22. Green Lantern

So, to counter yesterday’s piece, here’s Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. He’s a character I have a deep fondness for who has been presented as hetero for nearly 70-80 years. The character was outed last year during… something. I think it was an event book or something. Prior to this, an alternate Earth version of Alan was written as gay, but the “prime” version… well, didn’t exist at the time. So, now that the Golden Age Greats are all part of the main DC timeline again, Alan was brought back and has come out. And, it’s pretty great. Added bonus, is that despite the magic age resetting of those characters, he is still presented as a man past his middle-age and coming to terms with his own sexuality, which is an interesting take, seeing as most of the LGBTQ+ characters being introduced or outed are fairly young-skewing. Makes an old man like me proud. His story in last year’s DC Pride special was absolutely heartbreaking and heartwarming. Really hoping we get to see more of the Justice Society in the near future, and Alan plays a big role.

21. Iceman

Whoof. Ok.

Warning: I am about to get as close to narrow-minded straight dude comicsgator-y as I can get, and I apologize.

I don’t accept Iceman as gay. Moreso, I don’t accept the circumstances or the story in which he is outed. I understand the narrative of closested person finally coming to grips with who they are, and it’s a very real experience and story that can and should be told. It just goes against what his characterization since Day 1 has been. Not that I’m opposed to change, but also, I’m opposed to change. But also also, I think I’m just opposed to the sloppy, awful way it was handled, adding the “past X-Men in the present” and having the past younger Bobby being forced out, and then having to have the adult present Bobby reconcile it… I dunno. It chaffed me.

Listen, I’m fully self-aware enough to know that Iceman is a personal favorite of mine since childhood, since the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends days. I realize that there is a part of me feeling like I own part of this character, and it’s been taken away from me in a way I don’t care for.

Look, if it had been adult Bobby coming to the realization on his own, forced or not, and we skipped all the timey-wimey bullshit mess of that era of the X-Men, I’d probably be way more accepting of it.

So, I’m just gonna blame Bendis mostly, and then my own prejudices secondly.

I’m sorry.

Rainbow Brite

  • Filed under Artwork

  • June 20, 2022

Commission. Client got a an ink drawing on paper and a hi-res color print.

20. Flatman

The Great Lakes Avengers are a team I have a very soft spot for. They popped up in the late 80s as I somehow stumbled into reading West Coast Avengers at the time when Wanda/Scarlet Witch first went batshit and when Vision became bleached white Vision, which is a storyline that has basically influenced the current phase of the live-action Marvel shows and movies pretty deeply. Anyhoo, the GLA were ridiculous and a joke, but I loved that Hawkeye came on board to lead them, and they did prove themselves as heroes. Flatman of course is the 2-D Mr. Fantastic wanna-be, but never quite as good. He came out in the late 20-Teens in the short-lived GLA book. I’m sure it was probably handled with utmost care.

19. Green Arrow

Happy Father’s Day, here’s the best son of the worst father in the DC Universe.

I have mentioned before that I like the Connor Hawke Green Arrow exactly as much as I like Ollie Queen. The other major Legacy characters in DC Comics (Flash & Green Lantern), I definitely prefer the “replacements” over the originals (Kyle over Hal, Wally over Barry. Fuck Barry). But with GA, I love both Connor and Ollie. I have also mentioned before that Connor’s costume has too much goddamn brown in it for him to be Green Arrow. So when I draw him, I change it. All that said, Connor is coming out as asexual in the 2022 DC Pride special that’s being released sometime soon (I would assume in June?). It’s a choice that absolutely fits the character, and no matter what, I hope it also means we see more Connor popping up in comics. It’s a character that I am always excited to see, and he was gone for far too long. No thank you, Nu52.

18. Thunder

Vaguely remember her from the Black Lightning TV series, but while researching her, I discovered the absolute worst superhero costume I’ve ever seen. Thank god she changed.

17. Starman

Mikaal Tomas, the 70s one-issue Starman, brought back eventually in James Robinson’s masterwork 90s Starman series as a tragic and completely beloved (by me) character.

Patreon Reward: Namora

  • Filed under Artwork

  • June 16, 2022

I almost got this confused with Namorita. Two totally different characters.

Not real happy with the face. I suck.

16. Robin

Tim Drake, best Robin. Canonically bi in a recent-ish story. Refuse to draw him in any other version of his costume. Best Robin.

15. Wiccan

I’ll be honest, I totally forgot Wiccan (and Hulkling) were a thing. I read the original run of Young Avengers back in the day and loved it, but yeah… Also totally forgot that Wiccan was one of Scarlet Witch’s fake sons.

Ah well.