New World Stages / Stage 4
340 West 50th Street
clintonthemusical.com

Performances begin March 25^th

Starring Kerry Butler (as Hillary Rodham Clinton), Tom Galantich (as WJ Clinton),

Duke Lafoon (as Billy Clinton) and Judy Gold (as Eleanor Roosevelt)

 “Ribald and entertaining!  Clinton The Musical is every bit as outrageous as you might think.”

- The National Review

If President William Jefferson Clinton behaved like two different people—one moment noble, the next naughty—that’s because he was! Clinton The Musical explores the two very different sides of the 42nd President of the United States: “WJ,” the wholesome, intelligent one, and “Billy,” the randy, shameless one. With Hillary (Rodham) Clinton at their side, the two will handle issues from The White House to

Whitewater, and in the process make history. Maybe. You cannot miss this Hillary-ous new musical and outrageous double Bill!

Special Offer:

$49* (reg. $75-$95)

THREE EASY WAYS TO REDEEM:

1- ONLINE: Visit TelechargeOffers.com and use code CTRED49

2- PHONE: Call 212-947-8844 and mention code CTRED49

3- IN PERSON: Print this discount or display this page from your device and bring to: New World Stages - 340 West 50th Street

*Not valid for 4/9/15. Additional blackout dates may apply. Schedule and cast subject to change. Offer subject to availability. All prices include a $2.00 facility fee. Normal service charges apply to online and phone orders. No exchanges or refunds. All sales final. Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid for prior purchases. Limit 10 tickets per order. Offer may be revoked at any time.

Last month  it was announced that Milestone Media is being revived as Milestone Media 2.0 by three of its co-founders, Reginald Hudlin, Denys Cowan, and Derek Dingle. The announcement comes almost exactly four years after the death of the fourth co-founder, comics and cartoon legend, Dwayne McDuffie.

This is wonderful news as Milestone’s unique storytelling voice has been sorely missed from comics.

When most people look at Milestone’s impact on the industry, they are quick to note that the company was a minority owned publisher that produced original minority superheroes such as Static Shock, Icon, Rocket and Hardware. Many people believe Milestone’s legacy was primarily in terms of racial progress. While that's true, that's far from the whole story.

Long before terms like "intersectionality" and "social justice" became buzzwords on Tumblr, these were edicts Milestone lived by when they published their titles in a less progressive climate back in the nineties. Milestone featured exceptional heroines and other superheroes of color such as Blitzen and Iron Butterfly. The publisher also introduced prominent LGBTQ protagonists such as Gear and Marissa Rahms.

Milestone understood that comic book fans come from all walks of life and we’re all deserving of a champion who represents us properly. In terms of the genre and fandom, there's a place for everyone. Hudlin, Cowan and Dingle are three of the most talented storytellers in the industry. Whatever they have planned, it will be spectacular. McDuffie will no doubt be proud.

“Sisters are Doing it for Themselves”

With the recent announcement form Marvel about the upcoming A-Force, it seemed like a good time to reflect upon the trend of all female teams. While advocates of equal representation in comics often cheer such efforts, these team books don’t usually have staying power. Publishers will then point to the failure of these female-centric books as evidence that there isn’t a market for such books, thereby limiting future endeavors.

But what do they do right? And what do they do wrong? Let’s look at a few examples.

Birds of Prey (Jan ’99—Oct ’14)

Arguably the first successful venture into the all-female team experiment, Birds of Prey focused primarily on three women in the DC universe: Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle (Barbara Gordon). While there were additional members who revolved in and out over the 14 year period the book was in publication, the heart of the story focused on how a small, select group of women learned how to trust each other and work together in the difficult field of crime fighting.

What it got right: Two words: Gail Simone. Of all the books on this list, BoP is the only one to have a long-term female author. Is it needed? No. But it sure helps! Also, the BoP were not an exclusively female club; even though they chose to associate with mostly women, they did work with men. Overall, it felt like more of a genuine representation of the real world.  

Finally, Simone’s structuring of the team as a set of foils helped the characters to experience conflict and emotional growth in an organic way instead of having to thrust the team continually into dire situations.

What it got wrong: Grasping at straws here…I really feel like the only thing wrong this series did was to let anyone but Simone hold the reins (but I may be biased).

Gotham City Sirens (Jun ’09—Aug ’11)

A much edgier take on the theme, Gotham City Sirens featured three of Batman’s rogue gallery—Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman—as a team. The women initially band together to protect one another, but spend a majority of their time in-fighting or off on personal exploits. The book was ended before the New 52 launch.

What it got right: Allowing characters that have been around for decades (since 1940 in Catwoman’s case) a forum to become well-rounded is never something to put down. Also, showing three badass, independent villainesses taking care of business is a step in the right direction for empowerment.

What it got wrong: Keeping the team at each other’s throats and on their own really defeated the purpose of having this be a “team” book. A more appropriate name would be a platform book, where the individual characters could be spotlighted in ways that simply being the villain could not afford.

Fearless Defenders (Feb ’13—Dec ’13)

One of Marvel’s first forays into the all-woman team focused on a group of women who were mystically (and mysteriously) picked by the universe to be a new group of Valkyries. The eclectic group included women from the many pockets of the Marvel U—goddesses, sorceresses, mutants, humans—and met with mixed results. Fans and critics seemed positive overall—the series even developed somewhat of a rabid fan following—however, it was a commercial failure, being cancelled within the first year.

What it got right: The concept wasn’t bad—there was at least an attempt to have a reason why only women would be on the team (as the mythic Valkyrie were only female). Also, the diversity on this team was intentional and effective, showing how women can hold the ideals of sisterhood above any other apparent differences.

Also, this scene where the male heroes try to “save” their ladies from danger (with an intervention) and former hero Shamrock calls them on their BS:

What it got wrong: I’m sure it was mostly due to cancellation, but the last half of the short series was WAY too rushed. It devolved into a cameo book where the authors were trying to shove dozens of notable female characters that they would have liked to have used.  Also, by having the book be so exclusively female, it seemed unrealistic.

X-Men [vol. 4] (Feb ’13—Present)

Part of the Marvel NOW initiative, this volume of the X-Men franchise chose to highlight many of the strong X-Women from across the team’s history. With a quickly revolving cast (up to 10 members in 22 issues), and relatively short story arcs, this on-going volume showcases the diversity of unique female X-characters.

What it got right: Of all the title, this one (in my opinion) feels the most organic. Due to the nature of the X-Teams being sooo expansive (at well over 100 characters in the last 50 years), many of these women have worked together, lived together, or at least travelled in similar circles. It makes sense that they would chose to band together.

Also, with the many areas that the X-Men have connections to in the Marvel U, any story would fit. Magical Limbo? Alien Civilization? Alternate Dimension?  The X-Men have characters that interlock with these areas so that the introduction of a new “specialty” character doesn’t seem forced. Again, organic.

What it got wrong: Like Fearless Defenders, X-Men spent the first few arcs only fighting female antagonists (including a revamped Sisterhood of Mutants). And while there are many notable women in the X-World, it was beginning to feel gimmicky. From recent solicits, though, it appears that the authors are trying to avoid this trap.

Also, with such a quick turn-over rate, many of the characters are not allowed the time to grow, develop, and experience depth.

A-Force (coming May ’15—?)

What it’s got going for it:

The title is slated to have, not just one, but two female authors: G. Willow Wilson—of the smash hit Ms. Marvel and currently on X-Men—and Marguerite K. Bennett—notable for Earth 2: World’s End.

The title is also said to focus on “She-Hulk, Dazzler, Medusa, Nico Minoru and other fan favorites”. From the first images, it also seems likely that we’ll see plenty of cameos from other rocking women in the Marvel U.

For the most part, Bennett and Wilson seem to have structured a dynamic with their lead characters that makes them foils of one another. In an interview with CBR, Bennett hinted that the two leaders will occasionally butt heads because “Medusa is the right of queens and She-Hulk is the rule of law” and that Nico (who has dealt with great darkness in recent years) will be in charge of “acclimating [Singularity—a sentient pocket dimension] and showing her their civilization and world while trying to save it”, meaning Nico will have to confront her darkness in the face of such innocence.

Finally, the book seems to remember that, although all-female books have a cool, novelty factor, a book with a “Women’s Only Club” mentality doesn’t ring true-to-life. Bennett was quoted as saying, “I didn't want to do anything like, ‘all the men disappeared years ago’ or ‘ever since all the menfolk were killed in that war’ or something like that. There are men—there are heroes there…but the heroines are in charge, by majority…they were the ones in charge because of their skills and they were the best fit for these roles and demands of their world.”

What it needs to succeed:

I’ll be honest; the interview with Bennett made me apprehensive. I fear that A-Force may fall in the trap of Fearless Defenders and become a cameo book. In fact, in the interview with CBR, Bennett said that she would have “as many characters as Marvel will let…appear in this book” and that the cast was going to be larger than “that beautiful cover…that serves as our promo piece”.  Just in case you didn’t count, there were 27 characters on the cover. Twenty –seven!

 Instead, the title should focus on a small, core cast that is showcased and allowed to develop as a real team.The women should be allowed the space to grow and develop emotionally and as characters instead of simply bumping from cameo to cameo. Bennett seems to have an eye on this problem, stating that she is “trying to take it slow and make sure [to] hit everything realistically, but also with the maximum amount of emotion”, but let’s hope the draw of so many characters does not tempt the authors too much.

Will A-Force be able to succeed as a long-term title? What do you think? Join the conversation in the comments section!

Julie Maroh began writing and illustrating her story Blue is the Warmest Color when she was 19 years old, and it took her five years to complete. Like anyone with a story to tell, she put a lot of love into her work.

Blue tells the story of Clementine, a high school student who does not identify as a lesbian, who meets Emma, an art student at a nearby university, who, most certainly and confidently, does. It is a coming-of-age story about lesbian love, yes, but also about the elusive quality of love. As with any unforgettable story, any synopsis would be an oversimplification and an understatement. So, suffice it to say that Maroh’s storytelling is tender and her illustrations are vivid.

Only three years after its initial publication, the graphic novel was adapted into an award-winning film of debatable merit. Maroh has described her own response to the film version of her story as just that, a version (for example, Clementine was renamed Adele): "For me this adaptation is another version / vision/ reality of the same story." But it was the lack of lesbians on the film set, and the depiction of lesbian sex filmed by a heterosexual male director and cinematographer that irritated her the most. "What came out of Kechiche’s film reminds me of the little rocks that mutilate our flesh when we fall and scrape ourselves on the asphalt."

I can't really argue with that one! But, back to the comic. Written and originally published in French, Blue has since been translated into 12 languages, the most scandalous of which has been the Persian translation by Sepideh Jodeyri. 

Cover of the Persian translation of Blue is the Warmest Color.

Sepideh Jodeyri is a poet, journalist, and literary critic born and raised in Iran. In addition to several books of poetry and a collection of short stories, she has also translated poetry by Edgar Allan Poe (from English) and Jorge Luis Borges (from Spanish). After the controversial 2009 presidential election in Iran, which resulted in the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Jodeyri spoke out publically against his administration and in support of the pro-democracy movement. Soon after that, her work was banned in Iran. She now lives and works in the Czech Republic. 

It was by happy chance that Jodeyri discovered Blue. She had heard of the film adaptation, and knew that it had won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, but was not aware of the book at the time. When she searched for the DVD on Amazon, she found the English translation of the book before she found the DVD. In her own words: "I say by chance, because I think that the book is so much better than the film."

Her Persian translation was published by Naakojaa, a Persian-language digital publisher based in Paris. It is only available in a digital edition in Iran, although the Kindle edition is available worldwide, and a print edition is available in France.

Although she does not identify as queer, Sepideh Jodeyri is sensitive to LGBT issues: "I am a feminist, which means that I believe in the equality of human rights, for all origins, sexes, religions, sexual orientations." Her dedication is closely connected to her personal memories of Fereydoun Farrokhzzad, the entertainer, activist, and iconic political figure who was forced into exile after Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979. He was also gay. Jodeyri and her family spent a lot of time with Farrokhzzad, and she tells of him singing and playing the guitar for her when she was a child. Farrokhzzad was killed while living in exile in Germany for what are suspected to be political reasons.

Jodeyri says of Farrokhzzad: "I will never forget the great memories that I have of him and his strong personality." Her support of LGBT rights is, in part, a tribute to him. "I ... fight against dogmatism which exists in ... Iranian society against the LGBT community, via my posts on Facebook, my interviews, my articles, and the translation of (Blue)."

This is especially significant because the rights—and even the existence—of LGBT Iranians have been thoroughly and institutionally denied by the Iranian government. In a speech at Columbia University in New York in 2007, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad famously said: "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like you do in your country … we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who has told you that we have!"

And of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

In a study conducted by Small Media, a non-profit group based in London, England, researchers gathered first-hand testimonies from hundreds of LGBT Iranians using face-to face-interviews, and when necessary, a secret online forum. One statement in particular—made by Mani, a gay man living in Tehran, who was 24 years old at the time of his interview—says it all: "First, I'd just like to thank Ahmadinejad for saying those things because it finally brought us into the spotlight … How many of us are there? We are innumerable! … We exist! And Mr. Ahmadinejad just needs to open his eyes."

Six years later, though, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, Secretary General of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, said that "promoting homosexuality is illegal and we have strong laws against it," and that "we consider homosexuality an illness that should be cured."

This rationale seems to be that if a human experience does not exist, it is not eligible for basic human rights. Being queer is officially seen as a disease. But it should be obvious that the real illness is hate.

The very acts portrayed in Blue are illegal in Iran. Clementine and Emma would be arrested, subject to corporal punishment, and worse. According to the Islamic Penal Code, the punishment for mosahegheh (lesbianism) is 100 lashes for all individuals involved, and on the fourth offense, death.

Persian: "The scent of Emma's skin stopped my heart."

Although still officially denying anything queer in Iranian culture, the current government, under President Hassan Rouhani, has relaxed some of its restrictions. And although the censorship office at the Ministry of Islamic Guidance continues to vet every book before issuing a publication license, they are less concerned with the personal history of individual authors. Jodeyri was allowed to publish a book of poetry titled And Etc., and it was published without any commotion. However, when the publisher announced a book release party, the conservative media started their witch hunt.

The web-based Raja News (the approximate equivalent of Fox News in Iran) published an article titled "Using Government Resources to Promote a Pro-LGBT Author," calling attention to Jodeyri's Persian translation of Blue. Raja News criticized the new Minister of Culture for allowing Jodeyri's poems to be published, and for allowing the publisher to promote the book in a government-funded building, and recommended that other government agencies intervene and cancel the event. The response was almost immediate: after the article was re-posted on other conservative websites, and published in several daily and weekly papers, the Ministry of Intelligence did intervene, and the event was cancelled. The director of the museum where the party was scheduled to take place was then fired from his job.

In her most recent update, Jodeyri told of an Iranian journalist who did an interview with her about her book, who has had the interview cancelled from publication by the reformist newspaper Shahrvand. The newspaper removed it from their upcoming issue because the articles published by the fundamentalist media against Jodeyri in the recent weeks had made them anxious. In essence, they are afraid that if they publish anything about Sepideh Jodeyri, the authorities will ban their newspaper entirely.

Even two literary critics who have written essays on Jodeyri's book sent her their essays, telling her that anything about her or her works will be censored in the Iranian media, and that it would be better if she sent the essays herself to publications outside of Iran. She closed her update with: "All of this means that my pen is banned in my homeland."

And what ignited this chain reaction was her translation of an LGBT comic. Which reminds us that our stories are important. But also that homophobia is everywhere. Because hate is everywhere.

Indeed, even Arsenal Pulp—the publisher of the English translation of Blue, based in Vancouver—have recently been attacked in the Canadian media for another one of their titles written from the point-of-view of a queer character: When Everything Feels like the Movies by Raziel Reid.

Jodeyri translated Blue to help raise awareness of the LGBT experience in the Persian-speaking world, and to advocate for the rights every person everywhere deserves, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

And so, the question is not whether we, queer readers and viewers, read the book or saw the film, or what we thought of either of them. The question is how can we show our solidarity—not only for creators like Julie Maroh, but for allies like Sepideh Joyderi, who help our stories find a wider audience. 

This is not about Islam. It's not necessarily about religion at all. And it's not even really about comics. It's about whether love can conquer hate, and what we can do to contribute to that. It's easy to become cynical and even easier to become numb. But the idea that love conquers hate is more than a slogan on a T-shirt.

"It is unbearable to me that such events go uncommented on," says Maroh. "This is one more infringement this year, this life, on our liberty to write, read, communicate, and above all: love. We're going to need much—M-U-C-H—love this year."

Sepideh came to Julie to have her story told, and in turn, Julie asks that we spread the word, in the hope that it will bring these results (translated* from her blog):

1: For the censorship, pressure, and imprisonment of LGBT people in Iran to stop
2: For LGBT people in Iran and elsewhere to not feel isolated
3: And if anyone, anywhere, is tempted to follow Iran's example, may they be warned that we are able to mobilize ourselves against such hate.

Please spread the word about Sepideh Joyderi—on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, anywhere. She is an ally and a warrior. Help raise awareness of state-sanctioned hate in our world. Spread some love. Help love conquer hate.

"Unicorn Pride No Censure" by Julie Maroh

*Although Julie Maroh's blog includes an English translation, the translation in this article is my own translation of her original French.

First things first: If you are not reading and/or thoroughly enjoying Ryan North and Erica Henderson's incredibly delightful little book, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, please take a long hard look in the mirror and attempt to figure out where your taste in comic books veered of course.

While it's true, and quite canon, that Squirrel Girl managed to take out Doctor Doom in her first Marvel appearance, it wasn't until nearly a decade later that she became a (not really) household name. During that time, Doreen Green (the aforementioned squirrel whisperer) answered the desperate recruitment drive of the Great Lakes Avengers in New York City, becoming the team's newest member.

While their unquestionable enthusiasm for heroics is palpable, the GLA's team members' power sets are a bit odd and useless... at least in the eyes of the world's more seasoned superheroes. Amongst this group of well-meaning do-gooders is Dr. Val Ventura, the mutant known as Flatman. With his two-dimensional elastic body and origami shapeshifting abilities, it's no wonder why he is the second-in-command of these Wisconsin guardians.

Val Ventura, a doctor of "stuff" (yes, his doctoral background may be more questionable than not), was first introduced in the pages of the second volume of West Coast Avengers in 1989. His uncanny knowledge of fashion (while earning his PhD, he allegedly managed to squeeze in a few fashion classes) has proven an invaluable tool when it comes to solving crimes. At one point, Dr. Ventura was not only able to identify a particular woman's shoe, but also describe it in detail. Think Sherlock Holmes with Carrie Bradshaw's knowledge of footwear.

Through team identity crises (Great Lakes Avengers/X-Men/Initiative/Champions?) and battles against S&M slaves and killer Christmas trees, Flatman has (not really) left his mark on the Marvel Universe for better or worse:

Flatman knows the importance of gayming: In the time leading up to the incident in Stamford that begat the superhero civil war, Squirrel Girl was romantically involved with the New Warrior, Robbie Baldwin (a.k.a. Speedball). Following the tragedy in Connecticut and Speedball's downward spiral of self-loathing, Doreen sought out the advice of her teammates, Flatman and Mr. Immortal. What could possibly dissuade a gay superhero from discussing boy trouble with his adorable co-Avenger? Obviously, a trip to Game Stop an all-night video gaming binge!

Flatman is supportive of his fellow LGBT brothers and sisters: Prior to his own coming out moment, Val Ventura was approached by Miguel Santos (a.k.a. Living Lightning) about joining the GLA. At this point in time, the Great Lakes Avengers were in the midst of a feeble recruitment drive and dwindling numbers on their roster. Unfortunately, Living Lightning's interest in joining the organization immediately diminished when it was brought to his attention that GLA was actually an acronym for Great Lakes Avengers and not the Gay/Lesbian Alliance.

Flatman's coming out story totally got one-upped "Penelope" style: Despite a love for Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blanks, Dr. Ventura was always quite adamant about being as straight as an arrow. Following a quarrel with their brief and former teammate, Leather Boy, fellow GLA member, Doorman, questioned the connection between the Greenwich Village, S&M, and the gay community. This led to Val unleashing a verbal rant about how not all gay men are into bondage while some heterosexual couples are. The tirade culminated with Flatman coming out of the closet to his supportive co-Avengers all the while Mr. Immortal arrived at the realization that he was "homo superior," the next step in human evolution, thus stealing the thunder from Val's big moment.

Flatman represents the fangurrrl in all of us: Super villains attacking the  downtown convention center in a random Wisconsin city isn't something that happens every day. With that said, when a new incarnation of the Ani-Men did just that, Flatman and the GLA hopped in the Avengers Quin-Jetta with the intention of saving the day. You can imagine their disappointment to find that the A-list Avengers were already on the scene. Not one to let being benched ruin his day, Val squee-ed with delight over the opportunity of watching Hawkeye do what he does best.

Flatman knows the importance of "leaving something to the imagination": The GLA's most memorable battle was against Maelstrom as the super villain attempted to destroy the universe and all of reality (aren't they all?). Following the team's success, Flatman was apparently pulled from Big Bertha's arms and into the vortex that Maelstrom had created leaving the larger-than-life supermodel/hero devastated. To everyone's relief, the destructive phenomenon only claimed Dr. Ventura's uniform, leaving the hero in nothing but his hirsute glory. Thanks to his flattened form, Val was able to remain modest and hide his naughty bits from impressionable eyes. It was a true "won't someone think of the children?" moment. Conservative prudes everywhere rejoiced but then remembered that Dr. V doesn't like "the v."

Flatman has been where few superheroes have been before: Always on the lookout for new members, Flatman and the GLA (now the GLI) welcomed Deadpool to their ranks, as a reserve member, following the battle with Maelstrom. Within no time, the "Merc with a Mouth" wore out his welcome, engaging enemies with a copious amount of plastic explosives, watching nothing but porn and Maude on television, and becoming infatuated with teammate, Big Bertha. Unsure of how to breach the subject of evicting Wade from the premises and the team, Flatman attempted to verbally reason with him during bath time. In the end, Deadpool was no closer to resigning from the GLI and Dr. Ventura was left wishing that his body did not share a similar width to a bath towel.

Flatman shares our love for New York City: In a brief moment of lucid and smart-thinking, the GLA concluded that the best place to seek out recruits for their team was good ol' New York City. Upon the arrival of their Amtrak train at Penn Station, Val sighed his adoration for the Big Apple and corrected Doorman's presumption that the entire island of Manhattan smells like urine. Apparently, the acrid stench is actually only confined to 7th and 31st.

Flatman and his fellow Great Lakes Avengers have always represented the core of what makes a super hero super. No matter how pathetic or useless you may appear to others, true heroics always stem from the good intentions of a noble heart. For as long as there are superheroes like Dr. Val Ventura and his ragtag group of bizarre rejects, the villains of the Marvel Universe will always have a force to reckon with.

For further reading, see GLA: Misassembled by Dan Slott.

Follow Shaun N. on Twitter at @datura1979.

League Vision: We believe every person should have the ability to feel comfortable being oneself in organized sports. Our league will value each player for who they are and what one brings to the league’s community. We also believe organized communities have the ability and responsibly to support others in need. 

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I love all the current Marvel movies. Yeah, sure, they have flaws—but seeing them in theaters is almost always a lot of fun. Guardians of the Galaxy was one of my favorite movies of 2014. That being said—one of their biggest flaws is diversity. They need more LGBTQ, women, and POC characters. There are P L E N T Y of badass women for Marvel to use in their movies too—it’s not like they’re lacking in female characters to choose from. And don’t get me wrong, Pepper Potts and Black Widow are awesome characters—it’d just be nice to see some more superpowered women in these movies.

Just so we’re clear, I'm only including characters that haven’t been announced as being in any series or movie (so, no Captain Marvel or Hellcat) or made any appearances (Stature aka Cassie Lang is seen as a child in the Ant-Man trailer) and only included characters Marvel could legally use in their movies (so, sadly, no mutants). And, ya know, Marvel, if you’re reading this—feel free to hire me.

(1) Misty Knight

Why: Misty Knight is criminally underused in the comics—but she’s been on nearly every version of the Heroes For Hire team and would be great in a Marvel Cinematic Universe series of her own (not unlike Jessica Jones) and she’d be a good rival for Tony Stark—she’s a leader and a smartass who takes no shit.

Who Should Play Her: Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black) 

(2) Moondragon

Why: A badass telekinetic who sometimes works with The Avengers and sometimes works with the Guardians of the Galaxy—and dated Phyla-Vell (who is a little too Hot Topic-y for my tastes). The Marvel Cinematic Universe could use an LGBTQ hero—and Moondragon would be awesome to watch on the big screen. 

Who Should Play Her: Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story)

(3) America Chavez

Why: SHE IS SO BADASS AND WONDERFUL AND YOU CLEARLY HAVEN’T READ YOUNG AVENGERS IF YOU NEED TO BE TOLD WHY!

Who Should Play Her: Sandra Vergara (Fright Night remake) or Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin)

(4) Kate Bishop/Hawkeye

Why: Because we need a Young Avengers movie STAT and a Kate Bishop/Clint Barton buddy movie would be absolutely perfect.

Who Should Play Her: Alison Brie (Community, Scream 4) or Zosia Mamet (Girls)

(5) Monica Rambeau

Why: She’s lead the Avengers more than once—and she’s had quite a few names (my favorite being Photon). She’s more than qualified to hold her own with the current Marvel Cinematic U Avengers.

Who Should Play Her: Kerry Washington (Scandal) or Angela Bassett (How Stella Got Her Groove Back, American Horror Story)

(6) Spider-Woman

Why: She’s become such a staple character it’s almost absurd she hasn’t been in the Marvel Cinematic U yet (even if it’s just as Jessica drew). But, now that Marvel has the rights to all things “spider”—I think it’s safe to assume we will see her soon.

Who Should Play Her: Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse) or Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)

(7) Spider-Girl

Why: And again, now that Marvel can use all things “spider” in their movies—I’d love to see her. Have you read her arc in Avengers Assemble? Because if not, go read it, then buy her action figure, and then come back and discuss how awesome she is with me.

Who Should Play Her: Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin)

(8) Elektra

Why: Because we need something to wash away that Jennifer Garner movie. I’m sure we’ll see her in some form in the new Daredevil series. But, Elektra could definitely hold her own Netflix series.

Who Should Play Her: Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) or Sharni Vinson (You’re Next)

(9) Angela

Why: She’s new to the Marvel Universe but not new to comic books (I’m still not quite sure how all that worked out). Her character even had a cameo in the 90s Spawn movie—Angela is a badass warrior who would do great punching Loki all over the place and rolling her eyes at Peter Quill in the Marvel movies.

Who Should Play Her: Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow, The Devil Wears Prada)

(10) She-Hulk

Why: BUT SERIOUSLY WHY HAVEN’T WE EVEN SEEN HER AT LEAST IN HER NON-HULK FORM YET IN THE MARVEL CINEMATIC U!? She’s infinitely more interesting than Hulk, and she deserves some screen time.

Who Should Play Her: Laura Prepon (Orange is the New Black, That 70s Show)

(11) Tigra

Why: This character might take a lot of work to make NOT look silly on screen—but she’d be a great addition. Tony would, no doubt, hit on her and she would, no doubt, kick his ass.

Who Should Play Her: Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) or Nicole Beharie (Sleepy Hollow, Shame)

(12) Crystal

Why: She’s an Avenger and an Inhuman who has been married to both Ronan the Accuser and Quicksilver. She'd be a great character to connect all the different movies with.

Who Should Play Her: Emmy Rossum (Shameless) or Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars)

(13) Nico Minoru

Why: The Runaways need their own movie or TV series.  There have been rumors for a long time now—but nothing has happened…yet.

Who Should Play Her: Diana Bang (Bates Motel, The Interview) or Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars)

(14) Molly Hayes

Why: The cutest and strongest member of The Runaways. I’d love to see her punching Iron Man through a wall while wearing an adorable knit hat.

Who Should Play Her: Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Annie remake) or Marsai Martin (Black-ish)

(15) Dagger

Why: A Cloak and Dagger Netflix series would work so well—but Cloak tends to be the more boring character, so they’d need to make sure Dagger was super charismatic.

Who Should Play Her: Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) or Emma Caulfield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

(16) Ms. Marvel

Why: Think of how cool it’d be for her to cameo in Captain Marvel and then get her own Netflix series? Ms. Marvel is one of the best new comics Marvel has put out in forever and she deserves some screen time.

Who Should Play Her: Afshan Azad (Harry Potter series)

(17) Black Cat

Why: Because she’s a freakin’ staple of Spider-Man’s story and we have yet to see her (as Black Cat) in any of the 89789 Spider-Man films.

Who Should Play Her: Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones, Mockingjay)

(18) Songbird

Why: Because a Thunderbolts movie would be fuckin’ great—and she’s (mostly) the only one who is actually a hero. She also has really awesome hair.

Who Should Play Her: Lily Rabe (American Horror Story)

Facebook: Ian Carlos Photography

Twitter: @ianxcarlos

When I think fan made trailers, I think camcorder-ed back yard LARPing. I DO NOT think 15 minutes of Michael Bays-esque cinemative achievement with a post-production budget to match. I am changing that assumption now.

Joseph Kahn, director of 2004's Torque, and Britney's Greatest Hits (!), brings it in this short where he's reimagined the Power Rangers not as a jolly band of high school heroes, but as a ruined brigade of child soldiers. Katee Sackhoff, star of Battlestar Galactica, Oculus, and my dreams, is featured as the Pink Ranger - the last warrior standing after ordinary, not intergalactic, forces have ended the lives of her former crew. There's plenty of battery, blood, and blasphemy: perfect for nostalgic parents, not so much for the primary school set. Which is fine, because that other blast from the 90s past, James Van Der Beek, would be lost on the kiddies, too.

My favorite part, Kahn has no intention of dragging this out. He says, "The irony here is that I wouldn't even want to make "Power Rangers: The Movie' for real. Like if I had to make a 'Power Rangers' movie, this is it. It's 14 minutes long and it's violent and this is what I have in me. If they offered me the 200 million version, the PG-13 version, I literally wouldn't do it. It's just not interesting to me."

At a time where every movie's an instant trilology, and every literary trilogy swells into a four picture deal, it's refreshing to find someone into taking an idea, making something cool, and leaving it at that. Ladies and gentlement, Joseph Kahn is not looking for dead horses to beat. Hallelujah!

Check it out:

It's just, so... BEAUTIFUL!

Long revered as THE Comic Book Industry Power Couple, Kelly Sue DeConnick and husband Matt Fraction are setting the stage to expand their media empire. They have just signed a two-year deal with Universal TV to adapt their comics and develop original series concepts for television. 

First up is SEX CRIMINALS, which is only one of the most original, funny and engaging comic books to have come on the scene. Utterly European in its playful treatment of sex, SEX CRIMINALS is a sci-fi love story between a man and a woman with a very unique orgasm talent wrapped up in a caper comic. Can BITCH PLANET and PRETTY DEADLY be far behind? The announcement also indicated that DeConnick and Fraction's Milkfed Criminal Masterminds production company aims to be a launchpad for developing other creators' comic titles into television series.

Is there any other way to describe this than as a gamechanger? Comic book fans have known for years that the stories we read were expansive, compelling and utterly original. The population at large doesn't seem to see the value in a story unless it is eventually put on a screen with live actors. Thus, the world collide. Will this elevate the comics game? Because the television landscape is surely going to get a lot more interesting. THE WALKING DEAD paved the way for this. This is what creator-owned comics hath wrought. But will the comics gatekeepers beat their drums of discontent and lament the "decline of the genre"? Well, yes, of course they will because that is what geeks do.

But what do YOU think?

Friends, though the promo for this most recent episode of the 100 featured a kiss between Clarke and Lexa, I avoided posting about it for two reasons: first, the writers of the show were upset that the CW used the kiss for shock value, when it means a lot to the story and to their work.  Second, I wasn’t entirely sure that Lexa was going to make it through the episode.  I didn’t want to lavish praise only to have Lexa become another tragic queer woman.

But Lexa is alive.  The kiss happened.  And praise shall be given in full.

Lexa had been confirmed as queer in an earlier episode, where she said that because the Ice Kingdom killed her girlfriend, she was able to understand that love is weakness.

Now, normally, when someone says ‘love is weakness’ it usually means they’re about to meet someone that proves that love is actually strength.  I hoped it would be Clarke, but doubted it.

But the signals were there.  Lexa and Clarke maintained Korrasami levels of eye contact.  When Clarke wasn’t looking, Lexa would stare at her with an expression that can only be described as ‘heart eyes.’  And tonight, their relationship came to a head.

Clarke finally confronted Lexa about her emotions, reminding Lexa that she does actually feel, and that she can fool herself but she can’t fool Clarke.  The camera zoomed in to the lack of distance between their faces.  Lexa told Clarke she cares about her, and Clarke asks why she can’t be trusted.  Clarke left in a huff, and we were treated to dramatic shots of each woman in EMOTIONAL TURMOIL.

Then, later, Clarke comes in again, only for Lexa to apologize.  She says that perhaps life doesn’t only have to be about sacrifice, puts her hand in Clarke’s hair, and pulls the other woman in for a kiss.

And guess what?  Clarke kisses her back.  In full.  She puts her hand on Lexa’s back, she closes her eyes.  It’s a real, emotional, TV kiss.  It’s not for the male gaze.  It’s not an experimental phase.  It’s an actual kiss.

Clarke does break away from the kiss, of course, saying “I’m not ready to be with anyone.  Not yet.”  This is not an “I’m not interested in girls,” or an “I’m not interested in you.”  It’s not a sudden sexual awakening.  Clarke doesn’t need to say anything about being bisexual because she always has been.  And as show writer Jason Rothenberg tweeted:

The 100 writers have successfully created a place without homophobia that doesn’t queerbait.  They followed through. They said “sexual orientations of all kind are completely normal,” and then they proved it.  It’s a breakthrough, and it’s refreshing because once again, Clarke isn’t going to have a bisexual awakening episode.  She is a bisexual girl in a world of queer characters, and that is one of the most hopeful things I’ve typed out in a long time.

Now, the cynicist in me worries that Lexa will still die before the season is over, but I also want to, for once in my life, give the writers the benefit of the doubt.  The writers of The 100 have always created smart, well-written TV.  And this is one of their finest moments to date.

Remember, 2015 is the year of the bisexual!  And we’re going strong.

Super marvelous contributor to this site, Ian Carlos Crawford, released the trailer he-codirected for "Vaguely Based on a True Story," his epic New York romance/supernatural thriller. Having the luck and opportunity to read this novel for myself, I must say it's vibrant, nasty storytelling with a DONNIE DARKO by way of GIRLS atmosphere. And Crawford has captured that tone pitch perfectly for the book's trailer with his co-directors Kevin Tobin and Chris Sandas.

BEHOLD!

That gut-punching score is from Australian musician Brendan Maclean, who also appears in visions as our main character's dead ex-bf.

To catch you up, here's the pitch:

Vaguely Based On A True Story is about the life of Adam Carlos, a 31 year old unpublished author, during one miserable, strange summer in New York City. Adam has two degrees and is working a shitty low paying job at The Sex Museum of New York City - where everyone is miserable because of their terrible new boss, Tammy. He lives in Brooklyn with his two stoner roommates/ best friends, Andrea and Kevin - along with Kevin's awful new girlfriend, Sarah. He's being haunted by prophetic dreams, his dead ex-boyfriend Brendan, and a mysterious man in a fox mask. Things take a turn when new employee and possible love interest, Austin, is hired. Adam then finds his world spiraling out of control as he no longer knows what's real.

Spread the word about this gay fantasy bonanza if you dug it! And be sure to check out more about our auteur below:

Ian Carlos Crawford grew up in southern New Jersey. He graduated with his MFA in nonfiction writing from New School and currently lives in Brooklyn. He's the NonFiction Editor for Gigantic Sequins, and a contributor/social media manager for Geeks Out.  He previously worked for Buzzfeed. He is currently working on his fiction manuscript. He loves pugs, Broad City, comic books, Nick Jonas, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Follow him @ianxcarlos.

Super marvelous contributor to this site, Ian Carlos Crawford, released the trailer he-codirected for "Vaguely Based on a True Story," his epic New York romance/supernatural thriller. Having the luck and opportunity to read this novel for myself, I must say it's vibrant, nasty storytelling with a DONNIE DARKO by way of GIRLS atmosphere. And Crawford has captured that tone pitch perfectly for the book's trailer with his co-directors Kevin Tobin and Chris Sandas.

BEHOLD!

That gut-punching score is from Australian musician Brendan Maclean, who also appears in visions as our main character's dead ex-bf.

To catch you up, here's the pitch:

Vaguely Based On A True Story is about the life of Adam Carlos, a 31 year old unpublished author, during one miserable, strange summer in New York City. Adam has two degrees and is working a shitty low paying job at The Sex Museum of New York City - where everyone is miserable because of their terrible new boss, Tammy. He lives in Brooklyn with his two stoner roommates/ best friends, Andrea and Kevin - along with Kevin's awful new girlfriend, Sarah. He's being haunted by prophetic dreams, his dead ex-boyfriend Brendan, and a mysterious man in a fox mask. Things take a turn when new employee and possible love interest, Austin, is hired. Adam then finds his world spiraling out of control as he no longer knows what's real.

Spread the word about this gay fantasy bonanza if you dug it! And be sure to check out more about our auteur below:

Ian Carlos Crawford grew up in southern New Jersey. He graduated with his MFA in nonfiction writing from New School and currently lives in Brooklyn. He's the NonFiction Editor for Gigantic Sequins, and a contributor/social media manager for Geeks Out.  He previously worked for Buzzfeed. He is currently working on his fiction manuscript. He loves pugs, Broad City, comic books, Nick Jonas, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Follow him @ianxcarlos.

In case you missed it, DC comics recently announced that they will be introducing a slew of new series after cancelling 13 others. Among them, is one about a character named Midnighter, written by Steve Orlando. Few people outside of the comic book world know who this B-list character is, but this title has greatsignificance for us in the queer community. Why?

Because Midnighter is an openly gay, tough-as-nails, badass superhero.

Exhibit A (Family Friendly Edition):

Exhibit B (Look Away Kids! Edition):

So what? It’s 2015. There’s all sorts of diversity in comics these days…

Sure, we’ve come a long way in this recent decade, but—believe it or not—this is the first on-going title from one of the main Big Two publishers (Marvel & DC) to feature a gay man in the lead. By itself, that’s groundbreaking (and hard to believe that it’s taken this long).

Now, to be fair, there have been others in a similar vein.

The first gay male to be featured in a solo series was Alpha Flight’s Northstar. Marvel published a 4-issue limited series starring the flying speedster in 1994 (two years after the character came out), but the series had no references to his sexuality or romantic life.

The first gay woman to have her series, Batwoman, has been met with much media acclaim and a strong following. However, DC waited until 2011 to give us a series focusing on a lesbian crime-fighter, and the initially strong series became plagued by controversy and has now been effectively canceled. The series will have run for a total of 40 issues.

The longest running series to be held by a queer man—this time a bisexual—is actually Vertigo’s John Constantine. The series called Hellblazer began in 1988 and is still going today (although it was rebranded Constantine when it was re-absorbed into the DC universe proper). John’s bisexuality wasn’t mentioned until 1992 and wasn’t depicted until 2002. Here’s something for your wait…

Midnighter had wild success as a character owned by the smaller Wildstorm Comics, being a trailblazer in the comic genre. The character debuted in 1998, and was established in a stable and loving relationship with Apollo by 1999, becoming the team’s solid anchor-couple. In 2002, the duo were also the first superhero couple to be depicted being married and adopting and raising a child together.

Oh, the feels….

And more…

In 2006, Wildstorm decided to let Midnighter go out on his own in what was supposed to be a 6 issue mini-series—it turned into a 20 issue run.  Capitalizing on his success in 2007, the company gave Midnighter an unprecedented second series where he was paired up with Grifter (in the eponymous Grifter & Midnighter) which lasted for 6 issues.

All this time, DC comics had been the parent corporation of Wildstorm (which it had bought as an imprint) and decided to dissolve Wildstorm Comics in 2010, bringing over many of the main characters to the DCU proper.

So then what’s the fuss? If Midnighter was owned by DC Comics during every ground-breaking step, what’s the big deal?

Think of it this way: Pixar was able to make great films on its own, but once the money and muscle of Disney got behind them, they became unstoppable. Similarly, Wildstorm put out some great comics, but many of them went overlooked by casual fans and the general populace. What DC has been doing since integrating Midnighter into their universe is bringing knowledge of this amazing character to a wider audience: first with DC’s new Stormwatch, then in a supportive role in Grayson, and now to star in his own title.

And the writers of DC’s titles have not been backing down from Midnighter’s complex characteristics, his sexuality included. The same brash person who delights in ripping out a man’s spine, is the tender father who doesn’t want his daughter to have nightmares, is the passionate lover who will do anything for his husband, is the mans-man warrior with an increased libido who doesn’t mind commenting on handsome dudes.

(For your enjoyment, one of the best scenes in a comic this year: Midnighter recognizing Dick Grayson from his pert little ass.)

And this is why I love Midnighter: he embraces all of the qualities of what it means to be macho and at the same time is able to indulge in tenderness and compassion from having been an outsider to that masculine world. One of my favorite scenes from his time in Authority is where, instead of duking it out with an opponent, Midnighter is able to understand how ostracized that man must feel and end the battle with a hug.

The truth of the matter is—while every man has the capability to be thinking, feeling, and loving beings—many men don’t or won’t because of the fear of being labeled as anything other than manly (be that feminine or gay). Batman would surely never take the time to empathize with his villains. But Midnighter, by virtue of being gay, is allowed to blur those lines and break down the barriers without criticism. And it will take a skilled writer to handle that amount of complexity and not simply boil Midnighter down to a cliché.

From my research and Twitter stalking, Steve Orlando—known primarily for Image Comics’ Undertow—seems to be the right man for the job. He has been published in an anthology titled Anything That Loves, published a Kickstarter project called Virgil about a gay cop, and many of his tweets are open-minded and/or supportive of the queer community. Here’s hoping that Orlando will do justice to our favorite kick-ass leather queen.

What are your thoughts? Jump into the comments below!

Super marvelous contributor to this site, Ian Carlos Crawford, released the trailer he-codirected for "Vaguely Based on a True Story," his epic New York romance/supernatural thriller. Having the luck and opportunity to read this novel for myself, I must say it's vibrant, nasty storytelling with a DONNIE DARKO by way of GIRLS atmosphere. And Crawford has captured that tone pitch perfectly for the book's trailer with his co-directors Kevin Tobin and Chris Sandas.

BEHOLD!

That gut-punching score is from Australian musician Brendan Maclean, who also appears in visions as our main character's dead ex-bf.

To catch you up, here's the pitch:

Vaguely Based On A True Story is about the life of Adam Carlos, a 31 year old unpublished author, during one miserable, strange summer in New York City. Adam has two degrees and is working a shitty low paying job at The Sex Museum of New York City - where everyone is miserable because of their terrible new boss, Tammy. He lives in Brooklyn with his two stoner roommates/ best friends, Andrea and Kevin - along with Kevin's awful new girlfriend, Sarah. He's being haunted by prophetic dreams, his dead ex-boyfriend Brendan, and a mysterious man in a fox mask. Things take a turn when new employee and possible love interest, Austin, is hired. Adam then finds his world spiraling out of control as he no longer knows what's real.

Spread the word about this gay fantasy bonanza if you dug it! And be sure to check out more about our auteur below:

Ian Carlos Crawford grew up in southern New Jersey. He graduated with his MFA in nonfiction writing from New School and currently lives in Brooklyn. He's the NonFiction Editor for Gigantic Sequins, and a contributor/social media manager for Geeks Out.  He previously worked for Buzzfeed. He is currently working on his fiction manuscript. He loves pugs, Broad City, comic books, Nick Jonas, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Manga Night at Drink n' Draw! Special Guest Jiraiya will be there in his first public appearance!

Making his first ever public appearance, the artist known as JIRAIYA is coming to America in a series of signings and speaking events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. And we are lucky enough to have him hosting a special Drink n' Draw! Our models for the evening will inspire your inner manga artist. 

All artists of all skill levels encouraged to come! It doesn't matter if you suck, this is a casual, no-judgements atmosphere! Or if you don't want to draw, stop by for a drink and see what the artists come with. Prizes will be given out to the models' favorite artwork of the evening. 

The prize for the evening will be an original giclee print of one of Jiraiya's illustrations!

Please bring a board or hard surface and the dry medium of your choice. Other mediums that can be used are dip pens and neat watercolor sets. No oils or damaging paints allowed. No fumes please! Photographers welcome as long as no flash is used and you are respectful. No creepy paparazzos please. 

Cheap drink specials during happy hour. 

Please note the special time for this Drink n' Draw - the festivities start with a public talk with Jiraiya at 7:00pm.

Saturday March 7th.. It is time to celebrate!
It's Steve Fogs and Jennifer Glassmans birthday bash!
WE COULD BE HEROES!

Dress in your best Superhero outfit! 
Don't have one? Don't worry!
Special guest Mischief Matthew and Skin Tight USA will be on hand with Super suits for you to rent!

Party starts at 9 with happy hour until 1030!
DJ Steve Fog in the mix all night long
David and Ricardo behind the bar!
21+ to enter, ID required!

Veranda at The Long Island Eagle
94 N Clinton Ave Bay Shore 11706
631-YOU-HUNK

Rat Queens is back! Plus the queer-inclusive weekly titles focus on their 'queeros! SuperQueeros: all that's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, transgender, and queer in comics today!

Recently I treated myself to Man of Steel for the umpteenth time. I enjoyed the film far more than I expected. While watching I realized there’s been one glaring error in the Superman mythos that needs to be called out.

Lois Lane is not and should not be a damsel in distress.

By no means is this specific to Man of Steel. In fact, actress Amy Adams delivered and is a worthy addition to the elite group of women who have portrayed this iconic heroine over the decades.

As canon illustrates, Lois Lane is far more than capable of handling herself.

As the Daily Planet’s top reporter and a Pulitzer Prize winner, Lois has always been at the forefront of being a modern-day career woman in an often male-dominated environment. This is very progressive, especially when one considers that Superman dates back to the late thirties when there were even far fewer opportunities for bright ambitious female professionals.

More than that, Lois is an accomplished martial artist and also has extensive military training thanks in no small part due to having a general for a father.

Let’s also not forget she broke into the White House with Superman and Batman to steal back the Kryptonite from President Lex Luthor. One does not simply team up with the World’s Finest and raid the Oval Office unless they’re formidable in their own right.

In the animated series, she battled Lex Luthor’s bodyguard, Mercy, and decisively trounced her. This is the same Mercy who battled Harley Quinn to a stalemate. The same Mercy who in the comics, pummeled Catwoman within an inch of her life during the No Man’s Land story arc.

Smallville, for all of its issues, actually nailed Lois’s characterization better than most. It wasn’t a stretch when she became a super heroine herself in an episode. For all intents and purposes, she should be a major player, independent of Superman. She’s clocked more field time than half of DC’s champions.

This isn’t to say that Lois can never find herself in trouble, because part of her quirk is that in her zeal to investigate a story and learn the truth, she often finds herself in over her head.

This isn’t to say that Superman can’t occasionally rescue her. But what is very important to remember about a powerful accomplished woman like Lois Lane is that she’s more than capable of saving herself.

Reader, I’ll be honest with you: I went into last night’s Agents of SHIELD expecting the worst.  I figured today’s SHADE was going to be a lot, well, shadier.  There is the matter of Trip’s death, and the fact that the narrative has already seemed to turn him into an idea that they can all aspire to instead of a real person to be mourned.  That’s a problem.  But it’s also a problem that I think will continue throughout other episodes, and I want to see how deep the narrative digs that particular hole before I really step in.

This is the first episode back after the hiatus, and it actually had a lot of strong points.  Today, we’re going to look at one of the more prominent ones.  SHIELD is finally realizing that shoving everyone together into a nuclear team dynamic isn’t actually working.  They’re making a point to show us that outcasts are really beginning to take center stage.  And I think that’s going to be very good for the show in the long run.

Let’s be clear: they can’t say “mutants” on Agents of SHIELD.  It’s probably one of the main reasons we’ve shifted so much attention over to aliens and the Inhumans.  But I’m under no such contractual obligation, and so I will make the comparison for them.  You’re welcome, guys.

There’s a reason so many of us here at GeeksOut! love the X-Men.  They’re us.  They’re the weirdos and the outcasts.  The ones who can’t show up to an event without protestors.  The ‘abominations.’  The X-Men always have been the comics metaphor for those of us who don’t have the body or the talent or the straightness for a different super hero team.  Or maybe we lack the straight and true moral compass.  Or maybe we’ve just never been allowed to join because we’re too loud, too strange, too dangerous.  But we are the X-Men.  And Agents of SHIELD has finally realized that we’re here.

Technically, we don’t have the X-Men on Agents of SHIELD.  We have the Inhumans, and it’s going in the same angle, narrative-wise.  Born different, sudden mutations, mutations lead to deformities and powers that can’t yet be controlled.  Cue the rejection from loved ones, the turning of backs, the fear of the unknown.  This is not a new plotline, per se.  But it’s an important one.

We should take a look at our cast of outcasts (get it??) this week. We have Skye, who’s powers are invisible, but very prominent.  She spends the episode trying to convince everyone that there’s nothing wrong with her.  Her saving grace comes from Fitz, who’s visible disability has set him apart from the entirety of the cast since the beginning of season 2.  Both Skye and Fitz are demonstrating problems with control over the mind, and they seek solace in each other.  Because, as dramatic as this might sound, no one else can really understand what they’re going through.  Just as we in the queer community must protect our own, that same idea can be applied here.  

Fitz and Skye are outcasts now.  They have to protect each other from the ‘normals.’  And it’s hard, and it’s hurtful, because those are their friends.  Their loved ones.  But they’ve been put in a position of almost certain rejection from anyone that is not like them.  And it’s not always outward.  Sometimes it’s micro-aggressions.  Shared glances behind backs.  But for now, we must remember that true protection comes from each other.

We can even take this to a bigger extreme with Raina.  Her powers have manifested in the form of a severe physical deformity, which has shattered her entire sense of self.  Once again, the shows tendency to go “Well...how about suicide?” comes up, and guys, you really need to stop doing that.  Because Raina’s resentment of Skye’s physical appearance, her self-loathing for wanting this, her actual, physical pain from her new powers, can all culminate into something much more than “I should walk into traffic.”  Yes, that depression is real and it happens and we should look at it.  But this show has also used suicide a few too many times for the message they’re trying convey to really stick.

But let’s look at Raina and the man who saved her (Gordon.)  They both have very apparent physical differences.  They can’t hide in plain sight the way Fitz or Skye can.  To continue the X-Men comparison, they are the Kurt Wagners and the Hank McCoys.  They can’t deny their otherness.  They have to bear it every day.  And here, we see a divide within a divide.  A splintering among the outcasts.  There are those who can be ‘normal-passing’ and those who cannot.  And it is of the utmost importance that Raina and Gordon support each other.  

However, it is also vital for Skye to come to an understanding with Raina as well.  She will likely never fully understand where Raina is coming from, or what Raina is dealing with.  But she does need to understand that they are, to everyone on the outside, in the same boat.  They’re both ‘differents’, and that usually tends to get you lumped together.

So where does that leave us with Agents of SHIELD? Well, for one, I think we should hope the storyline doesn’t try to deny the otherness overall.  A huge, huge part of this plot going well will be whether or not the main cast can accept that yes, there are others.  They’re people you love.  And they can’t be ‘fixed.’  Allies must be understood as such.  And outcasts have to protect each other.

Anyway, we’ll see where this takes us.  Until next week!