Astonishing X-Men #51 covers

[northstarfan]

Yes, they're pretty enough that I'm actually stirring myself to make a post.




The standard cover by Dustin Weaver:


The Phil Noto "Create Your Own" variant (which is depressing on so many levels):



And the variant by Marko Djurdjevic:




I may be looking forward to this event just a tad.

Comments

[darkknightjrk]

Yeah, I'm definitely interested to see where this goes--especially since #50 actually picked up in quality in general (good character interaction! clear, solid storytelling! I know what the hell's going on! yay!).

On the Weaver cover...is it just me, or is Doop checking Kyle's mom out?

[sherkahn]

Puck and Doop are thinking the same thing, actually.

"If it worked for them, why not us?"

[grazzt]

I thought the same thing about Doop.

Or, in other words, motto.

[shadowpsykie]

Oh hey... someone drew Greymalkin on there, i thought they forgot about him!

[drmcninja]

It's funny, I was just thinking that. I was looking through the crowd and seeing all of these characters that people just seem to forget are there.

And only just now am I remembering that Greymalkin is gay as well. No wonder they put him in the front.

[his_spiffynesss]

So...

Last year, Archie makes news with the introduction of Kevin Keller...

Back in February Archie releases Life with Archie #9 featuring the wedding of Kevin Heller....

A few months ago, Marvel announces the wedding of Northstar, and now we have pictures...

A few days ago DC announces they are going to have one of their major characters come out as gay...

So when exactly did Archie become the cutting edge of the comics industry
?

[northstarfan]

If it causes the Big Two to actually remember to give their queer characters some exposure beyond the defensive "No, we're very committed to diversity! See how may queer C-listers we have in Limbo" BS, I'll not complain overmuch.

[flidgetjerome]

I wish they'd remember their queer C-listers in Limbo a little more, actually. I can't believe Freedom Ring isn't back from the dead yet.

[northstarfan]

I sometimes wonder if Marvel's just embarrassed by how that played out. (Which they should be, but damn, they should at least try to make it right.)

[auggie18]

It was a really fun story. I got caught up in it later and really enjoyed it until he died.

Good story, weak, weeeeeak ending.

[northstarfan]

And at the time, Joe Quesada was touting Freedom Ring as Marvel's great, brand new non-Northstar gay character, isn't that great, see how diverse our stable of characters is --

*splurch!*

...nothing to see here, folks, move along.

[dewinged]

If I remember right, Quesada said that, and the issue where Freedom Ring died came out the next day.

The timing...just...wow.

[northstarfan]

I'm still not convinced Quesada didn't know it was coming. As EIC, the guy was a professional troll.

[dewinged]

You mean 'Is' not 'Was,' right? ;)

And if he did know it was coming, that makes him look even worse.

[northstarfan]

He's been (comparatively) quiet since his promotion out of the EIC spot, so I'm sticking with 'was'. ;) Alonso is no less a hype man (comes with the job description), but he's less of an antagonistic ass.

[dewinged]

Which isn't that hard to do, actually. ;)

Though, I really want to say to the big two something like 'Wake me when you bring WiccanHulkling, Obsidian/Damon, and Grace/Thunder back.'

[bruinsfan]

Yeah, it largely requires one to not be Harlan Ellison.

[his_spiffynesss]

Not that I'm complaining, I just find the idea of Marvel and DC having to play catch up with Archie just too damn funny.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I have no idea, but those "Archie Gets Married" AUs are amazingly-written, Kevin Keller is pretty damn fun to read about (well, for an Archie character), and I wonder when the hell I wandered into the Bizarroverse.

[auggie18]

Man, Kyle doesn't seem to have any friends or extended family.

This wedding seems pretty heavily on Wolverine's side of Schism. I wonder why. Didn't Northstar side with Cyclops?

[northstarfan]

It's mentioned that Kyle has a sister in Alpha Flight v. 4, but Liu seems to be ignoring that story (one of many reasons I'm enjoying her writing).

Northstar stepped away from the X-Men and their lunacy entirely for a bit, but agreed to help Wolverine at the school if he needed assistance. So I guess he's nominally on the Wolverine side of the split.

[qalchemist]

Wolverine's also Canadian, and has a long history with Alpha Flight.

Logan's not the sort of guy to let a mutant politics grudge get in the way of attending a wedding.

[crinos]

Especially if there's an open bar.

[salamangkiero]

...An open bar and a chance for much mayhem...

[abriel]

Pretty covers, but the second variant...with the exception of Luke and Jessica, none of those couples are together anymore...

[morwen]

Well, Storm and T'Challa might patch things up yet.

[ghosty732]

Reed and Sue split up?!

[crinos]

Actually, when this cover was posted earlier, it was pointed out Luke and Jessica are separated.

[northstarfan]

Yup. Successful/hopeful marriages on the front, failed/crumbling marriages on the back.

[crinos]

They forgot Bruce and Betty for the back then.

[northstarfan]

And Heather and Mac, Lil and Madison, and Johnny and Lyta...

I'd say Peter and MJ, but no doubt that's on purpose. *growl*

[philippos42]

Lil and Jeffries broke up?

[philippos42]

Just checked wikipedia. Oyyyy.

[northstarfan]

Fridged so her husband can make out with a toaster. Shameful.

[jeyl]

*Sigh*

If only I could put a legitimate Phyla-Vell/Heather photo up there. Their wedding would have looked cool.

[gerardotejada]

It doesnt matter how much fans complain about IT is a great time to be a Marvel fan, even if AvsX is like the tenth knock off Civil War (heros battling among themselfs) at least is not forced like Secret Invasion.
People talk about diversity, hell ten years ago this would have been imposible.

[northstarfan]

I'm reading three Marvel books right now. All three have multiple queer characters as regular cast, and two have them have them as focal characters.

As much dumb shit as Marvel does, I agree, things do move slowly toward the better.

[gerardotejada]

I think they are moving as fast as they can in a conservative industry

Right now the only thing I dont like Is the Parker/Mary Jane break up, but as important as Spider-man may be he is just a part in the marvel universe (besides I like how he is roomie with Jony). And we have Ultimate Spider-Man.

The only thing thats not going to change are the "events" cause they bring too much money, but anything is better than Secret Invasion and Fear Itself

[espanolbot]

Not very hygenic to have an Antman standing on the cake is it?

[his_spiffynesss]

I assume they must have put some kind of topper on the cake, otherwise they would likely sink in the frosting.

[his_spiffynesss]

So, anyone reading X-Men of late, can you tell me if they have even touched on Northstar and Rogue's relationship since he's joined the X-Men?

Way back in the X-Men/Alpha Flight mini from the 80's they had a kind of bonding moment after Rogue did her power/memory drain thing on him. I was wondering if their friendship had been explored since then.

[northstarfan]

In the X-Men: Supernovas collection, Rogue is tender and concerned over Northstar as they prepare to return him and Aurora to factory settings after the latest brain washing. Even says a few words of French to him before they flip the switch, and Northstar is (for Northstar) unusually friendly to her once he's back in his right mind.

It doesn't explicitly refer to the mini, but Mike Carey does his research. I think he was aware of their friendship and wrote their interaction with that in mind.

[his_spiffynesss]

That's good to hear.

[long_silence]

Huh I thought there was this whole big thing a few months about how Djurdjevic didn't want to do anymore work for Marvel.

[glimmung]

Anole and Rockslide are in the back trying to decide who gets to catch the bouquet.

[kenn_el]

I like the third cover! I'm looking forward to the day that Government is removed from marriage, so that gay characters can actually date before they become monot...er...monogamous!

[northstarfan]

And once more, we're back to "Marvel, why the FUCK haven't you brought back Freedom Ring yet?" ;)

Really, though, it's for the good of society. If gay characters were allowed a choice of canonical love interests, the 'shipping wars could destroy civilization as we know it.

[kenn_el]

LOL! Too true! (which is why I maintain that Bobby looks pissed on that third cover!) I want gay kids to realize that they CAN enter into monogamous relationships, but that, just like their straight counterparts, they don't HAVE to immediately make a lifelong decision! We don't even get accidentally pregnant; there ought to be a benefit to that alone! (Unless...Kyle's a MUTANT...and is pregnant! EPIC TWIST!)

[blackruzsa]

Oh the variant is BEAUTIFUL.
<3