SuperQueeros! for September 12, 2018

Happy 12th! SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Runaways #13

A classic villain returns! Can Karolina and the team take them down? Or will they be welcoming them onto the team?

Iceman #1

Bobby teams up with Bishop to stop a Mutant Massacre!

Catwoman #3

It's time to find out the secret origin of Catwoman's cop-killing copycat!

Rat Queens #11

Now that Dee broke reality, the Queens decide to maybe do their job? Hopefully someone from their past will show up to remind them what it means to be a Rat Queen!

Suicide Squad #46

Sink Atlantis! Harley is ready to nuke Atlantis!

The Wicked and the Divine #39

The end of the arc!? 

Exiles #8

The Watchers are back!

Wonder Woman #54

This model UN experiment is turning violent! Can Diana keep the peace?

SuperQueeros! for April 4, 2018

Julie reunites with Karolina, Iceman is back in X-Men Gold, and the Batgirls are back in Gotham! It's a week for reunions for all of your favorite... SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Runaways #8

Julie Power is in town! And Karolina's long distance gf is just in time, because Molly's new school friend is up to some shady, Alice-in-Wonderland-esque schemes! The team is going to need all the allies they can get.

New Mutants #2

Rictor and the rest of Karma's team of monster hunters are hunting a killer in the arctic while something or someone hunts them. Plus, what face from their past is about to resurface?

X-Men Gold #25

With the main team sidelined, the side team gets mainlined!

Astonishing X-Men #10

Can Mystique and the rest of the team take down Proteus? They've certainly been trying for a while...

Bombshells United #15

Bat-Woman and the rest of the Batgirls return to Gotham to take out a mysterious radio tower. But is this the Black Canary's roost, or has the team uncovered something more sinister?

Harley Quinn #41

Harley brings the smack down on the Penguin! Will Batman's rogues gallery be smaller when the dust settles? Indubitably. 

The Wicked and the Divine #35

The origin of the cycle of the Pantheon continues! Can Persephone escape captivity?

SuperQueeros! for March 21, 2018

Ah, old friends. The kind who help you run away from home, or that would take a bullet for you, or that you leave buried in your tragic past in Brussels. Let's hear it for old friends! SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Runaways #7

Now that Karolina is out of college and back on the team, all that remains to sort out is the paperwork! And when the team entertains the idea of using magic to establish legal guardianship of Molly, they discover what adult-sized headaches look like.

Batwoman #13

The Fall of the House of Kane starts here! After touring the world to take out the Many Arms of Death, Batwoman returns home to take on the demons from her past!

Harley Quinn #40

Harley must make peace with the fact that her friends are going to put themselves in harm's way on her behalf, or she's going to perish trying to protect them!

Justice League #41

Wonder Woman and rest of the league find themselves caught in the world of the DCU's verison of the Black Panther, and the Red Lion is none too happy to see them!

SuperQueeros! for January 10, 2018

Sun rise, sun set, sun time warp back to the 1960s. This week we bid adieu to Harley Quinn, while welcoming Juan and the baby Braddock. Oh, and the X-Men are time-traveling again. SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Harley Quinn #34

Harley's solo series is coming to a close in issue #34! With political plots and character deaths in the rearview mirror, where is the clown psychologist of crime directing her horse to ride? Into the sunset, or onto a new stage?

Harley Quinn: Be Careful What You Wish For #1

If you're missing Harley after reading issue #34, then pick up this expanded story. Originally deputing in a Loot Crate, this tale of unimaginable power and the crazy person who uncorks it is sure to tide you over until...

Suicide Squad #33

This issue the team gets a new member: Juan. But is he just a powerless punching bag or will Waller's latest volunteer mark the beginning of a new era in Task Force X?

Justice League of America #22

When Batman assembled the JLA, he was aiming to take down one big threat: The Queen of Fables! This enemy is beyond the team's wildest imaginings - because that's where she's from! Can Ray, Vixen, and the rest of the team take down this powerful reality warper, or will the Queen warp the team to her purposes?

X-Men Blue #19

Iceman, Marvel Girl, and the rest of the original X-Men are back where they started, but so are their earlier selves! Will the X-Men whoop the X-Men, or will the presence of Professor X calm everyone down?

Archie #27
The conclusion of "The Heart of Riverdale" finds everything in a state of flux. Will the gang survive their first major story arc?

X-Men Gold Annual #1

The Excaliber team reunites in order to meet the new Braddock baby!

Wonder Woman #38
The Silver Swan is out for revenge, and her former best friend is the only target in her sonic sights!

SuperQueeros! for November 8, 2017

Ah, the holiday season. A time to return to your family and fall back into your old habits and fight your old villains. The Runaways reunite, the JLA changes its leadership, and Gen X fights the St. Croix family. SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Runaways #3 The team is slowly coming back together. Karolina and Molly are unaware that Gert has returned, and Gert is unaware that Molly is being cared for by an ominously obscure relative. And what's with all these psychic cats?

Justice League Of America #18 Batman has left the team in Vixen's hands. Can she handle this team of hot headed metahumans?

Generation X #8 Monet tried to eat the team the last time she appeared in this book, but now it's time to try an rehabilitate her!

Harbinger Renegade #0 The Harbinger Wars are beginning again! Find out what resource will bring the Valiant universe to blows once again!

X-Men Gold #15 The two teams are barely alive, so it's time to head to Mojo World to try and put a stop to the carnage!

Adventure Time Regular Show #4 Marceline is tuck in the Regular Universe. Terrifying!

Harley Quinn #31 It's election day!! Will Harley win? Do we want Harley to win?

Suicide Squad #29 Meanwhile, Harley's team discovers more of their secret history!

Wonder Woman #34
Diana and her brother are reunited. Will they get along, or is it time for some serious sibling rivalry?

SuperQueeros! for October 11, 2017

Gert's back! Oh, and Iceman's stuck in the past, the Renegades are stuck in a massacre, and Harley's stuck in space. But Gert is back!  SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Runaways #2
Chase's obsession and Nico's magic have brought Gert back to the Marvel U. But will the circumstances of her return drive a wedge between Chase and Gert? And where is the rest of the team?

X-Men Blue #13
Mojo's assault on the combined X-teams continues! Can the team survive their greatest hits a second time around?

Harbinger Renegade #8
The clash between the trained and untrained forces of the Valiant U continues! Will the Renegades and their motley army survive?

Justice League of America #16
Ray Palmer must go smaller than ever in order to save the DCU!

Suicide Squad #27
Task Force X heads to space to take on the extraterrestrial threat that knows all their dirty secrets!

Orphan Black: Deviations #5
The alternate history of the clones is coming to a close!

Wonder Woman #32
Diana must discover who is killing her step-siblings!

The Wicked and the Divine #32
Imperial Phase II is popping off!

SuperQueeros! for September 13, 2017

Happy birthday to Harley Quinn, the Lumberjanes take 5, and the Runaways return! It's a party for all your favorite... SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Runaways #1
The classic crusading quintet of kids - and one dinosaur - are back! And who's that on the cover? Is that portrait of the sixth and dearly departed team member just a haunting memory, or a promise of the return of everyone's favorite member, the time-traveling Gert?!

Insexts #13
Lady and Mariah begin their revolution! What will the world look like when these two women are through with it?

Riverdale #6
Four booths, four tales from Pop Tate's diner of the noir!

Lumberjanes #42
Who... slowed... down... time...? Find out before it's too late!

Justice League of America #14
Now that they have two unreliable guides, can Ryan Choi determine which side is right and appeal to the sentient planet of Moz-Ga before it wreaks havoc on the microverse?

X-Men Blue #11
Beast's hidden history with the dark arts is revealed! How did Henry get harangued into joining the Goblin Queen's interdimensional army of the all the worst denizens of the least reputable Limbos in the multiverse? And will Madeline use Hank for evil... or for awesome?

Transformers: Lost Light #9
Nautica must pay the ultimate price when all sides converge on Troja Major!

Wonder Woman #30
Heart of the Amazon concludes as Diana takes her cable to the cabal that's trying to string her up like a marionette! Will they survive the whipping wrath of this warrior?

Harley Quinn Corner

Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special
It's Harley's 25th anniversary! For her birthday, this breakout character gets her own super-mega-anthology issue! And the psychologist of crime takes on her biggest case yet: cracking the neuroses of Robin, the Boy Wonder!

Teen Titans #25
In the Dark Nights: Metal tie-in, Robin recruits a slightly different crew of teens with attitude, this time including the Killer Croc and the birthday girl, Harley Quinn, in the roster!

Suicide Squad #25
And in her hardcore title, Harley takes the opportunity afforded to her by Waller's absence to make a fateful decision in order to take out Task Force X's dark imitators! Can this clown save the world?

SuperQueeros! for August 19th, 2015

So many new comics this week! Including a short story focusing on my favorite non-mutant X-men, Kyle Jinadu! SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Secret Wars Journal #4

Kyle is a man on the run in Sina Grace's "Another Last Stand". This time, though, he's finally running toward something, not away. See, he's located the world's most dangerous mutant and he's heck-bent on recruiting her to help him break into a mutant death camp and save his husband, Northstar!

Archie #2

So! A euphemistic "lipstick incident", a tight-lipped Jughead, and a certain Ms. Lodge moving into town... Will Kevin and the Riverdale crew be able to crack the mystery of the break-up of Betty and Archie before this reboot returns to the status quo?

X-tinction Agenda #3

As the X-men suit-up to take out Karma and the rest of the Genoshans, Triage is forced to resurrect the world's most tenacious super-villain, Cameron Hodge!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #18

Archeus continues to beat up Willow and Buffy, make Angel and Spike fight, and sick his minions on Dawn, baby Giles, and Andrew. This book is so awesome.

Secret Six #5

Catman threatens to tear apart the new happy family when he finds out who Big Shot's wife is. Meanwhile, Porcelain attends a cook out!

Rat Queens #11

It's off to see the wizards (about saving the Necromancers)! The Rat Queens leave home to seek an audience with the Council of Ten at Mage University, which means that comic readers everywhere will finally learn how much gratuitous violence one campus can handle.

Runaways #3

And now the Runaways have run away! Well, most of them... Some stayed behind to tattle and alert the authorities. But given how many students the authorities murder every year, how will they treat a snitch? And given that one of the authorities is Valeria Richards, how far do the Runaways think they can get?

Harley Quinn & Power Girl #3

How are our dynamic duo doing on getting home? Well, they're about to crash into the Carnal Canyons of Lustox Moon so... they're about halfway there, I'd say.

Wonder Woman #43

Now that Donna has escaped custody, how will Diana track down her bloodthirsty mini-me?

SuperQueeros! for April 4th, 2012

Only three comics this week, but all of them SO GOOD:

Supurbia #2

With Night Fox's queer indiscretions coming to light, this series earns itself a place in the hallowed ranks of superqueero comics. With the amazingness of the art, story, and writing themselves, it's earned itself a place forever in my heart. This book rocks. #buyit and see why the wives of superheroes are the new super-team burning up the sales racks!!

Avengers Academy #28

The second (and final) crossover issue with the Runaways! With the Runaways thinking Pym is out to institutionalize them, barely staying civil with the Academy students, and currently stuck in the mystical dino-dimension from which Reptil's powers come this issue is sure to take this storyline out with a roar!

Stormwatch #8

The battle with the gravity miners wraps up, as does Paul Jenkins' run. I'm interested to see how he closes up his run, given that Jenkins has shepherded us through a tumultuous beginning that set up quite a few long-term plot threads. Hopefully none of the hanging threads gets tied up when the gravity miners just, say, kill the Prince of Lies or something equally as deus ex blackhole.

SuperQueeros! for January 11th, 2012

A plethora of classic queer-inclusive titles this week, plus I just want to note that, though he's not in the main cast atm, Anole is over at the Westchester school making all sorts of cameos in Wolverine and the X-men, and issue #6 is out Wednesday. You know, in case you were jones-ing for some Victor. ;)

Batwoman #5

The last issue in the first arc! With her allies either ostracized or hospitalized and enemies hot on her tail, will Kate be able to foil the Weeping Woman or will the water witch wrench up Kate's dark past and seal the fate of our intrepid heroine???

Daken: Dark Wolverine #19

Karolina Dean + Daken Akihro. Awesome. Looks like there's one loose end that our favorite runaways and our favorite sociopath have in common. And they're going to have to team up to tie it up!

New Avengers #20

New Avengers vs Dark Avengers! Will Victoria's true colors finally be revealed? #thisteasersponsoredbyCyndiLauper

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9: Freefall #5

Severin: sorted! Willow: back on team Buffy! So what's next? INTROSPECTION!

X-Factor#230

So Madrox is bouncing between dimensions. So who's going to lead X-Factor while the bossman's on vacation? All signs point to Havok and Polaris!

SuperQueeros! for November 23rd, 2011

I give thanks this Thanksgiving for all the LGB boys and girl in comics this week!

Teen Titans #3

The WAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL! I am pretty sure I'm going to love this guy! While most of what I have seen from this comic is Robin's lust for Wonder Girl (Give it up, Cass, it's totes your name. [Also, Tim give it up. Your OTP is still out there {<3 <3 <3 Stephanie!}]), I think the internal conflict of a flaming 'mo from a traditionally macho culture has the potential to create a varied and interesting character. And how bad is it that I think his lack of boobs will mean that he'll be developed as both a person and as Robin's GBF? ... ... It's pretty bad.

Edit: Evidently Avengers: Children's Crusade #8 doesn't come out again until next month! Bi-monthly publishing schedules are the worst!

Daken: Dark Wolverine #17

KAROLIIINAAAAA! Yep, the only lady this week is the incomparable Karolina Dean, beating some sense into the drug-addled Daken. I have to say, I hate the drug-taking that Daken's been doing, but its effect on his healing factor has certainly upped the stakes! Now where's some Mutant Growth Hormone so he can self-medicate the side effects of Heat?

Alpha Flight #6

How bummed are you that this isn't gonna be a continuing series? So bummed, right? I'm all sorts of put out... but this storyline is so boss that I can't complain too much. And if Alpha Flight became a series of miniseries, like The Autority was for a while and like Young Avengers is now, I'd be so down for it! Fingers crossed that Van Lente and Pak can tie our fav canooks into the next event storyline!

Justice League Dark #3
I'm just loving the slow slouch that this book has been bubbling along. And Madame Xanadu! So mysterious! What is she up to??? Does she want to help or hinder the Enchantress? And when are all the disparate pieces of this team going to converge? #soon #excited

SuperQueeros! for October 26th, 2011

Have I ever mentioned how much I love making fictional characters bi? It opens them up for all sorts of storylines, so that they're not locked into being "the only gay in the village" and allows authors explore queer storylines with well-loved characters without changing canon. We've got a lot of ambi- boys and girls this week, and one awesome alien lesbian:

Daken: Dark Wolverine #16

Now that we know who the Claws Killer is and that he's got Donna Kiel we... well, we basically have a classic cliche: hero must save helpless blonde from maniacal homo. I mean sure, this maniacal homo is the ex of our hero, and all three of them are despicable killers, so we're not watching Steve Rogers punch Hitler or anything quite that well-tread, but this is a disappointing return to more archetypal comic book stories for Wolverine's son. Hopefully Karolina Dean and the Runaways will be able to set this situation queer! (Edit: I thought the Runaways were gonna show up at the end but... they didn't! But we WILL see them next issue!)

Hack/Slash #9

Bomb Queen (evil, hates clothes, loves implants), Dr. Weir (presumably also evil, but I've never heard of her. Her views on clothes and implants seem to be the same as Bomb Queen's), and April Fool (might actually like clothes) break out of inter-dimensional prison and attack NYC. Only Cassie Hack stands in their way, and it ain't lookin' like she's rockin' any full body armor this issue either. Oh, and she has to ask for help from Samhein. So... this is going to be one of those "empowering" comics, I guess. #bored

Justice League Dark #2

Madame Xanadu continues to assemble her motley crew to battle the insane Enchantress. Fingers crossed for more John this week!

Racebending - 0, Marvel - 1

We posted earlier about how the casting call for the Runaways movie neglected to mention Nico's ethnicity, a move that struck fear into the hearts of Runaways fans everywhere. Would Marvel, so soon after M. Night's The Last Airbender debacle, be so callous as to whitewash away Nico's Japanese-American ethnicity?

Well, racebending.com is reporting that Marvel issued a press release in response to their concerns, stating:

"To address your concern over casting for the role of Nico, as we do with all of our films, we intend to stay true to the legacy and story of the comic when casting these parts. Thus, our goal is to cast an Asian American actress as depicted in the comic series and the casting notice will be adjusted accordingly."

Well, I think Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin would argue that racebending is, in fact, something that Marvel does, but clearly the comic book giant has done the right thing today by opting to spotlight the diverse nature of America and its superheroes. Keep it up, Marvel!

(At least until the day when people expect you to racebend out as many or more of the ethnic majority as you racebend in. Then please make your movie casts diverse and interesting! #reimagining #firstnationsironfist)

NERD ALERT: Casting Call for Runaways Film Fails to Mention Nico Minoru's Ethnicity

White-washing of Asian roles in Hollywood is a long and sad tradition. From the horrid James Bond film You Only Live Twice, where Bond masqueraded as a Japanese man by taping his eyes, to the more recent and highly controversial The Last Airbender, a film based on a critically-acclaimed and smash hit Nickalodeon show Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the entire non-white cast of characters were dunked in a vat of bleach and came out looking like Ken and Barbie dolls... except for Dev Patel, who we love.

Racebending.com is a fan-based site that came about in response to The Last Airbender racial-casting-gate and has been partnering with groups like Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) to protest the white-washing of Asian American roles and stories in Hollywood. The latest potential offender is the upcoming Runaways film, based off of the absurdly  awesome and much adored Marvel comic of the same name (not to be confused with that other Runaways film, which features Kristen Stewart's uncanny ability to be disinterested at everything).

In the casting call for the new film, the brief character bios for all the original Runaway crew are present. Nico is described as "Uniquely beautiful, nurturing but guarded Female, must play 16-18 Must be at least 16 by January 2011". No mention of the fact that Nico Minoru is explicitly identified and drawn as Japanese American in the comics. It should be noted that the other person of color on the original squad, Alex Wilder, who is African American in the books is so identified in his character bio:

Boy 1: Very smart, natural leader, in need of a father figure
Male, African American, must play 16-18
Must be at least 16 by January 2011

What gives Marvel? Do the right thing! Nico can still save the world/be a tortured soul and be Asian!

"Nick & Norah" Director Gets Tapped for "Runaways" Film

Brian K. Vaughan's award winning comic book series The Runaways has been rumored for quite some time to be in development for a live-action adaptation. There was some confusion on the state of the film with the release of the 2010 biopic about the 70's band with the same name, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. But now, the internets are abuzz with news that the post-post-modern superhero squad of misfits is getting a top notch director, Peter Sollett.

Many people know of Sollett's work through the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist which featured perennial adorkable nerd Peter Cera and Kat Dennings in a series of misadventurous events which leads to a surprisingly touching teen romance. What's doubly intriguing for queer fans of Runaways is that Sollett seems very open to non-sensationalist, matter-of-fact presentation of queerness on film. In Nick and Norah..., Nick is the guitarist for a gay punk band, and his bandmates are featured prominently in the film in an understated but undoubtedly queer manner.

This bodes well for resident glowing alien lesbian Karolina Dean of the Runaways, who struggled with her attraction to fellow Runaway, Nico Minoru. If the film's successful enough, we might even get some Karolina/Xavin action in a sequel! For a while, Runaways was one of the queerest books on the shelves with an out lesbian and her gender fluid/trans girlfriend.

Many in the press have dubbed Runaways "The Breakfast Club with superpowers." I hope that it will be so much more than another teen angst movie with a superhero flair. The charm of Runaways is how it deconstructed the superhero paradigm. No costumes, no codenames, no all-knowing father figure leader (take that Zordon!), not even plucky catch phrases! They're just kids trying to find their own way in a super powered world.

That aside, here's my casting wishlist for Runaways after the jump:

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SuperQueeros for 9/30/2009

Today I'm starting a new weekly tradition: SuperQueeros! Each week I'll bring you a summary of which new comics are featuring LGBT(etc.) characters! Now, I'm no Kiden Nixon, so I may miss one or two. If you spot an omission, please let me know in the comments section and I'll correct it tout de suite!

This Week in Comics:

Gotham City Sirens #4 - Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn have always blipped my gaydar, and, though the wiki articles on Ivy and Harley don't specifically say they have an overtly romantic relationship, there's definitely been a lot of Sapphic speculation (especially on my part). What say you, betches? Are these two the Mystique and Destiny of the new century?

Justice Society of America #31 - So Obsidian was an egg. And, from what I can tell from the preview released by DC, he's now a mortally-wounded ex-egg under the knife in a building being rocked by a superhero brawl. Anyone reading this? Is our boi more than just a fetchingly-colored piece of furniture?

EDIT: I just picked up this title and can confirm that Obsidian is still, literally, a background character. "Egg-sidian" is sitting pretty under an incubator lamp, waiting for the JSA Flash to hatch him, while Mr. Terrific is under the knife. Either way, this is not a good issue for black people.

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