I am so close to done with all this bullshit.

[kingrockwell]

No icon ragey enough. This one feels cold and bitter, which is appropriate enough.

A little under two pages from Birds of Prey #2.





With all the fail going 'round at DC lately, the last thing I needed this week was Gail Simone killing gays (even if he pulled the trigger himself). I don't even know anymore.

This shit better be a fake-out because I'm out of patience for Brightest Day and DC in general. I'm gonna go drown my sorrows in Pet Avengers. :(

Comments

[From: protogarrett]

Can I get a scan of Rage Cat? Because, really, that's how I feel.

[From: gargoylekitty]

GIP

[From: benicio127]

Yeah. :-/

And I think the White Canary is Cass. :-(

[From: blake_reitz]

I'm actually thinking it's future Sin, as she got a mention this issue.

[From: nezchan]

"Successfully rehabilitated supercriminal" seems to be dirty words with DC editorial these days. They either end up relapsed or dead, because destiny or some other BS.

[From: kingrockwell]

you just made this Riddler fan even sadder :(

[From: suzene]

The thing that annoys me the most about this is how much of that relationship never got explored on-screen. I was always waiting for Gail to do something with it beyond Creote being in unrequited love with the (presumably) straight guy, but this is the first indication we've seen since BoP v.1 that they were even working together again.

I'm really hoping there is some kind of twist here, because, if not, this is really very disappointing on all counts.

[From: pyrotwilight]

It was quite a shock to see it in the story, I'm hoping it's not just left like this but I loved the issue otherwise. Hopefully Brightest Day which ironically has lots more death that usual will bring them back by the end.

[From: kingrockwell]

There was a lot of other stuff that really bugged me about this issue, like how the likelihood that White Canary is Cass keeps going up, or how the whole plot relies on Babs being so unrealistic complacent about upgrading her hardware that she's fallen behind the cutting edge. This issue was bad and I feel bad.

...

[From: angel_negra]

God damn it.

[From: crabby_lioness]

No, sorry. The death/gore/angst combination stopped working on me after the Merry Marvel Mutant Massacre (TM). These days the only reaction it gets is, "You could have come up with something I haven't already seen worked into the ground."

[From: gailsimone]

What gore? There's a little bit of blood.

[From: punishermax]

~A wall, as usual, explodes inwards~

"OKAY, SO HULK BRING DICTIONARY THIS TIME."

~Hulk slips on a pair of half moon spectacles~

"NO WHERE IN WEBSTER HERE DOES BRIGHTEST, OR TO LESSER EXTENT DAY, SAY EITHER WORD INVOLVING STRANGE SEMI RACISM, EXTREME VIOLENCE, OR NOW A GAY MAN KILLING HIMSELF ON WEBCAM FOR ORACLE BECAUSE HIS LOVER IS DEAD. HULK THINK DICTIONARY.COM NOT HAVE THAT EITHER"

"SEE HULK NOT JUMP FULL ON GAIL HERE. GAIL GOOD WRITER, THIS JUST NEXT SYMPTOM OF FUCKING INSANITY. YOU CAN NOT NAME COMIC BRIGHTEST DAY THEN PULL OUT BIG BOOK GORE AND DEATH AND ACT SURPRISED WHEN PEOPLE ACT WEIRDED OUT."

"IT LIKE IF HULK MADE MOVIE CALLED "ANNABELL LEE GOES TO THE CIRCUS" AND ENTIRE COMICS WAS MAN BEING SLICED OPEN IN GRAPHIC DETAIL. SHIT GUYS, WHY MAD? DON'T JUDGE BOOK BY COVER! MAYBE YOU ENJOY NEXT MOVIE BETTER, IT CALLED "HENRY AND THE FIRETRUCK", THE HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY IS GREAT IN THAT!"

"NOW HULK CAN NOT JUMP FULLY IN HERE CAUSE HULK NOT KNOW EITHER AN HERE BUT LET JUST JUMP HERE FROM STANDPOINT OF NEWBIE. SO MAN, INSTEAD OF YOU KNOW, CALLING FOR HELP INSTEAD CALLS ORACLE TO BROADCAST SUICIDE FOR SOLE PURPOSE OF GUILT. REALLY? HULK TOTALLY KNOW WHEN HIS WIFE DIE HE CALL UP REED AND CALL HIM DOUCHE WHILE KILLING SELF."

"WHAT PURPOSE THAT SERVE? YOU THINK MAN BE ANGRY RIGHT? HE IS. SO..INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, REVENGE HE KILLS SELF. SEE PROBLEM HERE IS HE REFORMED, IMPLYING HE EVIL AT ONE TIME, HULK ASSUME THAT INSTEAD OF WBECAM SUICIDE MAN GET PISSED AND GO AFTER ORACLE, WHO SOMEHOW CAUSE DEATH. BUT, YOU KNOW, DRAMA"

"ALSO HULK NOTICE BABS FACE IN FINAL PANEL MORE DISGUSTED THAN SHOCKED. IT LOOK LIKE SHE SEE GOETSE, NOT SUICIDE OF BROKEN HEARTED MAN"

"HULK NOT KNOW ANYMORE DC. IT SAY A LOT WHEN FINAL CRISIS, EVEN IF IT INSANE COMIC WRITTEN LIKE FIRST GRADE PHILOSOPHY STUDENT JACK OFF ON PAGE, MORE TRIUMPHANT THAN SOMETHING CALLED "BRIGHTEST DAY"

[From: nezchan]

Lucky thing the computer, webcam and internet connection managed to survive in that bare, slumlike room that just contained a pitched battle, eh? What are the odds?

I suppose he could have gone out and got all that stuff afterwards, but that'd just make things even weirder, don't you think?

[From: minyandu.livejournal.com]

Oh no....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I love them A LOT! DAMN IT!
DC, WHY YOU HATE ME SO MUCH!!!

[From: gailsimone]

I understand and agree with what you are saying in this thread.

This time, I have to let the story stand on its own. I think
it's meaningful.

Fallout next issue, I promise.

[From: dorksidefiker]

Nonsense. It's a trick. They've run off to Egypt to hang out with Ted.

[From: nezchan]

Ryan Choi's making barbecue for them.

[From: acton]

Hm. I wonder where Oracle gets her nails done. I suppose she's gotten used to typing with such long finger nails, but whenever my nails need clipping I keep hitting capslock and shift at the same time.

[From: gailsimone]

I used to do acrylic nails in my salon and I had a woman who played banjo in crazy long nails.

I have no idea how she managed.

[From: iambickilometer]

Gail Simone, what is this even.

I am so done with DC right now. It was nice while it lasted. Going back to just Marvel now.

[From: punishermax]

Hey man come on over to One Piece island! We have fun stories, cool bad guys, angst that isn't overpowering AND volumes are cheaper than trades from DC and Marvel!

[From: strangerface]

I wish he'd called a suicide help line instead. D:

[From: nezchan]

Hey, Verizon finally got his wireless set up when this happened, you think he's gonna waste it?

[From: skalja]

This is bullshit.

[From: suzene]

So if Kirkman killed off 20% of the gay characters ar Marvel when he offed Freedom Ring, does Gail currently have him beat on the DC side?

[From: skalja]

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system ... it's like there's more heterosexism the more you think about it.

1) That one of DC's very few gay characters was killed;
2) That he killed himself in mourning for his straight love interest;
3) That his death is immediately used as angst-fuel for Barbara, canonically a straight character;
4) That this happens in the middle of DC's latest wave of regressive storytelling. So, women in refrigerators, minorities in matchboxes ... anyone want to take a shot at a snappy label for queer characters?

In fairness to DC editorial and Gail on that last, given the lead time for publishing I don't think they would have had time to revise this storyline even if all the backlash against DC's whitewashing had made them rethink it. However, since it shouldn't have been written in the first place...

Now, maybe the next issue will be fantastic, but even if it is? That doesn't solve or cancel out anything I'm saying here.

[From: suzene]

Motto to all of the above.

[From: ninjapeps]

I don't know. after reading the issue, I felt like there's some sort of huge fake out going on.

[From: cygna_hime]

Right, then. Gentlemen, step right this way, the Resurrection Room is over here. Would either of you like a drink first? Creote, would you like that sudden attack of webcam suicide replaced with bloody vengeance? Yeah, I kind of figured.

...Why do I read comic books again? I'm going back to manga. At least then it's possible there will be some gay characters who are not dead. This is clearly Not Allowed in America.

[From: 3goodtimes]

From my perspective, having a strong character kill himself over a love interest shows that he was never all that important. Even with a period of mourning. I personally find that hard to swallow and am especially sensitive of it with gay characters who's relationships aren't always treated with respect.

However, I am appreciative of what Gail has done in terms of integrating GLBT characters into DC canon, so I'm hopeful that the next issue will redeem this one for me.

I don't see how but I'm desperate for this not to be what it looks like. In GLBT pride month of all months.

[From: pyrotwilight]

Strange thought here...

If White Canary killed Savant due to his connection to the Birds why leave Creote alive? She'd presumably want to kill both. Hmm.

[From: jlbarnett]

she gave them a threat of one person per hour for six hours.

[From: combatsoup]

Quick! Someone call Shiloh Norman, he'll know what to do. He seriously needs to have a seminar on escaping death.

...*whimper*, i really want to stay DC, but you're making it so hard.

[From: kingrockwell]

really want to stay DC, but you're making it so hard.

THIS THIS THIS THSISTHISTHISTHS AAGAGHAGAHGHA THIS!
sorry, the rage is still trying to come out from behind the bitterness

[From: jlbarnett]

the villain of the piece is either Extant or Kestrel.

Time travel is being set against them or the forces of pure chaos.

[From: rdfox]

Jesus, people.

Gail has been saying all over this post that there's gonna be fallout next issue. And dropped hints that all may not be as it seems.

Calm down, wait until you see the next issue and find out what the hell's going on, THEN you can rage.

Raging about it this soon is like screaming and yelling that it was so horrible that everyone's life turned to shit in Empire Strikes Back, and Lucas should have given us a happy ending. This is only act two, people, and act two is when things traditionally go to hell for the protagonists.

Wait until we've seen the whole thing, *then* complain, OK?

[From: kiwibird]

Ditto. Totally ditto.

[From: lencannon]

I was upset, but I wasn't outraged as king homo of gaytown. I dunno. I guess I just think Gail Simone is the last person in all of DC to have any vendetta against her own gay characters.

[From: gailsimone]

I'm sorry, but "King Homo of Gaytown" somehow hit me just wrong and made me laugh hysterically. My dog thinks I'm an idiot now.

:)

[From: zechs80]

Honestly I say relax. Cause the pieces in this story aren't adding up at the moment plus Babs went all game face at the end dealing with the tragedy of what just happened. I just want to know who's behind White Canary. Cause this can't be Ra's or Calculator. Only person I can think of is Spy Smasher? To have this sort of grudge against Dinah and Babs. But to employ a fighter of this quality who shares League of Assassin fighting techniques. I dunno. I can't wait for the answers.

[From: darkknightjrk]

Honestly? My first thought when seeing those guys here (it apparently didn't come to the west coast. le sigh) was, "...Oh yeah! I forgot about those guys." So yeah, it didn't really effect me in a way that apparently it did to a lot of people here.

I will say this though--I wonder which would make for a more interesting story--the guy committing suicide in front of one of the Birds, or the guy deciding to take revenge on the people responsible AND the Birds?