Queer Comix - Celebrating Super LGBT Characters & Creators

 
 Comic Books have always been a little gay. There are few things more fabulous than a man in colorful tights or more butch than a muscular Amazon fighting crime.
    Unfortunately, comics had to keep it on the down low for a while.  When the Comics Code was written in 1954, its' forbidding of the depiction of "perversion" in general was clearly understood to include homosexuality & transgender - writers could not openly depict characters as LGBT.

   Despite this rejection from the major labels, underground Gay Comix - like the underground "Gay Comix" (1980-98) - DIY'd content by & for the LGBT community - everything from erotica to political commentary to humor, becoming increasingly visible as the LGBT rights movement gained momentum.
 

The first well-known modern gay comic artist was Touko Laaksonen (aka Tom of Finland), drawing gay erotica back before it was even strictly legal - luckily for him, "decency" laws loosened in the 60s, allowing him to publish his work.

Feminist & gay newspapers & magazines provided a home for comic artists who wanted to depict gay life in an open & positive light.  In the late 80s. Alison Bechdel began publishing Dykes to Watch Out For, & later the brilliant, haunting autobiographical "Fun Home", that tells the story of Bechdel's youth growing up in a funeral home with a closeted gay dad who died tragically.

 Around the same time, the Advocate published Howard Cruse's Wendel. At the time, according to Cruse, merely depicting the gay community realistically "was a political act".  Cruse later went on to co-found Gay Comix & write a graphic novel, Stuck Rubber Baby, so epicly powerful it was compared to Maus - a semi-autobiographical fiction about a young white gay man who joins the Black Civil Rights movement in the 60s.



During the 80s, gay people were struggling for rights in the maelstrom of a mysterious new plague - so their community became stronger, & tighter.  Gay comics talked about the struggles, promoted safer sex, - and provided laughs along the way. Just as gay people needed create their own comics to express their love, they also needed to be able to make fun of themselves (from a friendly perspective) as only they knew how.




 All that freedom fighting could sometimes make someone - a bit angry.  Thus, Roberta Gregory's "Bitchy Butch" was born - a masculine lesbian who is angry at the world.  In one strip, Bitchy Butch gripes through an entire pro-gay protest that she feels was a waste of time - never knowing that a young lesbian was inspired by her example to accept herself.

By the end of the 80s, societal attitudes towards LGBT folks had changed drastically, & people began to demand that the media, including comic books, acknowledge that gay people exist & are normal humans -so in 1989 the Comics Code was revised to explicitly sanction the depiction of homosexual characters. Luckily, it seems the use of an internal censorship system in comics may have prevented the government from creating "decency" laws that would have been harder to change - making the transition to tolerance quicker than it might have been.




Some early depictions of gay characters weren't exactly the most positive. Marvel's 2003 attempt at a gay title character, The Rawhide Kid, is ridiculed by Cracked as "every negative, damaging gay stereotype dressed in a cowboy hat."

The first mainstream openly gay superhero character was X-Men's Northstar.  Creator Jack Byrne had always intended for the character to be gay, but the character was expressly forbidden from officially coming out until 1992 (in Alpha Flight #106).



Bisexual characters also began to get more representation in the 80s & 90s. Hellblazer's John Constantine (originally created by Alan Moore in the 80s) is bisexual.  So is X-Men's Mystique - who reportedly was originally meant to be Nighcrawler's "father", having morphed into a male form (this idea shot down by - you guessed it - the Comics Code).

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, which debuted in 1988, depicts lesbian and transgender characters questing together to solve a mystical dream-world puzzle in A Game of You.  Transwoman Wanda defies her conservative family & even the goddesses themselves in her fierce defense of her true gender - as do her friends, to whom she is fiercely loyal. Wanda faces a lot of prejudice, but in the end, her strong womanly spirit shines through.

Gaiman also explores gay relationships in Murder Mysteries, illustrated by P. Craig Russell, in which there is an erotic relationship between two male angels (who notably have the same lack of genitals as the angels in Dogma).
As more adults read edgier comics like DC's Vertigo line, both straight & LGBT characters were freer to explore not only their sexuality, but more complex themes in human drama in general. At the same time, complex graphic novels like Maus started to give comics more respectability, paving the way for deep philosophical, historical, & experimental graphic novel memoirs.
1999's Bread & Wine beautifully depicts the relationship between a wealthy New Yorker and a homeless man.

In 2011, the indie Gingerbread Girl depicted a quirky magical realism -style romance with a bisexual woman who may be insane.

The same year the indie Eisner Award-winning sci-fi series Finder: Voice was picked up by the Dark Horse label; the much-lauded graphic novel includes transgender themes in its story line.



By the 2000s, most Americans were aware of and comfortable with LGBT people, who started to gain more and more equal legal rights.

In 2010, Archie Comics introduced a gay character named Kevin who was just as almost-eerily wholesome as any other member of the Archie Universe - wed just last year.

Indeed, it seems to be Gay Wedding Season in comics lately - Northstar was also married last season, in Astonishing X-Men #51.  The issue explored the atmosphere surrounding gay marriage realistically, showing the range of views people might hold - with some characters expressing some unease in accepting Northstar for who he is - teammate Warbird declines to attend the ceremony Despite this, Northstar gets plenty of support from the X-community, joyfully kicking off his new married life in Central Park.

DC comics, not to be outdone, launched the "new 52" with the LGBT community in mind, re-inventing one of the most prominent members of the Justice League, Green Lantern (in his original incarnation, Alan Scott, on alternate universe Earth 2), as a gay man. (Unfortunately, they also -Spoiler! -  killed off his boyfriend in the same issue).

The new 52 also launched a re-imagining of Batwoman as a lesbian expelled from the Marines as a result of Don't Ask Don't Tell who fights supernatural villains in Gotham. Ironically, Batwoman was reportedly originally created as a love interest for Batman to demonstrate that he was not having inappropriate relations with Robin.
 The artwork for Batwoman is inspired by the otherwordly themes - it flow across the page in surprising ways, as iconoclast as Batwoman herself.

Around the same time, Batwoman's sister in Bat-Related Gotham Crimefighting, Batgirl declared her allegiance to the LGBT community in Batgirl #19, written by Gail Simone, when her roommate, Alysia Yeoh, came out as a transgender woman.

The new 52 also saw the return of the Shining Knight in Demon Knights - a mystical transgender time-traveling knight from a mysterious ancient Camelot, originally re-invented from an older character by  - - who else? - Grant Morrison as part of his Seven Soldiers series in 2005. While the other characters sometimes tease him for appearing female, he repeatedly, emphatically, asserts his manhood.

With more queer characters on the scene, the LGBT comic geek community got organized. Anthologies of gay comics started appearing by the 80s, & Prism Comics was formed in 2003, which publishes an annual guide to LGBT characters & creators in the comic book world.

Last year, the anthology  No Straight Lines collected "four decades of queer comics", including variety of art as diverse as the rainbow -  memoir,erotica, political humor, self-portraits, a paper doll "Gertrude & Alice", and more. The volume included nearly 100 authors and artists,  such as Dan Savage, Robert Triptow, Andrea Natalie, Burtin Clarke, Carl Vaughn Frick, Michelle Gruben, & Edie Fake.

Triptow

 In researching for this article, I found that there were too many LGBT themed comics - not to mention artists & writers - to include them all - & the further into the present I got, the more of them they were, more positive, more popular....
The way things are going, I predict that future editions of LGBT comic anthologies will need to be even larger.
 Perhaps someday, being gay or trans or any other variation will be so cool with the world that there won't need to be a distinction made at all.



It's official. Strong Queer Supes (& witches & muggles etc.) have conquered the Comic Book Universe - & made it even more epicly awesome. =)

June 26, 2013 Weekly Highlights

Age of Ultron No. 10AI  

Written by Mark Waid

Art by Andre Araujo
* One of Marvel's most classic characters, Hank Pym, stands at the crossroads!
* Faced with a dilemma only he can solve, Pym gambles his past and his future!
* Some men are beyond redemption! By story's end, Hank Pym will have an entirely new role in the Marvel Universe!

Batman / Superman 1
Written by Greg Pak
Art by Jae Lee
A new epic begins with the debut of this new, ongoing series! Don't miss the first fateful meeting of Batman and Superman in The New 52!
Combo-Pack edition
variant We Can Be Heroes blank cover
variant cover - Guillem March
variant cover - Kenneth Rocafort
variant sketch cover - Jae Lee

Hawkeye #11
Written by Matt Fraction 
Art by David Aja
* THE breakout character of 2012... becomes the breakout character of 2013... as PIZZA DOG gets his own issue.
* Literally... the entire issue... it's all from the dog's point-of-view.
* Pizza Dog gets hired to solve a crime -- the grizzly murder that shocked Team Hawkguy -- and the only thing more shocking than THAT... is what happens the end of THIS.
* Seriously. This is not a joke! Even the coloring. Dog issue. We're all gettin' fired. PLEASE READ..."Pizza is my Business" ...before it's too late for us.

Jupiter's Legacy #2
Written by Mark Millar 
Art by Frank Quitely
The comic book event of 2013 continues as the schism between the superheroes widens and a plot to unseat the greatest hero of them all emerges.
Bryan Hitch cover
Jock cover

Larfleeze #1
Written by Keith Giffen & J.M. Dematteis 
Art by Scott Kolins
Larfleeze, the breakout character from BLACKEST NIG back in his own solo, ongoing series--and he's not sharing it with anyone! In his debut solo adventure, Larfleeze meets Laord of the Hunt, a pan-dimensional cosmic entity that believes all living things are prey--and he's out to turn the universe into his own private hunting reserve! And the only thing worse than Laord is the deadly beings he can summon!
variant sketch cover - Rags Morales

Lazarus #1
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Michael Lark
FAMILY: Part One--In a dystopian near-future, government is a quaint concept, resources are coveted, and possession is 100% of the law. A handful of Families rule, jealously guarding what they have and exploiting the Waste who struggle to survive in their domains. Forever Carlyle defends her family's holdings through deception and force as their protector, their Lazarus. Shot dead defending the family home, Forever's day goes downhill from there....

Unwritten #50
Written by Mike Carey & Bill Willingham  
Art by Peter Gross & Mark Buckingham
An extra-sized issue celebrating fifty issues of THE UNWRITTEN and the start of "THE UNWRITTEN FABLES," a 5-issue storyline that drags Tom Taylor into the heart of a world he never made from the pages of Vertigo's hit series FABLES. The mundane realm of humanity and the fairy-tale homelands have fallen to a terrible foe. In desperation, the witches of Fabletown gather to summon the greatest mage the worlds have ever seen. And are they in for an unpleasant surprise...
variant cover - P. Craig Russell

All new comics:
ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT
Mouse Guard Legends Of The Guard Volume 2 #1

ASPEN COMICS
Executive Assistant Assassins #12
Fathom The Elite Saga #2
Jirni #3 (Of 5)

AVATAR PRESS
Crossed Badlands #31

BONGO COMICS
Bart Simpson Comics #84
Malevolent Mr Burns #1 (One Shot)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Adventure Time #17
Peanuts #9
Regular Show #2
Steed And Mrs Peel #9

DARK HORSE COMICS
Akaneiro #2 (Of 3)
Amala's Blade #3 (Of 4)
Angel And Faith #23
B.P.R.D. Vampire #4 (Of 5)
King Conan The Hour Of The Dragon #2 (Of 6)
Last Of Us American Dreams #3 (Of 4)
Massive #13
Mind MGMT #12
Star Wars Legacy Volume 2 #4

DC COMICS
Adventures Of Superman #2
All-Star Western #21
Aquaman #21
Arrow #8
Batman Superman #1
Batman The Dark Knight #21
Before Watchmen Minutemen Silk Spectre HC
Before Watchmen Ozymandias Crimson Corsair HC
Catwoman #21
Flash #21
Green Team Teen Trillionaires #2
He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe #3
Injustice Gods Among Us #6
Justice League #21
Justice League Dark #21
Justice League Of America #5
Larfleeze #1
Red Hood And The Outlaws Volume 2 The Starfire TP
Red Lanterns #21
Superman #21
Superman Family Adventures Volume 1 TP
Talon #9
Teen Titans #21

DC COMICS/VERTIGO
Django Unchained #5 (Of 7)
Hellblazer Death And Cigarettes TP
Unwritten #50
Wake #2

DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
Previews #298 (July 2013)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Battlestar Galactica #2
Masks #8 (Of 8)
Red Sonja #77
Red Sonja Unchained #3 (Of 4)
Uncanny #1
Vampirella #30

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Bread And Wine HC (Chicago store only)

HUMANOIDS PUBLISHING
Clockwerx HC (Chicago store only)

IDW PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Prisoners Of Time #6 (Of 12)
Ghostbusters #5
Godzilla Rulers Of Earth #1
John Byrne's Fantastic Four Artist's Edition HC
Judge Dredd #8
KISS Solo #4 (Of 4)
Mars Attacks Classics Obliterated
Star Trek #22
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23
True Blood #14
Vitriol The Hunter #5 (Of 6)

IMAGE COMICS
Bounce #1 (2nd Printing)
Bounce #2
Clone #8
Elephantmen #49
Fatale #15
Fatale Volume 3 West Of Hell TP
Five Ghosts The Haunting Of Fabian Gray #4 (Of 5)
Hoax Hunters Case Files #1
Jupiter's Legacy #2
Lazarus #1
Morning Glories #28
Prophet #36
Sex #4
Think Tank #8

JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS
Myth Of The Superhero SC (Chicago store only)

KENZER AND COMPANY
Knights Of The Dinner Table #199

MARVEL COMICS
Age Of Ultron #10 A.I.
All-New X-Men #13
Avengers Arena #11
Captain America #8
Castle A Calm Before Storm HC
Daredevil #27
Deadpool #12
FF #8
Fury MAX #13 (Final Issue)
Gambit #14
Guardians Of The Galaxy #4
Hawkeye #11
Journey Into Mystery #653
Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man #15
Nova #5
Powers Bureau #5
Scarlet Spider #18
Secret Avengers #5
Star-Lord The Hollow Crown TP
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates By Sam Humphries Volume 1 TP
Ultimate Comics X-Men #28
Uncanny X-Force #7
Uncanny X-Men #7
Wolverine #5
Wolverine And The X-Men #32
Wolverine And The X-Men By Jason Aaron Volume 5 TP
X-Men #2
Young Avengers #6

RED 5 COMICS
Atomic Robo And The Savage Sword Of Dr Dinosaur #1 (Of 5)
Bodie Troll #2 (Of 4)

TITAN PUBLISHING
DmC Devil May Cry The Vergil Chronicles #2 (Of 2)

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT
Bloodshot Volume 2 The Rise And The Fall TP
X-O Manowar #14

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Annual 2013
Grimm Fairy Tales #86
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Wonderland #12
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Wonderland Down The Rabbit Hole #2 (Of 5)

June 19, 2013 Weekly Highlights

100 Bullets - Brother Lono 1
Written by Brian Azzarello  
Art by Eduardo Risso
Brother Lono is a brand-new 8-issue miniseries set in the world of 100 Bullets! The Eisner award-winning team behind 100 Bullets--writer Brian Azzarello, artist Eduardo Risso, colorist Trish Mulvihill, letterer Clem Robbins and cover artist Dave Johnson--reunites to tell the story of the baddest Minuteman of all. When last we saw Lono in 100 Bullet, Dizzy Cordova had shot him through the chest...but Lono always was too tough to die. Now, after the final events of 100 Bullets, Lono finds himself in Mexico working on the side of the angels. But there's always more to a 100 Bullets story, so pick up this EXTRA-SIZE first issue to see what's really going on with  Brother Lono, the cold-blooded killer you hate to love!
variant cover - Eduardo Risso

Adventure Time Vol. 3 SC
Written by Ryan North
Art by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb
What Time Is It? Adventure Time! Join Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, and Princess Bubblegum for allnew adventures in The Land of Ooo. The top-rated Cartoon Network show now has its own comic book! Experience the algebraic adventures with your favorite characters like Marceline the Vampire Queen, Lumpy Space Princess, Ice King, Peppermint Butler, and so many more. Not only does this graphic novel collect the out-of-control, adventure-packed third story arc, it also includes the unforgettable "Choose Your Own Adventure" story. The biggest all-ages hit in the comic book industry in 2012, ADVENTURE TIME has received unmatched critical acclaim and commercial success!
Notes: Reprints ADVENTURE TIME #10-14.

Age of Ultron No. 10
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev, David Marquez, Butch Guice, Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco and Joe Quesada
THE FINALE!
The biggest secret in comics will be revealed to you! An ending so confidential...even the artists of this book don't know what lies on the final pages...! A surprise so big that comic book legend Joe Quesada himself returns to the pages of Marvel Comics to draw a sequence that people will be talking about for years.
variant Ultron cover, polybagged - Rock-He Kim
variant cover, polybagged - Mark Brooks
variant Angela cover, polybagged - Joe Quesada
variant Angela sketch cover, polybagged - Joe Quesada

Saga Vol. 2 SC
Written by Brian K Vaughan
Art by Fiona Staples
Collecting the epic second storyline of the smash hit series Entertainment Weekly called "the kind of comic you get when truly talented superstar creators are given the freedom to produce their dream comic." Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and alien monstrosities, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her family's greatest challenge yet: the grandparents.
Notes: Reprints SAGA #7-12.

Wild Blue Yonder #1
Written by Mike Raicht
Art by Zach Howard
Take to the skies in this thrilling new action-adventure sci-fi tale. In the near future, mankind has destroyed the Earth, and the only refuge from radioactive pollution can be found in the skies. Unfortunately dwindling supplies and bloodthirsty air-pirates make life all the harder. Will the crew of the Dawn escape the merciless Judge and survive another week? Read the book everyone will be talking about and find out!
variant subscription cover - Nelson Daniel
retailer incentive cover - Nick Runge

All new books:
ANTARCTIC PRESS
Gold Digger #201

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
Betty And Veronica #266
Life With Archie #30
Sonic Saga Volume 3 Eggman Empire TP (cHICAGO STORE ONLY)
Sonic Universe #53

ASPEN COMICS
Executive Assistant Iris Volume 3 #4
Fathom The Elite Saga #1

AVATAR PRESS
Extinction Parade #1

BANTAM
Game Of Thrones The Graphic Novel Volume 2 HC

BLACK MASK COMICS
Liberator #1 (Of 4)
Occupy Comics #2

BONGO COMICS
Sergio Aragones' Funnies #8
Simpsons Comics #203

BOOM! STUDIOS
Adventure Time Volume 3 TP
Clive Barker's Hellraiser The Dark Watch #5
Fanboys Vs Zombies #15

DARK HORSE COMICS
B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth #108
Baltimore The Inquisitor (One Shot)
Captain Midnight #0 (One Shot)
Conan The Barbarian #17
Conan Volume 13 Queen Of The Black Coast TP (Chicago store only)
Dark Horse Presents #25
Domovoi GN
Dream Thief #2 (Of 5)
Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall Of The House Of Usher #2 (Of 2)
House Of Gold And Bones #3 (Of 4)
Star Wars Darth Vader And The Ninth Assassin #3 (Of 5)

DC COMICS
Animal Man #21
Batgirl Robin Year One TP
Batman And Batgirl #21
Batman Beyond Unlimited #17
Batwoman #21
Birds Of Prey #21
Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Men Volume 2 The Firestorm Protocols TP
Green Lantern New Guardians #21
Justice League Of America's Vibe #5
Legion Of Super-Heroes #21
Red Hood And The Outlaws #21
Supergirl #21
Teen Titans Volume 2 The Culling TP
Wonder Woman #21

DC COMICS/VERTIGO
100 Bullets Brother Lono #1 (Of 8)
Fables #130
Sweet Tooth Volume 6 Wild Game TP

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Dark Shadows Year One #3
Evil Ernie #6
George R.R. Martin's A Game Of Thrones #15
Green Hornet Legacy #38 ]
Robert Jordan's The Wheel Of Time The Eye Of The World #35
Vampirella Strikes #6 (Of 6)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #26

HYPERION
Rogue Touch GN (Chicago store only)
She-Hulk Diaries GN (Chicago store only)

IDW PUBLISHING
Danger Girl Trinity #3 (Of 4)
Doctor Who #10
G.I. JOE #5
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #191
G.I. JOE The Cobra Files #3
Judge Dredd Year One #3 (Of 4)
My Little Pony Color Me Treasury Edition TP
My Little Pony Micro-Series #5 (Of 6)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villain Microseries #3 (Of 4)
Transformers Monstrosity #1 (Of 4)
Transformers More Than Meets The Eye #18
Wild Blue Yonder #1 (Of 5)
X-Files Season 10 #1

IMAGE COMICS
Invincible #103
It Girl And The Atomics #11
Mara #5 (Of 6)
Mind The Gap #11
Miniature Jesus #3 (Of 5)
Revival #11
Saga Volume 2 TP
Witchblade #167

MARVEL COMICS
A+X #9
Age Of Ultron #10 (Of 10)
Avengers #14
Cable And X-Force #10
Captain Marvel #13
Fantastic Four #9
Indestructible Hulk #9
Morbius The Living Vampire #6
New Avengers #7
Superior Spider-Man #12
Thunderbolts #11
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #24
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #26
Uncanny Avengers #9
Wolverine MAX #8
X-Factor #258
X-Men Legacy #12

OMNIBUS PRESS
Gabba Gabba Hey The Ramones Graphic GN (Chicago store only)

ONI PRESS
Sixth Gun #32
Sixth Gun Sons Of The Gun #4 (Of 5)

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
Matter Of Life HC (Chicago store only)

UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES
SpongeBob Comics Annual Giant Swimtacular #1

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT
Bloodshot #12
Harbinger #13

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Vampires The Eternal #3 (Of 3)

June 12, 2013 Weekly Highlights

A1 #1
Written by David Elliott and W.H. Rauf
Art by Sami Basri & Various  
The award-winning graphic anthology series returns in a new format. Three great on-going strips: "Weirding Willows" -- the worlds of Wonderland, Oz, Neverland, Mars, Pelucidar and Elysium clash in the little English town of Willow Weir. "Odyssey" -- An immortal superhero out of place and time finds himself in the middle of a war for mankind between the Angels and the Demons. "Carpe Diem" -- The world's 7 greatest assassins, one for each day of the week.
Carpediem cover - Rhoald Marcellius
Odyssey cover - Garrie Gastonny
Weirding Willows cover - Stanley Lau

American Vampire - The Long Road to Hell 1
Written by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque  
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Fan-favorite character Travis Kidd--the vampire hunter who likes to "bite them back"--makes his return in this new AMERICAN VAMPIRE one-shot! It's a story burned deep into the American psyche: two young lovers, a stolen car and the open road. But these young lovers are newly turned vampires trying to fight the bloodsucking urge inside them. To make matters worse, they've got a pack of angry vampires on their tails--plus bad-ass vamp-killer Travis Kidd. He's tracking the "Heartbreak Killers" across the heartland, but can he stop them before it all ends in tragedy? This one-shot special sets the stage for the AMERICAN VAMPIRE relaunch later this year!
variant cover - Tony Moore

Batman #21 
Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV  
Art by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and Rafael Albuquerque
Witness The New 52 origin of The Dark Knight in BATMAN: ZERO YEAR! Twists and turns are around every corner as Bruce Wayne takes the final steps toward his destiny! And in the backup story, learn more about how different Gotham City was at this dangerous point in time.
Combo-Pack edition
variant cover - Jock
variant sketch cover - Greg Capullo

Six-Gun Gorilla #1
Written by Simon Spurrier  
Art by Jeff Stokely
Welcome to "the Blister" a bizarre otherworld colonized by humans sometime in the 22nd century, which quickly became a hotly contested source of fertile land and natural resources long ago exhausted on Earth. In this new frontier, a rogue gunslinger and his companion wander across a wilderness in the grips of a civil war, encountering lawlessness, natives, and perversions of civilization in a world at the crossroads between the past and the future. The fact that said gunslinger is a bio-surgically modified silverback gorilla toting a pair of enormous revolvers is neither here nor there. Written by Simon Spurrier (Marvel's XMEN LEGACY, CROSSED WISH YOU WHERE HERE), drawn by hot new talent Jeff Stokely (FRAGGLE ROCK, THE REASON FOR DRAGONS), and featuring a cover by Eisner Award-winning artist Ramon Perez (A TALE OF SAND, WOLVERINE & THE XMEN), SIXGUN GORILLA is a pulpy mash-up of Western weirdness and lofi science fiction unlike anything else on the stands!
retailer incentive cover - James Harren

Superman Unchained #1
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams
Backup story art by Dustin Nguyen
When thirteen satellites fall from the sky in one day, the logical suspect is Lex Luthor--even though he's still locked up in prison! But a stranger question remains: If Superman didn't stop the last satellite from falling, who did? There's an mystery hidden where even Superman can't see it--Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don't miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics' brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE!
Combo-Pack edition
variant 1930s Superman cover - Bruce Timm
variant Bronze Age Superman cover - Neal Adams
variant Golden Age Superman cover - Dave Johnson
variant Modern Age Superman cover - Jerry Ordway
variant Silver Age Superman cover - Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
variant sketch cover - Jim Lee
variant Superman Reborn cover - Dan Jurgens
variant Superman Vs. Lex Luthor cover - Lee Bermejo

Thumbprint by Joe Hill #1
Written by Joe Hill & Jason Ciaramella  
Art by Vic Malhotra
Private Mallory Grennan had done terrible things as an Abu Ghraib prison worker. After being discharged from the army, Mal thought she was leaving her sins behind to start a new life back home. But some things can't be left behind -- some things don't want to be left behind. By Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella, the writing team that brought you the Eisner-award nominated one-shot, The Cape, with art by Vic Malhotra. Thumbprint will turn your guts inside out.
variant subscription cover - Vincent Chong

True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #1
Written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon  
Art by Becky Cloonan
Years ago, the Killjoys fought against the tyrannical megacorporation Better Living Industries, costing them their lives, save for one--the mysterious Girl. Today, the followers of the original Killjoys languish in the Desert while BLI systematically strips citizens of their individuality. As the fight for freedom fades, it's left to the Girl to take up the mantle and bring down the fearsome BLI or else join the mindless ranks of Bat City!
variant cover - Gabriel Ba

All new comics:
ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Ehmm Theory #1 (Of 4)
Ghost Town #1 (Of 5)

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
Mega Man #26

ASPEN COMICS
BubbleGun #1 (Of 5)

AVATAR PRESS
Ferals #15
Stitched #14

BIG DOG INK
Critter #12
Legend Of Oz The Wicked West #8
Serusis #1 (Of 5)

BONGO COMICS
Mylo Xyloto #5

BOOM! STUDIOS
Bravest Warriors #9
Freelancers #6
Grace Randolph's Supurbia #8
Six-Gun Gorilla #1 (Of 6)

BROADWAY
Doctor Who The Harvest Of Time SC (Chicago store only)

DARK HORSE COMICS
Black Beetle No Way Out #4 (Of 4)
Breath Of Bones A Tale Of The Golem #1 (Of 3)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #22
Michael Avon Oeming's The Victories Volume 1 TP
Star Wars #6
True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys #1 (Of 6)
X #2 (Of 4)

DC COMICS Batgirl #21
Batman #21
Batman Arkham Unhinged #15
Batman Li'l Gotham #3
Catwoman Volume 2 No Easy Way Down TP
Constantine #4
Demon Knights #21
Green Lantern Corps #21
Katana #5
MAD Presents Superman #1
Masters Of The Universe The Origin Of Hordak #1 (One Shot)
Nightwing #21
Smallville Season 11 #14
Stormwatch Volume 2 HC
Suicide Squad #21
Superboy #21
Superman Unchained #1
Threshold #6
Worlds' Finest #13

DC COMICS/VERTIGO American Vampire The Long Road To Hell #1 (One Shot)
Preacher Volume 1 TP

DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING
Atomcat GN (Chicago store only)

IDW PUBLISHING
Crow Curare #1 (Of 3)
Doomsday.1 #2 (Of 4)
Dungeons And Dragons Cutter #3 (Of 5)
Half Past Danger #2 (Of 6)
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #8
Popeye Classics #11
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Secret History Of The Foot Clan TP
Thumbprint By Joe Hill #1 (Of 3)
Transformers Prime Beast Hunters #2
Transformers Regeneration One #92

IMAGE COMICS
Aphrodite IX #1 (2nd Printing)
Aphrodite IX #2
Artifacts #28
Distant Soil #40
Dream Merchant #2 (Of 6)
Great Pacific #7
Invincible #101 (2nd Printing)
Manhattan Projects #12
Peter Panzerfaust #11
Walking Dead #111

MARVEL COMICS
Alpha Big Time #5 (Of 5)
Astonishing X-Men #63
Avengers Assemble #16
Avenging Spider-Man #22
Cable And X-Force #9
Deadpool #11
Deadpool Killustrated TP
Guardians Of The Galaxy #3
Marvel Universe The Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes #15
Savage Wolverine #6
Thanos Rising #1 (Of 5) (2nd Printing)
Thor God Of Thunder #9
Ultimate Comics X-Men #27
Uncanny X-Force #6
Venom #36
Wolverine #4
Wolverine And The X-Men #31

MOONSTONEDomino Lady Sherlock Holmes #1 (Of 2)

ONI PRESS
Helheim #4

ORION
Asterix Omnibus Volume 5 SC (Chicago store only)

TH3RD WORLD STUDIOS
Stuff Of Legend Volume IV The Toy Collector #5 (Of 5)

TITAN PUBLISHING
A1 #1 (Of 6)

UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES
SpongeBob Comics #21

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT
Harbinger Wars #3 (Of 4)

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Hunters The Shadowlands #2 (Of 5)
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Robyn Hood Wanted #2 (Of 5)

New and Noteworthy 6.2.13

Hey folks.  New order cycle is open.  Here's what you should think about signing up for to get our sweet 35% off discount.  In no particular order, here we go!

Sidekick #1 (Image): Stracynski is back to work with Ten Grand and now Sidekick.  It will be fun to see a writer as clever as JMS take on the familiar relationship between Superheroes and their put upon sidekicks.

Halo:  Initiation (Dark Horse) There's a reason Halo remains atop the tower of thoughtful science fiction.  Its sprawling world and central mysteries have endured and expanded across multiple media.  The already existing Halo comics have enjoyed success, and the live-action webseries Forward Unto Dawn proved to be great verging on awesome, so much so that a follow-up series has been announced.  Initation is a 3-issue mini tracking the history of Sarah Palmer, one of the central Spartans in Halo 4.

Infinity (Marvel) Jonathan Hickman's Thanos-centered crossover is here.  We've been enjoying his seriously cosmic take on the Avengers and we're excited to see where it will all lead.  With new ecosystems being born and explosive star-children in play, who knows what will happen and what it will mean for the future of the Marvel Universe.  

Itty Bitty Hellboy #1 (Dark Horse): Looks very cute, nice to see our Roger, old Homunculus pal, back with the crew.

Hellboy: Midnight Circus HC(Dark Horse): Return of Duncan Fegredo on art, story from young Hellboy's past

Batman Inc. Special #1 (DC): Morrison's run is over, but this issue lets other writers and artists play in Morrison's sandbox, giving there take on popular characters from his run. Some of our favorite Batman Inc. characters will be back including El Gaucho, Dark Ranger, Man-of-Bats and most importantly, Batcow!!!

DC Universe Vs Masters of the Universe #1 (DC): The battle no one knew they needed is here!  Need we say more?

Trillium #1 (Vertigo): Scifi tale from Lemire, The series kicks off with oversized flip-book of two connected tales.  Lemire has been put on everything from Superboy to Constantine, but his best work is undoubtedly his creator-owned work.  His Essex County trilogy is consistently on our top picks shelf,  Sweet Tooth was bold and original and The Underwater Welder was a beautiful Twilight Zone-esque fable.  From what we've seen, it looks like his vacant, haunting art style is a good fit for outer space.  

American Vampire Anthology #1 (Vertigo): Scott Snyder's American Vampire has become one of Vertigo's consistently solid titles.  This anthology will see a surprising cast of luminaries like Gabriel Ba, Fabio Moon, Greg Rucka, Becky Cloonan and more contribute stories set in this fascinating, dark world.

THUNDER Agents #1 (IDW): leaps from the pages of DC to IDW with a new #1.

Locke and Key: Alpha #1 (IDW): Oversized 48 page issue!  This momentous occasion will see the beginning of the end of one of the most beloved comic series of the past few years.  This is a good moment to bring up the borader Locke & Key

KISS Kids #1 (IDW): Like Muppet babies, with KISS!

June 5, 2013 Weekly Highlights

Green Lantern #21
Written by Robert Vendetti
Art by Billy Tan
Hal Jordan becomes the leader of the most feared and hated group in the universe: The Green Lantern Corps! New faces, new threats and a new beginning for the GREEN LANTERN monthlies!
Combo-Pack edition

Herobear and the Kid Special #1 (Main Cover)
Written and Art by Mike Kunkel
THE INDEPENDENT, ALL-AGES SMASH-HIT HEROBEAR AND THE KID RETURNS! It's Picture Day at Tyler's school, and naturally he's forgotten! But before Tyler can pick his good side, he has to sneak out of class with his best friend Herobear to stop an attack on the Simpleton Bridge from the mysterious Von Klon and his SubofDoom! ...and he better not lose his hallpass in the process. Don't miss as creator Mike Kunkel relaunches his Eisner awardwinning creation at KaBOOM! with a brand new original adventure!

Walking Dead Vol. 18: What Comes After (SC)
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn
Following the events of SOMETHING TO FEAR, Rick and the other survivors accept a new way of life under Negan's rule, but not everyone agrees.
Reprints WALKING DEAD #103-108.

All new comics:
ABSTRACT STUDIOS
Rachel Rising #17

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Drew Hayes' Poison Elves #3

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONSKevin Keller #9

ASPEN COMICS
Aspen Splash 2013 Swimsuit Spectacular
Charismagic Volume 2 #2 (Of 6)
Shrugged Volume 2 #3 (Of 6)

AVATAR PRESS
Caligula Heart Of Rome #5 (Of 6)
Crossed Badlands #30
Fashion Beast #10
Uber #2

BIG DOG INK
Legend Of Oz The Scarecrow #2 (Of 2)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Garfield #14
Herobear And The Kid Special #1
Hypernaturals #12
Planet Of The Apes Cataclysm #10
Polarity #3 (Of 4)
Suicide Risk #2

DARK HORSE COMICS
Abe Sapien #3 (Dark And Terrible #3 Of 3)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Spike Volume 1 A Dark Place TP
Empowered Special #4
Lone Wolf And Cub Omnibus Volume 1 TP
Michael Avon Oeming's The Victories #2 (Of 5)
Mister X Eviction #2 (Of 3)
Star Wars Dark Times Fire Carrier #5 (Of 5)

DC COMICS
Action Comics #21
Ame-Comi Girls #4
Batman And Robin Volume 1 Born To Kill TP
Batwing #21
Detective Comics #21
Dial H #13
Earth 2 #13
Fairest #16
Green Arrow #21
Green Lantern #21
Legends Of The Dark Knight #9
Looney Tunes #213
Movement #2
Scooby-Doo Where Are You #34
Solo HC (Chicago store only)
Stormwatch #21
Swamp Thing #21
Trinity Of Sin The Phantom Stranger #9

DC COMICS/VERTIGO
Django Unchained #4
Astro City #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Black Bat #2
Dark Shadows #17
Dejah Thoris And The Green Men Of Mars #4 (Of 8)
Garth Ennis' Red Team #3
Kirby Genesis Dragonsbane #4
Lone Ranger #15
Miss Fury #3
Spider #12

HILL AND WANG
Trinity A Graphic History Of The First Atomic Bomb TP (Chicago store only)

IDW PUBLISHING
Colonized #3 (Of 4)
Haunted Horror #5
Locke And Key Omega #5 (Of 7)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #11
Transformers Robots In Disguise #18

IMAGE COMICS
68 Jungle Jim #3 (Of 4)
All-New Secret Skullkickers #1
Bedlam #7
Blackacre #7
Darkness #113
East Of West #1 (4th Printing)
East Of West #3
Hack Slash Omnibus Volume 5 TP
Invincible Universe #3
Jupiter's Legacy #1 (2nd Printing)
Mice Templar IV Legend #3
Perhapanauts Danger Down Under #5 (Of 5)
Savage Dragon #188
Son Of Merlin #5
Spawn #232
Ten Grand #1 (2nd Printing)
Ten Grand #2
Walking Dead Volume 18 What Comes After TP

MARVEL COMICS
Age Of Ultron #9 (Of 10)
All-New X-Men #12
Avengers #13
Avengers Arena #10
Cable And X-Force #9
Daredevil Dark Nights #1 (Of 8)
Daredevil End Of Days #8 (Of 8)
Dark Tower The Gunslinger Evil Ground #2 (Of 2)
Fearless Defenders #5
Iron Man #11
Kick-Ass 3 #1 (Of 8)
Marvel's Thor The Dark World Prelude #1 (Of 2)
Pacific Rim Tales From Year Zero HC
Red She-Hulk #66
Superior Spider-Man #11
Thanos Rising #3 (Of 5)
Thunderbolts #10
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #25
Winter Soldier #19
Wolverine By Claremont And Miller HC
Wolverine Origin HC
Wolverine Sabretooth HC
Wolverine Season One HC
X-Factor #257

MOONSTONE
Domino Lady Sherlock Holmes #1 (Of 2)

TITAN PUBLISHING
Walking Dead The Official Magazine #4

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT
Archer And Armstrong #10
Harbinger Volume 2 Renegades TP
Shadowman #7
Valiant Masters Shadowman Volume 1 Spirits Within HC

VIZ MEDIA
Dragon Ball 3-In-1 Edition Volume 1 TP (Chicago store only)

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Demons The Unseen #1 (Of 3)
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents The Jungle Book Last Of The Species #4 (Of 5)
Screwed #1 (Of 6)