least can be shepherding this character that belongs in this association. Maybe he’ll make sure that no other writers get any ‘fun, creative’ ideas with him.
Given that the only other writer to do anything with Obsidian recently was Marc Andreyko, in Manhunter, where the character was in a gay relationship…well, you can see how that sounds. Oy. Pal Dorian and Ray have additional commentary on the matter. (EDIT: Via pal Dorian, Ross tries to clarify his statement.)
Dor also discusses Chuck Dixon writing a gay lead character in the just-announced Grifter/Midnighter series, which is a tad odd given (as Loren points out) Dixon’s feelings on homosexuality in comics. Johanna has some thoughts on the topic (as well as some debate in her comments section). I’m going to guess that, all things considered, Midnighter’s homosexuality is going to be alluded to only briefly, if at all, in this series, which will probably be six issues of guns and fistfights and no time for love (though Dorian’s prediction for the series, a favoring of Grifter’s crime-fighting methods versus Midnighter’s, is a possibility as well). We’ll see.
BEAUTY IN THE WORLD: Public Enemy putting on a parking lot concert at a comic shop signing, promoting the first issue of their new comic book. Fantastic.
MORE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD: Announced by DC: a new Bat Lash series by John Severin and Bat Lash’s co-creator Sergio Aragones. This better sell well, or I’m going to drive around the country kicking the butts of comic fans who didn’t buy it.
