Batwoman, for me, has been the answer to a prayer. A front and center character, not a cypher, not a team element, but a hyper-competent mover and shaker with real mythos-supported depth who also just happens to be gay. Total win, there. Northstar, the pioneer, was one of a group. His sexuality was a behind the stage controversy and it took three writing cycles to get him out. Afterwards, he got killed twice. I’d say because writers just didn’t want to deal with him, or editors, whatever.
Then came Extrano, the gay Guardian. As a teenaged gay, I wanted to hide back in the closet over him. He was like Super Steppin’ Fetchit to me. Grossly exaggerated, exponentially effeminate, suffering from AIDS, the works. I realize New Guardians was about people who became demi-gods and not superheroes, but the advancement of the character based on his preferences, while there were no classic style characters that were gay left me feeling as a reader rather marginalized.
Lots of experiments in between, to mixed results. THEN, came Kate Kane. This was a character I already had an affection for, as she was a total reboot of the original ’50s Batwoman, Kathy Kane.
She was also a compromise for us Babs Gordon Batgirl fans when she was busy being Oracle. AND she was openly gay AND was doing her thing because she was a victim of discrimination and this was her way of defending the masses against injustice, among other personal grudges. In the meantime, the gay marriage issue has become front and center, and comics have thrust themselves into it to a fault. Northstar got hitched.
Archie comics introduced Kevin Keller and in less than a year we got a time-machine invite to his wedding. Then, DC reintroduced Alan Scott as a gay man (and made damn sure the press knew about it), then, surprise-surprise- he’s getting married.
Now, Kate is set to follow suit with Maggie Sawyer, a 25 year gay character mainstay, whom she’s been dating for less than two years. Any comics reader with barely a pedigree knows that in comics time, that’s like two months maybe. In my lifetime, I’ve seen Superman marry Lois after a fifty year courtship. Peter married Mary Jane after roughly 30. Green Arrow and Black Canary, the same. Atom and Jean? Barry and Iris? At least a decade. The only short date-to-altar Super-hero scenario I can think of is Hawkeye and Mockingbird, and it was to underline their impulsive natures (and make them a ref to GA and BC). Now, Batwoman’s getting the fast track. Why? Because gay marriage gets sales and attention. PERIOD. Doing this as a stunt for press and accolades is like having a black character get shot in a hoodie and calling the NAACP to tell them about it. It’s opportunistic and shows me you don’t care about anything that’s been built with this character anymore. Not at all. Not to mention, every single marriage I’ve sited here is OVER. Re-booted out, or dissolved. Comics fans don’t really like married heroes. Some do, I’m sure, but that’s not really the norm. Characters like Animal Man are exempt, because they’re family men and established as such from the get-go. Reed and Sue in the same vein, and they were a couple from the first issue. Notice how all of the other Bat-family are single folk? Because matrimony would be the end of their careers. My theory? They’ll get married, and in less than five years, Maggie, one of the most venerated gay characters in the industry, will get killed.
It’s the perfect solution to the finite nature of supermarriage, and it’ll be the same device that’s done to Batman and other male characters where a loved one gets killed (usually a woman) to drive them deeper into mission obsession. OR they’ll adopt a baby and grab more press, then Kate will be thrust into single motherhood. Just watch. So now, we’ll get to lose an iconic character to follow through with a double standard bearing, sales-bump inducing story. I hope this time GLAAD will sit this one out and quit throwing awards every time a queer comics story makes the byline. This shouldn’t receive awards, it should receive indifference. The only characters getting married anymore seem to be gay, and it’s no longer noteworthy. Plus, it just appeals to folks who are already comfortable with the idea and challenges no one. Thanks for the effort, DC, in making this character who she WAS and supporting her. Next thought? How about a character introduced and handled by a great creative team, who we get to know as an a full-fledged super-hero complete with their own code of conduct, trappings, powers/weapons set, and then in say issue #5, we get introduced to their love interest, who just happens to be of the same gender? No preaching to the choir, setting a new standard, and actually integrating the concept into the ethos with no stereotype? I’d buy that.
NOTE: I’ve just learned that Alan Scott’s fiancee apparently got “fridged”, as they call it in the business, which is what I predicted for Maggie here.
DON’T STAY CLOSETED WITH YOUR OPINIONS-I’D LOVE TO HEAR THEM, DISCUSS THEM OR ARGUE THEM.
Saving Wonder Woman 